The Order (Silent Hill)

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Heather looks at a painting that illustrates the St. Alessa, mother of God, daughter of God, the dogma of The Order which resembles her appearance.
Heather looks at a painting that illustrates the St. Alessa, mother of God, daughter of God, the dogma of The Order which resembles her appearance.

The Order is a fictional cult in the survival horror video game series Silent Hill. A cult similar to The Order also makes an appearance in the film adaptation, although they are not explicitly named as such.

Contents

[edit] Function in storyline

The Order is a proselytic doomsday cult that worships archaic gods and pays tribute to an array of their own saints. The Order is based on an older Native American religion indigenous to the area of Silent Hill. However, because it was adapted by settlers who were originally Christians many of the religious beliefs have been syncretized with Christianity.[1] Their plans seem to include the resurrection of their god and, through that resurrection, salvation of mankind and abolition of sin when the world is cleansed by fire.[2] Not all members believe this to be the only outcome.[3]

In the first Silent Hill it becomes clear that, previous to the game, The Order was responsible for the manufacturing and distribution of a drug called PTV, which is derived from a plant indigenous to the area called White Claudia. The primary clientèle for the group were tourists visiting from out of town. It is believed that the White Claudia drug has hallucinogenic/psychotropic properties that allow the cult members to brainwash or control its users. The Silent Hill police force, in conjunction with police force of Brahms, a neighboring town, were in the process of investigating the drug ring when the events of the first game took place. A Brahms police officer named Cybil Bennett became involved after the Mayor of Silent Hill and a narcotics officer named Officer Gucci both died under suspicious circumstances.[4]

Because of the actions in the first Silent Hill game, the town is distorted, setting the stage for each game. Prior to the first game, a ritual conducted by The Order was only somewhat successful in infusing the soul of their god into the body of a young girl, Alessa Gillespie.[citation needed] Due to the intrusion of a Trucker, Travis Grady, only half the god's soul was born into the girl, who split herself into a second child.[citation needed] This child was discovered on the side of the road near Silent Hill by Harry Mason and his wife who adopted her and later named her Cheryl Mason. At the beginning of the first game, Harry returns with Cheryl to Silent Hill and Cheryl fuses back with Alessa. Through the rest of the events of the first game Harry encounters one known cult member and a few associates of the cult, the town under goes a constant shifting transformation into another world, mimicking Alessa's personal nightmare,[5] and the cult's god is resurrected, but then slain by Harry.

While Silent Hill 2 has no real ties to The Order (although it does mention one of it's members, Walter Sullivan), Silent Hill 3 focuses on the cult members trying to track down the protagonist Heather and her father so she can be returned to Silent Hill to complete the ritual to resurrect their dormant god. It is in this game that The Order is named as such for the first time. Throughout the game Heather confronts two rivalling cult members and prevents the re-birthing of the cult's god.

Silent Hill 4: The Room focuses on the murder victims of a character known as Walter Sullivan, who is said to have been part of the cult (either as a member or orphan from the Wish House Orphanage). Walter was educated at the Silent Hill orphanage run by the Order and became heavily influenced by the teachings of the cult. He attempted to conduct a ritual called the 21 Sacraments,[6] by killing 21 people. The original intent of the ritual was to trigger the descent of God, however, Walter's intent is to be reunited with his mother, whom he believes is Room 302.[7]

[edit] "Halo of the Sun"

The Halo of the Sun, as it appears in Silent Hill 3
The Halo of the Sun, as it appears in Silent Hill 3

This symbol appears frequently in the games and is used by the Cult of Silent Hill for ambiguous purposes. Its said to represent the deity known as "the Halo of the Sun". The outer ring represents Charity, while the inner, Resurrection. The 3 circles on the inside represent the Past, Present, and Future. It can be drawn in other colors such as black. But when its drawn in blue; its meaning is reversed and a curse on the god, therefore it is forbidden.[8]

[edit] Cult members (in games)

