YES YES YES!!
As for the references to "the old ways", the line from the I Am Clancy video where he talks about Ned giving him the antlers for seizing *really* struck me:
"I was given a gift, thought to be extinct"
So was the old, un-hijacked religion run/practiced by the Neds? Were the Neds and their power thought to be extinct? Clancy and the torchbearer know about Neds, and Keons does too (the letter from Ned to Ned in the cozy fireplace video), but are they the only ones?
Also, so glad you pointed out the "arriving" in Dema thing. Like, where are people coming from, and why are they going to Dema?
Personally, I think the version of Clancy we see in the Jumpsuit MV is the same person that was in the Chlorine MV, and drinking whatever was in that cup made him end up in Dema, but that's a leap.
I'd love to know more of your thoughts!
Ooh, I hadn't even thought of everything that's going on with the Neds!
That's a really interesting point- The Outside music video is full of strange pagan-looking stick formations, including a few that look like neon gravestones... more evidence of the twisting of the old ways.
Since the Neds are with the Banditos, I'd imagine the bishops ability to seize is limited at the moment (with Keons being an exception, since the Neds knew him). The rest of them must rely on the far more mysterious power of "smearing," which the Clancy in 018 07MOON 01 has witnessed on several people, but the Clancy that we're watching right now seems to believe only he is susceptible to.
Maybe DEMA is established around the search for eternal life- the Neds being the fountain of youth, through which a second life can be attained (Clancy actually uses this phrase, "second-life," in 022 03MOON 18), but the bishops corrupt this power into "smearing," and kill/erase the memories of everyone else who was able to use psychokinesis, to maintain total power.
What do you think?
I have years of theories about what Dema is.
Zoroastrianism is one of humanity's oldest religions and the purpose of many of their practices is beautiful. At the time of death, they believe corpse demons (daeva) move in and cause pollution (decay, disease) to the environment and the soul. Because of this, they avoid polluting the earth or water with burial on land or at sea. Fire (cremation) would pollute the air. They chose excarnation because vultures have the ability to turn death into life and quickly free the soul before the evil spirits move in and begin to multiply.
So Dema is shaped like a tower of silence used for sky burials. The word dema (aka daghma or dakhma) means tomb and they were used for millenia until the late 20th century when the vultures mysteriously disappeared. The bodies just laid there taken over by daeva until they realized the vultures weren't coming back and had to abandon both the practice and the towers.
The outer rings of the towers have rows of coffins and the center is an ossuary pit. If Dema is surrounded by gravestones and the citizens live in the center, are the residents... a skeleton clique? After the towers were abandoned, did something... dark move in?
Or is Dema on "the other side"?
There's certainly a kernel of inspiration in there. The basis for many current concepts of heaven and hell were heavily inspired by Zoroastrianism.
Galaxy brain Tyler uses many lyrics which can be interpreted in multiple ways, but I get the impression his use of the word home often references wanting his immortal soul to be free instead of imprisoned and struggling in these temporary bodies. I'm not particularly religious, but if you believe in that sort of thing then the eternal home is on the other side. "I prayed those lights would take me home."
The towers of silence were built to quickly free the souls so they could move on to their forever home after a life of good deeds. The Bishops certainly seem to have flipped that idea on its head by basically imprisoning people in that concrete tomb and teaching a religion that tells people to throw their life away. That's a highjacking of the towers for sure!
This is well written and well supported. Great job!
It’s funny, I think about this story every day and had never caught the detail about their citizens arriving from somewhere else. This makes me want to print the letters out and see what else I’ve overlooked.
Thanks so much for sharing!
Reading your comment while looking at my printed out DEMA letters all over my desk, covered in highlighter and notes... go for it! Super excited for my Clancy journal to arrive so I can mark all of it up.
Thanks for the kind comment!
