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{{Main|Statue of Taweret/Theories/Origin}}
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::'''Origin''': for theories about the society or culture responsible for building the statue.
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{{Main|Statue of Taweret/Theories/Identity}}
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::'''Identity''': for theories about the person or deity represented by the statue.
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{{Main|Statue of Taweret/Theories/Destruction}}
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::'''Destruction''': for theories about how the statue was destroyed, leaving only the four-toed foot.
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{{Main|Statue of Taweret/Theories/Meaning}}
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::'''Meaning''': for theories about the significance of the statue and the four toes.
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{{Main|Statue of Taweret/Theories/Miscellaneous}}
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::'''Miscellaneous''': for theories that do not fit into any of the above categories.
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{{Nav-MysteriesTheories}}
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[[ru:Статуя богини Тауэрт/Theories]]
 
==Meaning of the 4 Toes ==
 
 
=== Theory 1: 4 Toes - The makers of the statue had and depicted a congenital physical malformation, the result of a small population and the lack of genetic variety ===
 
Abnormalities in digits, toes, fertility and infant mortality can be the result of a restricted gene pool [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inbreeding#Results_of_inbreeding] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Founder_effect]. The small gene pool can lead to the emergence of genetic mutations - recessive traits that would normally be either dormant or replaced by a "healthy" version of the gene from the other parent. But with a small gene pool where parents have many genes in common, there are no healthy genes to replace the mutation. Higher incidence of polydactylism (i.e. too many fingers or toes) have been observed in genetically restricted communities, such as the Amish [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polydactylism].
 
 
'''Evidence:'''
 
* The makers of the statue may have come from a very small gene pool. Highly restricted gene pools are common on islands, and have lead to the evolution of animals that differ radically from their off island relatives (see pygmy elephants [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insular_dwarfism] and island giantism, such as the moa [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_gigantism].
 
 
* It doesn't look like there is a toe missing, it looks as though the person depicted by the foot was born with 4 toes.
 
 
* The island appears to be in a highly isolated location (given that the extreme difficulty of leaving unless one knows specific coordinates and it's separation from the rest of the world in time). For an ancient civilization, this may have been nearly impossible, leading to a highly restricted gene pool of whoever was on the island first, and then whoever managed to land on the island there after by chance.
 
 
'''Counter-evidence:'''
 
 
* It seems as though it would have taken a large population to build a statue to that scale, but then again, it is only a foot ...
 
* No people, bodies or skeletons have been seen on the island to indicate a race of people with only four toes.
 
 
Is it possible that the statue seen by Sawyer and company could have an animal leg/paw with 4-foretoes and a concealed dew-claw higher on the calf of the leg instead of a human leg and foot? Many Egyptian statues have multiple animal characteristics such as animal faces, ears, and wings.
 
 
 
=== Theory 2: The statue is an allegorical symbol ===
 
The main article makes a connection in a story where the man knew the 4-toed statue to be the remnant of a once complete statue of Hercules, and that as a boy he used to sit on the shoulders of Hercules. The point is, the statue may be more symbolic than representing a broken statue.
 
* In ancient times, the "Pillars of Hercules" were said to be the end of the known world. This was an image used as an allegory to describe how this imagined structure marked the end of all that was known. There was no actual structure with pillars, though Hercules was referred to as standing tall on legs like pillars.
 
** From the ancient point of view, one made discoveries by starting from what was known, and comparing it to the unknown. However, by starting with a fact, the new discovery can be misunderstood. Francis Bacon of Elizabethan times is regarded as the founder of the "Scientific Method" whereby one observes what is unknown, then establishes what is known. So essentially, one enters an area without preconception (though with appropriate skill in observation and measurement) and operates experiments to bring understanding to unknown properties.
 
*** Having a statue of a broken Hercules may be to signify that this Island is beyond what is "known"
 
 
=== Theory 3: The statue is of Anubis or another Egyptian deity ===
 
 
The statue viewed from behind ([[LaFleur]]) bears a striking resemblance to the Egyptian god [[wikipedia:Anubis|Anubis]].[[Image:280px-Anubis_standing.svg.png|thumb|Anubis]]
 
This theory originally purported that the statue we saw in [[LaFleur]] is not the one from season 2's finale, but that idea has since been proven untrue [[Four-toed statue]]. However, since the airing of [[Dead is Dead]], there is more evidence than ever that the statue is of Anubis, and that this Egyptian deity plays a major role in the mythology and religion of the Others.
 
 
'''Anubis Evidence :'''
 
* Cannot be Anubis as Anubis is a Jackel and the statue is clearly a cat.
 
* The Countdown in the hatch reads [[Hieroglyphics | Underworld]]. In Egyptian mythology, Anubis Is the god of the underworld.
 
* From the back, the statue seems to have pointed ears and a headdress, holding two ankhs, one in either hand. Anubis is almost always depicted like this, as he is part man, and part jackal.He holds the ankh as it is a simple for the circle of life and death.
 
