Introduction: Summons, Espers & Eidolons

And now we get onto the summons of Final Fantasy! But first let's have a look over the various terms used for the summoned creatures.

The ability to call forth supernatural entities of great power to aid the part has been around since the third game. Over the course of the games what these creatures have been called has varied from simply 'summons' to 'aeons' or 'eidolons'.

The summon Bahamut- FFXI

Summons: FFIII, FFIV, FFV, FFVII, FFIX, FFXIV

The belief of being able to summon supernatural entities to aid the user appears throughout world beliefs. In Western traditions both demons or angels could be summoned using a vast array of rites and items including wands, staves and daggers- all traditional equipment for the Summoners of Final Fantasy. The history of summoning beliefs is a vast field beyond the scope of this post.

The Esper Belias- FFXII

Espers: FFVI & FFXII

Also called 'Phantom Beasts' in the Japanese version of the game.  According to in game lore the Espers were once humans but were changed into these beings upon contact with the Waring Triad- the three creator gods. This origin as humans granted supernatural powers fits with the term Esper. More often written as ESPer, and esper is a person with psychic powers. The ESP part of the name stands for 'Extra-Sensory Perception'. The term was coined by a J.B.Rhine, the lead researcher for ESP in the 1930s at Duke University, California. He, and his assistants, conducted experiments to find and quantify ESP in his subjects. His research has since been unable to be verified due mostly to poor experimental set up. ESPers are a reasonably common occurrence in anime and pop culture where abilities range from telekinesis, clairvoyance to full on magical blasts.

The Eidolon Fenrir- FFIX

Eidolons: FFIX & FFXIII (&FFIV re-release)

This term comes from Greek mythology. It is an image, phantom, apparition or ghost. It is something illusionary and insubstantial. The poet Homer uses Eidolons to convey messages from the dead to the living via dreams. For instance the goddess Athena creates an eidolon of Peneolope's dead sister to encourage her as she was despairing for her son.  In Final Fantasy IX Eidolons are created by the planet's crystal from the souls of the deceased. In Final Fantasy XIII the link to the Eidolons of mythology lies in their role of encouraging the living in their darkest hour. In FFXIII and Eidolon will appear before a L'Cie who has despaired of completing their Focus. Though these Eidolons are a little more violent than that of Peneolope's sister.

The Aeon Valefor- FX

Aeons: FFX

Most likely a styalisation of the ancient Greek word αἰών (pronounced similar to 'aion'). This is where we get the term 'eon' in English. In Greek the word generally meant a life, lifetime or a long span of time. There is a third meaning had the sense of 'one's destiny' or 'lot in life'. All of these meanings make sense in the context of Final Fantasy X's Aeons. The Aeons are thousand year old beings preserved as statues, thus they have been around of a long period. More poignantly it is the lot in life of the summoner's who call forth the Aeons to perish if they succeed their pilgrimages.  Interestingly a definition I found in the Lydell-Scott-Jones Greek lexicon, the best ancient Greek dictionary, αἰών could also mean 'spinal marrow', perhaps because the spine was a 'seat of life'? 

Aeons also appear in Gnosticism where they are emanations of 'god'. They can somewhat be likened to Christian angels though they are more abstract. They are linked to the formation of our physical world representing things from Silence to Thought to Man.

The GF Quezacotl- FFVIII

Guardian Forces: FFVIII

Not much to say for this one. These guys are simply powerful entities that, when 'junctioned' to a human, act as a guarding force. Phew. that was a bit longer than I thought it might be.

Starting next week I'll be going over the summons that appear in Final Fantasy III. Once they have been covered I'll break with regular monsters/equipment for a week or two then move onto the next batch of summons.

Weapon: Kikuichimonji

Kikuichimonji: Recurring katana

Appearances: FFI, FFIII, FFIV, FFV, FFVI, FFX, FFXI, FFXII

Kikuichimonji- Final Fantasy I (GBA)

Also sometimes abbreviated to Ichimonji, these swords are based on historical swords from 1208. In the Final Fantasy games these are high tier, though never top tier katana weapons.