[edit] Known members

  • Dahlia Gillespie. A priestess for the Holy Woman sect. Silent Hill 1,Silent Hill: Origins
  • Michael Kaufmann. A hospital director at Alchemilla Hospital and one of The Order's main figures. However, it's clear that he's not fanatically loyal to the cult's mission to bring their god to life. Silent Hill 1, Silent Hill: Origins
  • Claudia Wolf. A nun of the cult, with intentions that are similar to Dahlia's to raise the Cult's god. Silent Hill 3
  • Father Vincent. Another high priest within the cult. Silent Hill 3
  • Leonard Wolf. Claudia's father. Silent Hill 3
  • Jimmy Stone. A founder of the Valtiel sect , and victim of Sullivan. Stone was known for dressing as the executioners of the town's past & was nicknamed 'the red devil'. Silent Hill 4
  • LS. An unknown member of The Order. Silent Hill 3
  • Cult Doctors. Two males who were seen in a residual memory of Alessa's where they discussed her future role in the cult with Dahlia and Kaufmann. Silent Hill 1
  • Female Cult Member. Another anonymous cult member who is heard talking to Vincent on a tape recording. Silent Hill 3
  • Jennifer Caroll (St Jennifer). Killed by Christians for being a member of the cult. She has since become an established Saint of the Order. Silent Hill 3
  • St. Nicholas. As seen in a painting, he was the cult's greatest doctor. Silent Hill 3
  • Toby Archibald. A priest of the Holy Mother sect. He was also a murder victim of Walter Sullivan. Silent Hill 4
  • George Rosten. A priest of the Valtiel sect, as well as the head of Holy Mother sect. He was also Jimmy Stone's right hand. He devoted himself to raising Walter Sullivan to become a skilled follower. He succeeded in having Valtiel placed into Walter's unconsciousness to permit the 21 Sacraments to take place. He was also a victim of Walter Sullivan. Silent Hill 4

[edit] Affiliates/Possible Members

  • Lisa Garland. A nurse at the Alchemilla Hospital. She seems to be completely controlled by the cult as she is addicted to the drug The Order distributes. Her main role prior to the game was taking care of an injured Alessa Gillespie. It is unclear if she was ever considered a cult member. The first game indicates that she was killed by Dr. Kauffman before the town was fractured. The Lisa Garland depicted in the game is a poltergeist manifestation of Alessa's.[9] Silent Hill 1, Silent Hill: Origins
  • Norman Young. The owner and operator of the Norman Motel in the resort area of Silent Hill. He was a primary drug dealer for the town as he would often sell the White Claudia drug to those staying in his motel. It is unclear if he is a member or just a dealer. Silent Hill 1
  • Walter Sullivan. (Holy Mother sect) It is unclear if he was in fact a member, or simply an orphan child raised in the Wish House orphanage run by The Order, being raised with their harsh, twisted values. Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill 4: The Room

In addition, in Silent Hill Origins there are four members of the Order seen (not counting Dr Kaufman), they are all wearing robe and masks.

[edit] Function in film

Despite their similarities to the cult in the video game, the name of the cult in the film is never revealed specifically as being 'The Order'. There are some similarities between the game and the film version, such as the presence of Dahlia and Alessa Gillespie as well as the practice of burning people for 'religious' reasons (for a more extensive comparison, see below), yet director Christophe Gans himself has stated that the two are not to be related[citation needed] and that they are probably from different continuum.

The cult symbol in the film
The cult symbol in the film

The plot of the 2006 Silent Hill film centers around a religious cult similar to "The Order" from the games. In the film, the cult consists of a group of fanatic followers who traditionally burn those they suspect of being witches. This tradition apparently goes back to the founding of the town as is evidenced by a painting depicting the first burning several hundred years ago. The cult's symbol is a cross crosslet with a hexagonal ring for the central crux and the bottom arm extending downward to cross with an arched line. It is seen in various places such as on the floor of the hotel room, the door of the school, and the roof of the church. According to Anna, it is on all the buildings which were built by the town's forefathers.

After the events that led to the fracturing of Silent Hill the members of this group were confined to the alternate Silent Hill where they believed the world had undergone an apocalypse and that they were the only survivors. They believe that they were spared from death because of their faith and look at the horrors surrounding them as a test. Their leader is a woman known as Christabella (Alice Krige). She uses the belief that they were allowed to survive the end of the world, the fear of the darkness that spreads across the town, and the fear of the monsters (to them, 'demons') wandering the town to control those trapped in Silent Hill. When they congregate in the church for protection during the periods of darkness, Christobella leads them in prayer for forgiveness and salvation from the darkness. All of the members seem emaciate and vacant, letting Christabella do most of the talking for them.

