Why are Gods Stinky ?
Gods that came to that place were incredibly stinky and dirty ! why ?
is there a significant meaning behind that ?
The only stinky one was the river god. It's about the pollution of the river in the real world. Miyazaki's films often contain an element of concern about the environment.
That was the only stinky God ? I thought they're kinda already used to have Gods with stinky smell in that bath .. I don't know it seemed they expect it ! .. but maybe that was the only one ..
shareNo, just that one, and it caused quite a panic - remember they tried to close the bath-house to keep it out.
shareI'm not sure I agree with you - all of the spirits were dirty; in my view the whole idea of the bath-house was a place for "souls to be cleansed", literally in the plot, and figuratively in the subtext. On a side note, I think the spirit that was particularly stinky symbolised the impurity of the souls of the rich (mentioned after it flies away) who surround themselves with material possessions (debris released after the spirit is cleaned).
shareWhen the river god first arrived, they assumed it was a "stink spirit." In the Japanese Shinto religion, everything in nature has a spirit. Apparently, even nasty odors. So apparently they are used to the occasional stink spirit coming to them for a bath, but I don't see why you jumped to the conclusion that all gods must be stinky. Obviously everyone who goes to a bath house is probably in need of a bath, but no need to assume they're all completely rank and offensive.
shareQuite right, Druff. Any more than you are rank and offensive yourself, just before you have a bath or shower. Also in Japanese culture bathing is seen as a relaxing and social occasion. The Romans did this, too. Civilisation.
shareuhmmm you guys noticed that chihiro had to clean the big bathtub? the one that's always such a hard work that they probably can't even do it?
and they actually can't, because it's so dirty from the previous guests. they need a special expensive water to even clean the tub.
so... the stink god is not the only one, can we agree on that?
Good point. I get the impression that no-one's cleaned it for ages. Give the nastiest job to the new employee.
But when we see the guests arriving from the ship, there's no feeling that they're particularly stinky or unpleasant, and they're all given the conventional Japanese enthusiastic welcome-to-the-customer. Whereas they try to turn the river god away.
Haku was also a river God. He lost his river when they drained it, and turned to Yubaba for work.
I can't help thinking of Let the Right One In when I watch the film.
For the heart life is simple. It beats as long as it can.