Four-toed statue/Theories

From Lostpedia

< Four-toed statue

Jump to: navigation, search

Main Article

Theories about
Four-toed statue

Main Discussion

Theories may be removed if ...
Stated as questions or possibilities (avoid question marks, "Maybe", "I think", etc). More appropriate for another article. Illogical or previously disproven. Proven by canon source, and moved to main article. Speculative and lacking any evidence to support arguments. Responding to another theory (use discussion page instead). This does not include responses that can stand alone as its own theory. Usage of an indented bullet does not imply the statement is a response. See the Lostpedia theory policy for more details.

Theories may be removed if ...

Stated as questions or possibilities (avoid question marks, "Maybe", "I think", etc).
More appropriate for another article.
Illogical or previously disproven.
Proven by canon source, and moved to main article.
Speculative and lacking any evidence to support arguments.
Responding to another theory (use discussion page instead).

This does not include responses that can stand alone as its own theory.
Usage of an indented bullet does not imply the statement is a response.

See the Lostpedia theory policy for more details.

Alien Theory

The Hostiles could have created The Statue to contact Aliens.
The Statue could have been of an earlier civilization even before The Hostiles.
Maybe The Hostiles built The Statue for The Aliens, but the Aliens disapproved and tore The Statue down, leaving only the left foot.
Aliens might have lived on The Island before The Hostiles. They were the creators of The Statue, and when The Black Rock crashed on the island, the crew pushed The Aliens off the island and destroyed The Statue.
This also means The Aliens have four-toes.
- Lost thus far hasn't eluded to any alien theory (apart from Juliet's humorous reference to a runway for the spaceships), though it has made significant reference to ancient cultures, archeology and anthropology. For these reasons, an alien explantion is highly unlikely. Doesn't Lost provide enough juicy clues and puzzles without incorporating whole other mythologies?

Mythological/Candy bars

The statue may be of the greek god Apollo. This would be related to the fact that the only non-dharma brand of food on the island are Apollo brand candy bars. The viral marketing website for APOLLO said that they had a secret factory in a remote location. Could the island have once been a candy factory? That would be strange, but...it could explain the statue.

The Apollo reference may well be significant, but the factory? Cute, but highly unlikely. How many candy factories operate on remote, secret islands and mark their factories with 250ft statues?

Literary References

Could be a reference to the Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole. In the book, giant stone limbs suddenly appear from nowhere.
The statue may be in reference to a story "Headlong Hall" by Thomas Love Peacock, chapter 4 notes:

"Here you see is the pedestal of a statue, with only half a leg and four toes remaining: there were many here once. When I was a boy, I used to sit every day on the shoulders of Hercules: what became of him I have never been able to ascertain. Hercules was also the connector of the mortal and heavenly world, which would allude to the purgatorial qualities of the Lost island. Also, note that this text describes a statue with four toes remaining after destruction and decay, "rack and ruin"; the statue in Lost appears to have been constructed with four toes intentionally.

The statue may be in reference to the poem "Ozymandias" by Percy Bysse Shelley, or a related poem from the same time on the same subject by Horace Smith. "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone" comes from Shelley, and Smith's poem begins "In Egypt's sandy silence, all alone, / Stands a gigantic Leg". However this theory is highly unlikely, given that the poem refers to the fallen Ramesses II colossus near Luxor, Egypt, and not mythic or supernatural edifices.
- Both Smith's and Shelly's poems are about the irony of power--and the end of powerful civilizations (especially those which think they are utopian), which history has shown always comes about after a time. Perhaps this is not an unfinished or mostly-destroyed statue, but rather was built this way by the DHARMA Initiative after Smith's "Stupendous Leg of Granite, Discovered Standing by Itself." This could easily be connected to many themes we are seeing emerge--that would either have significance to the characters who built the statue or the writers giving nuance to the existence of the statue on the Island.
- The "Ozymandias" poems noted above were written in a self-styled competition between poets Shelley and Smith. The statue may be meant to signify the competing interests/groups on the Island. Shelley was husband to Mary Shelley, who wrote Frankenstein the modern archetype for cautioning against man's using science to conquer death. The full title of the novel is Frankenstein; Or, the Modern Prometheus. As noted elsewhere, the Prometheus myth echoes throughout the Lost iconography.
- While not a direct reference, the statue may be meant to be reminiscent of either of these poems. Ozymandias is also the name of a central character in the Watchmen Comics, of which the producers are big fans. In Watchmen, Ozymandias (a.k.a. Adrian Veidt) plans to force the world into his idea of a utopia through a planned large-scale crisis brought on by a genetically-engineered monster--which, he claims, will "sacrifice" a few people to supposedly save the human race from destroying itself through nuclear holocaust. He creates a secret, climate-controlled base with a large monitoring room in Antarctica where he organizes his plot. There are many seeming allusions to this character in Watchmen (and the story's themes) already, so this statue may well be alluding to the Shelley/Smith poems.
This could indeed be the statue of Zeus, as it shows a great relativity to the theorized character. There is also no living record on what the statue truly looks like. And there is a great possibility that he may have had 4 toes. The statue was also said to be sunk in the sea. It could have been recovered and moved by these theorized "islanders".
The statue may be an indirect reference to the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the wonders of the ancient world, which snapped off mid-leg in an earthquake not long after it was built.
- The Colossus of Rhodes represented Apollo, and the Temple of Artemis was near it (Ben tells Richard Alpert to take the others to the temple). Both are Wonders of the Ancient World.
- Several more references, such as the fact that Apollo was the sun god, and Sun was the first to spot the statue.

