Post by Hazlenut Tree-breeze on Mar 29, 2008 16:26:21 GMT
When Aang was a child, he unknowingly revealed that he was the reincarnation of the Avatar when he chose four toys out of thousands--turtle (Water), a string-powered propeller (Air), a Hog Monkey (Earth) and a drum (Fire). These four toys were the same ones that past Avatars had chosen for generations when they were children. This is the same procedure a child must go through in order to be recognized as the reincarnation of a Tulku Lama in Tibetan Buddhism. According to the book Magic and Mystery in Tibet by Alexandra David-Néel, "a number of objects such as rosaries, ritualistic implements, books, tea-cups, etc., are placed together, and the child must pick out those which belonged to the late tulku, thus showing that he recognizes the things which were his in his previous life".
Raised by Airbender monks, Aang grew up in the idyllic surroundings of the Southern Air Temple. Aang was a carefree young boy, given to frequent travel, play, and possessing an almost effortless mastery over his native element. When he was a small child, he, along with the other Airbending children, travleled to the Eastern Air Temple, where he bonded with the young Sky Bison, Appa. Appa would become his partner and companion for the rest of his life. In his youth, he traveled all across the world, and made many close friends from different nations, including Bumi and Kuzon. When he was twelve years old, he invented the Airbending technique, the Air Scooter. This act caused the monks to decree him an Airbending master, and he received the blue arrow-shaped tatoos that all masters wear. His world drastically changed when the monks revealed that he was the Avatar, destined to master all four elements and bring peace to the world.
Aang told of his Avatar statusUsually, the Avatar is told of his or her true identity only after turning sixteen; however, Aang's caretakers feared that a war between the Four Nations was on the horizon and believed that the Avatar would be needed to help maintain balance. Aang soon began to feel overwhelmed with the burden of his position. His peers ostracized him for his airbending skill, while his caretakers pressured him to mature too quickly.
The only monk sympathetic to Aang's feelings was the elder Monk Gyatso, Aang's Airbending teacher and guardian. When the burden weighed heavily on his favorite student, Gyatso worked to instill a sense of fun through jokes and games. He sincerely believed that Aang should be allowed to grow up as a normal boy. However, the other monks disagreed. Citing Gyatso's attachment to the boy as interference, they decided to send Aang away to the Eastern Air Temple to focus on his training, oblivious to the fact that Aang had overheard their caucus.
Confused and frightened by what he had learned, Aang fled from his home on his flying bison, Appa, towards the South Pole. While over the Southern Ocean, a sudden storm caused Appa to plunge deep into the sea. Entering the Avatar state, Aang reflexively used Airbending to surround himself and Appa in an air bubble that quickly froze into an iceberg, putting them into a state of suspended animation for the next hundred years.
Raised by Airbender monks, Aang grew up in the idyllic surroundings of the Southern Air Temple. Aang was a carefree young boy, given to frequent travel, play, and possessing an almost effortless mastery over his native element. When he was a small child, he, along with the other Airbending children, travleled to the Eastern Air Temple, where he bonded with the young Sky Bison, Appa. Appa would become his partner and companion for the rest of his life. In his youth, he traveled all across the world, and made many close friends from different nations, including Bumi and Kuzon. When he was twelve years old, he invented the Airbending technique, the Air Scooter. This act caused the monks to decree him an Airbending master, and he received the blue arrow-shaped tatoos that all masters wear. His world drastically changed when the monks revealed that he was the Avatar, destined to master all four elements and bring peace to the world.
Aang told of his Avatar statusUsually, the Avatar is told of his or her true identity only after turning sixteen; however, Aang's caretakers feared that a war between the Four Nations was on the horizon and believed that the Avatar would be needed to help maintain balance. Aang soon began to feel overwhelmed with the burden of his position. His peers ostracized him for his airbending skill, while his caretakers pressured him to mature too quickly.
The only monk sympathetic to Aang's feelings was the elder Monk Gyatso, Aang's Airbending teacher and guardian. When the burden weighed heavily on his favorite student, Gyatso worked to instill a sense of fun through jokes and games. He sincerely believed that Aang should be allowed to grow up as a normal boy. However, the other monks disagreed. Citing Gyatso's attachment to the boy as interference, they decided to send Aang away to the Eastern Air Temple to focus on his training, oblivious to the fact that Aang had overheard their caucus.
Confused and frightened by what he had learned, Aang fled from his home on his flying bison, Appa, towards the South Pole. While over the Southern Ocean, a sudden storm caused Appa to plunge deep into the sea. Entering the Avatar state, Aang reflexively used Airbending to surround himself and Appa in an air bubble that quickly froze into an iceberg, putting them into a state of suspended animation for the next hundred years.