*In [[Dead is Dead]], it's revealed that the [[Others]] revere the [[Monster]] as an powerful entity with the power and authority to judge their lives. Ben goes to the [[Temple]] and is judged by the [[Monster]] in what can be assumed to be the Monster's 'lair,' as it rises from an ancient stone vent in the ground. Above this vent, surrounded by Egyptian hieroglyphs, is a carved image of the Monster and Anubis. Anubis seems to either be having a conversation with the Monster, or commanding it. Either way, if the Others really have [[Richard Alpert | always been on the Island ]] and they revere the Monster, we can infer from this ancient engraving that the [[Others]], ancient and modern, would also revere Anubis, perhaps even enough to build a statue in his honor. [[Image:MonsterImage.jpg|thumb|The carved image under the [[Temple]] of the Monster and what appears to be an Anubis-like figure.]]
 
**This proves nothing at all about the statue. The statue could be any diety, regardles of the properties of the monster.
 
*If the statue is of Anubis, this version of him could depict his feet as that of a jackal. If this were the case, the survivors would've seen a paw, which normally has four toes, rather than a foot which has five.
 
* In [[The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham]], Hurley was drawing a sphinx, which is Egyptian, just before [[Jeremy Bentham]] came to visit him. With any other character, this would not be significant. However with his ability to find Jacob's cabin and communicate with his dead friends, we know Hurley is considered special by the Island.
 
*In an official podcast the producers jokingly may have hinted that the statue had the body of a dog. {{crossref|Official Lost Podcast/May 26, 2006}}
 
 
'''Evidence it is an Egyptian deity'''
 
The following evidence has either been disproven, or is currently under review or in discussion.
 
 
*Paul's necklace was an ankh as well. ([[LaFleur]])
 
*The statue looks more like Sekhmet, the goddess of pestilence who was worshiped in order to ward off plague and bad luck. This would fit on the Island.
 
** Goddesses don't wear the kilt shown on the statue; they almost exclusively wear gowns. Thus, unless we're looking at an iconographic mistake on the part of the producers, this is not Sakhmet. Furthermore, as far as I can tell, the headpiece appears to be the nemesh headcloth, not a wig or tiara, which further identifies this as a god, not a goddess. The strange figure on top of the headcloth may be the base of the Atef crown (a combination of the White Crown or Hedjet with ostrich feathers). If this is the Atef crown, it signifies either an underworld god or a pharaoh depicted as having passed into the afterlife. In order for this to be the case though, the statue would already have to be in a state of disrepair (the Atef crown would already have fallen from its base).[[Image:Thoth-atef.jpg|thumb|Thoth wearing the Atef Crown]]
 
*** Sekhmet also took on the form of a male. "She is called Simhavaktra in India where she also has a male reflection in the lion-headed incarnation of Vishnu, Narasimha." So while the statue is clearly a male cat it CAN be Sekhmet in one of her male forms. That being said I think the statue is Sekhmet's son. That's why it's a male statue but has the Sekhmet feel to it and I have not been able to find any pictures of Sekhmet in a male form so it works better that the statue is Richard and Richard is Sekhmet's son.
 
*** The statue could be of Serapis[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serapis]
 
****I may be wrong, but since Serapis is a Ptolemaic syncretism of the Apis Bull and the anthropomorphic version of Osiris, and the Ptolemaic period is noted for its ''Hellenistic'' style in art, it seems unlikely that this apparently New Kingdom (read: before Serapis, a Ptolemaic invention, existed) statue could be Serapis. Serapis might explain the shape on top of the figure, but it wouldn't explain the iconographic style. Ptolemaic statues of gods look like their Greek equivalents; this is not a Ptolemaic statue.
 
*** The statue bears a resemblance to the unidentified god depicted to the far right in this[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Egyptian_gods_Istanbul_Museum.JPG] photograph.
 
****The god on the far right in your link is Nefertem. Look at the 2nd google result for Nefertem to see a similar statue to the one in your link. He has a water lily on his head. He is sometimes depicted with a lion head, and is associated with flowers (LaFleur) and their medicinal properties. Nefertem is also associated with healing, fertility, rebirth, and even war (via Maahes) so he fits with the Lost theme. The above reasons and the fact that "fleur" in English is usually used in the term "fleur-de-lis" (lily flower) lead me to mark Nefertem as a likely candidate for the statue in the episode.
 
*The [[wikipedia: Amarna Period|Amarna Period]] in Egyptian history is noted for (among other things) a very distinctive artistic style - human figures in art took on the peculiar characteristics of the pharaoh (Akhenaten), with exaggerated bellies and skinny arms. Perhaps this is simply an Egyptian statue from a period where the pharaoh was missing a toe. Thus, there would be no reason for an entire population of four-toed people; just the pharaoh.
 
**There are also [[wikipedia: sphinx|sphinxes]] from the reign of the woman pharaoh [[wikipedia: Hatshepsut|Hatshepsut]] that have five toes instead of the ''usual'' four. Thus, a pharaoh is clearly able to influence the art during his or her reign.
 
*It is most likely [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sekhmet Sekmet] because she was the guardian of the west (statue is on the west side of the island). She was known to kill Pharaohs with flaming arrows. She also watched over women during menstruation and pregnancy and lo and behold, when Juliette gave birth to Amy's child the statue was there. Sekhmet also brought brought and cured diseases, then again we don't know ''that'' much about the sickness in detail.
 
**We don't know whether the statue was there when Juliet delivered the baby; a flash occurred between the statue sighting and the delivery. Plus, as I have mentioned several times now, Sekhmet is a goddess, and goddesses don't wear kilts.
 
