I was re-reading Ten's post on Soh and Yoshiro.
There are many things I disagree with, by comparing to what's shown in the game.
For example, Soh defies physics frequently and can even rewind time or slow down time. Her body looks human but it's a 'physical form' not a physical body.
My post on Soh's body: Soh's Physical Form
I added some new information! (or am trying to...blogspot is not obeying me)
In the game files, Soh's spirit state is called 'hitodama'.(人魂)
"a hitodama—a human soul turned into a fireball."
Appearance: Hitodama are the visible souls of humans detached from their host bodies. They appear as red, orange, or blue-white orbs, and float about slowly not too far from the ground.
Behavior: On warm summer nights, these strange, glowing orbs can be seen floating around graveyards, funeral parlors, or the houses where people have recently died. Most often they are seen just before or after the moment of death, when the soul leaves the body to return to the ether. It is most common to see them at night, though they occasionally appear during the daytime. Rarely, hitodama materialize when a person loses consciousness, floating outside of the body, only to return when the person regains consciousness.
This makes Soh's physical form more mysterious. But in cut-scenes, she leaves no body.
Back to the plaques...
In his post, he says something about Soh's plaque:
The Japanese version omits the subject, so it can be read as "Sō (only) descended to the human world," but it doesn't sound particularly strange even if it continues with "He bestowed guidance from the next generation."
Soh guides all villagers and bestows masks upon them. Soh is the one who descended into the human world.
So is there a translation error?
人の世に降り立ち、よしろより導きを授け、
宗より仮面を通じて力をあたえる。
Descending to the human world, they bestow guidance from Yoshiro, and grant power from Soh through masks.
In Ten's post, there's this:
In English, it means that they have descended to the human world (from a high place or a higher realm).
In the Japanese version, "descending to the human world" has two meanings: that of descending to earth in a physical body, and that of a sacred being, a messenger of God, joining the villagers and wielding a sword himself (entering the area).
Yoshiro descending could mean that she isn't a normal human. After all, she has that bead stuck in her chest and is from a lineage that can wield the Goddess power.
If we decide it's only talking about Soh, then could it be that it was meant to say that Soh bestows the power of masks and Yoshiro receives guidance from her?
Because it's what we see in game!
Soh gives villagers masks and guides Yoshiro(literally, she walks ahead of Yoshiro to lead the way)
Tent animations even show Yoshiro listening to Soh!
Yoshiro never does anything that puts her in the role of 'guiding' villagers.
Unless it's meant to be that we guide the villagers through her, since they cannot see us. Does she give our orders? Or do we control them through the masks?
It's difficult when lore is contradicting what we experience in game.
BUT...
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| Can this also be seen as the Yoshiro who descends alongside 'Soh'? As in, the end is also the beginning? |
What if Soh is who resides within the mask?
Then she descends alongside the spirit of the former Yoshiro, who channels her by wearing the mask.
Then Soh, 'they', is providing guidance from Yoshiro and power from Soh.
I've said this before in my 'Soh as the former Maiden' theory...haven't I?
In circles, we go...
