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| | Chrono'99 makes a convincing argument in comparing the Chrono series to classic mythology; it can be compared to Xathael's effort to view the Chrono series as an allegory for Christianity. | | Chrono'99 makes a convincing argument in comparing the Chrono series to classic mythology; it can be compared to Xathael's effort to view the Chrono series as an allegory for Christianity. |
| | | | |
| − | ==Name Origins==
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| − | ''Section initiated by BLaCKOmeN34''
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| | | | |
| − | Contributors: Blackomen34, Chrono'99, CMKTacTican, Daredevil34, DarkBear33, Duke Darkwood, FeralCats, geekboyzero, Guardian of Ages, Hyena20, John Mark, Swordmaster, Tenkostar17, V Translanka, ZeaLitY
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| − |
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| − | Note that the name origins here and in the Encycylopedia shall become identical. We'll smooth out those edges once we get all the name origins listed themselves.
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| − |
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| − | '''Aeon Blade'''
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| − |
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| − | Aeon can signify an indefinite period of time, or, in Gnosticism, emanations from the Supreme Being.
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| − | '''Alfador'''
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| − |
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| − | Norse for all-father, often used as a title for the great god Odin.
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| − |
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| − | '''Anemetor'''
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| − |
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| − | Aneme is the Latin root of life or soul.
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| − |
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| − | '''Angelus Errare'''
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| − |
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| − | The words are latin, but the given meaning in CC is not.
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| − |
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| − | Angelus - which may only be in ecclesiastical (sp) Latin, which I'm not well versed in - means Angel (singular, though).
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| − |
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| − | Errare means "to wander". Which does NOT necessarily imply losing one's way, as the game intends it to.
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| − |
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| − | Together, it is a grammatically incorrect construction, since they chose to use the infinitive form of the verb. "Errat" would be the proper 3rd Person Singular for that verb. "Angelus Errat" - "An angel wanders." To put it in the plural, we'd have "Angeli Errant", if I'm declining angelus correctly. Angels wandering.
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| − |
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| − | If I were not so rusty at Latin - I took two years in HS and another two in college, but it's been as long again since either - I could try giving you the Latin for "Where angels lose their way." But that task is beyond me these days.
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| − |
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| − | '''Antipode'''
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| − |
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| − | Antipode means direct or diametrical opposites.
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| − |
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| − | '''Arni'''
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| − |
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| − | Arni is a preposition in Welsh, meaning "on it," but that doesn't really make any sense. It also seems to be a common name in Northern Europe.
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| − |
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| − | '''Atropos'''
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| − |
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| − | The third and final incarnation of Fate, responsible for cutting the thread of Life, charactized by an aging old lady.
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| − |
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| − | '''Bango Dome'''
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| − |
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| − | Bango has the following possible references: 1. (bango) barbarian language 2. (bangohan) dinner 3. (bangou) series of digits, such as Social Security or Phone # 4. (bangou) eternity None of these possibilities sound very likely.
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| − |
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| − | '''Belthasar'''
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| − | Babylonian name given to Daniel in the Old Testament of the Bible.
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| − |
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| − | Belteshazzar is a Babylonian name meaning "Beltis protect the king." Beltis is a form of Bel (AKA Baal), who was the most clever deity and sage of the gods.
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| − |
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| − | '''Guardian of Ages''': In regards to Bel (aka Baal)... it is a very generic title, actually. There was no one god "Bel", as such. The name means "lord". Thus even the Isralites would have called their god "Bel"; the Babylonians, after having 50 names for their top god Marduk, finally settled to simply calling him "Bel". Baalzebub, means "lord of the flies", for example.