When going on excursions away from the church, probably due to the town traditionally being a mining town, they tend to wear coal mining gear(gas masks and coveralls) and carry a caged canary to warn them of the coming darkness (similar to coal miners use of canaries to detect carbon monoxide).

As it turns out, Alessa Gillespie is keeping the group trapped in Silent Hill so she can exact her revenge on them, and it is Rose's arrival with her daughter Sharon that enables her to do so.

A second film is currently in production. It is likely that the upcoming film will have ties to this group as well.

[edit] Cult members (in film)

  • Christabella. The leader of the cult. Before the members were stranded in Silent Hill she was presumably a teacher at Midwich Elementary School. She convinces Dahlia to let the "witch-burning" congregation, described below, "purify" Alessa and 'restore her purity'. When Dahlia arrives at the ceremony, it becomes clear that they intend to burn her daughter as a witch.
  • Dahlia Gillespie. The mother of Alessa. When it becomes clear to her that Christabella intends to kill Alessa by burning she presumably leaves the cult. Although stranded in Silent Hill with the others, she is not allowed into the church, yet does not seem to be affected by the monsters.
  • Anna. A young red-haired girl whose speech suggests poor education (seemingly characteristic of the other members as well). Anna is manually flayed by Pyramid Head\Red Pyramid on the steps of the church.
  • Lone "Coal Miner". Rose DaSilva runs into a mutilated body tied to a fence, dressed up as a coal miner and discovers that the person inside is still alive. It may be assumed that his presence and uniform are indicators that he was a member of the cult in Silent Hill.
  • "Coal Miners". Rose encounters these men in Midwich Elementary and they attempt to capture her. Darkness falls over the town and they flee, only to be seen eaten alive by Red Pyramid's creepers (roach-like monsters with humanoid faces).
  • Congregation. The rest of the members of the cult who are trapped in Silent Hill are found in the church, often being led in prayer by Christabella. The only two we learn the names of are Eleanor and Adam.
  • Witch-Burning Congregation. When Alessa is seen being burned in a flashback, members of this group are praying with Christabella when many are killed by an accident with the altar.

[edit] Difference between game and film

One of the most striking differences is that Dahlia is head spiritual medium for the religious organization in the game[10], while in the film she is cast out from them for refusing to reveal the father of her child. Also, the game alludes to The Order being a doomsday cult that was adapted by settlers from the worship of Native American deities but with Christian traditions and other Bramic references, while the film's cult uses passages from Revelation and uses a kind of cross, suggesting mostly Christian influence. Both incarnations are, however, inadvertently responsible for the current condition of the town of Silent Hill because of Alessa's burning. Yet, the motivation for this burning is quite different in either story. The game reveals that Alessa's burning was supposed to purify her and prepare her to bear the incarnation of a god, but in the film Alessa is burned because she was born of an unknown father out of wedlock and is presumed to be a "witch." In the film, Alessa is rescued by Officer Thomas Gucci (Kim Coates) and left in a hospital to be treated where a 'dark side' reveals itself to her and seemingly convinces her to trap the townsfolk. Alessa from the game is also confined to a hospital bed after being burned, but seems to already have access to the malevolent force inside her. In the game Dahlia and Dr. Kauffman seem to be the only cult members trapped in Silent Hill, although there may be more that aren't encountered. The film however, indicates that every member of the cult, or those that "deserved it" according to Officer Gucci, are trapped in the alternate Silent Hill, including the expelled Dahlia.

The film also goes so far as to explain the air raid siren heard when the town enters the Darkness phase. In the film a siren is attached to the church's steeple and is set off when the Darkness is on its way. The games have no such explanation, and while the church's siren could be a possibility, there is no indication that the siren is of human origin.