The Bible: In Daniel 2 the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream about a statue that Daniel inteprets. The statue is made of different materials and represents different empires. The legs and feet are made of iron and clay and represent Alexander's empire {Greece} which was divided into four upon his death {hence, four toes}

Time Loop Theory

The Island was populated by people far in the past. These people built the statue.
The statue looks relatively new.
- Maybe the island was able to preserve the statue and keep it looking new, but could not prevent it from 'breaking'.
The new appearance of the ancient statue is the result of a time anomaly. This is related to whatever time displacement that is causing Desmond to have the apparent ability to know what happens in the future.

(Or else - people from the past somehow came to the Island at some relatively recent point in time and built the statue.)

It is said that humans' last toe will dissapear eventually as a result of evolution. Thus, the statue might resemble some human from a forthcoming age.
Only a portion of the statue was pulled from another time or place, as there seems to be no evidence of any other construction near the foot, since only this portion was "transported" to the island.

Four-Toed People

The four-toed foot may have been built by a race of people with four-toed feet (A race of people with a total of 8 toes would probably use an octal numbering system.)
- This may have implications connected to the Numbers and relating to the eight-sided DHARMA logos. The problem with this theory, though, is that the digit eight would not appear in a base-8 counting system (two of the Numbers — 8 and 108 — have a digit above 7.)
  - The numbers in base 8 would be 4 10 17 20 27 52, totalling 154.
- The 16 number keypad in Through the Looking Glass also suggests a possible octal numbering system (all fingers and toes).
It is fairly common when recreating human features artistically to reduce the number of digits on hands and feet. Drawing five fingers or toes can make a drawing or sculpture look like it has six fingers or toes. The thumb on a human hand usually rests inside the fingers, and the smallest toe on a human foot is usually overshadowed by the other larger toes.
- This may be true of caricature and animation, such as The Simpsons, but not so much classical sculpture, unless it has some metaphorical significance.
The statue was built by a colony of four-toed people. The colony existed long ago and was not large. Through generations of mating within themselves, the close relationships developed a genetic malformation. This was passed on and remained a defining trace of the colony. They built the statue to worship their leader and it was destroyed by the same event that wiped them out of the Island. In terms of storytelling, the statue is merely to tell the viewers that the Island was populated a long time ago and is completely isolated. This probably hints that there is no escape from the Island.
Jacob is the last remaining "four-toer".
Four toes represent the evolutionary path of man. The statue must therefore represent the future.
- This is not how evolution works. Evolution is a mutation that somehow confers a benefit (i.e., reproductive success). Your statement would only be true if having four toes meant you are more likely to keep your "gene pool" going in the future.
Note the painting Hurley sees in Jacob's window in The Beginning of the End; it shows what seems to be a dog with some type of humanoid upper body, sitting with its hands folded in front of it. Maybe four-toed dog-men don't exist, but maybe they do. Maybe if the Others have been on the island long enough, four-toed dog-men might be a part of the narrative that goes along with their religion, or whatever passes for it.
Richard Alpert is a "four-toer".
If The Statue does mean "four-toed people" it may be a possible connection to Aliens.

