The Miracle is one of the most haunting and eldritch concepts I've come across in fiction and it doesn't even seem that obviously malicious at first glance. Astonishing how the writers managed to create such a detailed and complex mythology, with so many clear historical inspirations, without falling into specifics like having a major named deity. The Miracle as a concept is far more ominous and disturbing of an entity than any personified God could be, since its paths, as Deogracias says, can be twisted, fiery and cruel. It's power is tangible, it's capricious, it's omnipotent (judging by all we know) and yet, there is no way to unravel it's workings, nor any ni CVSTODIA has the need for it. Thus, it is worshipped, but feared, rightfully. And that is just so intensely haunting of a concept.
I agree with this. The Miracle's vagueness builds it into this all-encompassing force that is above even the deities of the land (i,e. the Father, the Mother). It reminds me of Abraxas in the Gnostic ethos, pretty much God but infinitely evil.
The really creative contrast with Souls’ lore is that while Gwyn and Anor Londo and such are superficially Western, the major symbols are decidedly not. Black flames are a classic Buddhist symbol for unquenchable human desire; the crow as a Promethean “rebel god” is of East Asia and the Americas; I could go on. Blasphemous is much more deeply rooted in Western iconography (the crucifix, the thorns...) and is concerned with more classically Christian (or at least Abrahamic) themes: (as you mentioned) the impossible remoteness of the divine; the substance (or lack thereof) of evil.
Agree, also the Miracle work as people in Custodia know it work...like in the dark ages God was mostly feared, you worship him because otherwise he will kill you or send you to Hell, for them he need pain and penitence...so, like in Custodia, they've created this self-torture in real life, the Miracle have awake these fears in a more physical form...so(like in the medieval time) poor people are twisted by agony, the rich church is twisted by greed and power(most of the bosses in the game) some of them are litterally cover in gold...a "fake holiness". Really love the lore in this game.
@@wharfblarg6150 Meeeh yes but Abraxas in the Gnostic is basically the First before God...is evil and good at the same time and at the same time is none of that, is equal, basically if God is Bright(white) and the Devil is Dark(black) he is Grey...the entity BEFORE the division of light and darkness. Like in Dark Souls how was the world before? Well it was GREY, no light or shadow, then the light comes with the First Flame(usually the flame and the Sun are compared to God or Buddha)but light cast shadows(a lot of gods have casted away their own shadows like Lucifer was basically his son, Odin with Loki his own blood brother etc...etc...).
Andrew Davis, I think that the biggest difference between Souls and Blasphemous lore is that in Souls, it’s about how people give meaning to a meaningless world (Gwyn trying to preserve his age of Fire, Solaire and his sun, and the Crestfallen Warrior, who cannot find meaning in anything), while in Blasphemous, it’s about how everyone is subjected to this indescribable deity that punishes everyone and everything, how their faith and existence is centered on what they are doing wrong to the point that suffering is considered divine. Although what you said is also true.
"THE Miracle" (divine will) first manifested as the "first miracle" (the first action taken by THE miracle). I don't see the problem, other than being a bit repetitive.
I can't belive it took me this long to realise that The Penitent One is just a Jesus allegory. I guess the crown of thorns, resurection and dying for everyones sins was too damn subtle.
Damn I was thinking this while watching a no hit run through of all bosses just a minute ago and I wanted to check out the lore. Should’ve known not to guess myself
So basically the Miracle punishes every sinner until someone (the true Penitent One) relieves the sinners by sinning himself and taking the burden of penance on him and finally sacrificing himself, which is the final communion? And the Penitent One thus is the "savior"? Man, I found this game by accident and it's rly fked up imo but definitely a piece of art.
For anyone whose wondering: Penance: voluntary self-punishment inflicted as an outward expression of repentance for having done wrong. Repentance: sincere regret or remorse.
True. BUT Penance is done as a result of repentance. Even in Christianity repentance is always followed up by acts of penance, as proof of your hatred for evil, including your own.
@@RealShrimpu probably because the game lore is dark/creepy and there is no such things as romance/sexual innuendos in the game thus the breasts are not portrayed as sexual/lewd stuff. The breasts drawn aren’t also heavily big and jiggly like in many other games, they are quite normal in shape here.
I always liked the theory that the Miracle doesn't really understand humanity but is trying to give them what they want. In fulfilling people's desires, it reflects the twisted guilt-based culture that was already present in Cvstodia before it even showed up. Before the First Miracle, the Twisted One was already consumed by guilt and the urge to self-harm. And we never learn what exactly he or anyone else did that was so deserving of punishment. It seems likely that Cvstodian culture had a concept similar to original sin, something that makes them sinful by nature and deserving of torture even if they do little or nothing that is actually harmful to others. The Miracle could have been some kind of powerful alien being who discovered humanity and didn't know anything about it, but was inclined to believe all the things said to it in prayer, as it saw no reason not to take humans at their word when they said they needed to be punished.
And this rings most true in the sequel. The Miracle trying to restore itself believing it must become the will of humanity's salvation by birthing a new miracle child, a new son to save the world under one church
How does a culture develop such a deeply ingrained and masochistic guilt fetish? That's something that never made sense to me. Is it something in the water?
@@Xbalanque84 It's happened. Cvstodia is based on Spain during the Inquisition of the 15th-19th centuries. It turns out that this kind of culture happens when you do a bunch of swordpoint conversions and then realize that maybe swordpoint conversions are not very conducive to sincerity, so you continue hating and mistrusting the converts. It's a sign of a religion coming to grips with the fact that nobody belongs to it by choice.
If you think about it, it was the ppl who were in the wrong in ths first place, self harming themselves in a show of devotion. The miracle just tried to make them happy.
I feel the game is a commentary on Christianity in specific and Abrahamic religions in general, which view suffering as pious. In Islam, [Gven that's my religious background I will speak about it] those afflicted are considered loved by god that is why he afflicts them because by enduring, they become even more virtuous thus getting closer to god. Those who live frugal lives devoid of luxuries and pleasures are considered the most pious, amassing wealth is frowned upon and warned against, wealth and pleasures are considered vices and a danger that can corrupt and blind people from what really matters. In orthodox Islam, all arts (music, paintings, everything) is considered sinful. This led to a severe cultural stagnation in the Muslim world, it was only when people just couldn't bear it and started producing arts even though it was sinful, but even then you'll notice that no portraits, busts, and statues were made except on rare occasions and those were of low quality, it is why Islamic architecture has focused mostly on geometry and abstract decorations and symbols, this is how powerful religion is and how dangerous when suffering is one of your doctrines. We are flawed by design and limited in our abilities, this shortcoming is viewed as a cause of unintentional or ignorant sins. Viewing Suffering as god's will means many people tolerant injustice and consider it a test which they'll be rewarded for in the afterlife while those causing it are surely going o be punished for their deeds. While Islam considers are humans pure and good by nature until they are corrupted by the earthly world, I come to understand that in Christianity we are sinners by birth because we carry the burden of the first sin of Adam, the price we have to pay for free-will and gained knowledge but after Jesus Christ died to redeem humanity of that sin, we're "square" on that front all that's left is our own personal sins to deal with. However, I think the act that he had to suffer to do so, I believe left a strong impression in his follower's mind that suffering=forgiveness=redemption=salvation.
As someone whose anxiety often takes the form of misdirected guilt and self-loathing, this is terrifying. Most of the time I know I’m not “the most terrible person in the world”, but if I existed in this setting, I’d probably pray to the Miracle in a dark moment and be tormented forever.
It hurts, I know, that hatred of oneself always seems to fester. That feeling that everything can be traced back to you when things go sour, yet it is all someone else’s work when things go right, is something I’ve experienced quite a lot in the past. Here is the best advice my feeble brain can give: never let other cry pride when all you do is stand up for your own rights and your own dignity.
I believe that the Miracle is neither evil or good, but a sort of divine "mirror" that reflects the nature of humanity. If humans are evil, corrupt and fanatical, like the people of Cvstodia were, they are punished and cursed. If the people had been good, the Miracle would have blessed the land.
Given that it is very literally a Monkey's Paw twist on miracles, it is the definition of evil. An unknowable, unpredictable antagonist is still pretty low on the shit to great antagonist scale.