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Silent Hill franchise
Main series
Spin-offs
Films
Miscellaneous
Soundtracks
SH · SH2 · SH3 · SH4 · SHO

[edit] References

  1. ^ Memo entitled "About Syncretic Religions": There is no religion that has remained unchanged from the moment it was founded. This one is no exception. When this religion fell into the hands of immigrants, it was deeply influenced by their own original Christian beliefs. For example, the traditional representatives of these primal gods may be given the names and descriptions of Christian angels. Thus shared characteristics begin to appear. (There is also one rare example of the chief deity, "Creator of Paradise" or "Lord of Serpents and Reeds", being dubbed with a demon's name. Of course, this was not done by believers, but by their opponents.) Konami Silent Hill 3 In English 2006-8-6 (NA)
  2. ^ Heather: I don’t need another world. It’s fine the way it is. Claudia Wolf: But you said it yourself. The world must first be cleansed with fire [...] And for that we need God. Konami Silent Hill 3 In English 2006-8-6 (NA)
  3. ^ Vincent: It’s not uncommon for people to worship the same god and still disagree. Konami Silent Hill 3 In English 2006-8-6 (NA)
  4. ^ INVESTIGATION STALLED - "PTV" Dealers still at large: Suspicious deaths continue. Like the anti-drug mayor, a narcotics officer dies of sudden heart failure of origin unknown. Konami Silent Hill In English 1999-1-31 (NA)
  5. ^ Harry: This may sound really off the wall, but listen to me. You've got to believe me. I've not gone crazy, and I'm not fooling around. At first I thought I was losing my mind. But now I know I'm not. It's not me. This whole town. It's being invaded by the other world. World of someone's nightmarish delusions come to life. Little by little the invasion is spreading. Trying to swallow up everything in darkness. I think I'm finally beginning to understand what that lady was talking about.(Dialogue from Konami Silent Hill In English 1999-1-31 (NA)
  6. ^ "The Descent of the Holy Mother -- The 21 Sacraments": The First Sign And God said, At the time of fullness, cleanse the world with my rage. Gather forth the White Oil, the Black Cup and the Blood of the Ten Sinners. Prepare for the Ritual of the Holy Assumption. The Second Sign And God said, Offer the Blood of the Ten Sinners and the White Oil. Be then release from the bonds of the flesh, and gain the Power of Heaven. From the Darkness and Void, bring forth Gloom, and gird thyself with Despair for the Giver of Wisdom. The Third Sign And God said, Return to the Source through sin's Temptation. Under the Watchful eye of the demon, wander alone in the formless Chaos. Only then will the Four Atonements be in alignment. The Last Sign And God said, separate from the flesh too, she who is the Mother Reborn and he who is the Receiver of Wisdom. If this be done, by the Mystery of the 21 Sacraments, the Mother shall be reborn and the Nation of Sin shall be redeemed. (Memo found in Silent Hill 4)
  7. '^ RED DIARY - JULY 29: Continuing from yesterday, I'm going to summarize everything that I've learned about Walter Sullivan so far. Naturally, it was a long way for a kid his age to travel, but he made the trip every week by subway or bus. Unfortunately, someone else was living in this apartment and so he couldn't be reunited with his mother (Room 302). For years, he continued to come here, almost like he was possessed, just to peek into the apartment. Eventually, the tenants began to complain and treat him badly when they saw him hanging around. Walter began to fear the tenants and see them as obstacles preventing him from seeing his mother. As the years passed and Walter matured, he began to be more and more influenced by the teachings of the cult. Furthermore, his obsession with his mother and his feelings of resentment towards the other world became even deeper. Walter became preoccupied with one particular tract from the cult's "Bible." "The Descent of the Holy Mother -- The 21 Sacraments" "By the 21 Sacraments, the Holy Mother shall appear in the countries of the world and shall bring salvation to the sinful ones." After Walter left Wish House, he moved to Pleasant River, a town neighboring Silent Hill. For a while, he lived the life of a normal student, but he was still filled with bitterness and resentment towards the rest of the world. Several years later, he launched his plan there. The 21 murders... (Memo found in Room 302 - Silent Hill 4)
  8. ^ Memo: "ABOUT THE CULT'S SYMBOL" found in Silent Hill 3
  9. ^ CHAPTER 3 MANIFESTATIONS OF DELUSIONS: ...Poltergeists are among these. Negative emotions, like fear, worry, or stress manifest Into external energy with physical effects. Nightmares have, in some cases, been shown to trigger Them. However one such phenomena doesn't appear To happen to just anyone. Although it's Not clear why, adolescents, especially girls, Are prone to such occurrences. Konami Silent Hill In English 1999-1-31 (NA)
  10. ^ http://silenthillchronicle.net/shkgb.htm
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