Well firstly the Haibane, with their small, gray wings and halos, symbolize beings in a state of limbo. They represent souls that are in a process of purification or self-discovery before they can move on to the next stage of existence. Their charcoal-colored wings might also suggest a state of incompleteness or imperfection, unlike the pure white wings traditionally associated with angels.
Haibane are born from cocoons, which symbolize rebirth or awakening. The dreams they experience within the cocoon often hold clues to their past lives or the issues they need to resolve.
You also might mention "The wall" surrounding the town that represents the boundaries of the world the Haibane live in. It can be seen as a metaphor for the limits of their understanding or the barriers they need to overcome to achieve self-realization. The wall also suggests a separation from the world of the living, reinforcing the idea that the Haibane are in a transitional state.
The halo worn by the Haibane can symbolize divine grace or the potential for spiritual elevation. What's interesting is that the town itself can be seen as a purgatorial space, where the Haibane live while working through their past sins or unresolved issues. It is a place of refuge, where they can reflect on their lives and prepare for their eventual "Day of Flight."
The "Day of Flight" is when a Haibane leaves the town, symbolizing the soul's departure to the next stage of existence. This can be interpreted as the soul achieving redemption or resolving its past burdens.
These are the general concepts and the meaning behind them. Rakka's journey serves to unveil them in order to make it accessible to the audience and make their interpretations. If you have other thins or othet metaphors you want to know, hit me up 😉
@Tomi3b Thank you so much for this, the halo explanation answered a few questions I had, but I wonder if it only sticks to human heads. I guess it is indeed divine work if it only works on humans, although the show kind of tried to tell us that they're probably in the afterlife, it isn't really directly telling us that they are in the afterlife. Also, although the walls can be understood that it symbolizes that something, I wonder why the Toga, who never were able to achieve their Day of Flght, are allowed to enter and leave the town of Glie? I wonder what's really beyond those walls though.
Could it be, that beyond those walls, is an apocalyptic world? Maybe the world has been overrun by creatures that specifically kills rational beings, like the humans. Maybe the town of Glie is protecting the Haibane because the Haibane somehow scares those creatures away? And the creatures, we'll call them man-killers, are actually blind and can only locate their prey through voice sounds, and is actually the reason why only Togas are allowed to leave and enter the town of Glie because they cannot talk by default? |