***However the bodily proportions seem to suggest a female figure, noting, of course that the kilt suggests otherwise.
 
 
'''Implications:'''
 
 
* Anubis later became known under the Egyptian Middle Kingdom as the god of mummification, and the one who guides people to the afterlife. This occurred when the more dominant Ennead and Ogdoad belief systems merged and as a result of the identification of Atum with Ra, and the newer religions compatibility, that then Anubis became a lesser god in the underworld, giving way to the more popular Osiris during the Middle Kingdom. Further, Reincarnation, resurrection, etc all have been hinted at in the series.
 
* The ankh that Anubis holds is an Egyptian symbol denoting eternal life. Lots of hints have been made about that, too?
 
**The statue is holding 2 ankhs, implying a duality of physical life and the afterlife. The island holds both in a single physical place.
 
* Maybe the ancient inhabitants left the island, existed in Tunisia, and went to Egypt, where they either created or influenced the Egyptian civilization.
 
**this sound pretty plausible to me, or maybe the Egyptians found an entrance to the island? with there being an "exit" this is how the statue and possible the 'temple' where built, would explain the hieroglyphics too.
 
** This doesn't seem to make sense, historically, to me. First of all, giant stone architecture comes ''after'' the development of Egyptian iconography; that is, the earliest depictions of this type of god vastly predates massive stone work like this, which replaced earlier mud brick work. So if an ancient culture lived here, then moved to Tunisia and influenced or "created" the Egyptian civilization, why did massive stone architecture disappear for about four hundred years, while the depictions of gods and goddesses like this one continued in palettes, maceheads, wall reliefs, et cetera? A more plausible explanation is that Egyptians were on the Island at some point in the past, and constructed massive stone work at the behest of the pharaoh who sent them.
 
*** Um, this is an alternate view of history, where Atlantis is the influence and genius behind the development of the great ancient cultures, clearly the writers are merging the ideas of Atlantis and the Egyptian underworld because they have creative license. "This doesn't make sense historically to me?" what show are you watching? This show never makes "sense" - I mean a smoke monster that can pull people and sounds like a giant chain being wound up when it does? Yeah, that makes sense.
 
**** The problem is that the writers are usually careful to make the show ''work'' with real history. The hypothesis offered above would not work with real history.
 
*Anubis is considered the Egyptian counterpart to the Greco-Roman [[Cerberus]]. Both relate to the underworld or afterlife.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anubis]
 
**The statue's ears are not long enough for it to be Anubis. Also, Anubis held an ankh and a sword, not two ankhs and he did not wear a crown. However, Taweret, the goddess of '''fertility''' looks almost identical from behind as the statue in the show and she carries two ankhs (one in each hand). Also, Taweret only has four toes. This could also explain why women cannot get pregnant on the island. The destruction of the statue could be preventing fertility on the island.
 
***It is unlikely that the destruction of the statue is the cause the fertility problems for several reasons:
 
**** Claire had a baby
 
**** Jin's sperm count rose on the island
 
**** The statue was destroyed before Ethan was born as seen in "La Fleur"
 
***** Claire got pregnant before she came on the island. So the fertility problems should not apply to Claire.
 
***** Sun's baby was conceived off the island.
 
***** "Fertility problems" in Lost is the fact that mothers die after conceiving their babies. So in other words, destruction of the statue might have caused problems for people getting pregnant AND conceiving their babies, both ON the island. And not "preventing fertility".
 
 
== Identity ==
 
*[[Richard Alpert]]. Someone count his toes.
 
**Richard Alpert → Ra. Though I still don't personally believe the statue is Richard. Though this would explain his eyeliner as him being some Egyptian being from the past.
 
*** Can't be Ra, Ra is the head God, all powerful, and wouldn't be traipsing all over the island. But he is a god, he's Sekhmet's son, ironically Horus. And the statue is of him.
 
**I like this, if you check out [[wikipedia:Ra|Ra]] the clothes are similar and it's holding an Ankh.
 
**This is true because Richard is from the future. He traveled back to an ancient time during a flash. (This is why he doesn't age. He won't age until he gets beyond the time of that flash.) A primitive people viewed him as a God due to his advanced knowledge, and they built a statue with his likeness. The writers won't use advanced evolution for his four toes because its been done before. It will be something like he lost a toe in a hunting accident. John Locke will say "So Richard do you have four toes because of your advanced evolution?" Richard will say "Ah, no John, I had a hunting accident."
 
 
*[[John Locke]]. The magical time-traveling leader from the future.
 
*A yet-to-be-named native who was the "leader" of the island at the time.
 
*[[Jacob]], who was thought to be a God or prophet to the [[natives]].
 
*Egyptian god [[wikipedia:Horus|Horus]]
 
*Egyptian god [[wikipedia:Anubis|Anubis]]
 
**It is not Anubis, as he is always depicted with a jackal head. The head of the statue, seen from behind in LeFleur has clearly not the big ears of a jackal. The ears of the statue looks more like those of a feline animal.
 
*Egyptian god [[wikipedia:Wepwawet|Wepwawet]] [[Image:Wepwawet1.jpg|thumb|wepwawet]]
 
**This deity is depicted with a wolf's head in Egyptian iconography. If the statue would have been Wepwawet it's ears would be bigger and more visible from the back.
 
