Tour of the Map - Part 3 of 6

In this week's section of my series exploring the blast door map from the Swan Hatch, we look at the upper portion of the middle section of the map. Specifically, this post deals with the interior of the octagon from the top down to the section marked off by what looks like a river (and which contains the logo for the Swan).

The Shape - Octagon with Circle in the Middle
Decoded: The mapmaker appears to try to arrange the Dharma installations geographically in some layout that corresponds with the Eastern-religion themed Dharma logo. Implicit in these assumptions is that something key is located in the middle of the map, and the roughly eight prongs of the logo are associated with bunkers. However, the mapmaker (or mapmakers) made the decision to cross out some of the bunkers. This could signify that the placement of the facilities is less deliberate than the mapmaker would have thought.

Mysteries: Given the rugged geography of the island, could Dharma really have placed its installations so geometrically? Why the revisions and cross outs? Was the logo actually selected to correspond with the labs that Hanso and the de Groots had built?

Degree of Certainty: Not much - the inconsistent mentions of the installations elsewhere on the map suggest this feature is more conceptual than geometric or geolographic.


"Sursum Corda Sursum Corda Sursum Corda"
Decoded: Again, I trust others online with the Latin translations, which tell us this means "Lift up your heart Lift up your heart Lift up your heart." This could be a reference to Alvar Hanso's claim in the Sri Lanka video that Dharma also means "the one true way."

Mysteries: Is the Initiative seeking enlightenment and inspiration? Is the mapmaker, separate from the Dharmaites? Does the placement in the top-left portion of the octagon have separate meaning? Is our mapmaker just seeking for some sort of meaning in a fairly bleak existence in the bunker?

Degree of Certainty: Little at this time.


(Crossed out) "C1?"
Decoded: Your guess is as good as mine. Seriously. Could stand for "cave," which we know the island has, but there's no context here at this point.

Mysteries: Everything about this (and its' related "C#" references) remains mysterious.

Degree of Certainty: Certainty about what?


"Credo Nos In Fluctu Edden Es"
Decoded: In Latin, "I think we're on the same wavelength." This could be metaphorical, but it could also signify a few things. For example, we know there are radio broadcasts on the island (i.e. the numbers transmission turned to Rousseau's repeating message). There are also extra-sensory mental phenomena, such as Walt's ill-defined powers, Desmond's newfound clairvoyance, and the whispers. The emergence of Desmond's abilities after some time on the island suggests the mapmaker may have "tuned in" to something he previously could not detect. Plus, Smokey has been able to download thoughts and memories.

Mysteries: At this point, the metaphor can relate to any of these ideas. The biggest mystery is who wrote this and what was going on at the time.

Degree of Certainty: As with many metaphorical statements, not much certainty at this point.


"The Staff"
Decoded: A visible reference to the Caduceus hatch, with logo to match. We've seen this hatch in operational form (in Claire's flashbacks) and abandoned and picked clean when visited by Kate, Claire and Rousseau.

Mysteries: Is the map accurate about placement? Is the medical hatch really so close to the Swan (talked about next week)? It seemed oppressively far away and hard to reach when explored. What was the actual purpose for this hach in the Dharma Initiative?

Degree of Certainty: Pretty darn sure. Been there. Seen it. Nothing is still there, and precious little really seems left to learn with this one.


"Mallum Consillium Quad Mutari Non Potest"
Decoded: "It's a bad plan that can't be changed." This could refer to Dharma as a whole, or to the handling of "the incident." It could refer to the attempt to stave off whatever event brought the Dharma Initiative down (and freed the polar bears).

Mysteries: What is "it?" Whatever "it" is, why could the bad plan not be changed, even after the flaw in the plan was detected?

Degree of Certainty: Very little. We need more backstory. Fingers are crossed.

"C3?"
Decoded: See above ("C1")

Mysteries: See above ("C1"). Also, why is C3 not crossed out?

Degree of Certainty: ?


"Why So Many Dharmatel Relays in Such an Untenable Location?"
Decoded: The term "Dharmatel" is new to us, but we know the island has plenty of wired-up and wireless communications methods (the broadcast tower, camera feeds, linked computer terminals, etc.). We also know the island has some rough patches to reach and traverse, and from this it appears the Dharma folks used such an area for some infrastructure.

Mysteries: What exactly is "Dharmatel?" What do the relays do? And as the mapmaker pointed out, why in a bad spot?

Degree of Certainty: Well, the mention is itself a question, so not much.


"? Designation Uncertain? Purpose Unknown? Relation to D.I.H.G. Unknown."
Decoded: These are the labels in the circle over the "?" on the map. This is the one salient feature, in the central spot, that John Locke was able to remember from his brief, leg-impaled look at the map. When he heard Eko (and later "Yemi") say they had to go to the "question mark," they found a natural vegetation free patch of ground that, from high above, looked like a "?" in the area in the jungle near where Eko's drug plane went down. What we know, but the mapmaker never seemed to discover, is that this spot marks Dharma's "Pearl" hatch, with its video screens, camera, bathroom and pneumatic tubes.