The name kikuichimonji literally means 'chrysanthemum and one character'. These swords have the character for one, 'ichi', inscribed on the tang and may also have the Imperial chrysanthemum. As and Imperial emblem the chrysanthemum could only be used with Imperial permission.

In 1208 the former Emperor Go-Toba gathered together thirteen of the best swords smiths from across the land in order to learn to forge the perfect sword fit for the Imperial household. Each of the smiths was in attendance to Go-Toba for one lunar month of the Japanese calendar.

Go-Toba was an interesting character. He was more interested in the arts than politics, abdicating the throne at 18. He was an accomplished poet and patron to poetry but it seems his true passion was in swords. Even today his sponsorship and enthusiasm for blade working is considered responsible for Japan's Golden Age of swordsmithing.

These thirteen sword smiths that produced the kikuichimonji were not the only group to serve in attendance to the former Emperor. There was also a group of Twenty Four and and Exile group. These later groups, though slightly less famous, were equally accomplished  craftsmen.

Kikuichimonji- Final Fantasy V artwork

Boss: Angra Mainyu with Zarich and Tawrich

Angra Mainyu: Super boss

Zarich & Tawrich: The boss's lackeys

Appearance: FFX-2

 Angra Mainyu concept. Tawrich is on the left, Zarich on the right

Last week we talked about the Ahriman and learned that it is another name for Angra Mainyu. This week we'll look at the two sub-bosses that accompany the Angra Mainyu in FFX-2.

In Final Fantasy X-2 the Angra Mainyu and it's companions can be found in the Bikanel desert. It was once sealed by the Cactuar Nation but has been awoken by the Al Bhed's excavations. Seriously, all archaeological work in fiction seems to awaken sealed demons.

In Zoarastrian lore Zarich and Tawrich are both Daevas of Angra Mainyu. The Daevas were the highest servants of Angra Mainyu, personification of lies and chaos. These beings initially started as powerful spirits representing facets of the natural world. Over time they became something more akin to what we would consider demons. The eternal enemies the Daevas are the Amesha Spentas under the command of Ahura Mazda.

The female members of the Daevas, which Zarich and Tawrich both are, may also be sometimes referred to as Druj. This term means something like 'deciet/lie' and often stands in opposition of aṧa, 'truth'. Tawrich is the personification of hunger whilst Zarich embodies old age and aging.

Equipment: Pheasant Netsuke

Pheasant Netsuke: Unique accessory

Appearance: FFXII

A dragon netsuke

Hands up those of you who already knew what a netsuke was? Not too many, right? And how many more remembered this accessory from Final Fantasy XII which doubled the efficiency of healing items?

Netsuke, pronunciation here, serve the very mundane function of a toggle on a pouch. As many of you probably guessed, the word is Japanese. Japanese traditional dress is somewhat devoid of pockets but people still need to carry stuff like money or tobacco snuff around. Netsuke first appeared around the 17th century and soon developed into an elaborate art form. With the growing popularity of Western attire in the late 1800s and their accompanying pockets the need for netsuke began to wane. Netsuke are still produced today as purely works of art.

Pheasants and other animals were among the many things depicted on netsuke.

If you are interested in the different types of netsuke check out the International Netsuke Society

Monster: Ahriman

Ahriman: Recurring eye ball

Appearances: FFI, FFIII, FFIV, FFVI, FFVII, FFIX, FFX, FFXI, FFXII, FFXIII, FFXIV

 The Ahriman boss, FFXII

The Ahriman is ultimately from the Zoroastrian tradition. Ahriman also goes by the name Angra Mainyu (sound familiar from FFX-2?- more on him later as he has a couple of special companions)

It should be noted that in Final Fantasy's IV, VI, VII and IX this monster is known as Ahriman only in the Japanese versions of the game. In VI, IX and the PS1 version of IV the creature goes by the name 'Veteran', possibly referring to the creature's age. The SNES version of IV simply calls the creature 'Fatal Eye'. This was probably to keep to a naming convention, as the other pallet swaps for the monster are 'Float Eye' and 'Red Eye'. In VII the creature is simply mistranslated as 'Allemange'- a perplexing choice as that is French name for Germany. At least all the games seem to able to agree that Ahriman should stay a yellow floating eyeball (except for XII). See how fun translations can be?