*Any given [[wikipedia:pharaoh|pharaoh]]
 
*Someone from the future who travels back in time and is deified by the ancient island inhabitants. Producers made a nod to the show "Early Edition" (about a guy who gets tomorrows newspaper today) when they brought on the actor who played George Minkowski. They are making a nod to another show "Phil of the Future" (about a kid & his family who take a time travel vacation and end up getting stuck in our time) with the 4-toed statue. In that show, Phil and his family all have 4 toes on each foot because in the future evolution has eliminated the 'unnecessary' pinky toe.
 
**The producers, if taking ideas from show elements, probably took them more from iconic science fiction shows like The Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, etc., where we've seen things like this happen.
 
*It's the Egyptian goddess Tawaret who represents fertility.
 
**The statue is pictured with long wavy hair, everyone so far has theorized that it depicts a man.
 
**Tawaret is depicted with 4 toes and also wears a headdress similar to what is visible from the back of the statue.[[Image:Lost_statue.jpg|thumb|Tawaret similarities with 4-toes statue]]
 
*I've come up with an ''entertaining'' but unlikely theory (expounded in full in [[User blog:Aaronimo/Jacob, Richard, and Manfred Bietak|this blog post]]): The Four-Toed Statue is Jacob, who is also to be identified both with an otherwise unknown Egyptian Pharaoh of the Hyksos Period and with the gods who supposedly ruled Egypt for thousands of years at a time prior to the human Pharaohs of the 4th millenium BC. [[User:Aaronimo|Aaronimo]] 19:12, 12 March 2009 (UTC)
 
*It is the Egyptian god Thoth. In Egyptian mythology, Thoth is attributed with the following: arbitration, magic, writing, science and the judging of the dead. He served as a mediating power between good and evil, making sure that neither ever had a victory over the other.
 
: "Thoth has played a prominent role in many of the Egyptian myths. Displaying his role as arbitrator, he had overseen the three epic battles between good and evil. All three battles are fundamentally the same and belong to different periods. The first battle took place between Ra and Apep, the second between Heru-Bekhutet and Set, and the third between Horus, the son of Osiris, and Set. In each instance, the former god represented order while the latter represented chaos. If one god was seriously injured, Thoth would heal them to prevent either from overtaking the other"
 
 
== Miscellaneous ==
 
* Note the painting Hurley sees in Jacob's window in [[The Beginning of the End]]; it shows what seems to be a dog with some type of humanoid upper body, sitting with its hands folded in front of it. Maybe four-toed dog-men don't exist, but maybe they do. Maybe if the Others have been on the island long enough, four-toed dog-men might be a part of the narrative that goes along with their religion, or whatever passes for it.
 
* If originally intended to have 6 toes, then the statue may be a reference to the Giants of legend, the Biblical children of the fallen angels (Nefilim), who were reported to have 6 fingers and 6 toes on each hand and foot, respectively, and who ruled the world in pre-Adamic times. Their assignation by the great flood might also tie in to other legends, such as Atlantis, Lemuria, or Mu, as these were also lost island civilizations. This would indicate not only great age, but would introduce another non-human vector to the mythology of the island. The apparently inconsequential change to only 4 toes might indicate that the significance is less about a specific, even Biblical, reference than it is simply a further level of mystery.
 
*Jacob is the lone survivor of the ancient race that used to live on the Island, and being a specifically special member of that race, was the subject of the 4-toed statue, due to a physical deformation, a foot with 4 toes.
 
 
== Age of the foot ==
 
 
 
=== The statue is very old ===
 
* The Island was populated by people far in the past. These people built the statue.
 
** Fits with the fact that there are 'native' island inhabitants of which almost nothing has been revealed.
 
*The new appearance of the ancient statue is the result of a time anomaly. This is related to whatever time displacement that is causing Desmond to have the apparent ability to know what happens in the future.
 
** If the statue appears new it would more likely be a production error rather than due to time displacement.
 
 
=== The statue is recent ===
 
*The statue looks relatively new.
 
* People from the past somehow came to the Island at some relatively recent point in time and built the statue.
 
* The age of the statue is still under discussion, but judging from the material of the foot, it is rather new (probably less than 100 years old) or made of a very resilient material. Common rocks for building monuments show severe signs of weathering & discoloration in a nearshore tropical climate after only a few years or decades due to high humidity, plants and saltwater.
 
**The [http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/index?pn=about official website] says that it is an "ancient" statue.
 
 
== Origins ==
 
 
=== The Statue is From Somewhere Else ===
 
 
*The material seems to be either marble or granite. Marble or sandstone would most likely be weathered stronger. However granite is rather resilient to weathering. There is some evidence of weathering (rounding, discoloration) - but no major weathering. It is almost certain that the material did not come from the Island, since it evidently is a purely [[Lava rocks|volcanic]] island - like all the remote islands in the Pacific. They usually are the tops of underwater volcanoes (like Hawaii). This may support the theory that the foot did not originate from the Island, but was built elsewhere and somehow transported to the Island later.
 
*I don't know if this is what is meant by being from somewhere else, but the foot could be from somewhere else entirely, as a result of the moving of the island such as Rhodes (the Colossus) or the Simpsons (Dunkin' Donut Guy, explaining the four toes)
 
 
=== "Transplant" theory ===
 
*Considering the lack of any visible wreckage, the foot may have been transplanted away from the statue's original site by [[DHARMA]] or someone else for reasons unknown.
 