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| − |
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| − | Belthasar (or Belerizzar, or Belteshazzar, etc) was either a king of Israel or a Neo-Babylonian king near the end of the Neo-Babylonian era when the Israelites/Judeans were permitted to go back to Judah. Belthazzar was the son of Nabonidus. He was installed as ruler of Babylon at a young age, after his father decided to move to Teisa after becoming fed up with his discontented populace. A few years later, the Persian empire came knocking, and both Nabonidus and Belthazzar were killed when the Persians took Babylon. -Ancient Near Eastern History and Culture (W.H. Stiebing, Jr).
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| − |
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| − | In the opening of the Book of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar is impressed with the wise men of Israel/Judah. In this translation, Daniel is given the name Belteshazzar:
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| − |
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| − | Daniel 1:7
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| − | The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
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| − |
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| − | Nebuchadnezzar later has a nasty dream and decides to condemn all of the wise men in the city to death -- including his newly appointed Judean advisors. Daniel won't stand for this, so he asks God to cook up some divine inspiration. God shows Dan what the dream meant, Dan explains it to Neb, and Neb decides to give Dan a promotion. At this point, it almost sounds like Dan is the king of Babylon, which implies that the Judean prophet and the Neo-Bablyonian king that we've been discussing are actually the same person. Hold that thought.
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| − |
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| − | Daniel 2:48-49
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| − | Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. Moreover, at Daniel's request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court.
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| − |
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| − | Later, Neb goes ape-nuts and decides to leave Babylon. His son, King Belshazzar (notice the distinct spelling in this translation) assumes the throne. Belshazzar invites Daniel, or Belteshazzar, as he is known, to a feast.
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| − |
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| − | Daniel 5:1-3
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| − | King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them.
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| − |
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| − | Daniel works his dream-magic and impresses Belshazzar. Belshazzar gives Dan another token promotion. This implies that Daniel (Belteshazzar) and King Belshazzar of Babylonia are very different people :D. Belshazzar doesn't stick around too long, though, as King Cyrus shows up and steps rather firmly on his neck. The Medes are given control of Babylon, and things deteoriate rather rapidly after that:
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| − |
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| − | Daniel 5:29-31
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| − | Then at Belshazzar's command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.
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| − | That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.
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| − | '''BesomC29'''
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| − | A "besom" is a broom or a bundle of twigs used as a broom. Cu is the Elemental Symbol for Copper (cuprum), which is 1/3 of the makings for the Besom Cu29. 29 also happens to be the Atomic Number for Copper.
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| − | '''Betta Carotene'''
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| − | Betta could refer to two things: Beta, as in it's the second Carrot Weapon or Better, as in it's better then the "Carrot" Carrot Weapon. Beta Carotene is a deep yellow or red crystalline hydrocarbon, C40H56, found in carrots, etc., and changed in the body to vitamin A.
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| − |
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| − | '''Binegar'''
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| − |
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| − | Binegar (Ozzie's Japanese name) Pun on Vinegar
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| − |
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| − | '''Black Wind'''
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| − |
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| − | From the Arabic 'huayra yana', which is the wind of ashes that comes when someone is dying
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| − |
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| − | '''Bunyip'''
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| − |
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| − | Bunyips are mythical creatures created in Australian lore...
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| − |
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| − | From: http://www.icidal.com/xproject/archives/cryptozoology/bunyip.html
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| − |
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| − | 'According to Aboriginal legend, Bunyips are creatures that lurk in swamps, billabongs, creeks, riverbeds, and waterholes. They emerge at night, making terrifying, blood-curdling cries, and devour any animal or human that dare venture near its abode. The Bunyip's favourite prey is said to be women.
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| − | Fearing to go near suspected Bunyip haunts, the Aborigines shared their fearsome legends with early white settlers. After hearing such tales, they became fearful of strange, loud noises at night, and seriously considered the existence of the Bunyip Monster.
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| − | Descriptions of Bunyips include a wide spectrum of appearances from animal to spirit. Some describe the Bunyip as a gorilla-type animal (kinda like bigfoot, or the Australian Yowie), while others say it is half animal, half human or spirit. Bunyips come in all sizes, shapes, and colors. Some are described to have long tails or necks, wings, claws, horns, trunks (like an elephant), fur, scales, fins, feathers...any combination of these.'