Mysteries: The mystery here is why the long-time residents couldn't find the Pearl. Of course, the "Yemi" visions led John and Eko there. Perhaps the mapmaker was not judged "worthy" by whatever "Yemi" really is. Also, there is the remaining mystery of what the Pearl is really for. It's apparent purpose seems incorrect - I've discussed this in prior episode recaps. Of all the installations we've seen, the Pearl is still the most mysterious.

Degree of Certainty: That this is the Pearl? Pretty high. What the Pearl is all about? Not much.


"The Flame"
Decoded: SPOILER ALERT!!!!! Skip to the next note if you're particularly sensitive to coming attractions, but if not....
The Powers that Be have positively stated recently that we will see another Dharma installation, called "The Flame," this season. There is some speculation that this may be where Mr. Eyepatch, spotted on-screen by the viewers at the Pearl, was lurking.

Mysteries: Until we get there, it's all a mystery, including what the mapmaker knew about the flame. While we're at it, why did Dharma chose the names it did for these installations?

Degree of Certainty: That this is a hatch, pretty high. What goes on there? None whatsoever.


"Nil Actum Reputa Si Quid Superest Agendum"
Decoded: "Don't consider that anything has been done if anything is left to be done." We all know the Dharma Initiative failed in its attempt to save the world by changing the Valenzetti Equation. That could be what this refers to. Of course, without more background on the Swan's prior inhabitants, and the fate of Dharma, this is pretty up in the air.

Mysteries: Other than being some sound advice, everything about this is open to interpretation.

Degree of Certainty: This coda smacks of uncertainty on its face. Why should I be sure what it means?


"A Mouse Does Not Rely on Just One Hole"
Decoded: I can't find the original latin (it's obscured in the map to the bottom right) but I've found this translation. Sayid pointed out that part of the Swan had been blocked off by concrete. With all these hatches mysteriously embedded on the island, it stands to reason there would be multiple access points. Given the "rats in a maze" lifestyle of hatch residents, perhpas Dharma had some secret passages in and out of the hatches, which the mapmaker either discovered or began to speculate about.

Mysteries: Who is the mouse? Where can we find the other hole(s)? Are the hatches interconnected?

Degree of Certainty: Only mouse-sized certainty here.


"CV IV"
Decoded: Another abbreviation without a reference. This is found in a box on the map. This seems distinct from the "C" references, in that there is no question mark and the "IV" seems to be a roman numeral.

Mysteries: We just don't know. I like the idea that either "C" or "CV" refers to "cave." But there is a lot to learn about this.

Degree of Certainty: Somewhere between a "I" and a "II" on a scale of "I to X/"


"C4?"
Decoded: See above.

Mysteries: See above.

Degree of Certainty: See above.


"[Square Root of] 16, [Squre Root of] 64, [Square Root] of 225"
Decoded: Well, mathematically this refers to 4, 8, 15, the first three of "the numbers." Perhaps the square root notation offers some insight into the actual Valenzetti Equation.

Mysteries: Why take square roots of the squares of three of the numbers? Why just the first three?

Degree of Certainty: Moderate. The numbers themselves are still so mysterious, but this seems a pretty clear reference to some of them.


"Cogito Ergo Doteo"
Decoded: "I think therefore I am depressed." "Thought" itself may be a growing theme on the show, in light of Desmond's new abilities and Locke's visions. Also, it's pretty clear that life in the Swan hatch was pretty bleak (it sure seemed to make Radzinsky, Kelvin, Desmond and Locke pretty miserable."

Mysteries: Not a lot of uncertainty here...other than why the Latin, and who is our dead language scholar?

Degree of Certainty: Sigh....trying to nail this down is depressing.


"X4 Y8 Z15 Subterrranean Conduit"
Decoded: Again, the first three numbers. Here they seem arranged as 3D Euclidean geometric coordinates. We know there are underground tunnels, both obviously in the hatches and in the unseen areas under and around the hatches.

Mysteries: What do these coordinates indicate? How does the conduit relate to the numbers? Which conduit is this? And what is 0, 0, 0 point from which we find this conduit?

Degree of Certainty: It is what it is, which may not be much.


"Liberte Te Ex Inferus"
Decoded: "Save yourself from hell." Again, we know that the Swan was no picnic. This reference is close to the Swan on the map. I assume this follows from the depressed Latin ramblings above.

Mysteries: Same as above. Also, does this indicate that there is a way to save oneself from the hell of the need to push that button? And does the author think others can save themselves when he or she could not?

Degree of Certainty: It's just a hell of a guess.

Well, folks, not a lot of illumination in this section, other than the general sense there's a lot left to learn about the island on "Lost." How odd that most of these mysteries are so close to the spot in which the map was found. What do you all think? Any suggestions of explanations I may not have thought about? Send me your emails (link to the right) or post your comments.