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In distracting myself from doing any real work doing image and research for various projects, I wandered into the Esper section and made a couple observations... so I decided I'd write up a quick topic and share my thoughts on the Esper etymologies.

I don't really expect to put anything out there to replace what's on the site, just to chat a bit about them, and to distract myself. I mean share thoughts. I mean distract myself.

Gilgamesh

The myth of Gilgamesh is a long one to get into, but I'm thinking that a description of "a mythological, long-lived demigod of Mesopotamia" would be more appropriate for who he actually has been depicted to be in Mesopotamian myths. From what I've read on him, he seems to be equals parts hero, villain, and anti-hero throughout the story of his lifetime.

Shoat/Catoblepas

In the GBA version, the translation of Catoblepas is more apropos for its depiction. I'm thinking that a better etymological description is the classical mythological interpretation of "a chimaera with a head so heavy as to be difficult to lift it from the earth." The artwork is certainly descriptive of a classical catoblepas. The origin of the catoblepas is Ethiopa, and likely sprung forth from encounters with wildebeest, who have large, hog-like heads that are often held close to the ground. Woolsey might have seen the head and thought it was a massive boar, and then chose a name that sounded more intimidating to suit its artwork. Catoblepas appear throughout the series, sometimes correctly drawn as a cross between a buffalo and a boar, other times as a lizard; the lizard from FF1 correctly gives it the Medusan power of transforming a man to stone, as befitting the legend of the catoblepas. Catoblepas also appear in DnD.

Kirin

Just a note that the modern Chinese transliteration is "Qirin". A K does the job of forcing the hard "k" sound rather than an English "kwa" as some speakers will be wont to do (for example, as in the propensity of actors on the Star Trek series to mispronounce the Klingon "Q" as as "kw" sound).

Leviathan

Leviathan has had several incarnations throughout the Semitic world, ranging from a simple, large, and benign sea beast to a mythological monster of great size and power. Its descriptions have changed based on the story and its role within it.

Terrato/Midgardsormr

In Norse mythology, "Midgard Serpent" is more of an informal name for the creature known as Jörmungandr. The proper pronunciation is impossible for English speakers who aren't familiar with Germanic tongues, especially Finnish and German. Terrato would seem to be a Wooleyism for coming up with a name somewhat interpretable by the English layman; I would assume he was familiar at least in passing or via research that its proper name should likely have been Jörmungandr. As an aside, Terrato has always been one of my favorite names for an Esper, and probably a particular inspiration for my etymology hobby.

Lakshi/Starlet

In Hindu mythology, Lakshmi is goddess of wealth, prosperity, fortune, and an embodiment of beauty, wife of Vishnu (from Wikipedia). I'm guessing Woolsey chose "Starlet" to provide a more contemporary comparison. As a sidenote, the site is currently showing Kirin's picture in place of Starlet's (bug report!).

Quetzalli/Palidor

There's no way of knowing for sure the origin of this one without asking the developers directly. Palidor - as noted on the site - appears to be a reference to paladins, while my guess is that Quetzalli is a reference to the Mesoamerican god Quetzalcoatl, worshiped prominently among the Aztecs and Mayans, among others. Palidor's appearance also appears to be something of a cross between ophidian and avian references, with a more elongated, elongated body than expected for a raptor bird and rainbowed feathering, consistent with most depictions of Quetzalcoatl.

Ragnarok

Just a note that the proper Norse spelling is really Ragnarök, and impossible to pronounce properly for English speakers who aren't familiar with Germanic tongues. It's understandable how they Anglicized the name, seeing as they probably couldn't include umlauts in the American version.

Bahamut

And this is just a more detailed note on the origins of the name "Bahamut". Bahamut's origin dates to Arabian mythology. Most sources point to it as a giant fish upon whose back the rest of creation lies, others with parts of it beneath him. The story varies over the eons. I've seen it referenced that in some Arabian traditions Bahamut is indeed a dragon or serpent, but wasn't able to dig up specific articles stating the connection. In any case, the Final Fantasy series takes its inspiration for Bahamut and Tiamat almost directly from the DnD interpretation, modifying the character to suit their whims. Where the DnD creators got the idea to make Bahamut a dragon is anyone's best guess, but Tiamat herself often is portrayed as a giant serpent or dragon in Arabian stories. The origin of their conflict is said to emerge from the connection between Tohu and Bohu in ancient Mesopotamian mythologies. Most English speakers mangle the proper Arabian/Sumerian/Semitic pronunciation, which would be best transliterated as "bah - hah - moot", with emphasis on the first and third syllables. Most English speakers mangle it as "buh - ham - uht", in keeping with standard American dialects, and with emphasis on the second syllable and a particular de-emphasis on the first and third, thereby dumping the vowels to a dead value.

And that's all I have for now. I should probably get back to the writing and art I'm avoiding.

This post has been edited by Zephir on 15th June 2014 21:52

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~Status Report~

* Completed... Dragon's Head
* Completed... Soldiers of the Empire: Disciples (release pending)
* In Progress/Undecided... Of Love and Betrayal
* Planning/Assembly... Where it all Began

Good information, IMO.

Worth noting about Gilgamesh is that in the epic that bears his name, he spends a good portion of the story seeking the secret to eternal life, which he does eventually find--but loses due to his own incompetence and pride. It strikes me that in-game Gilgamesh's perpetual quest for legendary items that he then fails to be able to keep hold of might be a reference to that.