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| − |
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| − | '''Chrono (Crono)'''
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| − |
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| − | Chrono is the Greek root for 'time.'
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| − |
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| − | '''Chronopolis'''
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| − | Greek for 'Time city.'
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| − | '''Clotho'''
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| − | The first incarnation of Fate, responsible for spinning the thread of Life, characterized by a young girl.
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| − | '''Criosphinx'''
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| − | Based off the Sphinx of Giza, which guards the gates to the city, and asks a famous riddle: What walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three at night (mankind)", and tears to shreds those who cannot answer. Oedipus correctly answered the question, prompting the sphinx to kill itself. Crio means 'I create' in Portoguese.
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| − |
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| − | '''Cyrus'''
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| − |
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| − | Cyrus might be named after Cyrus the Great, or Cyrus II of Persia, who united several peoples under his rule, rebelled against the Medes to establish the first Persian empire, and made peace with the Babylonians. Between 550 and 540 B.C., he was possibly in the East while his forces attacked the Lydians of Greece. Cyrus then turned against the Babylonians, who were sufferring from major discontent after the current king, Nabonidus, alienated the priesthood. Cyrus simply marched into Babylon and demonstrated that he would rule as a Babylonian, and many believed him to be a legitimate successor to the throne; in this gesture, Cyrus also gained the Assyrian lands. Little is known of his personal history after this, as he may have made plans against the Egyptians (his successor was able to swiftly subdue them shortly after Cyrus's death in 529 B.C.).
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| − |
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| − | Possible puns may be (sairasu) (sairai) return, second coming, reincarnation. I can't find any others at this moment.
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| − |
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| − | '''Dead Sea'''
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| − | Sea in Middle East known for its large salt deposits and lack of substantial flora/fauna as a result.
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| − | '''Deva'''
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| − | In Hindu Mythology, a god; a deity; a divine being; an idol; a king.
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| − |
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| − | '''Doan, Dwayne (Japanese name)'''
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| − | From the Gaelic 'dubhan', which means 'little and dark'
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| − |
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| − | '''Doreen'''
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| − | Doreen: Pun on Dream. In Katakana, Doreen and Dream sound almost the same.<Br>
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| − | Doreen= Doriinu<br>
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| − | Dream= Doriimu
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| − |
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| − | '''Doreen's Dialogue'''
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| − |
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| − | "Am I man dreaming that I am a butterfly or a plate of shashimi dreaming I'm a bowling ball? Never assume what you see and feel is real." That is actually a reference to Lao Tzu. Yeah, he's the Taoist guy who wrote the Tao Te Ching and some other stuff. According to legend, after he arose from his sleep he proclaimed he had a most vivid dream. He dreamt that he was a butterfly and all his experiences he perceived to be utterly real. He then stated (more or less), "Am I man dreaming that I was a butterfly or am I a butterfly dreaming that I am a man?" The famous passage helped relate many of the metaphysical principles of eastern and even western religion.
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| − |
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| − | '''Einlanzer'''
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| − | "Ein" is German for "a," and "lanze" is German for "lance"... Anyway, since German is the root of early English, and that's where we get a lot of stories of knights and holy swords (King Arthur, Beowulf, Sir Gawain, etc.)
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| − |
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| − | '''El Nido'''
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| − | El Nido is Spanish for "The Nest." Appropriate, as El Nido is the nest out of which the salvation of the world shall rise.
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| − | '''Ferrous Gun'''
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| − |
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| − | Ferrum is Latin for Iron, "Fe" being the symbol for Iron in the Periodic table.
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| − | '''Gaea's Navel'''
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| − | Gaia is Mother Earth in Greek Mythology.