Ancient Origins

The age of the statue is still under discussion, but judging from the material of the foot, it is rather new (probably less than 100 years old) or made of a very resilient material. Common rocks for building monuments show severe signs of weathering & discoloration in a nearshore tropical climate after only a few years or decades due to high humidity, plants and saltwater.
- The island's strange power to heal Locke and Rose, and to keep Richard from aging, may keep the statue from decaying at an expected rate.
The statue might have belonged to an ancient civilization of whom the Others are a part or from whom they are descended.
The statue may draw from a known mythology:
- Greco-Roman origin:
  - The statue dates to Greco-Roman times. The sandal appears Greco-Roman and the statue is in that style.
  - The giant Greek statue of the Greek god Helios, known as Colossus of Rhodes was destroyed due to an earthquake in 224 BCE. All that remained standing was its legs from the knees down. According to scholars, it was of a similar size to the statue of Liberty. (Charlie uses the phrase "colossal joke.")
  - It is further reference to the Ancient Greek god Apollo, like the chocolate bar - this could be a later theme, even with a new hatch inside it - each hatch seems to serve a different purpose, not just human experimentation like the Pearl seems to do. This parallels the Hanso Foundation's projects.
  - A close mythological connection between Helios and Apollo exists.

- Egyptian or Asian origin:
  - Several Asian and Egyptian deities have four toes, such as Bast, the Cat-Goddess
    - This actually would mix well with the apparent Romanesque features, as there was a period when Egypt began to integrate some Roman architecture in to their own designs, while at the same time many Greeks and Romans began to worship Egyptian deities.
  - The statue could be part of one depicting Anubis which is one of the Hieroglyphs displayed prior to a system failure in the Swan.
  - The statue could be a reference to the ruined statue of 'Ozymandias (based on Rameses the Great), immortalized by Percy Bysshe Shelley in a famous sonnet. The poem is intended to expose the transience of power and to mock the arrogance of people who seek to immortalize themselves.
- Atlantis or Mu as the origin:
  - The probable South Pacific location of the Island would also allow for some link to the legendary lost continent of Mu.
  - This could indicate that the Island is in fact the lost city of Atlantis which, according to mythology, sank into the sea eons ago. (Except that none of the mythology around Atlantis ever placed it in the South Pacific)
    - According to Plato, Atlantis was 'greater' than Asia Minor. The Greek word μείζον (mezon) is usually employed to describe strength rather than size. Plato also says that Atlantis was located "beyond the Pillars of Heracles," which are traditionally located at the Straits of Gibraltar, between Spain and Morocco.
  - This could imply that the Island is based on an underwater volcano, which would explain the prevalence of volcanic rock. (Though, of course, the series is filmed largely in Hawaii, which is made up of volcanic islands.)
  - This would also explain why the Black Rock (the ship) is so far inland - it may be that 200 years ago the Island was almost completely underwater, and the ship could have run aground then, and been raised up with the Island since. (Except that is not how Volcanoes grow, that is how a normal continent or mountain range would grow. A Volcano ejects mass from the top which buries everything below in hot magma, and should have buried the Black Rock)
- The location in the south pacific suggests a Polynesian origin of the statue.
- The statue was built by an ancient civilization of four toed people, who also had four fingers as they were so highly evolved that they could move things with their minds thus the need for thumbs was eliminated.
- The statue was destroyed by a meteorite, which left large chunks embedded in the Island as well as various size tekites scattered around the Island and responsible for some of the Island's mysterious properties. There is actual scientific evidence that a 30 mile wide meteor hit the earth, exactly how long ago(thousands of years or millions?) is debated, but the crater was never found, only enough tekites to cover ten percent of the earth's surface, known as the Australasian strewn feild. Wikipedia says about meteorites that meteor scatter which they produce has been used for experiments in military communications because the ion trails mirror radio waves and produce security because only recievers in a correct position can hear transmissions. These trails also interact with the earths magentic feild, megawatts of electromagnetic activity released have a peak power spectrum at audio frequency, impulses can be heard and also cause conductive matter to vibrate. Chefgirl 08:08, 20 April 2007 (PDT)[[[User:Chefgirl|Chefgirl]] 06:19, 20 April 2007 (PDT)
Now that an anthropologist with some archaeological experience, Charlotte, is on the island, we may revisit the statue and gain new insights regarding its ancient origins.

