Smiling Critters: The Symbols and meaning Part 2

Hello readers, and welcome to Part 2 of “Smiling Critters: The Symbols and Meanings,” where we explore the symbolism behind the animal and scent types of the Smiling Critters from Poppy Playtime.

In Part 1, we looked at four of the critters; Bobby Bearhug, CraftyCorn, Bubba Bubbaphant, and Hoppy Hopscotch. Now we’ll take a look at the last four critters and discover the meaning behind them, starting with the cool kid, Kickin Chicken.

KickinChicken

KickinChicken is a yellow chicken who wears a starfish pendant around his neck. He is known as the “cool kid” of the group, always showing how cool he can be. Deep down, he can also be quite fearful, but he has the determination to endure whatever happens. 

His scent is ylang-ylang, a tropical tree from Southeast Asia that bears star-shaped yellow flowers. These flowers are used in perfumes and essential oils. The ylang-ylang is said to symbolize love, harmony, and emotional balance, and are used in wedding ceremonies to bless the married couple. In Wiccan tradition, the ylang-ylang’s aroma is said to dispel fear and boost self-confidence, which fits KickinChicken’s personality as the cool, confident kid.

Chickens are among the most common domesticated animals in the world. Because of their long history as a domesticated bird, there are many tales and symbolic meanings associated with them. Hens have been seen as a symbol of motherhood, due to their nurturing instincts towards their eggs and chicks. The Rooster is the tenth animal in the Chinese Zodiac, and those born under rooster years are said to be confident, hardworking, and direct. Roosters have been seen as a symbol of hope and renewal because they crow when the sun rises. This crowing is also seen as a warning call to signal alertness, but also as a declaration of readiness to face whatever challenges lie ahead in the new day, a trait displayed by the character of KickinChicken.

PickyPiggy

PickyPiggy is a pink pig who loves food. She encourages her friends to eat healthily, as it is just as important as play and knowledge. Despite this, she has a huge amount of love for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. 

Her scent is citrus, though it isn’t revealed what type of citrus. Limes, lemons, oranges and grapefruits are all part of the citrus family, but the distinction doesn’t seem to matter. All of these fruits are universal symbols of good fortune, prosperity, abundance, and joy. They are high in vitamin C and are a good source of calcium. Citrus fruits are also an extremely popular art subject, serving as symbols of abundance in still life paintings. 

The pig usually has a bad reputation in the animal kingdom. People see them as lazy, sweaty, gluttonous, and dirty. However, the pig holds very different meanings in various cultures and spiritual practices. In ancient Greece, the pig was a sacred animal to Demeter, goddess of harvest and fertility; the pig was naturally seen as a symbol of fertility. The reason for this association could be due to pigs giving birth to large litters. The Pig is the twelfth animal in the Chinese Zodiac and is said to symbolize wealth and good fortune. Those born in the year of the Pig are said to be warm, generous, reliable, trustworthy, and empathetic. Pigs are also said to symbolize transformation because they can adapt and thrive in new environments. 

DogDay  

DogDay is the leader of the group and, like his namesake,is an orange cocker spaniel-like dog with the sun as his pendant. A heroic and determined pup, he has a sunny, positive outlook on life. He always looks on the bright side and encourages his friends. 

DogDay’s scent is vanilla. Even though it is known as a popular flavor for sweets, it is also a symbol of comfort, purity and most surprisingly, sensuality. One Mesoamerican tribe, the Totonac, tells about Xanath, the daughter of a fertility goddess, who fell in love with a mortal man. However, she was unable to marry him or walk among his kind due to her goddess form. She decided to transform herself into a vanilla plant on earth and create the fruits to remind mortal men about her love. The Aztecs would mix vanilla into their chocolate drinks as a stimulant. When vanilla reached Europe, it was at first used for medicinal purposes. One doctor prescribed a patient vanilla, and she fell so in love with it that she ordered all of her food and drinks be seasoned with vanilla. The patient was Queen Elizabeth I, and her fondness for the flavor helped popularize it.

Humans have had a long history with dogs, domesticating them between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago. Because of this, dogs have been used as a symbol for countless depictions in the art world. The cultural impact dogs have on us could be its own post, but right now we’ll focus on the cultural symbols ascribed to  dogs. The dog is seen as a symbol of constant vigilance, standing guard over their home. One of the most famous guard dogs is Cerberus, a three-headed hound who guards the gates of the Underworld, ensuring that the souls of the dead would never leave. Other dogs associated with the underworld include Anubis from Egyptian mythology and Garm from Norse mythology. Dogs are also a symbol of loyalty and unconditional love; from Hachiko, who continued to wait for his owner for 10 years after his death or Greyfriars Bobby, who spent 14 years standing guard over his owner’s grave. But most of all, dogs are symbols of unconditional love and joy, just like DogDay’s love towards his friends and spreading joy.

Catnap

Last but not least, there is Catnap. He is a purple cat with the moon as his pendant. He is very calm and quiet, so quiet in fact that he could come off as eerie to those who don’t know him well. Nevertheless, he makes sure his friends have the right amount of sleep every night, and he even enjoys watching them sleep.

Catnap’s scent is lavender, one of the most common scents used to help with sleep due to its calming fragrance. Lavender also represents calmness, purity, and devotion. Ancient Egyptians would use lavender during mummification. They also used it in perfumes and incense, while the Greeks and Romans used the flowers for their baths. Lavender is believed to reduce stress and anxiety, which is why lavender is a very popular essential oil.

Like dogs, cats have been a part of human culture for thousands of years. They are seen as symbols of magic, independence, and intuition. Cats were worshiped in Ancient Egypt, associated with Bastet, a goddess of fertility, protection and motherhood. In Europe, the cat was viewed with more suspicion. It was said that cats, especially black cats, were servants of witches and regarded as bad luck. However, in some areas of Europe, black cats were seen as good luck. Cats are viewed as symbols of independence, being able to hunt on their own. As any cat owner might tell you, they are always doing things their own way no matter what.

Conclusion

We’ve explored the meanings behind the animals and scents used for the Smiling Critters and found that much of the symbolism fits the critter characters themselves. While we may not know whether this was the intent of the game developers, it is still very interesting to look more into the characters and learn about the mythology behind them. It’s amazing to theorize that these critters, originally created as toys and tragic figures in the story’s lore, share a mythos with many different cultural aspects. The rich depth of symbolism only adds to their appeal, and has helped them win the hearts of many fans, including myself.

Thank you once again for reading and until the next blog. This is Aspen signing off.