Y. Ahriman I’m not sure about that. Altasgracias, for example, was not evil. The three sisters just didn’t want to be forced into marriage. However, since their marriages were supposedly holy, the miracle punished them for rejecting it. I think that the miracle is, to an extent, evil. It rewards those who put their faith in it, but punished those who reject it, even if the rejection is justifiable.
@@agent004skin What happened to the three sisters wasn't a punishement but ultimetly what they wanted but Miracle twisted their wish. If believing the original story they probably wished to be ugly so the men they were supposed to be married to will leave them alone... Miracle granted that... And did even more
Grateful be, my feeble mind and impatience has prevented me from comprehending the true context of this adventure. My guilt is sloth and my penance is to play this game incessantly until divine wood sprouts forth from my head. Thus is the will of the Grievous Miracle.
absolutely, I especially love the in town music (kinda harken back to Diablo days) and the track where you fight Exposito, The Scion of Abjuration is especially metal
@οὐτόπος The fact that it is doesn't make it any less well-written. Countless Christians have tried and failed to make intriguing stories based on their religious mythos only to fail by grasping only the surface level motifs without any of the deeper meaning. Blasphemous manages to express the heart and soul of Spanish Catholicism and its darkest historical periods without even including explicit Christian references.
It is interesting to imagine the Miracle as some interdimensional plant-based psychoparasite who feeds on suffering of humans and uses its powers to build a cult of worship around itself so to get more and more suffering for it.
*"To know true joy is to suffer. To banish vain pride is to be laid low. How can one take action against injustice without just wrath?"* - by an unknown priest of the Grievous Miracle
@Fresh Beginnings definitely a curse...and a horrible one at that...but most of the people in custodia were brainwashed masochist fanatics so the curse of the miracle kinda gave them what they wanted in the end...they pray and worship an malicious entity that toys with their existence and don't care for them....kinda like the cultists of the elder gods in call of Cthulhu
@Zoe Kin We can't really be sure if death is the end in the world of custodia...some npcs mention "the other side of the dream" when death is near... I think it alludes to some kind of afterlife I guess...but the game doesn't really go into much more detail then that but I seeing the effects of the miracle in this world I don't think the afterlife would be a pleasant one...
Haven't watched it yet but great that this type of video already exist. I can barely understand what the hell is going since English isn't my first language so these cryptic words are throwing me off than usual lol Hopefully there's more in the future.
Also, those wondering about all the Silent Brothers being killed relevance and the Jesus connection. It's when King Herod killed all the baby boys in an attempt to kill off Jesus who he believed would dethrone him one day and so too does the player survive the slaughter to finally dethrone the main villain.
So miracle = big baby, wood demon, sexual statue role play, lazy skelebro, floating nuns, melt face, and the reddest lad this side of the blood pool Good line up Ngl
Thank you for tackling Blasphemous lore. I'm loving this game, but getting through it very slowly. Just the second ending and some other trophies left. Cheers!
Sooooo our job is to take away sufferings of our people and in order to do that we must suffer more than others so that we understanding the guild.Were literally Jesus Christ in this game.
I like these kinds of games with back ground story that will engrossed u, i like how the writer came up with such detailed story plot line that has some references.
I am more corcerned about the final in the sacrifice ending when the lady take the sword out of us wich was the guilt we take for all, i feel like the guilt is now for all again and the Miracle will punish the people again
That’s what he was saying at the end here While we may have taken all the guilt, the woman we fought (forgot her name) doesn’t see it that way and (presumably) tries to fix the “mistake” we made by taking the Mea Culpa (sword) and starting the cycle all over again until another like us can fix it once more What happened to her after that and if this could have also been part of the Miracles plan is her to be seen But hey DLC
My take is that Crisanta is probably going to be the next character with we play just because of the few similarities. One being appearance, and how her purpose is similar and opposite of the penitent one. Finally just like in the begging when the penitent ones journey started as he took the sword plunged into the women, she is doing the same thing now, being the wielder of the sword of guilt, created by the grievous miracle.
Why does everyone mix anything cultish or corrupt in with Lovecraft. When he himself borrowed alot from various old religions and poets such as Dante's Inferno, Hinduism, and Judaism. Sure he was a sci fi writer but alot of the creativity comes from somewhere even if you transcribe it into another form, which is fine by me.
@@karimblix4378 Yes, the whole setting looks like a distorted Christian medieval world, back when cristianism in western Europe was synonymous to catholicism. The game is spanish, a traditionally catholic country, the main character´s helmet resembles a "capirote" worn by penitentes during Semana Santa (Easter). The whole "purification vía suffering" is also a very persistent catholic mindset.
@@marthlink5015 I Will quote another user who is just some comments away: "The Miracle is one of the most haunting and eldritch concepts I've come across in fiction and it doesn't even seem that obviously malicious at first glance. Astonishing how the writers managed to create such a detailed and complex mythology, with so many clear historical inspirations, without falling into specifics like having a major named deity. The Miracle as a concept is far more ominous and disturbing of an entity than any personified God could be, since its paths, as Deogracias says, can be twisted, fiery and cruel. It's power is tangible, it's capricious, it's omnipotent (judging by all we know) and yet, there is no way to unravel it's workings, nor any ni CVSTODIA has the need for it. Thus, it is worshipped, but feared, rightfully. And that is just so intensely haunting of a concept."--Marlutte Yestrelt
Forgive me, oh grievous miracle, for I have sinned by mocking thy weakest children, the console peasants, in arrogance. As an act of penance, I shall play this divine game, which is equally pious and cruel, only with a keyboard, until bloody tears kiss the soil of cat hair, ash and bread crumps that lies beneath my key caps and let black thorns grow into my sinful wrists until I can fap no more. Amen.
@The No.1 Guy Yes, that was the point. It has some problems with keyboard on PC. The default controls are terrible and rebinding them causes issues, e.g. if I perform a slide attack, my charater locks up and keeps running into one direction until I minimize the game. I beat it 100%, but it was more annoying than it should have been.
@@NinjaContravaniaManX I've actually almost failed to 100% the game cause of it, that weird shit with slide attack, and I wasnt even trying to slide attack, but to slide THEN attack (to not fall into the spikes for one of the max HP upgrades), I tried going around for 30 min until I realized I couldn't do it on my keyboard, then I installed game on lap top and had no problems with slide attacks xD
ive been thirsting for lore vids on this gem of a game and im stoked to hear more are coming, bc this was excellent!!! thank you for taking the time and effort to lay this all out. also idk if you're taking any reference from the artbook but there's a lot of good bits in there ayyy
No problem, I love the game and I'm excited to do more! I have got the book and have read it well...it'll probably be directly referenced for some of the videos that I do
Just picked this game up after finding you through Elden Ring, loving your content, and then seeing you had covered this game. Really stoked to jump into it, looks awesome.
Great video, was wondering what the deal with the Miracle was in the game, just a small note, for those that don't know, "Ten Piedad" and the "Tres Angustias" are written in spanish, the boss "Ten Piedad" translates to "Have Mercy" and is a common chant during Christian mass, basically begging God to spare you from pain and suffering, like the giant stag monster is suffering. the "Tres Angustias" translates to "Three Anguishes", though in the Spanish context it can make allusion to afflictions or pains, think this one is just a direct reference to the three wounds that you're meant to beat, so, don't think there's much deeper meaning to that one.
Don't forget Altasgracias and Deogracias, "High Graces" and "Graces of God" respectively. The game also has a lot of latin: Detestatio Sacrorum, meaning "detestation of the sacred"; Requiem Aeternam, the first words lf the Requiem mass, "Eternal Rest", after killing a boss; Mea Culpa, "my fault", known from the prayer; Exemplaris Excommunicationis, "exemplary excommunication". The religion of Custodia, itself meaning "protection, custody" is based on the Roman Catholic church in the middle ages. The church in game is as rich and corrupt as the one in real life was. The Miracle is also based on how people perceived the Christian god: vindictive, freightening, cruel, and somehow saw him as just and gracious as well. The adoration of saints and Church Fathers is similar to the Orthodox and Catholic tradition. The emphasis on penance and salvation through suffering. Also, the way the Miracle demands sacrifice from one extraordinary person, which is then considered one in the same as itself, to erase sins commited by everyone (by proxy) is pretty much the concept of the trinity. Your pilgrimage and suffering during the game is the passion of christ, people praying to you as the son of the miracle, just like Christians pray for Jesus.