"System failure" theory

The rest of the statue was destroyed due to a prior system failure.
The statue may have been created with metallic elements, or constructed over a metal frame. The missing pieces may have been sucked inland or propelled out to sea by a previous system failure or discharge from the magnetic anomaly in the Swan. Or, the statue may have originally stood somewhere else, and the pieces of it may have been scattered around the Island by a prior incident.
It was a statue of Jacob himself

"Transplant" theory

Considering the lack of any visible wreckage, the foot may have been transplanted away from the statue's original site by DHARMA or someone else for reasons unknown.
- The foot appears to be a left foot, but there is no trace of either the right foot or the pedestal it would have stood upon. Closer examination shows that not only does the foot appear to be broken off above the ankle, but a portion of the pedestal it stands on appears to have been broken off from a bigger section.
- The foot also appears to merely be resting on a pile of rocks, rather than having been built there. The base is not level and is leaning slightly forward. This could be further evidence for it having been transplanted from elsewhere (or of some kind of seismic upheaval).
- There are numerous other things that have been transported to the Island from unlikely locales, including Oceanic Flight 815 (which was brought a thousand miles off course), the polar bear, the Drug Smugglers' Plane, and the Black Rock.
  - Except the pilots steered it intentionally far off course trying to land in Fiji as admitted in the Pilot.
The material seems to be either marble or granite. Marble or sandstone would most likely be weathered stronger. However granite is rather resilient to weathering. There is some evidence of weathering (rounding, discoloration) - but no major weathering. It is almost certain that the material did not come from the Island, since it evidently is a purely volcanic island - like all the remote islands in the Pacific. They usually are the tops of underwater volcanoes (like Hawaii). This may support the theory that the foot did not originate from the Island, but was built elsewhere and somehow transported to the Island later.
You won't have enough material, on that little Island, to build a so big statue.
The rest of the statue may be missing because only the foot & calf were transported to the island. Many clues about the island/Dharma indicate the possibility of opening wormholes to the island. This could explain why the statue appears to be on an unstable foundation and constructed of a foreign mineral. Also, if we subscribe to the "many worlds" theory of quantum mechanics, it's possible that the statue originated in an alternate universe/timeline where humans have only four toes.
The statue may well have been transplanted the same way the polar bear, Benjamin Linus and the infamous Bunny #15 have been transported, especially given that both Ben and the polar bear ended up in the Tunisian Sahara.
It's possible that the entire statue was transported to the island through a wormhole or Vile Vortex, but, landing where it did, it immediately broke and most of it fell into the water.

"Clever Ruse" theory

The statue consists of only a foot, and is not part of a larger structure which was previously destroyed.
Despite the podcast evidence (or in addition to it), the statue may be a ruse constructed by DHARMA or the Hanso Foundation, part of a larger misinformation campaign (like the "false" village of the Others) designed to establish the fiction of a long-lost primitive civilization.
The statue may contain one of the unexplored hatches.
- This is perhaps unlikely due to the writers revealing the statue predates the Hanso Foundation. However, a hatch may have been built around the statue architecture.
As it is commonly known, the ancient Latin word "sinister" means left. Perhaps this is why there is only a left foot.
In the swan orientation video a quick clip of an office building is seen with the shadow of a statue on the side of the building. The complete four-toed statue was once at this location and then transfered to the island.
- Unlikely. There is just a tree in front of the building on Google Maps
  - But if you watch the clip the tree is taken out.

"Submersion" Theory

There is no wreckage from the rest of the statue visible nearby. The foot may be slightly tilted because the rest of the statue fell forward into the sea, and is currently submerged. If it's been there a while, it probably just looks like coral now.
- If a meteorite created the crater in which the Barracks seems to reside, the impact tremor may have been sufficient enough to tilt a 250-foot statue to the point of collapsing into the ocean, leaving only the Foot.
There may have been some missing pieces on the beach that were recovered by the ancient inhabitants who built it, or removed later by DHARMA for study.
A volcano is mentioned in the episode "The Man Behind The Curtain" which is a Ben flashback. The teacher who confirms this mentions it was a very long time ago. The volcano might have been responsible or partly involved for the destruction of the statue.

