Silent Hill (town)
From Silent Hill Wiki
- The name Silent Hill may refer to multiple subjects. Please see Silent Hill for other uses of the term.
First introduced in 1999’s Silent Hill, the mysterious town of Silent Hill has physically appeared and been traversed in 5 of the 6 mainline game titles released, as well as being the inspiration for the film and comics' setting.
Portrayed as what could be considered an archetypal United States tourist town, Silent Hill is shown throughout the course of the series to be anything but ordinary.
| “ | The name of that town is Silent Hill.
Although it is known as a scenic resort area, it is a cursed place where the town's former inhabitants were once driven away, brutal executions were once carried out, and a mysterious plague was once prevalent. The town is centered around Toluca Lake, from which a thick fog perpetually enshrouds the area and makes vague the reality and dreams of those who visit the town. And according to those who have seen them, there are also times when "things" that should not naturally exist appear. A few incidents that have occurred in this town up to this point have gone unaddressed, leaving behind a great number of mysteries. Here and now, looking back on it all, let's elucidate these mysteries one by one. | ” |
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Geography
- For more information on the locations of Silent Hill, please see Locations.
Built along the shores of Toluca Lake, Silent Hill appears to be a mid-sized town. Surrounded by wooded hills and rivers, it has become a destination for fisherman and boaters. Silent Hill is bisected, horizontally, by the lake. Because of this, one can find the district of Paleville in the northern area and South Vale on the opposing lake shore. As one approaches Silent Hill from the east along Nathan Avenue, also known as County Road 73, an Observation Deck can be accessed, affording a fine panoramic view of Toluca Lake and the surrounding woodland. A prominent welcome sign is also on display near one of the entrances, serving to welcome newcomers upon their arrival.
Paleville and South Vale
As stated above, Silent Hill is divided up into two distinct districts, each catering to varying demographics of the population. With each new game that explores the Silent Hill area, its layout typically changes, be it in the form of new streets, new buildings replacing old, or entire sections being added to it.
- Paleville - The northern section of town. It includes Old Silent Hill, and well as Central Silent Hill and the Resort Area.
- South Vale - The southern section of town. Key locations include Rosewater Park, the Silent Hill Historical Society, and Brookhaven Hospital.
Silent Hill's location
Silent Hill is located in the United States, although its precise location has not been revealed. According to the Japanese publication The Book of Lost Memories, as well as the instruction manuals for both Silent Hill and Silent Hill: Origins, the town is located in New England.
Inside of the liner notes for the Japanese release of the Silent Hill 4 soundtrack, an address is given for the Heaven's Night club that would place it in Maine. Further evidence in support of this can be found in Silent Hill 3. After Harry Mason left Silent Hill, he and Heather Mason moved to Portland, also sharing its name with Portland, Maine. This, however, is not conclusive to the town's location.
The film adaptation, on the other hand, gives an exact location for the town. Built within the borders of a fictional Toluca County, Silent Hill, in this incarnation, is located in the state of West Virginia. Having taken many elements from the film, Silent Hill: Homecoming places the entire Toluca Lake area within a Toluca County, though no state is named.
History
- For a timeline of Silent Hill, see Timeline.
Going back well before European explorers arrived in the Americas, Silent Hill's history is plentiful. A great deal of its past involves the various religious rituals that had been conducted in the area during the past, and continue to be conducted in the present.
History Prior to the 20th Century
While Toluca Lake and the area around it has always seemed to be a place of strange activity, it seems that this activity can be separated into two distinct phases. This first is the series of events prior to the 20th century, such as it being under control of natives and the arrival of European settlers, leading to the founding of Silent Hill.
The second phase is a series of events beginning in the latter half of the 20th century, seeming to culminate, at present, with the events seen in Silent Hill: Homecoming.
Pre-Colonization
The area in and around Silent Hill has a history going back over four centuries, before the time of England’s proper colonization of America. To the local tribes of Native Americans, the Toluca Lake area had been known as "The Place of Silenced Spirits", and was long considered to have a kind spiritual significance and an air of mysterious power. In light of this, it was a holy place, where many rituals were conducted in accordance with the indigenous beliefs.
