Of Mario and Myth

Some of the most toxic mushrooms found in the world are found within the genus Amanita. This genus is responsible for approximately 95% of the fatalities resulting from mushroom poisoning. About one gram of amanita muscaria is considered a toxic dose. In cases of serious poisoning it causes a delirium, characterized by bouts of marked agitation with confusion and hallucinations.

So why is Mario eating Amanita Muscaria?

He eats them like candy!

Reason: Size distortion.

In western Siberia, the use of A. muscaria was restricted to shamans, who used it as a method of achieving a trance state. They also use it during Yule celebrations, in which the shaman will bring A. muscaria to the people of the tribe. They will then eat them and see each other as huge giants or tiny elves. In fact, the consumption of A. muscaria in Siberia is directly responsible for the Christmas (Yule) legends of elves and Santa Claus!

So that's why he grows so big when he eats the mushroom! (or turns small if it's a mini-mushroom or dies if it has a skull on it)

Mario spends a lot of time eating Amanita. Could he be a shaman? No way! He's a plumber from Brooklyn, right? Well maybe when he isn't saving the princess in the Mushroom Kingdom, he's sitting at home studying shamanism and ethnobotany, because he seems to know exactly which mushrooms he needs and exactly which leaves he needs for size distortion and sensations of flying respectively.

Maybe Raccoons are his totem animal?

Or how about the Tanooki?

The Japanese legendary shape-shifting Tanooki is said to put leaves on its heads and to chant prior to transformation. In some legends, the leaf is the sacred lotus plant of Buddhism. When Mario gets a leaf, he gains pointy ears and the tail of a Tanooki.

"Tanuki" is the Japanese word for 'raccoon dog' (Nyctereutes procyonoides). They have been part of Japanese folklore since ancient times. The legendary tanuki is a mischievous master of disguise and shapeshifting.

Okay.... so Mario is a shaman who eats mushrooms and leaves and his totem animal is the 'raccoon dog' of Japanese folklore..... interesting....

Speaking of Japanese folklore.... the Koopas are actually "Kappas" which are "river-children" of Japan. These legendary water-sprites are gods of the Shinto religion.

Kappa are mischievous troublemakers. Their pranks range from the relatively innocent, such as loudly passing gas or looking up women's kimonos, to the more troublesome, such as stealing crops, kidnapping children, or raping women. In fact, small children are one of the gluttonous kappa's favorite meals!!!

They feed on these hapless victims by sucking out the entrails through the anus. But don't bother trying to stop them, they are said to be masters of the "Koppo" martial arts technique (which was invented by them).

Mario EASILY kills these Shinto gods by jumping on their heads. Mario is awesome!!!!!

Note: I must say that not ALL kappa are evil. There are Shinto shrines dedicated to benevolent Kappa throughout Japan.

In the Japanese manual for the original Super Mario Bros, the evil King of the Koopas is called Daimaō Kuppa ( "Big Devil Koopa" or "Great Demon Koopa").
Keep fighting the good fight Mario!!!

Links:

Amanita -

http://www.erowid.org/references/refs_view.php?A=ShowDocPartFrame&C=ref&ID=6472&DocPartID=6005

Tanooki -

http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/tanuki.shtml

http://www.themushroomkingdom.net/mariosan.shtml

Kappa -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kappa_(folklore)