New theory in regards to the Mural!

Good Eye! I thought that pose looked familiar.

That is the most pogient and sound statement thus far. It shows proof on various levels; the reasons for the distructive black goo, why the Engineer seem dissatisfied and want to destroy us. I can't imagine wathcing this movie once, maybe several times to evaluate these types of clues. Thanks, this theory may very well be the idea behind the word "Prometheus".

Do you have more images? Your theory seems pretty sound to me. I have seen the movie twice and still have not seen the mural clearly enough to make it all out. I think it could also be showing the life cycle of the goo as well, but can't tell as I can't get a good look.

I personally love this explaination, it's to the heart of it all and in keeping with how I am viewing it. So simple as to be missed by those saying "why'd the Engineer wake up and just start killing people...simple. He knew right then and there what our species represented...a threat to their race...and if the black goo didn't get us, he would surely finish the job.

[url=http://dejanno.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/prometheus.jpg][img]http://dejanno.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/prometheus.jpg[/img][/url] a larger picture, as requested. View image location to make it very large. ------------------------------------------------------------------- [i]Image code added by BugHunter, 05/06/12[/i]

This is very astute of you, and I believe right on the money!

Looking at he pictures and reading your idea I am very impressed. Sounds like a winner to me.

Love this topic, I especially love your use of imagery to get your point across. A near perfect comparison! I agree with you as well, a very sound theory for sure! Now, this also brings up the question, do we have the Xenomorph to thank for postponing/preventing our extermination? How ironic would that be.. The Xenomorph kills the Engineers who are set to destroy us, and 2000 years later, that same creature is our worst enemy... That is pure irony and is probably what went on on LV223 those sum 2000 years ago.. (going by Prometheus' fictional timeline mind you)

The single best theory posted on the forums! I too have seen the movie twice and had a seriously hard time making out the murals...except for the xenomorph. So well done indeed!! Now all we need is a quality theory on what the hell that green egg shaped crystal thing is that's in front of the xeno mural...and we may close to fully appreciating ridley's work

Great work and sounds plausable. Loved the film but it's a pity David wasn't quizzed by the crew about what the writing was on the door to the room holding the mural etc. possibly to many questions left unanswered.

Interesting, but if we assume that mankind share the same DNA as the engineer, it could lead to a similare evolution in term of technology. One day or the other (or one millennium or the other), technology level will be reached, it could have taken longer if no help wasn't provided but still. So why are engineer creating a new species with their own DNA for eradicating this species later?

I have not seen the movie yet (Thurs @ midnight!), but I like your theory....could it be your comment; "it heavily suggests that one of the Jockeys helped the humans with technology and was then punished." suggests that the sacrificial engineer is the one who did this and his punishment was the goo drink at the beginning of the movie?

i'm glad this has such a large amount of like-minded feedback :)

Great theory Kris! Really well thought out. Just to throw a few more questions out there... Different early earth civalizations depict a large being (engineer) pointing to a constellation where they are creating a supposed bio weapon to kill the "human" race. Not only that but they are depicted pointing out this constellation faaaar before the death of the engineer in the "altar". So why were they showing us this place 33,000 year prior to the time they were going to set off to wipe us out? Further more, why did they keep coming back to show us that constellation?!

Sorry about the double post.. :s

I'm having trouble working out what exactly that thing is... it looks like a Xenomorph dog/bird and it looks like the Engineer is petting it or has his hand on its head... similar to the Prometheus painting though... very interesting. And yes, I'm also really intrigued by what could be in that altar and what that green stone is! And what is written on the wall where David starts the hologram movie thing? And what is that green slime that looks like it has some nano technology in it? And what was written on the big door?? So many questions!

The Hawaii and Mayan cave paintings happened well after the engineers were allegedly coming to wipes us out. So why would they visit peacefully after apparently deciding to go all scorched earth on our asses.

this is a really cool theory. it makes me wonder if the Engineer who gave humans fire (Prometheus) was also the one in the hieroglyphics showing them the constellation. just a thought: an Engineer becomes compassionate towards the humans, knows that they were only created to be harvested so from that moon he comes back to earth to give humans fire and warn them of (a) they are coming to kill you or (b) i give you this fire but use your power wisely or it will turn on you just like it turned on them.

@Kris-P Sorry to rain on your parade, but the mural you have posted above the drawing of the legend of prometheus does not portray somebody's liver being eaten by a xenomorph, or something even close to that. For a week now I own the book: "Prometheus-Art of the Film, by Mark Salisbury, foreword by Ridley Scott" In it you can see a very detailled picture of the event depicted in that very mural. I took a picture of the book, ran it through Google image search, and here it is: [img]http://i47.tinypic.com/5jzlva.jpg[/img]

As you can see, the creature is not a Xenomorph, it is not eating anybody's liver but simply sitting in a crouched position with its arms crossed in front of its knees. If anything it looks like the Engineer is superior to the creature in this picture, he is portrayed larger in a grand pose while the creature is portrayed crouched and humble.