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| − | The Chinese mythology told of a mountain in the center of the universe called Mt Hualin (or something....I'm probably way the hell off) that only an enlightened man riding a dragon can reach. Now picture a Chinese dragon and think of how Serge got to Gaea's Navel. Riding a Wingapede has at least a vague semblance to the Asian dragon.
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| − |
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| − | '''Gaspar'''
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| − | GASPAR - Spanish and Portugese variant of JASPER, which is Persian for "the treasurer." Jasper is also the name of a gemstone that looks very much like a certain red stone mentioned in the game.
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| − |
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| − | '''Giga Mutant'''
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| − |
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| − | "Giga" means x10^9, or a billion times.
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| − | '''Glenn'''
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| − | Glenn- Written as Guren in the Japanese version, which could just as easily translate as Gren or Glenn. In reality, Glenn was given his name in CT because Gren is short for 'grenouille', which is the French word for frog.
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| − |
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| − | '''Golem'''
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| − | In Jewish folklore, an artificially created human supernaturally endowed with life.
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| − | '''Graedus'''
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| − | Engrish for Gladius, which is Latin for sword.
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| − |
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| − | Gradius means step, staircase, degree, grade, etc.
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| − | '''Grand'''
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| − | Grand (Masa's Japanese name) Pun on the fact that he's the elder brother.
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| − | '''Greco'''
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| − | Greco is Spanish for Greek -- Greece is famous for inventing wrestling. A famous Spanish painter was also named El Greco.
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| − | Greco lives with Romana -- Greco-Roman wrestling.
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| − | '''Gravitor'''
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| − |
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| − | Gravi is the Latin root for gravity or dark emotion.
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| − |
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| − | '''Guile'''
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| − | Guile means craftiness, or to be cunning.
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| − | '''Harle'''
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| − | Short for Harlequin, a conventional buffoon of the commedia dell'arte, traditionally presented in a mask and parti-colored tights, or an adjective meaning having a pattern of brightly colored diamond shapes.
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| − | [Obsolete French, from Old French Herlequin, Hellequin, a demon, perhaps from Middle English *Herleking, from Old English Herla cyning, King Herla, a mythical figure identified with Woden.]
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| − |
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| − | Harle is French for merganser, which is a fish eating diving duck that has a hooked beak and a crested head.
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| − |
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| − | '''Hydra'''
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| − | 12-headed serpent demon in Greek Mythology
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| − | '''Irenes'''
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| − |
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| − | Irenes means 'peace' in Old Greek (eirene), although it must also be a pun on Siren(e)s.
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| − |
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| − | '''Jaki'''
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| − |
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| − | Jaki (Janus's Japanese name) Depending on the kanji used, it can either mean imp or evil aura. Both are quite fitting.
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| − |
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| − | '''Janus'''
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| − | Two-headed Roman god with one head looking forward and one looking back. January is named after Janus, to symbolize looking forward to the future, as well as reflecting on the past, as the two heads connotate.
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| − |
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| − | '''Kaeru'''
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| − | Kaeru (frog's Japanese name) This pun has multiple meanings. First and most obvious, it is Japanese for 'Frog'. However, depending on the kanji used, it is also a verb form for return, replace, or transform. All of these fit Frog quite well.
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| − | '''Kali Blade'''
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| − | Kali is one of the manifestations and cult titles of the wife of Shiva and mother goddess Devi, especially in her malevolent role as a goddess of death and destruction, depicted as black, red-eyed, blood-stained, and wearing a necklace of skulls. It is also said to be the fourth and worst period of the world, considered to have begun 3102 B.C., and to last 432,000 years.
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| − | Kali is also the popular name of a martial arts practiced in the Philippines originally used to ward off invading Spanish soldiers. It makes use of several weapons, and was popularized in the 20th century by Dan Inosanto, friend and student of Bruce Lee.
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| − |
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| − | '''Kaiser Arm'''
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| − |
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| − | Kaiser means emperor in German.