"Tsunami" Theory

The evidence of the wreck of the old sailing ship the Black Rock being beached far inland at considerable altitude is indicative that a rather large tsunami hit the Island in the 19th Century, likely reaching at least 100-200 feet or more in height.
Around the year 1700 a size nine earthquake struck about one hundred miles off the coast of Washington state; a huge pacific-wide tsunami was generated as a result. The wave caused fatalities as far away as Japan.
- This would be consistent with the Others' "camp" being on the north side of the Island.
A Tsunami this size could have destroyed the rest of the statue, either throwing them far inland, or dragging them out to sea.
It also would have wiped out any indigenous people living on the Island. If they were a unique race, like the skeletons of the "Little People" found on another South Pacific island in recent years, they were likely wiped out then.
If whatever phenomenon was being controlled in the Swan is tectonic in nature, it likely would have caused tsunamis occasionally in years before it was being controlled by active measures.
Geographically speaking, if the Island is indeed located somewhere in the vicinity of Fiji, a tsunami from the fault zone off the coast of New Zealand (or even as far off as California's fault zones) could have created a tsunami large enough to wipe out a statue of this size.
- Consider the terrain behind the statue. For the most part, the land is devoid of trees or heavy vegitation, up to the mountain foothills. A "smaller" tsunami may have indeed struck, washing away jungle and weakening the right side of the pediment. Its subsequent settling collapsed the statue, pieces of which were pulled out to sea by the retreating wave. The left side of the statue's pediment was relatively undamaged, the statue itself having broken off at the right knee from torque strain.
- May have been caused by an meteorite impact, perhaps linked to a system failure. Any impacting body would have had to be metallic for this to come into order.

"White Rajah" Theory

In the 18th to 19th centuries, there were several Europeans who became "Rajahs" over various southeast asian/oceanic territories and reigned as the "White Rajahs". These are written about tangentially by author Neal Stephenson in his novel Cryptonomicon, as well as in his 'Baroque cycle' trilogy, in which he portrays a South Pacific island near the Phillipines called Kinakuta ruled by a fellow as rich as the Sultan of Brunei. The Island has a dead volcano named Mount Eliza, and a number of old bunkers that the characters of Cryptonomicon use as an international data haven to avoid tax laws, censorship, etc. The statue remnant may be the remains of the rule of the White Rajahs.
- This theory is also tenuous because Lost is currently written with very strong sci-fi themes and (up until now) no current nods towards any real historical era. However, the presentation of the statue may be the start of a new element of Lost in Season 3, which does take real-life historical elements (such as rajahs) into account when considering the history of the fictional island.
  - As of mid-Season-Four, this is no longer true, and may never have been. Glimpses of prior inhabitants and eras have been littered throughout Lost: the Black Rock, Magnus Hanso, the archaic personal appearance of Jacob, his cabin and antipathy to technology, the hieroglyphs in the Swan, the clothing and apparent agelessness of Richard Alpert, the skeletons of Adam and Eve, etc., etc., etc. Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindlof themselves have confirmed that these historical layers are present and important, and that arachaeology and anthropology will play an important role in season 4. I dispute that Lost is written with merely "very strong sci-fi themes" and without reference to "any real historical era". In fact thus far it has presented a series of "eras" including but not beginning with that of the Dharma Initiative, succeeded by the era of the Others, and now by the Losties.

"Great Man" Theory

The statue is in tribute to a "great man" who happens to have only four toes on his left foot. This man might be Him.
- Jacob was confirmed to be "him" In the 3/20/07 Official Lost Podcast, so this would have to mean Jacob has 4 toes.
It may also be a Statue of Richard Alpert.

Troll Theory

The only creature with four human-like toes is the Troll. The Troll as a mythical creature first appeared in Scandinavian folklore, particularly Norway. Alvar Hanso and the Hanso Foundation has ties to Norway, so this is convenient.
Trolls are devious, human-like beings with 4 fingers and 4 toes. Some are giants. If exposed to sunlight they turn to stone and often burst apart.
- Therefore the foot might not be a statue of worship, but rather a giant troll exposed to sunlight and burst to pieces, with only the left foot landing/remaining on land.
  - May be symbolic of trying to scare the Losties from coming to the Others' private island.
They live in the mountains and hills and enjoy stealing things and abducting humans to live as slaves or at least prisoners among them. Upon returning to civilization the abducted person has been struck with insanity or apathy caused by the trolls. Anyone could be taken by the trolls, even cattle, but at the greatest risk were women who had given birth but not yet been taken back to the church Claire was baptized.
If they abduct an infant, they substitute a changeling. Some people believed that trolls would take unbaptized children. Aaron was baptized.
Trolls tended to keep themselves invisible, and then they could travel on the winds. Sometimes you could only hear them speak, shout and make noise Whispers.

