Fire Nation Oath

[Artefacto]

The Fire Nation Oath

My life I give to my country

with my hands I fight for Fire Lord Ozai and our Forefathers before him

with my mind I seek ways to better my country

and with my feet I march to serve my nation




This is what I could gather from the oat that the kids recited in school in The Headband episode. If anyone has a better version, feel free to post it because the last verse was hard to understand. I think it's very interesting how the kids from the Fire Nation are educated, and how they inculcate such values and patriotism. It also gives us a notion of how being a normal citizen of the Fire Nation is. They are not fire cracking little monsters at all, in fact, it's quite the opposite. If you have seen the episode, you may recall the scene were the kids are surprised when Aang tells them that the Air Nomads didnt have any army at all. Most of the history the are taught is written so that the Fire Nation appears as the hero of the war, and that it is doing the right thing for everyone.

[scarletcougar]

Most countries history texts and education is like that.

I think in the USA they still recite the national anthem in schools. When I was very little in Canada, we used to say the "Our Father" Catholic prayer and then follow it up with singing the Canadian National Anthem at the beginning of each day. It is not done like this anymore, though... at least in Canada. As for history. Any nation at war will raise its children on the propaganda it wants the next generation to believe. In WWII, there was much propaganda about the inhumanity and cruelty of the Japanese and their means of Torture and the chinese and their communism. So much so that Asians in North America at the time were gathered into small living camps like Native Americans, only with less respect and less concern for health and safety.

So I can easily see how an Oath like this would be taught to the children of the Fire Nation.

It was no different I guess when we had the AvRen here and Fire Nation members put their oath in their sig (Honor is the Law! HUO HUO HUO).

What I wonder is what did the oath start out as? It sounds like it was built on a different oath. It would have to have been or it would have been more difficult to sway the people, especially colonized people.

[avatarang]

a long while ago i saw a video that the makers of avatar were explaining that the firenation was like the sovjet union during the cold war: alot of propaganda and seemingly like everything was going good for the sovjet union while its economy was actually a mess

[scarletcougar]

That is an interesting corrolation. Is the Fire Nation's economy a mess? Are the children being indoctinated into thinking war is the answer? What does the oath mean? Let's pick it apart a bit.

[avatarang]

well the firenation has been waging a war for one hundred years i mean that really drains a country maybe the firenation theyre economy is mess too but maybe we are thinking too much about a cartoon..... :P

[haruki]

Hmm. Well when Aang stood up and said the truth about how the Fire Nation took over the Air Nomads the class was stupefied. It's obvious that the government is filtering what the children learn, perhaps that the cause they are fighting for is justified and right to them. It reminds me of Germany around and after WWII. German history books often make themselves out to be justified in WWII, where American history books pin it on Adolf Hitler/Germany.

So the oath is probably just one more technique of molding the children's minds for pro-war. A generation of anti-war citizens could ruin them from the inside.

[Conzu]

I love the new epi and I immediately liked the oath. If you look at the oath closely you see that it's just a very patriotic oath, it's something like the singing of the national anthem at school in the morning. And like SC also said we even had it during the Avren, every nation - especially a nation like the FN would most likely have a 'national oath,' an oath that (re-)kindles ones heart for his/her nation.

The FN oath isn't really that different than the Avren FN oath I made, well.. .maybe it is, but the meaning is exact the same. It shows the pride and love one has for his nation.

"My life I give to my country"
Well.. this is obvious, it is to encourage people to love their nation and fight for their nation with honor (something like I also had in my 'avren-sig')

"with my hands I fight for Fire Lord Ozai and our Forefathers before him"

This depicts their loyalty to the Firelord and their forefathers. Not only the royal family, but also their own forefathers. It talks about a deep love and strong tradition in honoring their forefathers. And like we can see in 'zuko alone' it may even be related (or at least taken from the eastern 'ancestral worship') in zuko alone we see Ozai and the royal family dressed in white clothes, which is - I thought - a sign of some kind of ancestral honoring/worship in the far east (correct me if I'm wrong).

This also means that they are encouraged to fight for their traditions - since these were passed down by their 'forefathers.' And if one took this literally it could also be used as pro-war 'propaganda' to keep the 'provinces' (i.e conquered land) because their ancestors gave their life for it and are probably even buried / cremated there.

"with my mind I seek ways to better my country"

The Fire Nation surely wants to be the best in all things, so they encourage their subjects to always think for better ways to improve their society, culture and army.

"and with my feet I march to serve my nation"

This is obviously about the army, they are being 'prepared' to be willing to join the FN army.

Below are two oaths I made (and used) for the Avren-Fire Nation, if you look at them you'll see that in reality they all (the real ATLA one and these) have the same message:

- honor the firelord and your ancestors
- love your nation
- fight for your nation
be prepared to die for it

or basically, one of the avren FN oaths: "Honor is the law"

[yoshiheath]

david, that last part should be "and with my feet, may i march to society..." i couldn't make out the last few words but i did hear that.

[Conzu]

I think they said something like: "with my mind I seek ways to better my country and with my feet, they march to civilation"

[yoshiheath]

no i heard society for sure. lol

[haruki]

I definitely [i]didn't[i] hear society. I've listened to it over ten times now, piecing it together and I am 98% sure it's the same that David posted.

[yoshiheath]

i put the closed cpationing on my tv. i saw and heard society. keep listening. he said society, I'm 98% sure of it.

I'm 100% sure they said "and with my feet, may i march to..." I still think they said society though. I can't hear the last word at all

[scarletcougar]

Yup... "March to serve my nation"

This is a common oath for any nation with a standing army.