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| − | '''Lachesis'''
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| − |
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| − | The second incarnation of Fate, responsible for measuring the thread of Life, charactized by a middle-aged woman.
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| − |
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| − | '''LadleFe26'''
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| − | A "ladle" is a long handled, cuplike spoon used for dipping. Fe is the Elemental Symbol for Iron (ferrum), which is 1/3 of the makings for the Ladle Fe26. 26 also happens to be the Atomic Number for Iron.
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| − |
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| − | '''Lavos'''
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| − |
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| − | Lavos may be based in part off Cthulhu, a Great Old One of the fictional mythos H.P. Lovecraft created around the turn of the century. The following is taken from the [http://members.tripod.com/~danharms/part1.htm Official Cthulhu Mythos FAQ], by Daniel Harms:
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| − |
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| − | "Cthulhu is a large green being which resembles a human with the head of a squid, huge bat-wings, and long talons (true, that doesn't really resemble a human, but bear with me here). According to H. P. Lovecraft's story "The Call of Cthulhu", Cthulhu rests in a tomb in the city of R'lyeh, which sank beneath the Pacific Ocean aeons ago. Cthulhu is dead but not truly dead, as he and his fellow inhabitants of R'lyeh sleep the aeons away. (Cthulhu is generally thought of as a "he" for some reason.) From time to time R'lyeh comes to the surface, and Cthulhu's dreams influence sensitive individuals across the globe to depict his image, slay, and found cults dedicated to him. In the past, R'lyeh has sunk after a short time, but the day will soon come when it rises to the surface permanently and great Cthulhu strides across a world thrown into chaos and anarchy from his telepathic sendings.
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| − |
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| − | As has been stated before, Cthulhu is not the most important or powerful being in the Mythos, but he wins in terms of sheer popularity among his fans. No one is sure why, but that's the way things are."
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| − |
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| − | '''Guardian of Ages''' here draws a similarity between Lavos and Sauron of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series:
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| − | ''Honestly, the closest thing that I always connect Lavos with is from Tolkien's mythology, and that is Sauron. This is perhaps because Zeal seems very much like to Numenor. In Numenor the people are at first blessed and happy, and far mightier than any other peoples. But in time they tire of the lives granted to them, and begin to wish for immortality. The brink comes when, in despair, the Elven King Gil-Galad calls to Numenor for aid, for back in Middle-Earth (Numenor being in the middle of the sea) Sauron has built a massive army, and prepares to take the whole land. Numenor come to the aid of the Elves, and so great is their power that Sauron is deserted by his armies. Then it is that the Numenoreans make their fatal mistake: they take Sauron back to Numenor as a prisoner. But Sauron is a cunning being (for he had already deceived the Elves, whereby he forged the One Ring), and in time becomes the advisor to the King.
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| − |
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| − | He enflames the desire for immortality in the King's heart, and darkens the hearts of all the people. They turn utterly evil, save for a faithful remnant that is persecuted. Sauron says that if the Numenoreans were to take the Western land of Valinor, where the Powers reside, then should they gain immortality (a lie, of course). Yet the King prepares his fleets, so great that they darken the setting sun, and sails to the West. The Valar are not happy, and calling upon Eru, the One, they lay down their governship of Arda (the Earth), and Eru splits the world, turning it into a sphere (where before it had been flat). Thus the West is lost from the real world. But Numenor, caught in the middle of the fissure, is destroyed. Only the faithful survive, Elendil and his sons Isildur and Anarion, and they land with their ships in Middle-Earth. But never again would they have the glory that was Numenor of old, which, by the way, the Elves call Atalante, the Downfallen. To me, this has always seemed similar to the way that Lavos poisons the mind of queen Zeal, sending her on a foolish quest for immortality that ends in the ruin of the whole land.''
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| − |
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| − | '''Lode Bow/Sword'''
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| − |
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| − | 'Lode' is the metal ore that fills fissures in rock formations.
