Top 10 Fascinating References in Silent Hill (1999)

Only briefly alluded to in the entry above, but a highly prominent set of references throughout Silent Hill (and its eventual sequels) is how many streets are named after notable horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and crime fiction authors with thematically overlapping works. Major namedrops with varying “genre” connections to the game’s narrative include Bradbury St., Matheson St., and Bachman Rd.; likewise, there’s Bloch St. (mentioned above), as well as the additional locations of Levin, Finney, and Ellroy.

6. The Silent Hill Chainsaw Massacre

Also located on Bloch St. is the storefront for a business called Cut-Rite Chainsaws that (ostensibly) sells chainsaws and nothing else: while this is another detail that could be easily overlooked or passed off as nonsensical, it’s actually a reference to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. Of particular note is that players can potentially pick up a chainsaw from Cut-Rite to use for themselves in “Next Fear” playthroughs of Silent Hill, but only if they’ve already collected the bonus gasoline tank item.

5. Olympian Spirits in the Middle of Nowhere

For the remainder of this article, I’d now like to put a specific focus on the much heavier occult and alchemy-oriented references made within Silent Hill (again, starting here and making subsequent appearances in future entries): in this case, the titles given to five hallways in “Nowhere” (the game’s final, maze-like area composed of cross-sections from multiple previous locations). These names – “Phaleg”, “Ophiel,” “Hagith,” “Bethor,” and “Aratron” – refer to five of the seven total Olympian spirits, which are traditionally referenced/invoked in various occult magic rituals and ceremonies.

4. Flauros: More Than Just a Trinket

Appearing relatively early in the game (but not playing an active role until much later), players will be given a mysterious puzzle box-like item called the Flauros by the seemingly deranged Dahlia Gillespie and cryptically told that it can “counteract the wrath of the underworld” when used at the right opportunity. While the Flauros’ purpose is ultimately quite different than initially explained, its given name is derived from an archdemon mentioned in The Lesser Key of Solomon who can provide true (or, if improperly invoked, false) statements regarding a summoner’s past, present, and future.

3. “Aglaopho…What Now?”

Also playing an extremely important role in the first game (and reappearing briefly in the third) is the liquid concoction known as “Aglaophotis” – with both instances of it in Silent Hill being tied to prerequisites for achieving two of the possible four mainline endings. In both cases, the red-colored substance – named after/based on a medicinal herb that is stated in Kabbalah mysticism to expel evil influences – is used to forcibly “exorcise” demonic entities possessing the bodies of two supporting characters (with one said exorcism actually determining the exact nature of the game’s final boss).

2. The Green Lion Connection

Featured as a prominent location that’s visited in Central Silent Hill near the approximate midpoint of the game’s main storyline, the oddly named Green Lion Antiques (owned and operated by Dahlia Gillespie as another front for the town’s cult members) actually has ties to a very esoteric concept described in alchemical processes. Referencing the poetic concept/iconography of “a green lion eating a sun,” the store’s name is based on the alchemical substance vitriol (iron and sulfuric acid combined), which was believed to be the necessary element to create living things in experiments.

1. Hiding in Plain (-ish) Sight

As alluded to in the third-to-last entry here, the true final boss of Silent Hill – simply known as the “Incubus” – is a blatantly demonic-looking entity that is directly modelled after images of symbolic occult figure Baphomet (itself a paradoxically masculine/feminine and human/animal “hybrid” that overlaps with the concept of the Rebis). More interestingly, the Incubus’ body has multiple “words” written on it in (what appears to be) Greek lettering, and despite the current lack of a comprehensible translation, some have stated that the symbols on its wings might suggest the conception of a child.