Its interesting that the High Will existed for all that time but one day decided to grant the youngster's wish. Makes me think the High Will has gone awry in some way. Also maybe its coincidence that there's a strong imagery with Nature. The High Will made several characters including the Penitent One in to trees. Altasgracias' tongues can commune with the roots. The guy in snowy peaks was trapped as tree. The guy in Mercy Dreams too was turned into tree, something he didn't ask for to my knowledge. He was haunted by dreams from the Miracle and was basically chosen to become the tree monster. Then there's Jocinero (named after a fame bull that killed a matador) is the only other deity, along with the Children of Moonlight, that seem to work in concert with the Miracle providing protection to souls in the wake of the Miracle's literal manifestations of pain and suffering to all in Cvstodia. The High Will almost seems like a machine. Its weird because many times the people refer to the other side not with a noun of its own (like Heaven), no, instead they refer to it as the "other side of The Dream" which to me means the current "living" world we interact with. Also like a Dream the locations don't have a sense of time. I forget who mentions this or if its in the lore description but basically they say that different areas have the same setting in the sky. Convenient for developers for sure, but I think it also refers to this being literally a Dream World which similarity do not typically have a sense of the passage of time. We also get a glimpse about the fate of the Mercy Dream guy tree boss. We now know he is very much awake when the beast sleeps and asleep when it is awake.
It's great to see someone cover the game's lore in such detail, i saw it on youtube a few weeks ago and remember looking for something like this but being unable to find it at that point
Just beat my first playthough with both endings and man this game cool! Its got a good story, some super awesome level design, and badass enemys and bosses that are truely haunting. I frickin love this game it's amazing!
Excellent explanation of the lore! I have been buzzing about this game ever since it's release and even before that when I discovered the Kickstarter for it. I think you have done a great job clarifying some of the more obscure details of what is actually going on. Yes please do some more videos about this game because I myself am still enamored with the lore and twisted beauty of this game. If such is my own penance then I accept it. Let the roots dig deep and twist into my mind.
Also I have a question, but maybe I am jumping the gun because you might address this in a future video. Throughout the game some characters mention, "The Dream", is this analogous to Limbo or an afterlife? Or perhaps some alternate plane manifested by "The Miracle"?
Guess the Petitent one has a lot of connection to The Christ. His ultimate penance and painful death to forgive everyone else of their sin. An Ultimate sacrifice. Rock on game.
Except Jesus did nothing wrong and died for all our sins. Whereas the Penitent One has apparently sinned to some capacity and then died for everyone's sins. (Or I'm missing something here) But still, they share some clear similarities, which is fascinating.
It seems like the Miracle is meant to be a stand-in for Satan when you think about it. 1. The Miracle takes on a light theme, much like how Satan masquerades as an angel of light. 2. The Miracle makes deals and grants wishes that often end badly for people who are too stupid to read between the lines or try to back out of those deals. 3. The Miracle creates various demons and monstrosities within the Blasphemous universe. 4. It twists people into hellish monstrosities and drives people insane by preying on their flaws and paranoias. 5. The Miracle throws humanity under the bus by putting them into horrifying scenarios and treats humanity as playthings. 6. Finally, the ones behind the Miracle, The High Wills, appear as a three headed abomination, much like how Satan was portrayed in The Divine Comedy as a three headed demon stuck in a frozen lake. Much like the first example, they masquerade as beings of light, but reveal their true intentions when someone purposefully offends them. 7. In an additional note, The High Wills and the Miracle test the faiths of their victims through torment, much like how Satan in Job (portrayed as more of an antihero than a straight up biblical villain) tested Job’s faith by ruining his life.
A point i'd like to refine, is that escribar isn't trying to stop you because he doesn't want to die or anything, In truth, he wants to make your penance as hard as possible, which in this twisted miraculous logic makes it even holier, he's sending his legions to torture, not end you blessing you with pain and blood during your journey
Thank you very much, i love your videos on blasphemous. the game has a fair amount of weaknesses in terms of gameplay and hud and stuff but the story and atmosphere and art is so amazing.
I really wish I could experience this game for the first time again. It's just that good. When I started playing it almost exactly one year ago, I was captivated by it. Recently, I tried it again and got bored fast, because I knew everything already. What a great game
I think what makes the miracle so interesting is it is like a manifestation of man's own desire for punishment to absolve their guilt. Humans are like naturally masochists at heart and we wouldn't know what to do with a god that loved unconditionally and forgave our sins. Us as humans would still be like "no I deserve punishment. I cant just be loved and forgiven" we as humans always expect a "catch" to everything and unconditional love from a god is a concept our brains won't ever accept. WE feel we deserve to be punished so the miracle obliges
I believe that The Miracle is the true villain in this story. Something that causes so much pain and suffering over the very understandable doubt of one person is not something to welcome, but to be RID OFF.
What I'm confused about the lore and the Miracle is that there are certain parts that make it seem as if the 'Miracle' is basically a false idol and thus people were punished for believing in that falseness. The church and king paid for turning their back on the people, the original miracle was a fanatic that caused more people to both be enfeared but also follow this form of idolitry. The Pentient one can see the 'miracle' as some form of either divine punishment or unjust punishment and seeks Mercy or Penance. The nameless figure you meet mentions about the 'false miracle' so I'm wondering is this entire thing some bad cult gone wrong and the pentient one and brothers of sorrow realized that and wanted to get rid of the curse the King and others caused on humanity.
I just finished the game, and I have more questions while i was expecting answers. need more videos :D. thanks for you amazing explanation and citations.
Detestatio Sacrorum means to reject family rites. At 18:02 you mistranslate it by saying it means 'Sacred Oath', which it does not. Strictly translated it would be 'Detestatio' or rejection, and 'Sacrorum' or rituals. A rough translation would be rejection of rituals, but it is understood as a phrase to mean renunciation of familial rituals, a feature once common in Roman life. This can still be tied into your short explanation of the ending, it is not until you have increased your burden of guilt to it's maximum level and rejected all rites of confession to ease that guilt, then you are worthy to climb the mountain of ash in a final act of penance.
From all Souls-like games til now, this is the one that have the best Souls-esque lore. The endings reminds me a lot of the first Dark Souls endings: you are either devoured by the First Flame or you become the next Dark Lord.
Souls-esque lore?.. Man. Soul's lore is totally alien for me. I watch it and i see the typical japanese mess when they represent anything westerner...On the other hand, i understand all the concepts in this game...No.
I didn't get the impression that the people trying to climb the mountain of Ash were trying to claim the throne for themselves. I thought they wanted to touch it so they could touch a piece of the miracle. Like when people feel blessed or touching the foot of a statue of a saint. They wanted to commune with the miracle
I wish more of the people playing blasphemous would watch this video. The game has such a rich and symbolic mythology, its such a shame a lot of players dont take the time to take it in, and just appreciate for the great metroidvania it is. Was particularly infuriated while watching barb playing, paying no attention to any of the items descriptions, or even caring in the slight about the amazing mythology on display.
The developers are heavily inspired by Catholicism, which in my opinion is far more intellectual than its Protestant literalist counterparts. Because of this, countries that are still part of the Latin/Catholic cultural milieu are far less likely to take a harsh anti-Christian stance like the secular forces that counter the literalists in other environments. I am non-religious myself but still love my Catholic upbringing and don’t have the militant atheist mentality so pervasive in places like America and the UK. I’ll likely still take part of the religion, culturally speaking, even though I am not spiritually or religiously committed.
Very true don't know how many times "God is dead" and He winds up being the bad guy or something. It serves no purpose really, shock is worn off (unless you read or watch Preacher) On the other hand I hate how often stories make one random average guy save the world by himself and the bad guys plague the Earth, so not much is likely left. Usually he saves the world in some silly way like an amulet or by accident. All the while God's presence isn't really felt.