17th Century
With the first permanent British Colony instituted at Jamestown, it was only a matter of time before colonists would make their way to this "Place of Silenced Spirits". The late 1600s saw the arrival of settlers who would force the indigenous people from their sacred lands. These settlers would remain in the area until the turn of the century.
18th Century
In those first years of the 1700s, nearly a century after British colonization of America began, an epidemic begins to wind through the area surrounding Toluca Lake, including the burgeoning settlement that would, in time, become Silent Hill. With a large portion of the populace dead, the settlement is abandoned. It wouldn’t be until after the start of the 19th century that resettlement would occur.
19th Century
With a century or so having passed, a penal colony is established near Toluca Lake. Truly being addressed as Silent Hill for the first time under its occupation by non-natives, it’s unknown if the name is based on the original designation for the area. As a penal colony, both a prison and hospital were established. This lead to the establishments of Silent Hill Prison and Brookhaven Hospital.
Within this time, a second epidemic threatens the town. Brookhaven Hospital is put to great use in these dark times. Weakened by the newest bout of plague, Silent Hill Prison is closed around 1840, diminishing the town further. With the arrival of the 1850s, however, comes the discovery of a coal field beneath Silent Hill. This causes a great resurgence of interest in the area and improvements in economy, leading to the revitalization of the town. During the later years of the 19th century, four families leave Silent Hill, going on to found the neighboring settlement of Shepherd's Glen.
In 1861 the American Civil War breaks out, influencing the development of Silent Hill for the duration of the conflict. During 1862, Toluca Prison is constructed as a camp for POWs, and is later converted into a formal correctional facility with the conclusion of the war. Tragedy strikes again, when around 1890, people begin to mysteriously vanish from Silent Hill. At the turn of the century, Toluca Prison is closed, and Silent Hill is re-imaged as a tourist destination.
Events occurring in Silent Hill throughout the 20th Century
The final century before the new millennium, the 20th century seemed to bring with it the largest spike of strange activity to yet befall Silent Hill and the surrounding area. It’s during this period that The Order, a cult that seems to have stemmed from a combination of beliefs, some having once been held by the natives, reaches its influential peak, as well as what seems to be the strengthening of the power that has long existed in the area.
Early half of the 20th Century
Toluca Prison is closed down, and the Silent Hill Historical Society is built on its former site. During this time, the Wiltse Coal Mine is mined dry as well. With the prison no longer functioning and the coal mines closed, a new source of revenue is needed, and Silent Hill is reinvented as a tourist town. During 1918, one of the first tourist accidents occurs on Toluca Lake; a ship known as The Little Baroness goes missing and its fate is unknown. Strange happenings are fated to occur on the lake for the remainder of the century.
Later half of the 20th Century
- Note: Games are listed in what is assumed to be chronological order.
The first marked event of the latter half of the 20th century was speculation surrounding a series of consecutive deaths.
Occurring twenty years prior to the events of Silent Hill, the victims, staff members of a company responsible for promoting Silent Hill as a family-friendly tourist destination, are found dead. Ruled as accidents, it’s currently unknown how close together the deaths were, though they most likely would have been days apart, given the sensationalism that surrounded them. Shortly after occurring, rumors began to circulate that the town’s religious cult may have been involved, though nothing was proven.
Six years would pass before any other noteworthy events occurred, and even then its significance wouldn’t be realized until the events of Silent Hill: Origins. The event in question is the birth of Alessa Gillespie. The young girl would come to affect a great many things and people in the area. With her strong connection to the paranormal, the area of Silent Hill would come to be stricken with what many consider a curse, seeming to attract those who hold darkness close to their hearts. Two years after Alessa's birth, a young girl named Claudia Wolf is born. Both girls would find camaraderie in their shared faith. This relationship would play heavily into each of their respective fates.
