Astronomy & Shinto Mythology
I decided to combine the articles about the kanji breakdown of the Three Lights' names, astronomical references in those names, and the likely Shinto mythology behind the Sailor Starlights, into one big page here. This is because a lot of the information in the following sections overlaps, so it just makes sense to put it all together here.
First, let's dive for a moment into mythology, shall we?
Shinto Mythology: San Hikari
All three members of the Three Lights share the same first name, Kou, which means "light." Thus, we have "The Three Lights." Punny! So, as you can guess, all three of the Three Lights' names refer to some sort of astronomical light. Before we go into the literal kanji breakdown of those names (below), let's first explain a little about what "Three Lights" means in Shinto mythology. Our Three Lights are most likely related to the Shinto concept of the San Hikari, or "Three Lights," composed of the sun, the moon, and the stars.
The following article is originally written by Mnemosynehime, and is posted here with her permission.
The San Hikari are the Three Lights (sun, moon, and stars) in Shinto. This goes back to the three element rule, including that of the triangle, circle, and square, in Shinto. They are necessary and important to all life in the universe.
Sun: This is Seiya's representation. He wears the red rose which can be for Leo, ruled by the Sun. Star Fighter's attack, Star Serious Laser, may have something to do with the idea of the sun's ray or light perhaps. That may give an indication to Seiya's name, but I'm not sure of this interpretation. The Sun is principal of the three deities or elements, and Seiya is the one most prominent of the three in the story.
Moon: This is Taiki's representation. The light of the big air probably is supposed to be the Moon (hence Taiki's name). He wears the white rose which can stand for both the Moon and wisdom. The elements of water and life correlate to the element of the Moon, so might explain Star Maker's attack, Star Gentle Uterus, symbolic of growth or the creation of life. Also, the Moon is the quietest of the three, and Taiki can be said to be the quietest and least intrusive of the three lights.
Stars: This is Yaten's representation. The lights of the night sky are the stars (hence Yaten's name). He wears the yellow rose, but I'm not sure how that fits, maybe yellow for starlight. The stars also correlate to the gas state, with liquid to the Moon, and solid to the Sun. I'm not sure how Starhealer's attack, Star Sensitive Inferno, fits, but I do know that stars are self-luminous (the Sun is an example), so maybe from the idea of light and heat comes an inferno.
Yes, that makes a lot of sense, if you ask me. Seiya, Leo, red rose, SUN! Taiki, wisdom, white rose, MOON! Yaten, well... Yaten's name literally breaks down into "night sky lights" which seems to be an obvious reference to stars in the night sky. Speaking of which, how well do the names of the other two Three Lights match this theory? Is this theory supported by the kanji breakdown of the Three Lights' names? Let's find out.
Seiya Kou, "Star Field Light"
= Seiya Kou
= Sei = "Star"
= Ya = "Field"
= Kou = "Light"
Seiya's name literally means "Star Field Light." According to Ino Tsunehiro (a University of Tokyo professor who used to have a Sailor Moon fansite, although said fansite is now MIA), "starfield light" is actually the scientific name for light that originates from distant stars that cannot be seen by the naked human eye. Sheer Lunacy! has more information about this theory. "Starfield light," when combined with "atmospheric light" (Taiki's name), creates the sum total of all of the light visible in the night sky ("night sky light," or Yaten's name).
However, according to some anonymous person who once edited the Wikipedia entry for the Sailor Starlights, "star field light" may be "a poetic interpretation of how sunlight covers the earth expansively." Nothing was ever cited to back up this claim, but darn, doesn't that sound nice? And it fits with the basic idea that the Three Lights are a reference to the Shinto San Hikari, in which case Seiya represents the sun.
Taiki Kou, "Atmospheric Light"
= Taiki Kou
= Taiki = "Atmosphere"
Taiki's name literally means "Atmospheric Light." According to Ino Tsunehiro again, "atmospheric light" is actually the scientific name for light that reflects off molecules and atoms in the upper atmosphere. Sheer Lunacy! has more information about this theory. "Atmospheric light," when combined with "starfield light" (Seiya's name), creates the sum total of all of the light visible in the night sky ("night sky light," or Yaten's name).
However, if you want to buy into the Shinto San Hikari theory, then you'll have to find a way that "atmospheric light" could somehow be related to the moon, Taiki's representation. Any ideas?
Yaten Kou, "Night Sky Light"
= Yaten Kou
= Ya = "Night"
= Ten = "Sky" or "Heaven"
Yaten's name literally means "Night Sky Light." According to Ino Tsunehiro again, "night sky light" is actually the scientific name for all light visible in the night sky. This would be the sum total of all starfield, atmospheric, and ecliptic light. Once again, Sheer Lunacy! has more information about this theory.
However, a more obvious interpretation would simply state that "night sky lights" refers to, duh, the stars visible in the night sky. (Note that either "night sky light" or "night sky lights" would be an acceptable interpretation of Yaten's name, as Japanese does not distinguish between singular and plural.) This fits nicely with the San Hikari theory, as Yaten would represent the stars.
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