**The foot appears to be a left foot, but there is no trace of either the right foot or the pedestal it would have stood upon. Closer examination shows that not only does the foot appear to be broken off above the ankle, but a portion of the pedestal it stands on appears to have been broken off from a bigger section.
 
**The foot also appears to merely be resting on a pile of rocks, rather than having been built there. The base is not level and is leaning slightly forward. This could be further evidence for it having been transplanted from elsewhere (or of some kind of seismic upheaval).
 
 
*The rest of the statue may be missing because only the foot & calf were transported to the island. Many clues about the island/Dharma indicate the possibility of opening wormholes to the island. This could explain why the statue appears to be on an unstable foundation and constructed of a foreign mineral. Also, if we subscribe to the "many worlds" theory of quantum mechanics, it's possible that the statue originated in an alternate universe/timeline where humans have only four toes.
 
*The statue may well have been transplanted the same way the polar bear, Benjamin Linus and the infamous Bunny #15 have been transported, especially given that both Ben and the polar bear ended up in the Tunisian Sahara.
 
*The statue was built with one foot on [[The Island]] and the other one in solid ground during time when the Island wasn't moving; when it moved, just one foot moved with it and the other one, no being alive and nor being in contact with someone alive, stayed wherever the Island stood at that time. That way we can explain why there are no remains of the rest of the statue nor of the bases of it.
 
 
=== Ancient Origins ===
 
 
*The statue might have belonged to an ancient civilization of whom [[the Others]] are a part or from whom they are descended.
 
*The statue may draw from a known mythology:
 
**Greco-Roman origin:
 
***The statue dates to Greco-Roman times. The sandal appears Greco-Roman and the statue is in that style.
 
****The image from [[LaFleur]] shows that the statue is iconographically Egyptian and pre-Ptolemaic, so it is doubtful that it is a Greek or Roman statue.
 
***The giant Greek statue of the Greek god [[Wikipedia:Helios|Helios]], known as [[Wikipedia:Colossus of Rhodes|Colossus of Rhodes]] was destroyed due to an earthquake in 224 BCE. All that remained standing was its legs from the knees down. According to scholars, it was of a similar size to the statue of Liberty. (Charlie uses the phrase "colossal joke.")
 
 
'''Aztec origin:'''
 
***The statue might attempt to represent the deity [[Wikipedia:Tezcatlipoca]]. The name in the Nahuatl language is often translated as "Smoking Mirror" and alludes to his connection to obsidian, the material from which mirrors were made in Mesoamerica and which was used for shamanic rituals.
 
****The purpose would be to "put a face" on what could be a symbolic representation of the Smoke Monster.
 
 
'''Egyptian or Asian origin:'''
 
***Several Asian and Egyptian deities have four toes, such as Bast, the Cat-Goddess
 
****This actually would mix well with the apparent Romanesque features, as there was a period when Egypt began to integrate some Roman architecture in to their own designs, while at the same time many Greeks and Romans began to worship Egyptian deities.
 
****Since the creators stated at the Paley Festival that they originally intended the foot to have six toes, and allowed it to be changed to four as it is only important that it has a number other than five, the statue is not likely to reference anything known to have exactly four toes in mythology, religion, or history from the real world.
 
****The statue cannot be Bastet, the Cat-Goddess, because the figure is wearing a male's kilt; goddesses wear gowns.
 
***The statue could be part of one depicting Anubis which is one of the Hieroglyphs displayed prior to a [[system failure]] in [[the Swan]].
 
****If you look up images of Anubis, the statue has many similar attributes even from behind: cat's ears, kilt, shirtless, it even appears to be holding something in his right hand that could be an ankh.
 
***** You are thinking of Hermanubis. Anubis is always a portrayed as a jackal.
 
******Anubis is often depicted as a jackal, but can also be, such as in wall paintings, depicted with a jackal head and human body as described above, usually holding an ankh in one hand and a crook in another. Two images of this are posted on the Wikipedia entry for "Anubis".
 
 
'''Atlantis or Mu as the origin:'''
 
***The probable South Pacific location of the Island would also allow for some link to the legendary lost continent of [[Mu]].
 
 
**The location in the south pacific suggests a Polynesian origin of the statue.
 
***Except the Island may not have been in the South Pacific when the statue was built
 
 
*Now that an anthropologist with some archaeological experience, [[Charlotte]], is on the island, we may revisit the statue and gain new insights regarding its ancient origins.
 
*The fact that the island can be moved may explain the Atlantis theory. Atlantis didn't sink - it was moved somewhere else. The four-toed statue is a remnant of the civilization of Atlantis.
 
**This sounds interesting. It's also supported by the Legend that the people of Atlantis had some source of great power which they misused, and which was precisely the cause of the sinking (or in our case moving/hiding) of the island of Atlantis.
 
 
 
 
=== More Recent Origin ===
 
*The statue may be a decorative way of encasing the jughead bomb in concrete
 
**Faraday suggested that the bomb also be buried. If the Others followed his suggestions, then the jughead bomb would not be in the foot, which is above ground.
 