Silent Hill: Origins
Seven years prior to the events of Silent Hill, Dahlia Gillespie attempts to sacrifice Alessa to their dark God, using a ritual meant to bring about the reincarnation of this deity of The Order. Unfortunately for the fanatical Dahlia, trucker Travis Grady happens upon the scene, and the events of Silent Hill: Origins unfold. With Travis staving off The Order's plans, Alessa is able to afford herself some time, by fracturing her soul. Given form, the other half of her soul is found by author Harry Mason. The infant, a girl, is named Cheryl Mason, and Harry takes it upon himself to raise her as his own daughter.
Silent Hill’s Drug Trade
Shortly after the fire that lead to Alessa’s injuries, a drug known as PTV begins to circulate through the town. Derived from a local plant known as White Claudia, the drug was a source of income for all parties involved, chief among them being The Order. The largest customer base for the drug could be found among those touring to the area, and with cooperation from Silent Hill’s Alchemilla Hospital, large-scale production of the drug was implemented.
In an effort to combat its distribution, a formal criminal investigation began, with personal involvement of the mayor’s office following soon after. Both the investigator responsible for drawing attention to the matter and the mayor at that time would soon be found dead.
Silent Hill
Seven years after Origins, Harry and Cheryl are headed to Silent Hill for vacation. An accident, however, brings a swift end to the trip. When Harry comes to, Cheryl is gone. Thus begins Harry’s attempt to rescue his daughter, and stop the fanatical mission of Dahlia Gillespie.
Silent Hill 2
Following Harry’s ordeal, The Order seems to go into a type of remission, until a priest known as Father Vincent begins to pump a large amount of funds into the weakened organization. Adherents increase dramatically, and the group gains tremendous support. Assumed to be an unrelated event, a group of seemingly unconnected individuals find themselves drawn to the once-quiet resort town. Key among them is a fellow by the name of James Sunderland. Having received a mysterious letter, appearing to be from his deceased wife, James has come to Silent Hill in search of her.
Silent Hill 3
Seventeen years after Silent Hill, Heather Mason, once two halves made whole, is running an errand for her adoptive father, Harry Mason. While visiting a fast food restaurant in a mall, she falls asleep, and begins to dream of Silent Hill. Upon waking, she checks in with her father, and prepares to head home. Before she can leave, however she encounters a private detective named Douglas Cartland. Revealing he was hired by The Order to locate her, Heather thinks him a stalker and flees. While wandering the depths of the mall, Heather comes across Claudia Wolf, a priestess of The Order.
Silent Hill 4
At a point prior to events in Silent Hill 2, Walter Sullivan, once raised at the Wish House Orphanage, goes on a killing spree, murdering ten people, before killing himself. Four years after his death, a victim, killed in a style mimicking Walter's, is found. At least seven others would follow.
Henry Townshend, living in Room 302 of the South Ashfield Heights apartments in the town of Ashfield, finds that his apartment door has been chained shut from the inside, and he cannot escape. Five days later, a hole appears in Henry’s bathroom.
Silent Hill: Homecoming
Released from the hospital after being wounded in combat, PFC Alex Shepherd has been suffering from recurring nightmares about his brother, Joshua, and his home town of Shepherd's Glen. Having hitchhiked with a trucker, Alex arrives home and is greeted by the sight of Shepherd’s Glen enveloped in a thick fog. The town appears abandoned, and Alex makes getting home his first priority. Alex tries to unravel the mysteries surrounding the people and history of Shepherd’s Glen.
The Power of Silent Hill
Having always been thought of as a place with unexplained powers, it was for this reason that the Native American tribes came to the area to begin with. With the arrival of colonists and the plague that followed them, this strange presence was seemingly warped and strengthened. This warping and strengthening would occur again and again over the next four centuries, until the immolation of Alessa Gillespie would send the presence at Silent Hill into a type of overdrive. At this point in time, Silent Hill was said to call out to those who hold darkness close to their hearts. Silent Hill is known to manifest itself into three, presumably parallel, dimensions; The Real World, the Fog World, and the Otherworld.