Oh... speaking of oaths and poetry: go here. This is something my prandfather wrote while sitting in a trench in WWII:

Soldiers Feet

In times of war, all able bodied people are encouraged to join the army in some way to serve their country.

---

@ Conzu:

White is the traditional color of death and mourning in East Asia.

[haruki]

Closed captioning isn't always accurate, considering the people typing those out are underpaid, stressed people trying to get their job done. They don't often get a script from the broadcasting company, they play it by ear like we do. Aang makes it hard to hear, but repetition and counting syllables makes it what David originally posted.

[tylee345]

The Fire Nation Oath

My life I give to my country

with my hands I fight for Fire Lord Ozai and our Forefathers before him

with my mind I seek ways to better my country

and with my feet I march to serve my nation




This is what I could gather from the oat that the kids recited in school in The Headband episode. If anyone has a better version, feel free to post it because the last verse was hard to understand. I think it's very interesting how the kids from the Fire Nation are educated, and how they inculcate such values and patriotism. It also gives us a notion of how being a normal citizen of the Fire Nation is. They are not fire cracking little monsters at all, in fact, it's quite the opposite. If you have seen the episode, you may recall the scene were the kids are surprised when Aang tells them that the Air Nomads didnt have any army at all. Most of the history the are taught is written so that the Fire Nation appears as the hero of the war, and that it is doing the right thing for everyone.

Very historical :)

[yoshiheath]

Closed captioning isn't always accurate, considering the people typing those out are underpaid, stressed people trying to get their job done. They don't often get a script from the broadcasting company, they play it by ear like we do. Aang makes it hard to hear, but repetition and counting syllables makes it what David originally posted.

yeah if aang wasn't acting stupid (lol) maybe we could hear. is it that hard to just move your lips instead of saying the words? lol

[haruki]

I KNOW haha. And the only part he mumbles too much is that last line. BLAST AANG. Baha <3

[yoshiheath]

I KNOW haha. And the only part he mumbles too much is that last line. BLAST AANG. Baha <3

yeah. the last line is the most important line. lol

[Conzu]

Aang is just a goofy kid ^^

@ SC
ah I knew it was something with death lol... thanks.

[lastdunmer]

well the firenation has been waging a war for one hundred years i mean that really drains a country maybe the firenation theyre economy is mess too but maybe we are thinking too much about a cartoon..... :P

i dont think that avatar is 'just a cartoon'. I mean, look how much details the writers/producers put into it. I would agree with lots of people who said that it looks like the soviet union and Nazi germany. The kids were shocked when Aang told them that the Air Nomads didn't have an army, and that the fire nation won by surprise and superior numbers, because they hadn't been taught it. But i think that the reason they had not been taught it, was that it would be more 'honourable' to win in a fairly matched battle, rather than killing non-combatants.

I think the main reason to keep everything seeming 'honourable', was that then there would not be any revolts, and that in teaching the children false history, the freedom of speech would slowly be lost
(which is what is happening in Australia, our government is changing wikipedia articles on things they have done... disgraceful... anyway.. John Howard will lose the election).

once the whole population of the fire nation thinks that what they are doing is right, then people will willingly support the war, rather than thinking for themselves.

I would not say that the fire nation has a problem with their economy, there is no limit to the wealth of the palace, the schools, and what we've seen of the general population.

Also, i was wondering about the reactions of the families of dead soldiers. If the family has been properly brain-wiped, then they would probably be proud, but it is also probable that the families would be made sure to be silent in anti-war protests.

[panda07]

thats a cool oath and no we dont say it in school anymore cuz it says under god and not all believe in god which is dumb cuz they can just take it out cuz it wasnt in there originally they added idk how long ago though

[Lostlove<3]

this i always think of is how ppl in school sound like when saying the pledge of alligence

[hajtom]

Well I think the Firenation is right to brainwash their next generation of citizens! I mean it is essential for its nation to be successful. Even America does it. Remember that so called "Manifest Destiny". Well mostly history is written by the victors. So yeah it is pretty normal and OK I guess.

If I were Sozin or the Fire Lord I would even go deeper than just what they are doing. I would make some stupid myth that one day I was confronted by the gods and that I have been given the divine job to be the steward of all the earth for the gods. Hence forth I could call for a holy war like a jihad thus we will have the worst kind of war. The fuel that is needed to ensure world conquest.

[cloud]

Nice oath...

Now it might not be very true or actually a good thing to say now a days but still for the Fire benders its a pretty good oath... :)

[sozinho]

Most countries history texts and education is like that.

I think in the USA they still recite the national anthem in schools. When I was very little in Canada, we used to say the "Our Father" Catholic prayer and then follow it up with singing the Canadian National Anthem at the beginning of each day. It is not done like this anymore, though... at least in Canada.

When I was in school (not that long ago, I swear) the national anthem was said every day in Elementary, and something like once a week in Junior High, maybe once a month in High School. I don't believe you ever technically had to say it, but there's ample pressure to conform. I wouldn't be suprised if there's been a surge in flag-pledging and anthem-singing in schools since 9/11.

As for history. Any nation at war will raise its children on the propaganda it wants the next generation to believe. In WWII, there was much propaganda about the inhumanity and cruelty of the Japanese and their means of Torture and the chinese and their communism. So much so that Asians in North America at the time were gathered into small living camps like Native Americans, only with less respect and less concern for health and safety.

"Atrocity popaganda begets atrocity...it increases the chances of one's own side committing atrocities in revenge for the ones alleged or reported."

-P.M.A. Linebarger, Psychological Warfare