**They could have buried it underground right above the foot and used the foot to mark the spot of the Jughead.
 
*** What lies in the shadow of the statue is the Jughead bomb.
 
 
== The Statue's Destruction ==
 
 
===Smoke Monster theory===
 
*The statue is of someone who was once a leader but has wronged the island and been rejected (like Ben) so the smoke monster destroyed it.
 
 
=== "System failure" theory ===
 
*The rest of the statue was destroyed due to a prior [[system failure]].
 
*The statue may have been created with metallic elements, or constructed over a metal frame. The missing pieces may have been sucked inland or propelled out to sea by a previous [[system failure]] or [[discharge]] from the magnetic anomaly in [[the Swan]]. Or, the statue may have originally stood somewhere else, and the pieces of it may have been scattered around the Island by a prior [[incident]].
 
 
=== "Clever Ruse" theory ===
 
*Despite the podcast evidence (or in addition to it), the statue may be a ruse constructed by [[DHARMA]] or the [[Hanso Foundation]], part of a larger misinformation campaign (like the "false" village of the Others) designed to establish the fiction of a long-lost primitive civilization.
 
*The statue may contain one of the unexplored hatches.
 
*The statue was and is a clever ruse, just like The Others and their constant deception. The statue contains the hydrogen bomb that Daniel Faraday asked them to conceal with lead or concrete.
 
*THIS IS ALL FALSE - the statue appeared in the time before the well was constructed - this very ancient looking well was IN RUIN during Dharma time, implying the statue is EXTREMELY old. Yes, they could have put a dharma station inside but why would they do that?
 
 
=== "Submersion" Theory ===
 
*There is no wreckage from the rest of the statue visible nearby. The foot may be slightly tilted because the rest of the statue fell forward into the sea, and is currently submerged. If it's been there a while, it probably just looks like coral now.
 
**If a meteorite created the [[Crater-Geography|crater]] in which the [[Barracks]] seems to reside, the impact tremor may have been sufficient enough to tilt a 250-foot statue to the point of collapsing into the ocean, leaving only the Foot.
 
*There may have been some missing pieces on the beach that were recovered by the ancient inhabitants who built it, or removed later by [[DHARMA]] for study.
 
*A volcano is mentioned in the episode "The Man Behind The Curtain" which is a Ben flashback. The teacher who confirms this mentions it was a very long time ago. The volcano might have been responsible or partly involved for the destruction of the statue.
 
 
=== "Tsunami" Theory ===
 
*The evidence of the wreck of the old sailing ship the {{link|Black Rock}} being beached far inland at considerable altitude is indicative that a rather large tsunami hit the Island in the 19th Century, likely reaching at least 100-200 feet or more in height.
 
* No, more likely Black Rock ended up there as the island flashed and simply appeared beneath the ship. It was instantaneous. If the ship had been "thrown" it would have been smashed to bits.
 
*Around the year 1700 a size nine earthquake struck about one hundred miles off the coast of Washington state; a huge pacific-wide tsunami was generated as a result. The wave caused fatalities as far away as Japan.
 
**This would be consistent with the Others' "camp" being on the north side of the Island.
 
*A Tsunami this size could have destroyed the rest of the statue, either throwing them far inland, or dragging them out to sea.
 
*It also would have wiped out any indigenous people living on the Island. If they were a unique race, like the skeletons of the "Little People" found on another South Pacific island in recent years, they were likely wiped out then.
 
*If whatever phenomenon was being controlled in [[the Swan]] is tectonic in nature, it likely would have caused tsunamis occasionally in years before it was being controlled by active measures.
 
*Geographically speaking, if the Island is indeed located somewhere in the vicinity of Fiji, a tsunami from the fault zone off the coast of New Zealand (or even as far off as California's fault zones) could have created a tsunami large enough to wipe out a statue of this size.
 
**Consider the terrain behind the statue. For the most part, the land is devoid of trees or heavy vegitation, up to the mountain foothills. A "smaller" tsunami may have indeed struck, washing away jungle and weakening the ''right'' side of the pediment. Its subsequent settling collapsed the statue, pieces of which were pulled out to sea by the retreating wave. The left side of the statue's pediment was relatively undamaged, the statue itself having broken off at the right knee from torque strain.
 
*The on-island Volcano was triggered by an earthquake that also took out the statue. The volcano caused a similar purge a long time ago.
 
 
=== The Island Moved Theory ===
 
* At some point the island was moved (possibly by Locke, or when the Black rock arrived), and the rest of the statue just wasn't along for the ride.
 
* The statue was destroyed during an earthquake caused by Locke turning the wheel. "That one was different. That was more like an earthquake"- Miles, 'La Fleur'. This is similar to how the Colossus of Rhodes was destroyed, "The statue stood for only 56 years until Rhodes was hit by an earthquake in 226 BC. The statue snapped at the knees and fell over on to the land."- Wikipedia
 
 
=== "Taliban" Theory ===
 
* The statue is the remain of an ancient cult, older than the present natives led by Richard, who now worship Jacob (which is, by the way, a Hebrew-like name, Hebrews who were slaved by Egyptians...). So the Others decided to tear down this statue in order to erase all trails of all cults before Jacob's, regarded as profanes.
 
*Often a new ruler will destroy icons representing the old ruler. At some time in the ancient past, there was a change in leadership that resulted in the old statue being mostly destroyed, leaving the single leg and foot as an insult to the old leader by solely highlighting his deformity.
 