Real World
The least explored dimension, ironically, is the real world. It seems safe to assume that this is where the uncorrupted town of Silent Hill truly exists in a state of normality. This may be the version of the town experienced by Laura in Silent Hill 2. While largely ignored in the games, the Real World figures rather prominently into the Silent Hill film. While Rose Da Silva, Cybil Bennett, and Sharon Da Silva are all trapped within that film’s representation of the Fog World and Otherworld, Christopher Da Silva and Thomas Gucci are searching for them in the Real World.
Fog World
The most frequented of Silent Hill's worlds is the Fog World. With an unnatural fog rolling into town off of Toluca Lake, the streets of Silent Hill appear abandoned. Cars may lie wrecked along the side of the road, while buildings stand vacant and dilapidated. The most abundant form of life around are monsters, who roam about, unhindered. Many doors found throughout Silent Hill are broken, preventing access to a great many of the buildings there. This may be a result of the town, leading those who come here to their fate, whatever it may be. In some instances, snow seems to fall from the sky (or ash, as in the film and Homecoming). It has been demonstrated that the Fog World is, more or less, uniform between character perceptions. It should be noted that Michael Kaufmann, in Silent Hill, makes reference to the snow being an oddity, given the time of year.
Another peculiarity lies within how many streets come to abrupt, unnatural endings. During the course of Harry Mason's visit, the roads fall away, replaced by bottomless chasms. However, during James Sunderland's visits, the streets are instead boarded up in an almost man-made way, with high walls covered in tarp, and in many cases actual road blocks and wooden boards.
Otherworld
The final, and most dramatic, dimension of Silent Hill is the Otherworld. Appearing different to each individual, the Otherworld can be seen as a representation of a person’s psyche. For example, as generated by the mind of the badly injured Alessa Gillespie, Silent Hill has become incredibly dark and industrialized, with structures being composed of fencing, metal plates, fans, and piping. Smokestacks, windmills, and corpses also lend to the appearance of this dimension. This is considered the iconic appearance of the Otherworld.
Contrastingly, for Harry Mason in Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, the Otherworld is encased in ice and snow, frozen over and glacial. For James Sunderland in Silent Hill 2, the town was merely a damp, dilapidated place, seemingly mired in a depressive state representative of his gloomy mentality.
The symbolism behind a particular representation of the Otherworld differs from character to character, with Alessa’s injuries and fear of the Order lending greatly to her vision of the Otherworld, and Angela's hatred of her father and abusive childhood experiences creating hers (walls appear to be made of flesh, while pistons penetrated them and also, fire). Walter Sullivan had also created many Otherworlds through the Assumption ritual.
Silent Hill isn't the only area afflicted with this strange presence. On at least three separate occasions, locations outside of Silent Hill have become victims of this darkness. Shepherd’s Glen fell to this dark influence due to the breaking of a pact held between its founders and the old God, while Ashfield and Heather Mason’s town both have areas overlapping with the strange phenomena identical to those of Silent Hill. This is most likely due to the influence of those with strong connections to the town.
Gallery
A tour of Silent Hill.
 Rose enters Silent Hill in the film. |
 James passes by Pet World in Silent Hill 2. |
 Nathan Drugs, a pharmaceutical. |
 The fog-enshrouded streets of Silent Hill. |
 A panoramic view of the beautiful Toluca Lake. |
 Brookhaven Hospital, a mental hospital in South Vale. |
 Annie's Bar, a bar in Resort Area. |
 Rosewater Park is silently covered in fog. |
 The Artaud Theater in Central Silent Hill. |
 Silent Hill in Real World. |
 Silent Hill Town Center, a shopping mall. |
Town Map
Trivia
- For a more detailed look at the inspirations behind Silent Hill, please see Inspirational works of Silent Hill.
Many works have served to inspire the town of Silent Hill, as well as inspirations for the series as a whole.
- Though the town of Silent Hill is presented as an American town, many of the maps and city layouts were borrowed from Japanese locales [1].
- Many of the streets found throughout the games are named for people who have had a large impact on the horror/suspense genre of movies and literature. Such homages include Koontz Street being named for author Dean Koontz, Bradbury Street being named for author Ray Bradbury, Crichton Street after Michael Crichton, and Bachman Road, which is named after a pseudonym used by author Stephen King.
