Space Marines
This tagline is probably one of the greatest taglines ever put down to advertise a game. In just a few simple words, it lays out a sobering picture of the world of Warhammer 40K. The immensity of such a statement weighs upon the mind like an mountain of dead bodies, piled up so high that the pinnacle touches the edge of space.
Why Space Marines?
So, readers of my blog, why am I writing about Space Marines?
Isn’t this the task of much more lore-friendly table-top gaming nerds (and I
use the term nerd affectionately)? I have never even played the tabletop game. I
have, however, played one of the computer games, and have seen some videos and
read some of the lore on various sites, and even from the periphery of
interest, I can see there is something that needs to be discussed of the Space
Marines. Why? What does it have to do with my usual topics? It fits. Trust me.
First, a brief introduction. Space Marines are an imaginary
class of super warriors created by Games Workshop for their line of fantasy
role playing games. The Space Marines are super bioengineered men in advanced
power armor, who carry weapons of immense power, and are capable of super-human
feats of strength, endurance, and bravery. They are also giants: standing head
and shoulders above normal, mortal men. They are the culmination of humanity’s
need to defend itself from the unknown foes in the outer reaches of the
universe. They can be thought of as knights, or Roman soldiers. They have a
strict code of conduct and are arranged into different monistic chapters, each
with its own heraldry. There is much more I could say, but there is plenty of
literature out there on them if you care to look for yourself. I only included
this introduction as a launching point.
The reason I am thinking about Space Marines is because of
my recent interest in Cosmic Horror. My last blog was about what makes Cosmic Horror:
what defines it, but most of all, what it ultimately represents.
In summary, the monsters of the Cosmic Horror genre are the denizens
of the unconscious. They are chaotic. They are deep. They are unknowable. They
are the antithesis of the rational, conscious mind. We fear them, which is why
we erect the walls between consciousness and unconsciousness. The subconscious
zone is the area near the wall, where we can hear the thumping, grinding, and
dragging noises just beyond.
The Space Marine is therefore the antithesis of the monster
from the chaotic maelstrom of the unconscious. He is our best defense against
the unknown horrors that lurk in the abyss of the soul. As such, he represents
ultimate order, the tyranny of the consciousness, as it were. He is the
defender of that wall between the conscious and the unconscious, and the
conscious mind, being fearful of what is lurking beyond the realm of awareness,
had to construct a symbol of order, of brute force, and of absolute loyalty to
the hierarchical organization of the conscious mind. Such a symbol is perfected
in the Space Marine: an archon of might and piety. He leaves no room in his
mind for unwanted thoughts, which would have the corrupting influence of chaos.
He is an elemental form of purity of intent, singularity of purpose, mental
focus, and absolute control. He may seem harsh and draconian, but only such a
being is capable of standing against the arrayed forces of darkness and evil
that lurk in the dark places of our minds.
The Space Marine’s mental strength comes form his simple
faith in the Emperor of Man, who is a sort of representation of God, but who
has a physical form. The Emperor could be said to represent consciousness
itself, whom the Space Marine is dedicated, heart and soul, to protect.
However, the Emperor also protects. When the Space Marine is in dire circumstances,
and certain death looms, he calls upon the Emperor’s power for protection. Such
power is naturally the power of the conscious mind, the power of focused
attention, which, like a light, can dispel the darkness of fear and doubt.
The Space Marine, though wearing futuristic armor and carrying
futuristic weaponry, is also bedecked in medieval heraldry, holy symbols, and
ancient weapons, such as swords and the eponymous Warhammer. The Space Marine,
a symbol of our conscious mind, must be instantly relatable and familiar. These
ancient symbols are familiar to us and give us comfort, as they are symbols of strength,
of tradition, and of a solid bedrock of warrior tradition. There is nothing “weird”
or “outré” about the Space Marine. He is someone we can trust to defend the
borders of our minds, because he knows which side of that border he belongs to,
and there is no doubt.
So, if Great Chthulhu arose from the sleeping city of R’lyeh,
we can imagine mortal men cowering in fear, running away, or being instantly
obliterated. However, we can also imagine the Space Marines stepping forth to
do battle with this monster. The conscious mind needs a symbol of strength with
which to fight the unknown horrors of the subconscious. The Space Marine is the
toughest thing we can imagine that is still human, still familiar, and
therefore, still on our side. If any monster from a Lovecraft story came
waddling in from the deep, we can be confident that the Space Marines would
know how to handle it. The would kill it, fix the flat tire, navigate us safely
home, and ensure that reason, rationality, and the hierarchy of the human soul
was perfectly preserved and protected.
Whereas our ancestors might have envisioned winged angels to
fight the demons of the middle ages, these long-haired, robe-wearing, sandal-footed
fairies seem like they could use some testosterone. Demons are, after all, a
kind of known quality, and for that reason, they no longer inspire the same
level of dread or fear. We need someone not just to fight demons but to fight unspecific
horrors, which might take any shape, any size, and have unknowable intention.
Cosmic Horror has opened the door to unplumbed depths of
horror, so we need a new defender of our sanity.