I think the thing that I find the most disturbing about the miracle is the fact that it can’t be seen or doesn’t have a true form neither spiritual nor physical nor natural it just a strange force that exists and has a mind of its own how can something exist without a physical form? Of any kind? What really is it and does it blur the line between existence and non existence? Or is it just something that can never be explained even by cosmic standards
The anointed leigon was made by socorro of the endless agony who begged the miracle to make her feel the pain of those being tortured near her. The leigon members do not feel the pain of combat as it is translated to socorro (mark of 1st 2nd. and 3rd refuge lore.) Escribar only anointed them.
Fun fact: The gruesome reality of this verse about a real person that existed in our history, "He (Christ) was beaten beyond recognition (as a human) still turns my stomach where the violence in Blasphemous makes me go 'meh.' I also love the name, Blasphemous. It is not a coincidence, since Christ was called a blasphemer and a heretic when he was crucified.
@@juancarlosalonso5664 I would take Roman census and archeological records. If you were me, you would have years of education and study into these things, but you're not, and you don't.
I was always wondering why the silent brotherhood at the intro are all dead, now it makes sense that Escribar would have them all killed because he was afraid of TPO/
Part of what I find fascinating about the Grievous Miracle is that while it dools out inescapable punishment and horrible torments to the people, it also eventually provides the means in which to end the cycle of dread and despair, to assure in a new age of prosperity and forgiveness through a time of trial, tribulations and suffering. *"Through our suffering, our penance the sins of our fathers and mothers can be forgiven, so that they do not become the burdens of our sons and daughters and their children and so forth..."* -by Carlos the simple, resident of Cvstodia In its own twisted sense, the Miracle gets folks to care about the future of their descendants, for through them their towls and anguish can be lifted. In the end we should strive to create a better world for not only our children but for those that have not yet been born many generations ahead. (within reason ofcourse)
One thing I've been wondering for a while now is that are there other lands, other countries besides Cvstodia that the Grievous Miracle makes itself manifest, to other peoples, other cultures or is the GM a unique phenomenon to Cvstodia. It would be an interesting idea for a sequel, a new 'pilgrim' that goes to new lands, kingdoms that are fraught with deep corruption and 'sin' that the divine Miracle turns into an age of penance, an age of bloodthirsty beasts and otherworldly manifestations of the 'High Wills'.
I'll never understand how people didn't turn against the miracle for it's cruel manipulation of the desperate. Torturing and playing emotional games with their despair and deep desire for repentance. Like not one sect that showed skepticism from the miracles apparent divine properties or group to sow some form of doubt that their actions don't line up; punishing ones self isn't going to undo the damage done from their sins nor is it going to bring forgiveness from the victims. To show regret but not seek forgiveness or to right the wrong you're aware of is a very bizarre and pointless endeavor, why bother repenting then unless you're doing it to get off on the self-victimization of being a sinner. Nevermind the people whose actions were never looked into, like the 3 sisters: "No one..." not a single soul bothered to question if they deserved this suffering for their actions and in that I would say those who see it as just are the ones who need to repent. Their blind faith has caused them to turn a blind eye to injustice done onto the potentially innocent. I would love for the second game to explore this with questioning on the efficacy of penance and forgiveness. Where it works and where it doesn't and why it does it doesn't work.
I think no one really questioned what the Miracle did/turned against it because the Mircale itself is seen as omnipotent, therefore there's literally no point in fighting against it because it can just damn you to a fate worse than death whenever it wants and there's nothing you nor anyone else can really do about that except try to appease it.
The Miracle reminds me of "Death Note" and my comment on The Miracle is: Imagine a world that the evil finds his doom and the good gets blessings for certain. And imagine being an evil person in a world that The Miracle exists. Imagine the Horror and Burden you would experience. Just wow...
The Miracle is one of the most haunting and eldritch concepts I've come across in fiction and it doesn't even seem that obviously malicious at first glance. Astonishing how the writers managed to create such a detailed and complex mythology, with so many clear historical inspirations, without falling into specifics like having a major named deity. The Miracle as a concept is far more ominous and disturbing of an entity than any personified God could be, since its paths, as Deogracias says, can be twisted, fiery and cruel. It's power is tangible, it's capricious, it's omnipotent (judging by all we know) and yet, there is no way to unravel it's workings, nor any ni CVSTODIA has the need for it. Thus, it is worshipped, but feared, rightfully. And that is just so intensely haunting of a concept.
I agree with this. The Miracle's vagueness builds it into this all-encompassing force that is above even the deities of the land (i,e. the Father, the Mother). It reminds me of Abraxas in the Gnostic ethos, pretty much God but infinitely evil.
The really creative contrast with Souls’ lore is that while Gwyn and Anor Londo and such are superficially Western, the major symbols are decidedly not. Black flames are a classic Buddhist symbol for unquenchable human desire; the crow as a Promethean “rebel god” is of East Asia and the Americas; I could go on. Blasphemous is much more deeply rooted in Western iconography (the crucifix, the thorns...) and is concerned with more classically Christian (or at least Abrahamic) themes: (as you mentioned) the impossible remoteness of the divine; the substance (or lack thereof) of evil.
Agree, also the Miracle work as people in Custodia know it work...like in the dark ages God was mostly feared, you worship him because otherwise he will kill you or send you to Hell, for them he need pain and penitence...so, like in Custodia, they've created this self-torture in real life, the Miracle have awake these fears in a more physical form...so(like in the medieval time) poor people are twisted by agony, the rich church is twisted by greed and power(most of the bosses in the game) some of them are litterally cover in gold...a "fake holiness".
Really love the lore in this game.
@@wharfblarg6150 Meeeh yes but Abraxas in the Gnostic is basically the First before God...is evil and good at the same time and at the same time is none of that, is equal, basically if God is Bright(white) and the Devil is Dark(black) he is Grey...the entity BEFORE the division of light and darkness. Like in Dark Souls how was the world before? Well it was GREY, no light or shadow, then the light comes with the First Flame(usually the flame and the Sun are compared to God or Buddha)but light cast shadows(a lot of gods have casted away their own shadows like Lucifer was basically his son, Odin with Loki his own blood brother etc...etc...).
Andrew Davis, I think that the biggest difference between Souls and Blasphemous lore is that in Souls, it’s about how people give meaning to a meaningless world (Gwyn trying to preserve his age of Fire, Solaire and his sun, and the Crestfallen Warrior, who cannot find meaning in anything), while in Blasphemous, it’s about how everyone is subjected to this indescribable deity that punishes everyone and everything, how their faith and existence is centered on what they are doing wrong to the point that suffering is considered divine.
Although what you said is also true.
"the miracle first manifested as the first miracle"
D E E P E S T L O R E
really makes you feel like dark souls lore
That sure is some Shakespeare bullshit right there
we are so lucky english teachers haven't found out this game yet
"THE Miracle" (divine will) first manifested as the "first miracle" (the first action taken by THE miracle).
I don't see the problem, other than being a bit repetitive.
YES
I can't belive it took me this long to realise that The Penitent One is just a Jesus allegory. I guess the crown of thorns, resurection and dying for everyones sins was too damn subtle.
Yeah I feel kinda dumb too
Damn I was thinking this while watching a no hit run through of all bosses just a minute ago and I wanted to check out the lore. Should’ve known not to guess myself
He's not "just Jesus". Stop with that retarded oversimplifications.
アドリアン qq
@@アドリアン-d3o did you not read the Alegory part?
So basically the Miracle punishes every sinner until someone (the true Penitent One) relieves the sinners by sinning himself and taking the burden of penance on him and finally sacrificing himself, which is the final communion? And the Penitent One thus is the "savior"?
Man, I found this game by accident and it's rly fked up imo but definitely a piece of art.
Wait till you read the bible
@@IfeelKindaSick I think I know what you're hinting at, probably gonna explore that a little further sometime
were literally jesus
@@themagicalspacepapa3109 Not literally but it's the same thought.
It doesn't make sense. That's part of the point.
For anyone whose wondering:
Penance: voluntary self-punishment inflicted as an outward expression of repentance for having done wrong.
