“ | These are from home. Heirlooms, the real thing. I plant one every chance I get. | ” |
– Keeper of the Seeds |
The Keeper of the Seeds was a member of the Vuvalini of Many Mothers. She was portrayed by Melissa Jaffer in Mad Max: Fury Road.
Biography[]
The Keeper, true to her name, kept the remaining seeds from the Vulvalini's crops, "trees, flowers, fruit," which could no longer grow in the toxic soil. In the final battle against Immortan Joe, she is mortally wounded. She passes her bag of seeds to The Dag before dying from her wounds. The Dag then takes them back to the liberated Citadel.
Mad Max: Fury Road[]
The Keeper of the Seeds and The Dag strike up a quick friendship. It is the Keeper who gives Dag hope when she laments that, "Warlord Junior . . . gonna be so ugly." The Keeper replies by stating that, "It could be a girl."
Once it is learned that the Green Place is no more, the group, eventually, makes a plan to head back to the Citadel in an attempt to take it. The Keeper of the Seeds rides in the War Rig. As they are attacked by Immortan Joe and his forces, the Keeper makes a noble attempt to fight back. But, ultimately, she is wounded in the neck and dies. Although, it is never stated directly, it was only natural through this fast friendship that The Dag take the seeds after the Keeper is killed.
Symbolism[]
The Vuvulini of Many Mothers is inherently symbolic as women are the path forward for the post-apocalyptic world. It is women who will be "keeper of the seeds" as they attempt to pro-create in order for mankind to not go extinct. Immortan Joe's Five Wives are a testament to this endeavor. As such, it is fitting for The Dag -- already a symbolic "Keeper of the Seed" -- to inherit her friend's seed bag.
Also, since the Keeper was an old woman, it was again a symbolic act for her to "pass on her knowledge" before she died. This is an ancient ritual which mankind has participated in from the very beginning with his oral traditions of story and myth; the rite of passing knowledge on to the next generation is how man continues to grow and evolve.