Station Theory

The statue may have been a lookout station for the DHARMA Initiative or for the people who built it.
The Others or DHARMA may have disbanded it because it didn't serve much purpose.
Like the Hatch at the Swan, and the question mark at the Pearl, the statue is a marker for DHARMA workers to mark where a station is located.
- The "?" was made by Ekos men which salted the soil to attract planes
The base is shaped like an arrow. Maybe it points to a station.
The statue is made by the Others to confuse Sayid, just like the Decoy Village. That explains why statue was not old-looking.
The Statue is the Orchid Station or the Orchid is responsible for bringing the statue to the island.
- The Orchid Station has been confirmed to be located elsewhere on the Island as of Season 4.

Valenzetti Equation Link Theory

In order to change one of the core numerical values of the Valenzetti Equation, the genetic makeup of human beings would have to be altered so radically that, among other internal and external changes, only four toes would remain on the feet of such progeny.
- Or the other way around: 4 is one of the Numbers, and the statue might be representative of one of the equation's core numerical values. Changing it might mean changing the nature of wathever the statue represents.

The Island is a paradoxon out of the time continuum. Therefore the end of the world as well as altering the Valenzetti Equation would have no effect on what ever is on the island or the island itself. In a former universe where humans had four toes the Valenzetti Equation was altered, and it turned out that humans now had five toes. When the old universe collapsed in a big bang, all that was left was the statue on the island (why its broken is a question of lesser degree) - history reapeting itself is a prominent topic in Lost. Another clue could be the broadcasting of the numbers, they wouldn't change on the island after altering the equation, but every were else they would. So no one would notice that the numbers had changed (as his or her memory would be changed as well) if there were not the original numbers sent from a place that remained unaffected.--Donburi Kaminari 13:15, 26 June 2007 (PDT)

Under Construction Theory

Its being built currently by the Others and that's why Sawyer and Kate are breaking up rocks.
Another construction possibility is that the statue is being torn down by the Others. Perhaps the Others had Kate and Sawyer breaking up rocks because there is/was something inside of the statue that would be very beneficial to the Others.
- There is a considerable amount of missing debris (the fracture zone on the remains of the statue would indicate the statue fell backwards, and, thus debris should be present on the ground visible in the photo). The possibility that the Others have dragged this debris away for their own means explains both the lack of statue rubble and the damage to the grassland visible in the photo.

Statue of Liberty Theory

This foot looks strikingly similar (although not identical) to the left foot on the Statue of Liberty in New York City. That foot appears to have only four toes when viewed from a slight angle because the fifth toe is significantly smaller than the other four, and almost hidden by them.
- Often when constructing human replicas digits are missing. The reason being is that accurately representing the proper number of digits is an optical illusion, making the replica appear to have extra digits. Five toes look like six. Four fingers look like five.
  - Sayid, who would have had a 180c view of the Statue due to the trajectory of the yacht, confirms that the foot has four toes. If it was merely an optical illusion, the writers would not have had Sayid make this pointed observation. Moreover, Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindlof have since confirmed that the statue has four toes, and this was a precise and deliberate intention.
The statue could have been a replica of the Statue of Liberty, built on the Island as a symbol of one of the virtues/morals that the researchers were to live up to.
- Why would such a small community of people (Dharma, then the Others) waste time building a 250ft replica just for inspiration? They're too busy transporting bunnies and keeping planes in the sky. Sadiemonster 06:07, 3 May 2008 (PDT)
- Considering the amount of Americans that appear to be part of the original dharma members and the theory that they were creating a utopian society, it is unlikely that they would base this society on America.
The statue could have been a replica of the Statue of Liberty, built on the Island as a reminder of the former world in the event that some kind of world catastrophe destroyed the original (in case the Valenzetti Equation could not be changed).
The statue could be a remnant of New York City sometime in the future (similar to "Planet of the Apes").
- The Statue of Liberty has five toes, people. And no, one of them did not fall off.
(see Colossus of Rhodes theory below) The Statue of Liberty was based on the Colossus of Rhodes (which has to do with Apollo).