Repentance: sincere regret or remorse.
Very good sir
Thank you!
True. BUT Penance is done as a result of repentance. Even in Christianity repentance is always followed up by acts of penance, as proof of your hatred for evil, including your own.
yeah but The Repentant One doesn't sound quite as cool now, does it?
This explanation would helped me a lot a weeks ago
Three Sisters: we don’t wanna be married off.
The Miracle: aight bet
corruptyouth thats crazy
The Miracle: I got chu fam
Escribar: Everyone must pay for their transgressions and endure penance!!
The Miracle: Lol k
We not gonna mention how even though it's all pixelated They still got away with showing the breasts?
@@RealShrimpu probably because the game lore is dark/creepy and there is no such things as romance/sexual innuendos in the game thus the breasts are not portrayed as sexual/lewd stuff. The breasts drawn aren’t also heavily big and jiggly like in many other games, they are quite normal in shape here.
I always liked the theory that the Miracle doesn't really understand humanity but is trying to give them what they want. In fulfilling people's desires, it reflects the twisted guilt-based culture that was already present in Cvstodia before it even showed up. Before the First Miracle, the Twisted One was already consumed by guilt and the urge to self-harm. And we never learn what exactly he or anyone else did that was so deserving of punishment. It seems likely that Cvstodian culture had a concept similar to original sin, something that makes them sinful by nature and deserving of torture even if they do little or nothing that is actually harmful to others. The Miracle could have been some kind of powerful alien being who discovered humanity and didn't know anything about it, but was inclined to believe all the things said to it in prayer, as it saw no reason not to take humans at their word when they said they needed to be punished.
interesting take! thanks
And this rings most true in the sequel. The Miracle trying to restore itself believing it must become the will of humanity's salvation by birthing a new miracle child, a new son to save the world under one church
How does a culture develop such a deeply ingrained and masochistic guilt fetish? That's something that never made sense to me. Is it something in the water?
@@Xbalanque84 It's happened. Cvstodia is based on Spain during the Inquisition of the 15th-19th centuries. It turns out that this kind of culture happens when you do a bunch of swordpoint conversions and then realize that maybe swordpoint conversions are not very conducive to sincerity, so you continue hating and mistrusting the converts. It's a sign of a religion coming to grips with the fact that nobody belongs to it by choice.
If you think about it, it was the ppl who were in the wrong in ths first place, self harming themselves in a show of devotion. The miracle just tried to make them happy.
Villager: "Punish me daddy"
The Miracle: "k lol"
Best short description of the miracle so far.
True cosmic horror
🥴🥴🥴
I feel the game is a commentary on Christianity in specific and Abrahamic religions in general, which view suffering as pious.
In Islam, [Gven that's my religious background I will speak about it] those afflicted are considered loved by god that is why he afflicts them because by enduring, they become even more virtuous thus getting closer to god. Those who live frugal lives devoid of luxuries and pleasures are considered the most pious, amassing wealth is frowned upon and warned against, wealth and pleasures are considered vices and a danger that can corrupt and blind people from what really matters. In orthodox Islam, all arts (music, paintings, everything) is considered sinful. This led to a severe cultural stagnation in the Muslim world, it was only when people just couldn't bear it and started producing arts even though it was sinful, but even then you'll notice that no portraits, busts, and statues were made except on rare occasions and those were of low quality, it is why Islamic architecture has focused mostly on geometry and abstract decorations and symbols, this is how powerful religion is and how dangerous when suffering is one of your doctrines.
We are flawed by design and limited in our abilities, this shortcoming is viewed as a cause of unintentional or ignorant sins.
Viewing Suffering as god's will means many people tolerant injustice and consider it a test which they'll be rewarded for in the afterlife while those causing it are surely going o be punished for their deeds.
While Islam considers are humans pure and good by nature until they are corrupted by the earthly world, I come to understand that in Christianity we are sinners by birth because we carry the burden of the first sin of Adam, the price we have to pay for free-will and gained knowledge but after Jesus Christ died to redeem humanity of that sin, we're "square" on that front all that's left is our own personal sins to deal with. However, I think the act that he had to suffer to do so, I believe left a strong impression in his follower's mind that suffering=forgiveness=redemption=salvation.
What an articulate, insightful explanation. Thank you!
@@gtfblade Thank you very much for the kind words.
Great take, very enlightening!
I love how a game can produce such deep discussions.
wow thank you for this comment. I learned a lot
the geometry based art and the born-pure vs pure-tainted parts are very interesting points
@@Tael98 Thank you! Yes, games like these can be very thought inducing.
As someone whose anxiety often takes the form of misdirected guilt and self-loathing, this is terrifying. Most of the time I know I’m not “the most terrible person in the world”, but if I existed in this setting, I’d probably pray to the Miracle in a dark moment and be tormented forever.
It hurts, I know, that hatred of oneself always seems to fester. That feeling that everything can be traced back to you when things go sour, yet it is all someone else’s work when things go right, is something I’ve experienced quite a lot in the past.
Here is the best advice my feeble brain can give: never let other cry pride when all you do is stand up for your own rights and your own dignity.
I believe that the Miracle is neither evil or good, but a sort of divine "mirror" that reflects the nature of humanity. If humans are evil, corrupt and fanatical, like the people of Cvstodia were, they are punished and cursed. If the people had been good, the Miracle would have blessed the land.
Yeah
I mean kissers of wounds have been given healing abilities thanks to the Miracle
Given that it is very literally a Monkey's Paw twist on miracles, it is the definition of evil. An unknowable, unpredictable antagonist is still pretty low on the shit to great antagonist scale.
Y. Ahriman
I’m not sure about that. Altasgracias, for example, was not evil. The three sisters just didn’t want to be forced into marriage. However, since their marriages were supposedly holy, the miracle punished them for rejecting it. I think that the miracle is, to an extent, evil. It rewards those who put their faith in it, but punished those who reject it, even if the rejection is justifiable.
@@agent004skin What happened to the three sisters wasn't a punishement but ultimetly what they wanted but Miracle twisted their wish.
If believing the original story they probably wished to be ugly so the men they were supposed to be married to will leave them alone... Miracle granted that... And did even more
I guess people just don't understand the concept of "monkeys paw" or what it means.
Grateful be, my feeble mind and impatience has prevented me from comprehending the true context of this adventure. My guilt is sloth and my penance is to play this game incessantly until divine wood sprouts forth from my head. Thus is the will of the Grievous Miracle.
Simon Xue Amen
Sorrowful be the heart Penitent One
@@hollow6189 I love it!
The soundtrack to this game is amazing.
Sun bro yeah it’s absolute class
*spanish music intensifies*
It’s available on spotify 🙂
I hope they release it on vinyl.
absolutely, I especially love the in town music (kinda harken back to Diablo days) and the track where you fight Exposito, The Scion of Abjuration is especially metal
The lore and symbology of this game is amazing. There's so much to dig into.
@οὐτόπος The fact that it is doesn't make it any less well-written. Countless Christians have tried and failed to make intriguing stories based on their religious mythos only to fail by grasping only the surface level motifs without any of the deeper meaning. Blasphemous manages to express the heart and soul of Spanish Catholicism and its darkest historical periods without even including explicit Christian references.
@@AlphaNumericKey Exactly.
It is interesting to imagine the Miracle as some interdimensional plant-based psychoparasite who feeds on suffering of humans and uses its powers to build a cult of worship around itself so to get more and more suffering for it.
Now you can make a new game :>
That is the plot of Legacy of Kain, false God feeding on constant cycle of rebirth.
@@aleksa6548 "Until death returned them - always in ignorance - to the Wheel."
Nice to meet fellow LoK fan.
That's what the DLC is.
damn man you really figured out the dlc story 3 years ago
*"To know true joy is to suffer. To banish vain pride is to be laid low. How can one take action against injustice without just wrath?"*
- by an unknown priest of the Grievous Miracle
If all of this is the work of a "miracle" then I don't want to see what a curse is on this damned world....
