Bloodborne & pthumerians bells are inspired by Java's (Indonesia) bells
The long awaited new bloodborne post! Apologies for the delay I wanted to write this one since a while but never got the time.
A few months ago, I went New York City and visited a few museums. One was the MET, the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I passed an entire day here and saw every rooms. It was so beautiful, I saw so much incredible and interesting things here! Truly an amazing museum. That goes from beautiful paintings to statues to armours & weapons. Artefact from antic Egypt to the 19th century! Going from Asia to Pacific isles and passing by Europe, Africa, South America etc
During my visit, I found a few things truly fascinating in connection to my favorite video game. At some point I was going around a room with only musical instruments from all around the world and from different ages. At first I didn't notice but a few minutes later I stopped in my tracks and thought: WAIT A MINUTE! I return to the instruments room to take pictures and look more closely to the descriptions to one particular showcase.
I founded bells from Java (Indonesia) used in religious rituals (plus other bells from Europe).
Does it ring any bells to you?? 👀🔔🔔🔔🔔
You see in Bloodborne there are many different bells. Some used by the healing church (church servants & giants who seems to be pthumerians, grand cathedral, surgery altar, the research hall, the astral clocktower), some used by pthumerians (giant bells in labyrinths, bell ringing women, on some statues etc), the bells above the lamps of the messengers and of course the bells we can use in game: beckoning bells, small resonance bell, sinister bell old hunter bell, and the choir bell.
Link with all the bells that can be found in the game with explanations and more details because my poor collage isn't enough.
Bells are items found and mentioned throughout Bloodborne. Metal bells that can be found throughout Yharnam. They come in various sizes and
The moments I saw those bells in the museum I had a click in my head. Some bells in bloodborne, especially the pthumerians ones are inspire by Javanese's bells.
I know bells can be use in many religions and places all around the world but do you know what else in Bloodborne is inspired by Java objects too?
The Keris/ Kris (/Kriss) weapon the pthumerians are using:
It really confort me in my idea that pthumerians are partly inspired by this culture. I know it can be oblivious for some because of Loran and Isz but I can really imagine that pthumerian civilisation (in bb world) came from quite far away before going to "Yharnam" to found Phtumeru Ihyll. Probably to develop and spread more or flee Loran / another homeland? Overtaken by beasts...
I can't be sure of which researches and real inspirations the devs used for everything but this is so unique and so intriguing and interesting if this is really the case! This game has infinite knowledge and things to learn about. We always discover more and more each time. That's why I love it so much.
Other cool things I found in the Museum:
Very dark souls like but look ARMOURS XD
I also saw a few helmets that inspired the Cainhurst helmet!
And the Virgin Mary & Jesus statue is well known but I saw it again as well. They took inspiration from it to make one of the statue at Cainhurst of course:
Saw many cool 18th & 19th century weapons as well! European, American and Japanese/asiatics ones as well. (Missed opportunity to have crossbows in bloodborne T_T only in my dreams and headcanons)
Also learned that the little tools in the hunter's dream/old workshop are for guns thanks to this ^
