“Traces of a God and Demon: The Symbolism Behind Valgaav”
By Frau Eva(Jenee’)

Valgaav is often quickly dismissed by many fans as simply another opponent for Lina Inverse to fight, a crazed and hurt man out to purify the world. However, there are many puzzling questions regarding his character design, his name, and many other facets of the ancient dragon that are never asked. Each detail about Valgaav was chosen with care to represent his dual nature as demon and god, and signify his bond with Volphied and Darkstar.

The horn alone probably gathers the most puzzlement from people; why did Valgaav grow a horn once he was turned half-Mazoku when there has been no other case of the same happening anywhere in Slayers? Why only Valgaav? The symbol of the horn is rooted in deep meaning in nearly every mythology. In nearly every culture, the horn is regarded as a symbol of a god-like being. Pagan masks and crowns of eternal deities were often adorned with the horns of an animal. El, the supreme god of the Semetic pantheon, wore bull horns and could take the form of the white moon bull. Straighter horns like that of a bull were always connected with lunar deities in both Hindu and Sumerian culture. In the Bible, Yahweh the supreme deity is sometimes depicted as a horn, as in the verse, “horn of my salvation, my high tower.” (2 Samuel 22:3) Even Yahweh’s chosen, Moses, was said to be horned when he descended from Mount Sinai(Exodus 34:29), and was depicted so in much medieval art.

The horn was also a symbol of masculine strength. In many countries-especially Gaul-warriors used to wear horned helmets as symbols of their power. Many times Alexander the Great was depicted horned to express his genius and power and to suggest that he was favored by the gods above. The languages of Latin, Sanskrit, and Hebrew all have a word that means both ‘horn’ and ‘power’ or ‘strength’. The horn is also often times connected with virility for it’s obvious phallic imagery. A symbol of strength fits well with Valgaav, who’s original name of Val means “strong.” (Valgaav was not called Valtiera or any such variation as many believe. That was an mistake in an early fansub; the original words were “Val to yara,” which means something completely different. His full name is on some of his merchandise, and is romanized as “Val Agaresu” or “Val Agares”.)

However, many modern analysts regard the horn as a symbol of divergence and ambivalance, regressive forces like Christian devils and demons being depicted with horns. Modern Christianity often regards the horn as devilish, a complete change from Paganism and even early Christianity. All this makes for a perfect symbol for Valgaav; like the horn, Valgaav is seen as both of good and evil. According to Paganism, it is seen as godly; however, as the Pagans were wiped out like Valgaav’s own race, it was seen as evil in the eyes of the new ruling religion. The genocide of the pagans and the demonization of their symbols has obvious parallels to how the ancient dragons were regarded as the wisest and most powerful among dragons, but their name was shamed and debased once the ancient dragons came to power.

The horn is not the only symbol of Valgaav that suggests both the demon and divine. Valgaav’s enormous black wings are also deep-rooted in the mythology of the world. Wings have always meant that the subject had the power to ascend to heaven, so only divine beings and enlightened shamans have had the privilege of possessing them. The Bible depicts the god Yahweh as having wings in some instances, such as, “Hide me under the shadow of thy wings”(Psalm 17:8) and, “Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings”(Psalm 36:7). Angels, along with many other mythological figures, possessed the mighty wings to transcend all earthly taint. The fact that Valgaav has the god-like bird wings suggests his connection to the holy elements. However, his feathery wings are colored black, the traditional color of darkness, death, and the elements of evil. So his wings signify not just his position on the side of the holy, but on the sides of darkness as well.

Even Valgaav’s younger self, Val Agares, has mythology connected to him. Even though Val was completely dragon, his last name of Agares is the same name of a demon in the Christian tradition. His name was used to signify his future dual nature; though totally dragon, his name signified the future darkness that would corrupt him. Once he meets the Dark Lord who would rebirth him anew as Valgaav, he is helpless and wounded in the desert. Val’s meeting and temptation by Dark Lord Gaav in the desert has parallels to Jesus, the savior of mankind in Christian tradition, meeting and being tempted by Satan, the Lord of all Darkness, in the desert(Mark 1:12-13). Valgaav was later once again reborn, this time by a goddess(as we can see by the image if a woman in the sky as Val’s egg descended). It is unknown whether he was reborn by the Lord of Nightmares or of Volphied(who was shown to take a female form in Lost Universe). His surrogate mother, Filia, was both a mother to him and still a virgin. Whichever you consider to be his true mother, goddesses and virgin-mothers were both known to produce godly children in all areas of mythology.

Both Valgaav and his former incarnation Val Agares are meant to signify a combination of both god and demon. Everything is meant to elude to his dual nature as dragon and Mazoku, and to his eventual bond with Volphied and Darkstar. The character of Valgaav is more than just any villain, but an expression of both sides of the universe. If he is seen as crazed, then what does this say about our world as a whole?