LOL
@Fresh Beginnings definitely a curse...and a horrible one at that...but most of the people in custodia were brainwashed masochist fanatics so the curse of the miracle kinda gave them what they wanted in the end...they pray and worship an malicious entity that toys with their existence and don't care for them....kinda like the cultists of the elder gods in call of Cthulhu
The curse there would be a land full of ice cream and cakes.. But everyone dies of diabetes.
@Zoe Kin We can't really be sure if death is the end in the world of custodia...some npcs mention "the other side of the dream" when death is near... I think it alludes to some kind of afterlife I guess...but the game doesn't really go into much more detail then that but I seeing the effects of the miracle in this world I don't think the afterlife would be a pleasant one...
@@zerstorungdeslichts4706 I'd rather die of diabetes than becoming whatever the faithfuls are.
lol i literally just played my first two hours of the game and thought "lets see if someone has a lore video about that miracle". Perfect timing
Its a badass game
Haven't watched it yet but great that this type of video already exist. I can barely understand what the hell is going since English isn't my first language so these cryptic words are throwing me off than usual lol
Hopefully there's more in the future.
Also, those wondering about all the Silent Brothers being killed relevance and the Jesus connection. It's when King Herod killed all the baby boys in an attempt to kill off Jesus who he believed would dethrone him one day and so too does the player survive the slaughter to finally dethrone the main villain.
I think you got Jesus and Moses confused there, mate.
@@Mandemon1990 No he hasn't. After being told by the Magi that the King of the Jews was born Herod ordered all newborn boys to be killed.
when humanity will realise that jesus is a demon in disguise than it will truly be saved
@@Mandemon1990 both of them had babies being killed.
@@ixisinvestigator6009 Why you say that?
So miracle = big baby, wood demon, sexual statue role play, lazy skelebro, floating nuns, melt face, and the reddest lad this side of the blood pool
Good line up
Ngl
The game is also based on the Baroque Holy Week in Andalusia , Spain. The creators are from here and you cam see Triana's Bridge in the game.
This comment should be higher and you should elaborate more about the subject if you could because you are right
@4:39 "Hit the arm! Hit the arm!!, oh wait I'm here for the lore."
Thank you for tackling Blasphemous lore. I'm loving this game, but getting through it very slowly. Just the second ending and some other trophies left. Cheers!
J. M. DeSantis thanks for watching my friend! Yeah I agree, it’s an absolute class game and I have to chase a few trophies myself!
Dude you're the shit. I watch a lot of lore videos and came here for the Blasphemy! No one else is doing blasphemy lore really.
Thank you so much for the kind words, there is another coming this week :D
Sooooo our job is to take away sufferings of our people and in order to do that we must suffer more than others so that we understanding the guild.Were literally Jesus Christ in this game.
Yes
I love the lore and atmosphere of this game! And the Spanish dub really adds to it, it's much more fitting imo.
So the game is called Blasphemous because you're actually playing Heavy Metal Jesus.
More like Dark Souls Jesus
Nope.
EvilAsh110 ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
RoD H pppppppppppppp
Basically
Townspeople: PLEASE SPARE US. LEAVE US ALONE. WE BEG OF YOU.
The Miracle: No need to thank me
Fuck yes! Blasphemous lore vids are much needed and you’re a perfect dude to do it
I like these kinds of games with back ground story that will engrossed u, i like how the writer came up with such detailed story plot line that has some references.
I am more corcerned about the final in the sacrifice ending when the lady take the sword out of us wich was the guilt we take for all, i feel like the guilt is now for all again and the Miracle will punish the people again
That’s what he was saying at the end here
While we may have taken all the guilt, the woman we fought (forgot her name) doesn’t see it that way and (presumably) tries to fix the “mistake” we made by taking the Mea Culpa (sword) and starting the cycle all over again until another like us can fix it once more
What happened to her after that and if this could have also been part of the Miracles plan is her to be seen
But hey
DLC
My take is that Crisanta is probably going to be the next character with we play just because of the few similarities. One being appearance, and how her purpose is similar and opposite of the penitent one. Finally just like in the begging when the penitent ones journey started as he took the sword plunged into the women, she is doing the same thing now, being the wielder of the sword of guilt, created by the grievous miracle.
I just "binge-played" this for 27 hours in the past week and came straight here. About to embark on the true torment mode now! I want MORE!
So this is basically Dark Souls + Lovecraft + Catholicism
Why does everyone mix anything cultish or corrupt in with Lovecraft. When he himself borrowed alot from various old religions and poets such as Dante's Inferno, Hinduism, and Judaism. Sure he was a sci fi writer but alot of the creativity comes from somewhere even if you transcribe it into another form, which is fine by me.
y Catholicism?
@@karimblix4378 Yes, the whole setting looks like a distorted Christian medieval world, back when cristianism in western Europe was synonymous to catholicism. The game is spanish, a traditionally catholic country, the main character´s helmet resembles a "capirote" worn by penitentes during Semana Santa (Easter). The whole "purification vía suffering" is also a very persistent catholic mindset.
@@marthlink5015 I Will quote another user who is just some comments away:
"The Miracle is one of the most haunting and eldritch concepts I've come across in fiction and it doesn't even seem that obviously malicious at first glance. Astonishing how the writers managed to create such a detailed and complex mythology, with so many clear historical inspirations, without falling into specifics like having a major named deity. The Miracle as a concept is far more ominous and disturbing of an entity than any personified God could be, since its paths, as Deogracias says, can be twisted, fiery and cruel. It's power is tangible, it's capricious, it's omnipotent (judging by all we know) and yet, there is no way to unravel it's workings, nor any ni CVSTODIA has the need for it. Thus, it is worshipped, but feared, rightfully. And that is just so intensely haunting of a concept."--Marlutte Yestrelt
@@karimblix4378 what do you think lol
So happy there’s a Blasphemous lore vid now
Thanks for giving the lore about Blasphemous. Keep doing more!
This is exactly what I've been whaiting for since I first played through this gem of a game ^^ Really glad you dig deep into the lore of this game =)
Forgive me, oh grievous miracle, for I have sinned by mocking thy weakest children, the console peasants, in arrogance. As an act of penance, I shall play this divine game, which is equally pious and cruel, only with a keyboard, until bloody tears kiss the soil of cat hair, ash and bread crumps that lies beneath my key caps and let black thorns grow into my sinful wrists until I can fap no more. Amen.
Wtf hahahah
Amen
@The No.1 Guy Yes, that was the point. It has some problems with keyboard on PC. The default controls are terrible and rebinding them causes issues, e.g. if I perform a slide attack, my charater locks up and keeps running into one direction until I minimize the game. I beat it 100%, but it was more annoying than it should have been.
@@NinjaContravaniaManX this is your penance for you arrogant PC overlord ways. (Just kidding)
@@NinjaContravaniaManX I've actually almost failed to 100% the game cause of it, that weird shit with slide attack, and I wasnt even trying to slide attack, but to slide THEN attack (to not fall into the spikes for one of the max HP upgrades), I tried going around for 30 min until I realized I couldn't do it on my keyboard, then I installed game on lap top and had no problems with slide attacks xD
"what is the miracle?''
*yes*
Crisanta problably ruined the ending A, she removed the sword.
Adam Evans Dude its a game she's not a real person.
@@Sumea_Saukko wow you must have an IQ of 75
アドリアン Quite the observation.. At least i don't have a small dick.
@@Sumea_Saukko Gtfo virus. Nobody likes you.
The Mad God Even though i’m almost harmless :/
ive been thirsting for lore vids on this gem of a game and im stoked to hear more are coming, bc this was excellent!!! thank you for taking the time and effort to lay this all out. also idk if you're taking any reference from the artbook but there's a lot of good bits in there ayyy
No problem, I love the game and I'm excited to do more! I have got the book and have read it well...it'll probably be directly referenced for some of the videos that I do
@@SmoughTown awesome im excited!! that artbook is incredible im glad its getting love :3
Just picked this game up after finding you through Elden Ring, loving your content, and then seeing you had covered this game. Really stoked to jump into it, looks awesome.