Hey! Somebody better reply to this. I put a lot of work into it!

I think it's in mid-transition from humanoid to Xenomorph. And I think it's meant to echo the Sistine Chapel's "creation of Adam" ceiling mural. [img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Creación_de_Adán_%28Miguel_Ángel%29.jpg[/img] The body is wide like a human's and the arms skinny like a Xenomorph, and the head looks like neither (a bit like how Fifields head looks not human, and a bit more cylindrical... but not like anything else... yet). Notice the similarity to the biomech suit of a Space jockey... and in the humanoid on the right, notice how it actually doesn't look like a biomech suit, and appears to have decorative patterns.

It's a pretty damn good theory!

Yes but look at the creatures head in its apparant 'bowed' position, really look at its eyes and face and tell me that the film makers are again playing with the wholeEagle and Prometheus idea, it looks as though it has a elogated beak with two nostrils either side of it. Its eyes even look as those of a bird that is in sleep or nesting for the night. Its the Promethus and eagle myth running rampant throughout the whole film you just have to know where to look and have the foresight of wisdom to see, interpret and thus, get what is clearly right in front of you.

[u]it looks as though it has a elongated beak[/u] Or something resembling an elephant trunk perhaps? Is that not also, right in front of us?

This is about the murals (point 1): [url=http://wp.me/p2tPJ3-2j]HERE[/url]

Sorry, i can not find any new in this theory. This mural just shows me an engineer with some kind of alien pet, i dont get your point and the combination to the liver-eating prometheus-plot. The pet has an "devotional" attitude and does not eat engineers liver. The engineer seems to caress the pet and does not look like punished or liver-missing at all. Maybe its only there to show how proud the engineers are about creating live, maybe that pet (dog?) is some kind of creation of them they use as house pets. Would like to read more in the mural, but i cant.

Here bigger... [url=http://i49.tinypic.com/261bxh0.png]...ENGINEER MURAL WITH PET BIG...[/url] sorry, i dont see ANYTHING here that would justify a combination to prometheus-myth... Its just an proud "engineer" as superior beeing to its "house-pet", which is in devotional attitude. NO liver-eating, no eagle. Just THAT. [img]http://i49.tinypic.com/261bxh0.png[/img]

SPOILERS If you look at the Engineer, there appears to be a scar where the liver would be. It's artistically done because it's a mural. The figure next to him does look like a birdlike creature in subservience. According to the Prometheus myth: Prometheus is a Titan, culture hero, and trickster figure who in Greek mythology is credited with the creation of man from clay [b](Beginning of the movie)[/b] and the theft of fire for human use, an act that enabled progress and civilization. He is known for his intelligence, and as a champion of mankind. The punishment of Prometheus as a consequence of the theft is a major theme of his mythology, and is a popular subject of both ancient and modern art. Zeus, king of the Olympian gods, sentenced the Titan to eternal torment for his transgression. [b]The immortal Prometheus was bound to a rock, where each day an eagle, the emblem of Zeus, was sent to feed on his liver, only to have it grow back to be eaten again the next day.[/b] Could it be that the mural is the triumph of the engineers over their creator symbolized by the bird (Zeus) now bowing to the Engineer? But we can see the remnant of the Engineer's subservience by his scar over his liver? Just like David wanting to destroy his creator's (parents). Now, Shaw is pissed off at her creators and will be paying them a visit hopefully in the sequal [i]Paradise[/i] . Also, when the captain destroyed the alien ship, could that be foreshadowing or a symbol of why the Engineers wanted to destroy us in the first place? Because as their children, we would eventually come to destroy them? All throughout the Alien series there is a recurring theme, birth of a child and death of its parent, typically through their chest. I think the Engineers are trying to break the cycle by destroying their children, us, in order to preserve themselves. Therefore, the mural is a reminder of their uprising of their own creator's and the necessity to destroy their children for their own preservation. With this in mind, is it any wonder the Engineer completely freaked out when he woke up, killed the humans and immediately started to operate the ship to get to earth. Further, when he got in his chair, he had a combination of relief and terror on his face as the helmet closed. He was probably thinking we were about to kill him and was relieved that he was able to kill us. Now its time to get to earth before it's too late to fix their mistake in creating us in the first place. Thoughts?

Well, to me its funny how long and intensive we discuss here about a mural done for a hollywood sci-fi movie. I think it*s not that deep, but as the movie does not deliver satisfying answers, fans go crazy and construct the wildest speculations. Maybe it means just nothing at all. I am out of this thread...