Built by the Hostiles

In "Enter 77", Mikhail says that the "hostiles" have been around much longer than the DHARMA Initiative. They could have ostensibly been around long enough to build the statue.
The Others, Hostiles, or at least the ones who have always been on the Island, might have four toes.
Is/was a statue of Jacob

The Hostiles may have been building it to scare the DHARMA people. They could have built it quite slow because they didn't have the right equipment but after the purge the Others could have been making the rest of the statue on the Hydra Island. That is what Kate and Sawyer were working on. Then when it was to be finished they may have had plans to take it piece by peice back to the foot.
- But I don't know why it would have four toes. Maybe Jacob had four toes.

Humans in future Theory

It is said that humans will lose one finger due to evolution. This could be the reason why the statue has only four toes, indicating the time where the Island is placed, the future.
- The problem with this theory is that we will lose the big toe, and the statue has it (maybe some kind of alteration?).
- By some theories of evolution, humans may slowly lose their pinky toe as it will no longer be needed for balance purposes. The DHARMA initiative is set on advancing and studying human eugenics, therefore this statue may be symbolic of the work being done on the island.
  - The theory is that we will lose our smallest toe, not our big toe. So, the 4 toed statue could very well be humans in the future.
- It could also explain why nobody can find the Island, because it is actually not there ('there' as in time).
- This theory represents a misunderstanding of how evolution works. Evolution selects "for" traits that ensure survival, e.g., strength, intelligence, etc. It does not select against traits that are unnecessary. For this "theory" of evolution to work, it would be necessary for all five-toed humans to suddenly be wiped out and the race to start over with only a few mutant four-toed humans.

Statue of David

In "Hearts And Minds" Locke spoke to Boone about the statue of David. The toes of the real statue of David's left foot were broken with a hammer in 1991 by serial art-vandal Piero Cannata [1].

Warning

Regardless of who built it, the statue is obviously a warning. All similar statues were built for this purpose; to warn others not to come here.
- Like the Statue or Liberty???
Although the sandal and toe shape suggest a human, the statue may be an anthropomorphized version of Cerberus, and a warning that the monster guards the island.

The Colossus of Rhodes

The Colossus of Rhodes, built in 282 BC, was a gigantic statue of the sun god, Helios, patron god of Rhodes. It was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

The statue was erected to give thanks to him after the Island survived the siege of Rhodes. The siege was set in place by the Macedonians after the Rhodians refused to help them attack Ptolemy I in Egypt. Eventually the Macedonians gave up and left their supplies and equipment there. The Rhodians then sold the supplies and erected the Colossus with the money they earned. The Colossus of Rhodes was broken at its knees in c. 225 BC by an earthquake that also destroyed a good portion of Rhodes. When the statue fell it destroyed a few houses and buildings according to one ancient author. This therefore rules out the statement that the statue stood bestriding the harbor of Rhodes. According to Strabo, the Colossus was not rebuilt because an oracle told the people of Rhodes not to do so.

This connection is strengthened by the introduction of the Helios Foundation.

Alvis the dwarf

Alvis was a dwarf who was betrothed to Thrud the daughter of Thor the Norse god of thunder. As a way to prevent the marriage Thor challenged Alvis to prove his intelligence and asked Alvis several questions to stall him until the sun came up. When it did Alvis was turned to stone.

The evolutionary bubble theory=

There is a time difference between the island and the real world.
Time in the real world is slower than on the island (S04E05).
Thus early inhabitants of the island will have been in an evolutionary bubble where they experience more time relative to the other inhabitans on earth.
Human evolution will have occured faster on the island relative to the rest of the world, allowing the inhabitants to evolve into forms with only 4 toes. Thus when building a statue they built it in their image with 4 toes.

Nephilim

In a recent teleconference with Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof, it was revealed that in the original draft of the script for "Live Together, Die Alone", it had 6 toes instead of four, and that the change to four toes was a compromise the writers made to make the statue seem less weird. In the same teleconference, it was stated that the Bible is suggested reading for future episodes.
In Genesis (6:1-4), the Nephilim were the offspring of humans and angels. Goliath, the giant that fought David, was one of them. The Nephilim were said to have six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot.
Perhaps the statue was built by or in tribute to the Nephilim, who might have been the island's original inhabitants.