Now that the confusion that is game translations is out of the way we can get on with who Ahriman actually is. Ahriman is the Middle Persian (c 300 BCE- 800 CE) name for Angra Mainyu who appears in Avestan- a language preserved in Zoroarstrian scripture. Ahriman represents chaos, wickedness and evil in general. His counterpart and equal (and sometimes brother) Ohrmazd represents order, balance and beauty. Ahriman presides over the deavas or demons. These two entities represent the duality of the universe that is important to Zoroastrian belief.

Among Ahriman's notable actions are his attempt to tempt the prophet Zoroaster with the power to rule the world. For good measure Ahriman sent some of his deavas to persuade Zoroaster. Unfortunately for Ahriman Zoroaster wanted nothing to do with that and put the deavas to flight. Ahriman also created the great serpent Azhi Dahaka.

For a more thorough catalogue of Ahirman/Angra Mainyu's appearances the Encyclopedia Iranica has a good entry here. 

The original Ahriman from FFIII

Equiptment: Yoichi's Bow

Yoichi's Bow: Recurring high tier bow

Appearances: FFII, FFIII, FFIV, FFV, FFXI, FFXII, FFIV

Yoichi prepares to shoot the fan

The Yoichi's Bow is named after Yoichi Munetaka, a famous archer from the Heike Monogatari (The Tale of the Heike). In the Final Fantasy games this bow has always been a high tier weapon. During the earlier games it was the best bow available while in the later games it's top spot has been usurped by other bows.

The Heike Monogatari is a tale set at the fall of the Heian period and the begining of the Kamakura period in the 12th century. It is not a straight historical monograph of events but rather a dramatized retelling much like the historical dramas of today. The tale revolves around the contendings of the Heike and Genji clans. The former had become 'soft' in the eyes of the Genji, like the very courtiers that the Heike had overthrown. The Genji were far more militarily minded than the Heikie. In the end it was the Genji who won,  ushering in the Kamakura period with Samurai upperclass. 

In  the Heike Monogatari Yoichi only appears in one section during chapter V, one of the more well know sections of the tale. The Genji rebels had set up camp on the beach with a flotilla of Heike ships moored in the bay. Towards evening a lone plain vessel approaches shore. In it is a maiden who attaches a fan to a pole before raising it up high. The soldiers on the shore assume it is a challenge of skill. Yoshitsune, leader of the Genji, calls for the best archer. Yoichi is brought forward. He is young, barely twenty years of age and short of stature. So he rides into the waves to take the shot. By now the wind and the waves have picked up. The target is 450 or 70 feet distant, either one no mean feet to hit in those conditions. Yet Yoichi lets fly his arrow, it soar through the air and hit true. The fan is knocked off the pole soaring high into the air to the sound of cheering on both sides. An old man come on deck to dance in celebration of this amazing feat. One of the generals orders Yoichi to take out the old man which, not wanting to show disloyalty, he does. Many regarded this as a bit of a dick move.

There is an excellent translation and commentary of the Heike Monogatari by A.L. Saddler available on the Internet Archieve here

Yoichi's Bow, FFXII

Monster: Kusariqqu

Kusariqqu: Once off monster

Appearance: FFX

Now for something a bit more obscure. How many of you remember this drake from the Thunder Plains in Final FantasyX? Probably not too many, right?

Well this creature comes from the Babylonian creation myth encoded in the Enuma Elish. There will be more on this text later as Kusariqqu is by no means the only creature in Final Fantasy to draw inspiration from this. The first fragments of the clay tablets that comprise the epic were found in Nineveh, modern day Mosul, Iraq, in 1849. The tablets deal with the creation of the world and fight between Tiamat and Marduk who eventually establishes the laws of Man.

