BOOM. SHAKA. LAKA.

seulpeumi:

Symbolism and connections to his power of time control and others in his scene

Symbol of the Hourglass

Is it really necessary to explain this? The connection between the hourglass and that Tao’s power is time control is quite obvious.

The Flowers

In Eastern/Asian cultures, such as that of China, Japan, and Vietnam to name a few, white flowers are associated with death. I think it’s also interesting to note that white carnations in particular - the flower that Tao throws into the air and presumably the petals of the flowers all around him - in Vietnamese culture signify that one’s mother has passed on when worn on Mother’s day. (source; my mother, who is Vietnamese.) And from the translations we’ve gotten for MAMA so far, do the lyrics not say ‘Motherless’? The lyrics also seem to be them imploring their mothers for an answer or guidance.

Colours

In Tao’s part of the MAMA teaser, there are three colours that are most present - red, white, and black. Red is most obviously associated with love, but is also associated with anger, bloodshed, passion, and life. In Chinese culture, red is associated with fire, and symbolises good fortune and joy, as well as reaching upwards and long life. It is interesting to note that it is strictly forbidden at funerals as it is a traditionally symbolic colour for happiness.

Then we have White in contrast. White is associated with purity, light, brightness. However in Eastern/Asian culture, it has come to be associated with death and mourning and is used in funerals. In ancient China, people wore white only when mourning the dead. White also corresponds with the element of Metal - which, one should note, was the title of Tao’s teasers.

Then lastly we have Black, associated with nothingness, void, chaos, shadows, and the unknown. In Tao’s part of the MAMA teaser, he is in a black room/space. It’s a bit of a stretch but perhaps the nothingness of the room represents time-space or a different dimension of space entirely?

In Chinese culture, black corresponds with water and is a neutral colour. The I Ching, or Book of Changes, regards the colour black as Heaven’s colour. Ancient Chinese regarded black as the king of colours and honoured black longer than any other colour.

The Butterfly

The butterfly has many symbolic meanings associated with it. In Japan, the butterfly was seen as the personification of a person’s soul - living, dying, or already passed on. In ancient Greek, the word for butterfly was ‘psyche’which means ‘soul’ or ‘mind.’

Butterflies are also associated with resurrection and rebirth, as well as transition and change over time. The Mandarin Chinese word for butterfly is ‘Hu-tieh.’ ‘Tieh’ alone means “70 years,” and so butterflies have become a symbol for long life.

Butterflies are also seen as spiritual messengers in some cultures as well. And as Sehun was seen with a butterfly in his part as well, perhaps either he or Tao was sending a message to the other?

sources;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_in_Chinese_culture
http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/Chinese_Customs/colours.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White#Cultural_meaning
http://somekailovin.tumblr.com/post/20380060727
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly#Symbolism

gif cr; as watermarked.

This is amazing OMG