Translation Corner #19

Back to the keywords! This one is pretty important as it explains the specific details of Solomon's Cane. It also reveals some facts about Fine that we didn't know before. Also I've included another history lesson on the actual item that Solomon's Cane was based off of.









Solomon's Cane

A complete relic that was sent from America for the purpose of research. Because it is under the possession of the mysterious blonde woman "Fine," it has never received a classification number from the Japanese government. 

Solomon's Cane has already been activated by the energy created through the singing of Yukine Chris. However, America is not yet aware of this fact. 

The key function of this relic is that it grants the ability to summon and control the Noise at will.

Even without the cane, Fine has the ability to summon the Noise to any specific location she desires. However, she cannot control the Noise by her power alone and thus far has simply allowed them to go on a rampage while making use of the disaster and panic they caused. 

With Solomon's Cane the user can pick & choose from 72 various commands that make it possible to control the Noise, allowing them to execute complex and delicate maneuvers. The cane can also program the Noise with specific goals while they move about autonomously. All of these features allow for the Noise to be controlled in a systematic matter, making them an important part of tactics. 

Considering the fact that Solomon's Cane can directly control the Noise, there is then evidence that a relationship exists between the Noise disasters and the relics themselves (or perhaps the prehistoric civilizations that created the relics). 


So we finally learn that Fine does in fact have the ability to summon Noise herself, which means that she's solely responsible for the abnormally large number of Noise attacks surrounding Lydian academy and the Symphogear Project, even from before she received Solomon's Cane. Based on the description it's not entirely clear how Solomon's Cane works, but looking at episode 4 (when Chris used it to instruct the Noise to capture Hibiki) I'm assuming all of the control is done via verbal commands, but I think mental commands might be possible as well (for a reason I'll explain later). I think it's interesting that this keyword doesn't explain about the various types of Noise and whether the user of the cane can select what kind they want to summon, since it seems that different Noise have different abilities. For example, the ones that captured Hibiki could produce a sticky substance that we never saw another Noise use. Also there are the large Noise from episode 1 that could create smaller Noise, another unique ability. Anyway, I'm willing to bet there are a lot of types of Noise we haven't seen yet, so maybe they'll show up in season 2!

I was curious about the possible origins of "Solomon's Cane" (which could also be called a staff or a rod) so I did some research. The only thing that shows up frequently is called The Staff of Solomon. In the 1930's there was a writer named Robert E. Howard who was well known for his character Conan the Barbarian. He is also regarded by many as the father of the "sword and sorcery" sub-genre of fantasy. Anyway, Howard wrote many stories about a character named Solomon Kane who possessed this item known as "The Staff of Solomon." In the story, the staff was given to him by an African Shaman who claimed he found it in ancient Judea and remarked that it was "older than the world" and held "mighty magic."

One depiction of how The Staff of Solomon looked

The Staff of Solomon was described as being made of a wood that can no longer be found on Earth (some stories claim it comes from another world entirely), and the top of the staff was adorned with the head of the Egyptian feline goddess Bastet. Originally, Bastet was depicted as a lioness and was attributed as the goddess of the sun, however after the Greeks occupied Ancient Egypt towards the end of its civilization, her identity was changed to a cat and she became the goddess of the moon. (Kind of ironic that Fine would rely so heavily upon a staff associated with a goddess of the thing she wants to destroy the most, eh?)

Solomon Kane holding the staff

During his adventures Solomon Kane relied upon the staff heavily as he used it to slay otherwordly creatures such as vampires and harpies. He could also use the staff to communicate with the African Shaman who gave it to him, even over long distances (I'm assuming telepathically, which is why I think mental commands can be given to the Noise). A long time ago, the staff was once known as the Scepter if Israel when it was used by Solomon (the King of Israel) to battle magicians and capture genies, this is probably the reason why it later became known as the Staff of Solomon. Supposedly the staff was also once used by Moses who carried it with him when his people fled Egypt, which could potentially make it related to Aaron's Rod (held by Moses'  brother), the Rod of Asclepius (from Greek mythology) or the Nehushtan (which was possessed by Moses according to the Hewbrew Bible).

Anyway, there is a lot of history relating to Solomon's Cane since it has passed through many hands during its existence, which predates mankind! In any case, I think it's very interesting that it might be related to the Nehushtan, especially since Fine combined it with the armor at the end of the series to create that giant dragon. There's a keyword about that later, so hopefully we might find out more!