The Kusariqqu or Kusarikku, is mentioned as one of Tiamat's eleven monstrous brood. No specific description is given about the creature in the text. The brood itself is described as some sort of Cthulan monstrosity with blood of poison and an appearance so ferocious that men perish. Through other sources Kusariqqu is identified as a 'goat-fish' like creature. In carvings his appearance is similar to the Greek satyr with cow or goat like hindquarters and a human head and torso. He may have had some relation to the zodiac Capricorn.

A somewhat dense explantion of Kusariqqu's etymology

The Enuma Elish in translation (tablet III for the list of Tiamat's brood- note the names have been translated rather than transliterated)

Gáe Bulg

Gáe Bolg: Recurring Spear

Appearances: FFX, FFXI, FFXIII, FFXIV

Fang's weapon Gae Bolg from FFXIII

The Gáe Bolg originates in Irish mythology where it used by the hero Cúchulainn. Here is a handy link for the pronunciation of the spear's name. The first part of the name, gáe, simply means spear with bolg being derived from either 'belly/stomach' or 'gap/breach'. So it is the 'belly spear' or 'notched spear'. It is a magic spear said to branch out into numerous points once it enters a body. At times it requires quite cumbersome rituals to use properly.

In the epic tale The cattle raid of Cooley the young hero Cúchulainn wields the spear against his foster brother Ferdiad. The overall plot of the tale roughly revolves around the Queen Mebh covetting a magic bull, Donn Cuailnge, and Cúchulainn, only teen at the time, taking out the Queen's champions.

About two thirds through the tale Mebh solicits the help of Ferdiad who is said to be the only man equal to Cúchulainn in combat strength. These two young warriors had trained together under Scáthach, a formidable female warrior. They were the best of bros, Cúchulainn even saying to Ferdiad that "We were men that shared a bed". Make of that what you will. Though the two had trained together it was only Cúchulainn who knew the secret of how to wield the Gáe Bolg.

So it was that the two great warriors met at the ford and lament at length the plight they were in. But eventually they agree to the terms of battle and knuckle down. In the morning they fight with shield and light throwing spears. Then they take up heavier throwing spears. Neither takes the advantage so both retire for the night. The next day sees them fighting with great sword and shield. Still no victor appears. The third day rolls around and Ferdiad knows this will be the knock out day. He knows Cúchulainn hasn't used his trump card yet.

 Both men meet for the final time at the ford. This last day of fighting is to be the greatest yet as both pull out their magical artifacts or, in Cúchulainn's case, calls on his Faery connections. But Cúchulainn is rue to use the dreaded Gáe Bolg. It is not until his charioteer Laeg mocks the hero that he call for his spear to be readied. Laeg submerges the spear in the river before handing it to Cúchulainn who then losses it with his right foot. Ferdiad's defenses are so good that it takes several attempts before Cúchulainn is able to land the killing blow on his foster brother. In the end "it [Gáe Bolg] cut its way through the [Ferdiad's] body's protection into him, till every joint and every limb was filled with its barbs".

For those wanting read the epic themselves a translation can be found here and the chapter relating to Cúchulainn and Ferdiad's battle can be found here. 

Kimhari's Gae Bolg from FFX

An Introduction and the Urstrix

Welcome to my very first post on what I intend to be an at least weekly blog on mythology in the Final Fantasy game series. Each post will be about one monster, character, equipment or location from the games. What will be covered in each post will vary, sometimes there might be more of a focus on etymology sometimes more on science or history. The creatures, people, places and equipment of the Final Fantasy games come from such a variety of sources.

I hope you enjoy these entertaining snippets of trivia.


First up we have....

Urstrix (オウルベア Ourubea)
Game: FFXII

The Japanese name for this creature is simply 'Owl Bear'. It quite probably references the Owlbear monster found in Dungeons and Dragons as several of the Final Fantasy monsters, particularly those from the older games, are heavily inspired by DnD. 

The English version of this monster's name, Urstrix, is an amalgamation of two Latin words. Ursus simply means 'bear' whilst strix refers to owls, especially the screech owl. Strigoi, the plural of strix, are also regarded as semi-mythical birds and considered birds of ill-omen. There are few details on the strigoi in the literature save that they are ravenous carnivores. Pliny the Elder dismisses the tales he heard of these birds suckling their young.