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Truly Wonderful, the Mind of a Child Is...
date posted: Dec 30, 2006 4:45 PM
Threepio? A God?
Hello everyone!

I was searching through the picture selector, trying to find a topic to blog about (yes, that's how desperate I was), when I came across this one (-->).

I got to thinking (as usual), and I wondered, why did the Ewoks think Threepio was a God? Yes, I know, the first thing that pops into mind is that he is a machine, and since the Ewoks were so primitive (technologically, at least), and they had never seen a being like Threepio before, that they automatically assumed he was "some sort of God".

But, there's a problem with that assumption (at least in my mind...). More specifically, the part about them never seeing something technological before (i.e. a droid). I would think the Ewoks would have seen a droid before. Besides, the Empire was on the planet, and they had assumingly brought a droid or two along, if only for precautionary measures. And also, there is nothing stopping people in the GFFA from landing on primitive planets to make repairs to their ships, investigate new species, survey the planet in hopes of colonization, or a number of other things. Surely one of their species would have seen some sort of droid sometime.

Another thing - Threepio could understand their language, if only slightly. This means that a sentient species probably landed on Endor for some reason, and catalogued their language. Otherwise, how could Threepio have been able to communicate with them?
(And yes, I have to concede that Threepio could have been programmed with some other language that was very close to the Ewok's. This is a possibility as well....)

One last point (the most important, in my view...). Why didn't the Ewoks think that Artoo was a God as well? He was just as technologically advanced as Threepio, if not more so. I mean, it's clear that the Ewoks didn't have a written language - no sign of paper, pens, pencils, quills, or something equivalent was apparent. This would mean that they could not have religious texts telling them about a 'shining gold God', and I highly doubt that they would have such complex thoughts/theories passed down through generations solely by word of mouth.
(Although, the Ewoks might not have been able to recognize Artoo as especially technological for the sole reason that he couldn't talk with them or walk like a living being. And they could have had passed down oral descriptions of a 'golden God'...)

Hence my dilemma. I can't think of any reason why the Ewoks thought Threepio was a God. And any reason I can think of I've disproved (at least I think I have). So why do you think they thought this? Is there an answer somewhere I've overlooked?

I'd appreciate any comments, arguments, or other theories!

May The Force Be With You.

  Merryman-Lyon
A Wild Bantha Chase
date Posted: Dec 30, 2006 5:14 PM
Perhaps it was just because he was shiny. Who isn't attracted to shiny things?
  Bai Ahzur
Bai Ahzur's usless, but hopefully entertaining, yet somewhat eneventful, however rewarding, blog.
date Posted: Dec 30, 2006 5:14 PM
I do beleive that the Ewoks could have passed down religious beleifs by oral tradition alone. One example that solidifies my beleif is the work of Homer. The Illiad and the Odyssey wer both handed down oraly for five hundred years before being written down.

As for the ewoks worshipping 3PO. They probably had never seen gold before. Even if the few imperial droids that they probably saw were standard silver.

If the Ewoks had encountered gold; they probably associated it with some sort of other worldy power. The same was true for many primitive cultrues.

There is my explanation. MTFBWY
  miniforcex
The Star Wars Fan Wears Pink
date Posted: Dec 30, 2006 6:14 PM
Yeah, the Ewoks should have seen a protocol droid before. Just like Bai Ahzur said, they might have never seen gold before. Odd.

And, like Lyon said, we like things that are shiny. Shiny is cool. Shiny is... well, shiny. :)
kyle228
Truly Wonderful, the Mind of a Child Is...
date Posted: Dec 30, 2006 6:59 PM
They probably had never seen gold before. Even if the few imperial droids that they probably saw were standard silver.
This is true. I didn't think about this. But this makes tons of sense - you're right.

Still, this is odd. I'm sure I'll eventually have a revelation.
Thanks everyone!
MTFBWY
  CHEWBACA937
Who said Wookies can't be Mandalorians
date Posted: Dec 31, 2006 12:48 AM
HHHMMMM...............................Me like shiny(loud slap heard)
Maybe it was the eyes.Imperial droids were not humaniform droidson the whole.Maybe a darkforce(yellow eyes)user in gold-armor visited them in the past and caused a sluaghter.
Does any one else smell a story here?If you will excuse me I have a novel to write.
  CHEWBACA937
Who said Wookies can't be Mandalorians
date Posted: Dec 31, 2006 12:53 AM
Sorry,side-tracked.Anyway,any story like that can't be all that specific when passed from
generation-to-generation by word of mouth.Think how they reacted to 3PO's "Magic".And how they treated him like they were half-afraid he was going to destroy them.
  CHEWBACA937
Who said Wookies can't be Mandalorians
date Posted: Dec 31, 2006 12:57 AM
Maybe they thought he was just the dark-one returned to finish destroying their civilization. That makes the most sense to me.(Sorry about the triple post but my enter key broke,I can't start new Paragraphs)
JediMelindaWolf
Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try.
date Posted: Dec 31, 2006 3:34 AM
All I can say is that I think it probably had something to do with the fact that this being that sat up in the brush was gold and oh so shiny. Let's face it, many cultures have fashioned their god-like beings out of gold. Don't you think C3PO looks rather "god-like", from a certain point of view?

MTFBWY :)
kyle228
Truly Wonderful, the Mind of a Child Is...
date Posted: Dec 31, 2006 7:18 AM
Don't you think C3PO looks rather "god-like", from a certain point of view?
From a certain point of view, maybe...
Maybe it was the eyes
Yes, that's a possibility as well. I hadn't thought of that. Good thought! (And the triple post is okay - doesn't matter to me!)
MTFBWY
  Bai Ahzur
Bai Ahzur's usless, but hopefully entertaining, yet somewhat eneventful, however rewarding, blog.
date Posted: Dec 31, 2006 8:59 AM
I didn't think about the eyes. That makes so much sense.
What do we have now. Ah.
We have a shiny gold robot with unbliking yellow eyes. If I were a furry little pest I would think he was a god.
  The new yedi
date Posted: Dec 31, 2006 5:42 PM
What about this..... add to his shinny-gold look, his unblinking eyes, the hability to speak their dialect and the oral tradition stuff the way he apears in front of them. "From the land" beneath the grass, from the nature. 3PO wakes like born from the earth, encarnated in that very moment to glorify the "prey" they had cought. And of course, to be honored with the "meal"... JA JA......

Like it???
SithLord0017
That's a name I've not heard in a long time... a long time.
date Posted: Jan 14, 2007 8:43 PM
1. He was gold, but if we look I don't think he was that shiny. Remember during IV V and VI only once or twice he is shiny (because of poor technology and Lucas' fear of seeing camera reflections on the armor. So its probably just the gold and armor (I didn't see anything else gold on the planet).
2. He spoke their language... sort of... maybe they thought he was a god since he could speak their language... then again they worshiped him before he even spoke...
3. Nice point about R2
SithLord0017
That's a name I've not heard in a long time... a long time.
date Posted: Jan 14, 2007 8:44 PM
4. I always said they should have worshipped Chewie! I mean think about it. He's a giant Ewok sort of! Why wouldnt they think of him as a god because of his size...

Nice blog. I like that idea of looking at pics to get blog ideas... I might have to try it one time myself... once I get through writing all the ones I have ready to publish...

~SL0017
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