This game and storyline is an absolute masterpiece
Great video, was wondering what the deal with the Miracle was in the game, just a small note, for those that don't know, "Ten Piedad" and the "Tres Angustias" are written in spanish, the boss "Ten Piedad" translates to "Have Mercy" and is a common chant during Christian mass, basically begging God to spare you from pain and suffering, like the giant stag monster is suffering.
the "Tres Angustias" translates to "Three Anguishes", though in the Spanish context it can make allusion to afflictions or pains, think this one is just a direct reference to the three wounds that you're meant to beat, so, don't think there's much deeper meaning to that one.
Don't forget Altasgracias and Deogracias, "High Graces" and "Graces of God" respectively. The game also has a lot of latin: Detestatio Sacrorum, meaning "detestation of the sacred"; Requiem Aeternam, the first words lf the Requiem mass, "Eternal Rest", after killing a boss; Mea Culpa, "my fault", known from the prayer; Exemplaris Excommunicationis, "exemplary excommunication".
The religion of Custodia, itself meaning "protection, custody" is based on the Roman Catholic church in the middle ages. The church in game is as rich and corrupt as the one in real life was. The Miracle is also based on how people perceived the Christian god: vindictive, freightening, cruel, and somehow saw him as just and gracious as well. The adoration of saints and Church Fathers is similar to the Orthodox and Catholic tradition. The emphasis on penance and salvation through suffering.
Also, the way the Miracle demands sacrifice from one extraordinary person, which is then considered one in the same as itself, to erase sins commited by everyone (by proxy) is pretty much the concept of the trinity. Your pilgrimage and suffering during the game is the passion of christ, people praying to you as the son of the miracle, just like Christians pray for Jesus.
Oh man! I'm so happy you are back with a lore video!
Thanks bud!
Its interesting that the High Will existed for all that time but one day decided to grant the youngster's wish. Makes me think the High Will has gone awry in some way.
Also maybe its coincidence that there's a strong imagery with Nature. The High Will made several characters including the Penitent One in to trees. Altasgracias' tongues can commune with the roots. The guy in snowy peaks was trapped as tree. The guy in Mercy Dreams too was turned into tree, something he didn't ask for to my knowledge. He was haunted by dreams from the Miracle and was basically chosen to become the tree monster.
Then there's Jocinero (named after a fame bull that killed a matador) is the only other deity, along with the Children of Moonlight, that seem to work in concert with the Miracle providing protection to souls in the wake of the Miracle's literal manifestations of pain and suffering to all in Cvstodia.
The High Will almost seems like a machine. Its weird because many times the people refer to the other side not with a noun of its own (like Heaven), no, instead they refer to it as the "other side of The Dream" which to me means the current "living" world we interact with. Also like a Dream the locations don't have a sense of time. I forget who mentions this or if its in the lore description but basically they say that different areas have the same setting in the sky. Convenient for developers for sure, but I think it also refers to this being literally a Dream World which similarity do not typically have a sense of the passage of time. We also get a glimpse about the fate of the Mercy Dream guy tree boss. We now know he is very much awake when the beast sleeps and asleep when it is awake.
It's great to see someone cover the game's lore in such detail, i saw it on youtube a few weeks ago and remember looking for something like this but being unable to find it at that point
Just beat my first playthough with both endings and man this game cool! Its got a good story, some super awesome level design, and badass enemys and bosses that are truely haunting. I frickin love this game it's amazing!
Excellent explanation of the lore! I have been buzzing about this game ever since it's release and even before that when I discovered the Kickstarter for it. I think you have done a great job clarifying some of the more obscure details of what is actually going on. Yes please do some more videos about this game because I myself am still enamored with the lore and twisted beauty of this game. If such is my own penance then I accept it. Let the roots dig deep and twist into my mind.
Also I have a question, but maybe I am jumping the gun because you might address this in a future video. Throughout the game some characters mention, "The Dream", is this analogous to Limbo or an afterlife? Or perhaps some alternate plane manifested by "The Miracle"?
The lore Of Dark souls, Bloodborne And now This ...Absolute Deep and insane.
I have been looking all over for lore videos, happy to see you took the initiative.
Guess the Petitent one has a lot of connection to The Christ. His ultimate penance and painful death to forgive everyone else of their sin. An Ultimate sacrifice.
Rock on game.
Except Jesus did nothing wrong and died for all our sins. Whereas the Penitent One has apparently sinned to some capacity and then died for everyone's sins. (Or I'm missing something here)
But still, they share some clear similarities, which is fascinating.
WOOOOAH SIR, THANKS! I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS! CAPS NERDGASM
bidogo bedelho badalo THANK YOU FRIEND!
It seems like the Miracle is meant to be a stand-in for Satan when you think about it.
1. The Miracle takes on a light theme, much like how Satan masquerades as an angel of light.
2. The Miracle makes deals and grants wishes that often end badly for people who are too stupid to read between the lines or try to back out of those deals.
3. The Miracle creates various demons and monstrosities within the Blasphemous universe.
4. It twists people into hellish monstrosities and drives people insane by preying on their flaws and paranoias.
5. The Miracle throws humanity under the bus by putting them into horrifying scenarios and treats humanity as playthings.
6. Finally, the ones behind the Miracle, The High Wills, appear as a three headed abomination, much like how Satan was portrayed in The Divine Comedy as a three headed demon stuck in a frozen lake. Much like the first example, they masquerade as beings of light, but reveal their true intentions when someone purposefully offends them.
7. In an additional note, The High Wills and the Miracle test the faiths of their victims through torment, much like how Satan in Job (portrayed as more of an antihero than a straight up biblical villain) tested Job’s faith by ruining his life.
A point i'd like to refine, is that escribar isn't trying to stop you because he doesn't want to die or anything,
In truth, he wants to make your penance as hard as possible, which in this twisted miraculous logic makes it even holier, he's sending his legions to torture, not end you blessing you with pain and blood during your journey
subscribed! Man, this made me love this game even more! thank you
This game is currently blowing me away, I love watching the lore videos in bed aswell it’s incredible. Be a great show/anime tbh
Thank you very much, i love your videos on blasphemous. the game has a fair amount of weaknesses in terms of gameplay and hud and stuff but the story and atmosphere and art is so amazing.
I really wish I could experience this game for the first time again. It's just that good. When I started playing it almost exactly one year ago, I was captivated by it.
Recently, I tried it again and got bored fast, because I knew everything already.
What a great game
I think what makes the miracle so interesting is it is like a manifestation of man's own desire for punishment to absolve their guilt. Humans are like naturally masochists at heart and we wouldn't know what to do with a god that loved unconditionally and forgave our sins. Us as humans would still be like "no I deserve punishment. I cant just be loved and forgiven" we as humans always expect a "catch" to everything and unconditional love from a god is a concept our brains won't ever accept. WE feel we deserve to be punished so the miracle obliges
I love that Blasphemous is basically ✨spicy✨ Catholicism
I believe that The Miracle is the true villain in this story. Something that causes so much pain and suffering over the very understandable doubt of one person is not something to welcome, but to be RID OFF.
I can safely say that the greatest humiliation in this game is me trying Rose parkour challanges
What I'm confused about the lore and the Miracle is that there are certain parts that make it seem as if the 'Miracle' is basically a false idol and thus people were punished for believing in that falseness. The church and king paid for turning their back on the people, the original miracle was a fanatic that caused more people to both be enfeared but also follow this form of idolitry. The Pentient one can see the 'miracle' as some form of either divine punishment or unjust punishment and seeks Mercy or Penance.
The nameless figure you meet mentions about the 'false miracle' so I'm wondering is this entire thing some bad cult gone wrong and the pentient one and brothers of sorrow realized that and wanted to get rid of the curse the King and others caused on humanity.
I just finished the game, and I have more questions while i was expecting answers. need more videos :D. thanks for you amazing explanation and citations.
Detestatio Sacrorum means to reject family rites. At 18:02 you mistranslate it by saying it means 'Sacred Oath', which it does not. Strictly translated it would be 'Detestatio' or rejection, and 'Sacrorum' or rituals. A rough translation would be rejection of rituals, but it is understood as a phrase to mean renunciation of familial rituals, a feature once common in Roman life. This can still be tied into your short explanation of the ending, it is not until you have increased your burden of guilt to it's maximum level and rejected all rites of confession to ease that guilt, then you are worthy to climb the mountain of ash in a final act of penance.