 
=== Earthquake Theory ===
 
*After Locke turned the FDW Miles said "that was like an earthquake", perhaps when this 'earthquake' happened it was so strong that it pulled the statue down.
 
 
===From "Giant statue"===
 
* War over the island
 
* Possible connection between statue's destruction and the rocks in the quarry
 
 
===Natural Decay===
 
*The statue simply crumbled due to the elements and the force of gravity over a long period of time.
 
 
== Narrating Reference Theory ==
 
*One person has 4 toes at least on one foot. The existence of the old statue will create a wow-moment at some point in the show. Because at that moment we will learn who the person with 4 toes is, and that this person had to be present for a pretty long time. That person was important, that is why people built a statue.
 
*It is well believed that the person with four toes is Richard Alpert. In recent Comicon (2008) Damon and Carlton were asked by a member of the audience 'How many toes does Richard have?' to which they replied that we would soon be seeing Richard with bare feet 'In the near future'.
 
 
 
 
 
 
==Giant Statue==
 
*It's a statue of Nefertari, who receive the life from Isis, the life was give by a wooden symbol, which is the symbol of Paul's ankh necklace.
 
*The four-toed statue is of Horus. The leader of the DHARMA Initiative is named Horace. Horace is Jacob, which is why the brief flash of Jacob we saw looked just like the actor who plays Horace. The producers said the role hadn't been cast yet, but they also once ruled out that the show was about time travel. Horace built Jacob's cabin, and communicated through a dream to give instructions to the leader of the others, Locke.
 
*It a lion because: 1.the manes represent power and knowledge so are always prominent 2. the ears are those of a feline or canine 3. depending on what period the statue is from long or short skirts are a cultural norm. Here's a list of all Lion headed Egyptian deities: Shu (dry air), Tefnut (moist air), Sekjmet (healing)(my pick because of the islands healing ability and fame of goddess), Nefertum (Healing and perfume), Bes (sexuality and child birth)(maybe the statue is how the builders managed to have kids?), plus many others were able to become lion headed when they went to war or served Ra.
 
*The statue is of a female figure (body structure, hair, etc)e. The statue doesn't have broad shoulders, and is very thin. It's still plausible for it to be depicting a male, but I feel like it's easier to lean towards it being female.
 
**The statue is Egyptian in iconography, if not in origin. Female deities don't wear kilts, and this statue wears a kilt.
 
[[Image:Tawaret_4_toes.jpg|thumb|right|250px‎|Goddess Taweret & 4 Toed statue comparison]]
 
*The statue is the Egyptian god Taweret. She was the god of protecting women during pregnancy and childbirth. The ears are similar to the the statue and she also wears a similar headdress to the statue. ''Plus Taweret (and hippos, which the goddess is based upon) has four toes''. We all know that the Island has problems with women during pregnancy and childbirth. As the internist said, all their women give birth off the island.
 
[[wikipedia:Taweret|Taweret]] or [http://www.egyptartsite.com/taurt.html Taurt]
 
*The image shown to the right of Taweret, you can see that she is ''holding (or leaning on) an '''ANKH''' in each hand'', just like the statue shown in LaFleur. That is some more good evidence that it could be Taweret.
 
** It's not an ANKH, it's a SA (šn).
 
** We often find Taurt, the hippopotamus goddess of childbirth, resting her paw on a standing sa sign. [http://www.egyptartsite.com/symlst.html]
 
*Protectress of pregnant woman and infants. Also protectress of rebirth into the afterlife. [http://www.egyptartsite.com/taurt.html|Taurt]
 
* A pregnant hippopotamus with human breasts, the hind legs of a lioness and the tail of a crocodile. [http://www.egyptartsite.com/taurt.html|Taurt]
 
* # Other Names: Taueret, Ta-weret, Thoeris, Rert, or Reret. [http://www.egyptartsite.com/taurt.html|Taurt]
 
**Taweret also has a connection to Horus (Horace?): "She is sometimes seen with her hand upon the Sa, a protection symbol. And while she shares some of the responsibilities of Bes, she is considered by some sources as his consort. For a differing opinion, ''Plutarch turned her into Set's concubine who
 
*I have enumerated several reasons why this ''cannot'' be Tawaret:
 
** Tawaret is always shown as an upright animal, never as an anthropomorphic animal deity - that is, Tawaret is an animal gestalt with some human features. This is very ''important'' to the Tawaret iconography, and can't be easily laid aside. The statue, on the other hand, is a ''human'' figure with some strange features (possibly animalian).
 
** Tawaret (and Sakhmet who has also been suggested) has four ''animal'' toes. The statue has four ''human'' toes. The statue appears to be wearing a sandal; i don't think Tawaret or any other Egyptian god, would wear sandals!
 
** The statue is wearing a shendyt, an Egyptian kilt. Pharaohs, gods, and men wear shendyts. Goddesses wear gowns or nothing at all. Tawaret does ''not'' wear a shendyt, because she is a goddess. The only exception to this rule that I have found is in the case of female pharaohs (such as Hatshepsut), who depicted themselves in the typical pharaonic regalia in order to legitimize their reign.
 
** The "headdress" on Tawaret is actually a wig. The Egyptians shaved their heads as part of their ritual hygiene conventions, so Egyptians are always depicted wearing a wig or headdress. The statue, on the other hand, appears to be wearing a head''cloth,'' rather than a wig. A wig would not be gathered at the base, as this one is, I think. It could be the nemes, the headcloth worn by pharaohs and gods.
 