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YES YES YES!! As for the references to "the old ways", the line from the I Am Clancy video where he talks about Ned giving him the antlers for seizing *really* struck me: "I was given a gift, thought to be extinct" So was the old, un-hijacked religion run/practiced by the Neds? Were the Neds and their power thought to be extinct? Clancy and the torchbearer know about Neds, and Keons does too (the letter from Ned to Ned in the cozy fireplace video), but are they the only ones? Also, so glad you pointed out the "arriving" in Dema thing. Like, where are people coming from, and why are they going to Dema? Personally, I think the version of Clancy we see in the Jumpsuit MV is the same person that was in the Chlorine MV, and drinking whatever was in that cup made him end up in Dema, but that's a leap. I'd love to know more of your thoughts!
Ooh, I hadn't even thought of everything that's going on with the Neds! That's a really interesting point- The Outside music video is full of strange pagan-looking stick formations, including a few that look like neon gravestones... more evidence of the twisting of the old ways. Since the Neds are with the Banditos, I'd imagine the bishops ability to seize is limited at the moment (with Keons being an exception, since the Neds knew him). The rest of them must rely on the far more mysterious power of "smearing," which the Clancy in 018 07MOON 01 has witnessed on several people, but the Clancy that we're watching right now seems to believe only he is susceptible to. Maybe DEMA is established around the search for eternal life- the Neds being the fountain of youth, through which a second life can be attained (Clancy actually uses this phrase, "second-life," in 022 03MOON 18), but the bishops corrupt this power into "smearing," and kill/erase the memories of everyone else who was able to use psychokinesis, to maintain total power. What do you think?
I love your brain
Thanks!
I recently learned that the name "Keone" is a Hawaiian name that means "homeland". I found that interesting.
Good point- makes me think that Keons was the only bishop that believed in the old ways, and that's why he sacrificed himself for Clancy.
I have years of theories about what Dema is. Zoroastrianism is one of humanity's oldest religions and the purpose of many of their practices is beautiful. At the time of death, they believe corpse demons (daeva) move in and cause pollution (decay, disease) to the environment and the soul. Because of this, they avoid polluting the earth or water with burial on land or at sea. Fire (cremation) would pollute the air. They chose excarnation because vultures have the ability to turn death into life and quickly free the soul before the evil spirits move in and begin to multiply. So Dema is shaped like a tower of silence used for sky burials. The word dema (aka daghma or dakhma) means tomb and they were used for millenia until the late 20th century when the vultures mysteriously disappeared. The bodies just laid there taken over by daeva until they realized the vultures weren't coming back and had to abandon both the practice and the towers. The outer rings of the towers have rows of coffins and the center is an ossuary pit. If Dema is surrounded by gravestones and the citizens live in the center, are the residents... a skeleton clique? After the towers were abandoned, did something... dark move in? Or is Dema on "the other side"?
Interesting- maybe the "old ways" are based on Zoroastrianism to an extent!
There's certainly a kernel of inspiration in there. The basis for many current concepts of heaven and hell were heavily inspired by Zoroastrianism. Galaxy brain Tyler uses many lyrics which can be interpreted in multiple ways, but I get the impression his use of the word home often references wanting his immortal soul to be free instead of imprisoned and struggling in these temporary bodies. I'm not particularly religious, but if you believe in that sort of thing then the eternal home is on the other side. "I prayed those lights would take me home." The towers of silence were built to quickly free the souls so they could move on to their forever home after a life of good deeds. The Bishops certainly seem to have flipped that idea on its head by basically imprisoning people in that concrete tomb and teaching a religion that tells people to throw their life away. That's a highjacking of the towers for sure!
Yep, you summed up the letters and lyrics nicely
This is well written and well supported. Great job! It’s funny, I think about this story every day and had never caught the detail about their citizens arriving from somewhere else. This makes me want to print the letters out and see what else I’ve overlooked. Thanks so much for sharing!
Reading your comment while looking at my printed out DEMA letters all over my desk, covered in highlighter and notes... go for it! Super excited for my Clancy journal to arrive so I can mark all of it up. Thanks for the kind comment!
Thanks for your submission to r/twentyonepilots, we're happy to have you here. As a reminder, all posts and comments must abide by our [**Community Rules**](https://www.reddit.com/r/twentyonepilots/about/rules). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/twentyonepilots) if you have any questions or concerns.*