Also, in various games, Gilgamesh has a sidekick called Enkidu, and this is also based on the epic poem. Enkidu begins as Gilgamesh's opponent and later becomes his best friend or perhaps adoptive brother. A neat nod, all around, IMO. In grad school as a TA, I helped teach the Epic of Gilgamesh to a bunch of undergrads in a world literature class, but sadly, nobody ever mentioned his appearance in any FF game.

Regarding Kirin, it might be worth observing that the game uses the Japanese phoneticization of the Chinese compound (KEE-reen), as the kirin has been well known to Japanese culture since early interaction with China and has attained its own position within the nation's myth and folklore.

Though you didn't mention it here, I see the Esper page does observe that Crusader was originally called Jihad. IMO, the original name makes the summon's 'hurt both friend and foe' attack make an awful lot of sense, though the stereotypical understanding of jihad in that capacity is hardly accurate or exhaustive. I'd imagine this is a case of censorship to avoid offending parties all around, as it unfairly types all forms of jihad (which can, as I understand it, be any kind of struggle, literal or metaphorical, cast in spiritual terms) in the 'suicide bomber' type motif and would probably rile up a lot of Westerners for perhaps obvious reasons.

I think my favorite esper on the page, though, is "Testpermanda," who seems to be the guardian esper of dummied content and code testing.

This post has been edited by ChickenFriedChocobo on 15th June 2014 22:53

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This is a signature. You might think that there is something to it...but in fact it is just an ordinary signature.

CFC is right about Kirin being a part of Japanese culture borrowed from China. For the record, the Chinese is Qilin (pronounced closer to chee-leen).
http://www.mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.php?...st=0&wdqb=qilin

Side note: I just noticed the image for Lakshmi is actually Kirin.

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Wha? Thanks to me?

Quick reference in regard to Leviathan:

Most popularly mentioned in the Book of Job, chapter 41:

“Can you pull in Leviathan with a fishhook
or tie down its tongue with a rope?
2 Can you put a cord through its nose
or pierce its jaw with a hook?
3 Will it keep begging you for mercy?
Will it speak to you with gentle words?
4 Will it make an agreement with you
for you to take it as your slave for life?
5 Can you make a pet of it like a bird
or put it on a leash for the young women in your house?
6 Will traders barter for it?
Will they divide it up among the merchants?
7 Can you fill its hide with harpoons
or its head with fishing spears?
8 If you lay a hand on it,
you will remember the struggle and never do it again!
9 Any hope of subduing it is false;
the mere sight of it is overpowering.
10 No one is fierce enough to rouse it.
Who then is able to stand against me?
11 Who has a claim against me that I must pay?
Everything under heaven belongs to me.
12 “I will not fail to speak of Leviathan’s limbs,
its strength and its graceful form.
13 Who can strip off its outer coat?
Who can penetrate its double coat of armor[?
14 Who dares open the doors of its mouth,
ringed about with fearsome teeth?
15 Its back has rows of shields
tightly sealed together;
16 each is so close to the next
that no air can pass between.
17 They are joined fast to one another;
they cling together and cannot be parted.
18 Its snorting throws out flashes of light;
its eyes are like the rays of dawn.
19 Flames stream from its mouth;
sparks of fire shoot out.
20 Smoke pours from its nostrils
as from a boiling pot over burning reeds.
21 Its breath sets coals ablaze,
and flames dart from its mouth.
22 Strength resides in its neck;
dismay goes before it.
23 The folds of its flesh are tightly joined;
they are firm and immovable.
24 Its chest is hard as rock,
hard as a lower millstone.
25 When it rises up, the mighty are terrified;
they retreat before its thrashing.
26 The sword that reaches it has no effect,
nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin.
27 Iron it treats like straw
and bronze like rotten wood.
28 Arrows do not make it flee;
slingstones are like chaff to it.
29 A club seems to it but a piece of straw;
it laughs at the rattling of the lance.
30 Its undersides are jagged potsherds,
leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.
31 It makes the depths churn like a boiling caldron
and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment.
32 It leaves a glistening wake behind it;
one would think the deep had white hair.
33 Nothing on earth is its equal—
a creature without fear.
34 It looks down on all that are haughty;
it is king over all that are proud.”

Job is also where Behemoth shows up in the Bible, in the previous chapter, Job 40:15-24

“Look at Behemoth,
which I made along with you
and which feeds on grass like an ox.
16 What strength it has in its loins,
what power in the muscles of its belly!
17 Its tail sways like a cedar;
the sinews of its thighs are close-knit.
18 Its bones are tubes of bronze,
its limbs like rods of iron.
19 It ranks first among the works of God,
yet its Maker can approach it with his sword.
20 The hills bring it their produce,
and all the wild animals play nearby.
21 Under the lotus plants it lies,
hidden among the reeds in the marsh.
22 The lotuses conceal it in their shadow;
the poplars by the stream surround it.
23 A raging river does not alarm it;
it is secure, though the Jordan should surge against its mouth.
24 Can anyone capture it by the eyes,
or trap it and pierce its nose?

(All Bible quotes are New International Version)

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If you've been mod-o-fied,
It's an illusion, and you're in-between.
Don't you be tarot-fied,
It's just alot of nothing, so what can it mean?
~Frank Zappa

Sins exist only for people who are on the Way or approaching the Way