[u]Well, to me its funny how long and intensive we discuss here about a mural done for a hollywood sci-fi movie. I think it*s not that deep, but as the movie does not deliver satisfying answers, fans go crazy and construct the wildest speculations. [/u] When a movie has a Kubrick tribute reference in it in an early scene, a planet has a name that suggests a biblical explanation for a decapitation, and has paintings evocative of the Sistine Chapel... I think it's fair to assume that the mural might have some relevance to convey. You don't have to analyse it if you don't want to, but I don't think it's 'crazy' for others to contemplate it. It's not [url=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3211/2347642183_91247aa0c8_o.jpg]Cow Tools[/url].

You are right... so i am not gonna waste some time on fictional murals, i will waste time on watching SOCCER...

Bye then, Nuck Chorris. Continue with an inferior mind-set then while supirior, knowing intellects attempt to try and educate the ignorant and the lacking of foresight individuals out there such as yourself Nuck Chorris. However, if you try and open your eyes a little wider and begin to see what we all clearly see already right before us, staring us completely in the face we will be happy to continue the heigtening of intellectual awareness and pursuit of new and evocative ideas. There is a space here for you and we will be waiting for you to come back if you choose to and try to think and see harder at what you are looking at instead of having a dismisive child-like response to everything that seems way above your station of understanding at present... Jus't dont take TOO long!

It states in wikki that 'Prometheus is credited with making man out of clay' it might be linked in this way: This mural looks more like the human /engineer like figure is making the xeno like creature starting from his own arm possibly?! Exactly like the start of the film the engineers have to destroy there DNA to make new life forms - for me this looks like an engineer / human changing / creating the xeno - becoming the xeno? This can then lead to ideas about the goo such as its not about killing us but improving us maybe? Anyway I think its more to do with the clay idea not eagle - the eagle / liver part may be the punishment side to this story - maybe the engineers have already been punished for what they did yes? Interesting painting of prometheus: [img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Otto_Greiner_-_Prometheus.jpg[/img]

yoyoyo ... [u] However, if you try and open your eyes a little wider and begin to see what we all clearly see already right before us, staring us completely in the face we will be happy to continue the heigtening of intellectual awareness and pursuit of new and evocative ideas.[/u] I dont know what is in front of YOUR eyes wide opened - in front of MY eyes is a riddler-script that makes a brilliant movie loose 50% of its worth. Why they did not simply construct a UNDERSTANDABLE plot hat simply shows an ALERNATIVE theory about the questions where we come from, who was jesus, to OPEN THE EYES of people who CHOOSE TO BELIEVE something, that most likely is NOT MORE TRUE than that theory a sci-fi plot can deliver... That would be interesting, UNDERSTANDABLE and exciting ENOUGH - and i think thats what the MAJORITY of the audience thinks, if you OPEN YOUR EYES and understand what the people are tallking about. But we can also put lipstick on a pig, or maybe its simply a queston of taste - i dont like it the way it is, if you like it than that is fine for you. I still see it as a wasted chance to do a masterpiece in sci-fi genre. I dont want to think 5 weeks what a sci-fi movie "could" mean. All your (and others) nuts "explanation" are just SPECULATIONS and "maybe, maybe not" - thats CHILDISH CRAP in my eyes, but if you think you are superbrain as you "think to understand prometheus" - well, you can think whatever you want, i dont care.

I read somewhere a very detailed review of the movie by a critic that actual talked w/RS about the movie and it's relationship with Gods, religion and such. The mural depicts “ the giver of life “ and the deacon mural depicts “ the taker of life “ or something like that... the review also stated the engineers were pure in everything the believed in and did.... as an example, the sacrificed engineer was treated like a prince for 1 year before he made his sacrifice, much like many stories of Greek Gods did 1000's of years ago..... the captain and the 2 crew members raising their arms up like Jesus and the 2 condemn men did on the cross... Prometheus is full of religious undertones, barren woman gets pregnant, 2 killed by a serpent in a tomb, on and on....

Chuck, sorry bud, you criticize the script only because you didn't pick up on some obvious points the movie was making. There was a large amount of symbolic imagery (foreshadowing) that wasn't put in simply as filler. You ask "who was Jesus." He was, (drum roll) an Engineer. The cross was by no means a minor detail in the film. It kept coming up during really crucial moments. Think about the Virgin birth. Mary was impregnated with one of their own. The corpse on the planet was just over 2000 years old. They were coming to earth to unleash death. In other words, they were coming to fulfill the Biblical prophecy of the Second Coming of Christ by destroying the wicked. I'm guessing, because we killed their ambassador, who was sent here to try and steer us in the right direction and change our horrific treatment of one another. Also, don't get mad. You did throw the first punch by insulting people on this thread. EVOLVE MAN!!!!!