Great video vould love to see more!
Madeleine defo will be doing more, twisted one or penitent one next
Blasphemous sounds like something the Sisters of Battle would enjoy.
Definitely do more on this game! It deserves way more attention!
Lorgar Aurelian: and here comes the funniest part. what if 8 means eight pointed star and...
Heresy! *BLAM*
Big E: NO ONE CARES, LORGAR.
Magnus:....*cyclopean. sigh*....tell us again, brother....
Fuck's sake
This was amazing, more please!
From all Souls-like games til now, this is the one that have the best Souls-esque lore. The endings reminds me a lot of the first Dark Souls endings: you are either devoured by the First Flame or you become the next Dark Lord.
Souls-esque lore?.. Man. Soul's lore is totally alien for me. I watch it and i see the typical japanese mess when they represent anything westerner...On the other hand, i understand all the concepts in this game...No.
You make great intros btw. And the video documentary is even better.
Weirdly enough, the miracle sort of reminds me of the Idea of Evil from Berserk
I haven't started the game yet but this is very interesting also good how you captured it and wonderful intro too bro but keep up the good work :^)
Alexander Jones thanks brother!
@@SmoughTown It's fine bro love your content 😊❤
i've read the prequel comic and it seems there are more comics. do you know when they will release/ have a link?
RodoxX I there's only one comic bro
In the last update of Kickstarter the announced that they want to expand even more the lore with more comics and other media.
@@Savra That's awesome!
@@Savra Like what Assassins Creed or Deus Ex does?
Going in to this as a cleric with too much faith for miracles, I'm afraid.
God job, i was expecting next video about "religion bad".
Video was nice, new to the game and look forward to seeing more lore videos from you about it.
Finally, some videos about the lore!!
Finaly, huge thanks for vid mate
Awesome!!
Sinclair Lore Thanks Sin!
Hey it's Sin! You and Richie gonna cover this game maybe? ;D
I didn't get the impression that the people trying to climb the mountain of Ash were trying to claim the throne for themselves. I thought they wanted to touch it so they could touch a piece of the miracle. Like when people feel blessed or touching the foot of a statue of a saint. They wanted to commune with the miracle
I wish more of the people playing blasphemous would watch this video. The game has such a rich and symbolic mythology, its such a shame a lot of players dont take the time to take it in, and just appreciate for the great metroidvania it is. Was particularly infuriated while watching barb playing, paying no attention to any of the items descriptions, or even caring in the slight about the amazing mythology on display.
I like that this game didn’t take a juvenile anti-religious stance that is seen far too often in game writing.
I thought the same too. I expected to be anti Christian like a lot things are in the media. But no it's its own thing.
The developers are heavily inspired by Catholicism, which in my opinion is far more intellectual than its Protestant literalist counterparts. Because of this, countries that are still part of the Latin/Catholic cultural milieu are far less likely to take a harsh anti-Christian stance like the secular forces that counter the literalists in other environments. I am non-religious myself but still love my Catholic upbringing and don’t have the militant atheist mentality so pervasive in places like America and the UK. I’ll likely still take part of the religion, culturally speaking, even though I am not spiritually or religiously committed.
Very true don't know how many times "God is dead" and He winds up being the bad guy or something.
It serves no purpose really, shock is worn off (unless you read or watch Preacher)
On the other hand I hate how often stories make one random average guy save the world by himself and the bad guys plague the Earth, so not much is likely left.
Usually he saves the world in some silly way like an amulet or by accident.
All the while God's presence isn't really felt.
@@marcoslopez127 As someone from a still very catholic country (Brazil) you really nailed it.
@@marcoslopez127 Mexican here, this entire game reminded me of any Penitent during holy week
*YUS, Blasphemous lore vid.*
I was literally searching for blasphemous lore right before you uploaded this
JonnyTea yay! Hope you enjoy
@@SmoughTown Sure did ;)
Same here. Thx for the video.
Yes I would love to know more. Especially on the Penitent One.
I think the thing that I find the most disturbing about the miracle is the fact that it can’t be seen or doesn’t have a true form neither spiritual nor physical nor natural it just a strange force that exists and has a mind of its own how can something exist without a physical form? Of any kind? What really is it and does it blur the line between existence and non existence? Or is it just something that can never be explained even by cosmic standards
The overall oppressive and righteously evil art/themes of this game are super duper fucking cool straight up
Good work, finally i understand the lore.
The anointed leigon was made by socorro of the endless agony who begged the miracle to make her feel the pain of those being tortured near her. The leigon members do not feel the pain of combat as it is translated to socorro (mark of 1st 2nd. and 3rd refuge lore.) Escribar only anointed them.
Fun fact: The gruesome reality of this verse about a real person that existed in our history, "He (Christ) was beaten beyond recognition (as a human) still turns my stomach where the violence in Blasphemous makes me go 'meh.'
I also love the name, Blasphemous. It is not a coincidence, since Christ was called a blasphemer and a heretic when he was crucified.
Atonement
I wouldn’t take the bible as an historical document if I were you.
@@juancarlosalonso5664 I would take Roman census and archeological records. If you were me, you would have years of education and study into these things, but you're not, and you don't.
@@camendiv Far worse things have happened to real people lol, being beat real bad isn't too terrible.
I was always wondering why the silent brotherhood at the intro are all dead, now it makes sense that Escribar would have them all killed because he was afraid of TPO/
Loved it!
Thanks so much for checking it out guys. High praise!
Part of what I find fascinating about the Grievous Miracle is that while it dools out inescapable punishment and horrible torments to the people, it also eventually provides the means in which to end the cycle of dread and despair, to assure in a new age of prosperity and forgiveness through a time of trial, tribulations and suffering.
*"Through our suffering, our penance the sins of our fathers and mothers can be forgiven, so that they do not become the burdens of our sons and daughters and their children and so forth..."*
-by Carlos the simple, resident of Cvstodia
In its own twisted sense, the Miracle gets folks to care about the future of their descendants, for through them their towls and anguish can be lifted. In the end we should strive to create a better world for not only our children but for those that have not yet been born many generations ahead. (within reason ofcourse)
I'm sure there's more to it but this definitely sums it up.
One thing I've been wondering for a while now is that are there other lands, other countries besides Cvstodia that the Grievous Miracle makes itself manifest, to other peoples, other cultures or is the GM a unique phenomenon to Cvstodia. It would be an interesting idea for a sequel, a new 'pilgrim' that goes to new lands, kingdoms that are fraught with deep corruption and 'sin' that the divine Miracle turns into an age of penance, an age of bloodthirsty beasts and otherworldly manifestations of the 'High Wills'.
The miracle is omnipotent God who hears and grant wishes to people, always sadistically.
I'll never understand how people didn't turn against the miracle for it's cruel manipulation of the desperate. Torturing and playing emotional games with their despair and deep desire for repentance. Like not one sect that showed skepticism from the miracles apparent divine properties or group to sow some form of doubt that their actions don't line up; punishing ones self isn't going to undo the damage done from their sins nor is it going to bring forgiveness from the victims. To show regret but not seek forgiveness or to right the wrong you're aware of is a very bizarre and pointless endeavor, why bother repenting then unless you're doing it to get off on the self-victimization of being a sinner.
Nevermind the people whose actions were never looked into, like the 3 sisters: "No one..." not a single soul bothered to question if they deserved this suffering for their actions and in that I would say those who see it as just are the ones who need to repent. Their blind faith has caused them to turn a blind eye to injustice done onto the potentially innocent.
I would love for the second game to explore this with questioning on the efficacy of penance and forgiveness. Where it works and where it doesn't and why it does it doesn't work.
I think no one really questioned what the Miracle did/turned against it because the Mircale itself is seen as omnipotent, therefore there's literally no point in fighting against it because it can just damn you to a fate worse than death whenever it wants and there's nothing you nor anyone else can really do about that except try to appease it.
The Miracle reminds me of "Death Note" and my comment on The Miracle is:
Imagine a world that the evil finds his doom and the good gets blessings for certain. And imagine being an evil person in a world that The Miracle exists. Imagine the Horror and Burden you would experience. Just wow...