What is the sign that Empire makes in Foundation?
…and several other references in the show in the fields of psychology, philosophy and science.
I have been watching a TV series in parallel, and one on the top of my roster is Foundation, a serial based on Isaac Asimov’s titular sci-fi fiction series. Best described as a space opera, its theme encompasses politics, reimaginings of science as well as futuristic religions.
Warning: Spoilers for the series ahead (up until S01E06)
First of all, we have the Genetic Dynasty, or the cloning of the emperor who exists in three phases of life at any given time — Child, Adult and Old Age, each named Dawn, Day and Dusk respectively. They are clones that do not have a shared consciousness but instead each looks similar in appearance, albeit having different personalities. Each emperor clone is given a title based on their life’s path. For example, one of the most recent clones is named Cleon the Painter, due to his love for painting, cumulating in his life’s work of painting a moving mural using a substance called Chroma. Other Cleons included Cleon the Alchemist, or Cleon the Conqueror.
In real life, cloning is rather similar to how it is portrayed in the series, albeit in a less psychological way — the clones look identical on the outside, but due to how the DNA is expressed, they have different personalities. It is also worthy to note that in the case of a clone, versus, say, a normal human birthed by traditional means, the clone will only have one parent whose DNA is copied, rather than two parents, which in the normal case, each gives half of the DNA through the contribution of a sperm and an ovum.
In nature, certain plants and bacteria also contribute to single-parent propagation, such as through asexual reproduction. (The only difference here with Empire is that Empire is reproductively and artificially cloned, compared to these organisms that propagate naturally through asexual reproduction.)
Next, we have the religion called Luminism, which the Empire seeks to place the deceased chief priest or priestess (named Proxima) with a candidate of their own choosing, as the current faction’s fan favourite is espousing a doctrine that goes against the Genetic Empire — that Dawn, Day and Dusk are clones and therefore have no souls and are sub-human, or worst yet, not human at all.
The adherents of Luminism live in a space system centered around three moons who represents the three goddesses of their faith — Maiden, Mother and Crone. Sounds familiar? Maybe because the tenets of Luminism is reflected in the Genetic Empire, with its mirrored, gender-flipped version of Dawn, Day and Dusk. (Perhaps we would see more in the next few weeks’ episodes!)
The concepts of birth, childhood, adulthood and death brings to mind a few references in modern and medieval teachings:
First, of course, is the Ouroboros, or the symbol of the snake swallowing its own tail in a circular shape. Originating from Ancient Khemetic iconography (or what are now commonly known as Egyptian hieroglyphs), the symbol was adopted by the Greeks through hermetic magical and gnostic tradition; even being used in alchemy. It represents the human soul’s everlasting, an ever-repeating cycle of death and rebirth, as can be actively seen in Foundation’s Genetic Empire, albeit in a science-assisted, artificial way of cloning.
Secondly, it would be the four paintings aptly named The Voyage of Life, by painter Thomas Cole in 1842.
The paintings in the series, entitled Childhood, Youth, Manhood and Old Age, each depict the voyager in question at various times of his life, travelling through the wilderness. Accompanied by a guardian angel in each painting, which each depicts Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter respectively, the paintings are allegories of the “River Styx”, or the Greek metaphorical river of the Underworld, and the average man’s journey through life upon said river.
The Boy starts in Spring, with lush landscape and sunlit forests, reflecting the joy and innocence of childhood. He leaves behind a craggy dark cave, representing his past-incarnation or the mysterious past. In his Youth during Summer, he is emboldened with a heady mixture of confidence from his naivety, even though he is firmly in control of the boat’s tiller to show that he is in charge.
Then he sails the boat into Manhood, where the trials and tribulations of grown-up life plagues him in the form of dark storm clouds and ominous skies. His guardian angel is no longer with him, and instead peeks at him through the clouds in the sky. The final painting in Winter is named Old Age. The river flows into the after-life, reminiscent of the Elves in LOTR when they sail west to their everland. The man is now old in his battered boat, showing that the voyager had reached the end of his life. The naturalistic landscape falls away in the painting, representing that the man is starting to leave behind his mortal, mundane world and instead, is moving toward a higher plane of existence.
This aptly relates to the themes of the Genetic Dynasty, who assume the various political positions on Trantor, with the same name of “Empire”. In the latest episode (as of 24 Oct 2021), it is revealed that Empire travels to the planetary system where its inhabitants worship the fictional “Luminism” religion. Lee Pace’s Empire, who was seen in past episodes raising his hand in a two-or-three fingered salute, seems decidedly quiet, aiming to take a step back to let the Proxima-apparent make her case.
The three-fingered salute (with the index and middle finger extended, and the thumb inwards or straight beside the index finger) can mean many things. When two-fingers are extended, it is called the Hand of the Benediction, which is usually raised on the right hand. It is a Latin hand sign dating back to the Roman or Greek empire and used by the clergy to give blessings.
Although bizarrely, some physicians have claimed that the hand sign stems from the first ever Pope, who had an ulnar nerve injury (it’s something like carpal tunnel or orbital tunnel syndrome) that prevented him from making certain hand signs fully. However, from my research, I chanced upon an article making the case for the Hand of Benediction, which dates back to ancient times — thereby debunking the physicians reductionist view.
Other possible explanations for Empire’s hand sign includes: The Egyptian mummification amulet, where a mini-statuette is placed upon the lower left torso of the deceased and soon to be mummified, as it was the spot where the internal organs were removed. These amulets were considered magical and made mostly out of obsidian or gilded gold.
And there you have it, a quick read on the themes that appear throughout, what has been one of the most interesting science fiction serials I have had the pleasure of watching, to date. Not only does it present new narratives, off the beaten path from the original books, it also reinvents itself in many multi-faceted ways, such as the idea of the Genetic Empire (which is not in the books)! Leave a comment below on which other film, serial or book that you would like me to delve into. (And remember to subscribe and like!)