** There are clearly cross-bars on the figures that the statue is holding, suggesting the ankh rather than the sa.
 
** The "ears" have not been shown in enough detail to determine what animal they resemble or if, indeed, they are animal ears. Regardless, there are multiple gods with animal ears, and the ears of the statue do not look particularly round.
 
** The "sun disk" atop the statue's head could be a number of things, including the base of the Atef crown. This would indicate a pharaoh who has died and become identified with Osiris, or any number of gods associated with death. If it ''is'' a sun disk, this does not implicate Tawaret any more than any number of gods who sport the sun disk.
 
** Tawaret ought to have a crocodile tail or at least a crocodile riding her back. No such crocodile is on the statue.
 
**What all this means is that there is ''no'' evidence for the statue to be Tawaret that is not either ''vague,'' ''misinterpreted,'' or ''evidence which points to a number of other identifications as well.'' On the other hand, there are ''insurmountable'' iconographic problems with the statue being identified with Tawaret. If the creators intended this statue to represent Tawaret, they ''failed.''
 
*The statue is from a fictional ancient culture created for the show. Or it's a fictional offshoot of a real culture (i.e.. Egyptian).
 
**This ancient culture influenced the Egyptian culture, since the exit portal is in Tunisia which is very close to Egypt
 
* The statue can be a statue of the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II, google it, there's a statue similar to the one on the island that they found broken in pieces. And about the theory about the poster and the foot-less Daniel, if you take a closer look at the poster, every character has a feet or a hand hidden, they're just playing with our minds, like with this ancient statue thing. Egyptian gods were often depicted with pointy ears. And pharaohs were often deified after their deaths. So a statue of a pharaoh could potentially share traits of a deity. On the other hand, as the son of a pharaoh, folks would say absolutely NOTHING about any 'abnormalities' he may have.
 
**Ramses II is thought to have been the Pharaoh of Exodus. The season 1 finale was titled 'Exodus' and at the time it seemed to be referring to Jin, Sawyer, Michael, and Walt leaving on the boat - it could have had a double meaning. Additionally, according to the Hebrew Bible, the Israelites were led to freedom by Moses and _Aaron_. Finally, in the Dharma Special Access video on December 29, 2008 - when asked a question about the 4-toed statue - Carlton Cuse gestures the number 2 (4m 27s).
 
*The Statue is of Anubis the Egyptian god that is the god of the Underworld. This ties in with the monster being Cerberus who guards the underworld of 'Hades'. This ties together different cultures views of the afterlife. The picture shows similarities between the Egyptian God and the Statue. The following quote from wikipedia fits the Lost story: Anubis was the god to protect the dead and bring them to the afterlife. He was usually portrayed as a half human, half jackal, or in full jackal form wearing a ribbon and holding a flail in the crook of its arm[5]. The jackal was strongly associated with cemeteries in ancient Egypt. The Island or a force did bring them to the island. Other details in the quote help describe the statue.[[Image:Anubis2.jpg|thumb|right|250px‎|Anubis Comparison]]
 
**That would explain four toes - Anubis is half jackal, and jackal being a canine probably has four main toes on his back legs.
 
*It's definitely Egyptian influenced, which would connect with the hieroglyphics we've seen throughout the show, as in under Ben's cabin. Before this, I always thought the show would end with Locke walking along the beach, thinking he'd done what he'd come to do in restoring peace to the island, and then a wave would come in and wash over his four toes.--[[User:Mainer122|Mainer122]] 06:57, 13 March 2009 (UTC)
 
 
==Significance/Purpose==
 
 
Seeing how the statue was built near the coast and looking towards the sea, it is very likely that its function was either a symbolic (or actually mystical) ward against foreign threats or a beacon/location indicator like the Colossus of Rhodes. It's not likely it was a patron god or hero or a major deity meant for ritual worshiping, as such would be located in the center of the island and/or atop of the highest mountain.
 
*It is used for pointing to the bearing on/off the island
 
It is just a sign that the island has been a part of a number of people's lives over the course of human history (WWII, Dharma Initiative).
 
* It is VERY important (why the creators teased us with it) and is an indication that the island is the UNDERWORLD or the nexus between the underworld and our world - Atlanteans (who 'created' the Egyptian society according to alternative history) once inhabited it, hence the crazy technology and mythology
 
* It was built to intimidate any potential threat coming from the sea. The gigantic size of the statue suggests that it acts as a warning sign to all those who are about to come to the island.
 
 
 
 
=== The Giant Statue Is In The Future ===
 
 
*The four toed statue seen in season 2, is the beginning of the others building it. They were distracted when the DI arrived on the island. It is only in the future many years after Lost takes place that peace is restored and they continue building the statue.
 
**It is unlikely that the others would not have compleated the statue. When the plane crashed they seemed to have time on their hands yet there was no evidence of them building anything.
 
**Also the full statue exsisted in a time that neither the well or the dharma station exsisted. The very old drawing on the wall of the temple is most likely a drawing of whatever the statue is.
 
 
 
{{Nav-LocationsTheories}}
 

Latest revision as of 18:36, 23 January 2010

Main Article Theories about
Statue of Taweret
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