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| − |
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| − | '''Luminaire'''
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| − |
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| − | Latin root lumi means light.
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| − |
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| − | '''Luxator'''
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| − |
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| − | Lux is the Latin root for light.
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| − |
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| − | '''Magus'''
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| − |
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| − | Singular form of Magi, or wiseman/user of magic.
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| − |
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| − | The word Magus comes from Simon Magus, the same Simon in the Acts of the Apostles who offered Peter and John money for the power of the Holy Ghost. Read the account for yourselves. Later Christian historians are unanimous in condemning him as a heretic. One story says that he tried to ascend to heaven as Jesus did, only that the prayers of Peter and Paul brought him crashing down again. Regardless, the word Magus has been passed down to mean a sorceror of great power and evil. Only the account contained in the Acts, however, is considered reliable by Biblical scholars.
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| − |
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| − | '''Mammon'''
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| − |
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| − | Mammon--(from Webster's dictionary) The false gods of riches and avarice --OR-- Riches regarded as an object of worship and greedy pursuit, wealth as an evil, more or less personified.
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| − |
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| − | '''Mamono'''
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| − |
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| − | Mamono (Monsters-- what the humans in 600AD refer to the Mystics as) Lit 'demon-thing'. Seems to have a derogatory cannontation, denoting that the Mystics are savage animals rather than people. There are hints of racism among the humans in 600 AD. Ted Woolsley altered the dialogue so that everything seems more black and white. In the Japanese version, there were far more gray areas regarding the Guardia War. From what I have seen, Mamono refers to nonintelligent, animal demons. The Japanese have numerous names for demons. This is just one of them.
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| − |
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| − | '''Manoria Abbey'''
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| − |
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| − | The 'Ma' in the name gives it a sinister feel (ma= demon in Japanese). Could also be a pun "Ma no Ria", (demon's rear) though the particle given doesn't make full sense. Indeed, in the rear of the Abbey is a stronghold of Mazoku/Mystics.
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| − |
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| − | '''Maou'''
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| − |
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| − | Maou (Magus's Japanese name) Means 'Demon King'. In Buddhism, the Demon King is either a deva, asura, or an allegory for a great obstacle which hinders enlightenment in Buddhism. It can also be used to refer to Satan, the Judeo-Christian devil, or Mara, the Buddhist devil. Looking at Magus's role in the game, all definitions for Maou seem to fit.
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| − |
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| − | '''Maougun'''
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| − |
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| − | (Magus's Army; no US ver. term) The Demon King and his army warring with the humans is a common motif in many anime, manga, and pop-culture. It is a reference to Buddhism.
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| − | In Buddhism, the word Maougun refers either to a literal army of demons, or is a figurative term. Either way, it refers to obstacles which undermine enlightenment in Buddhism. In modern literature and pop-culture, it is an allegory to the Buddhist struggle for purity and enlightenment, with the humans symbolizing the Buddhists, and the Demon King and his army symbolizing every obstacle that hinders Buddhism.
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| − |
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| − | '''Marge'''
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| − |
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| − | Marge, if it comes from Margaret, means 'pearl', and she was the patron saint of expectant mothers.
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| − |
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| − | '''Marl'''
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| − |
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| − | Marl (Marle's Japanese name; there should be no E at the end) 1. circle 2. full (month) 3. money 4. perfection; purity 4. suffix for ship names 5. short for multi (maruchi) #5 may be what Marl is in reference to, as she has two identities, Marl and Princess Marldia.
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| − |
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| − | '''Masamune/Murasame'''
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| − |
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| − | In Japan, two "magical" blades exist. These are Masamune (Mah-sah-moo-nay) and Murasame (Mer-ah-sah-may) swords. If you put the two blades in a river with floating leaves, the Masamune blade would repel the leaves and let them flow safely down the stream, while the Murasame blade would attract and cut them up. The Murasame blade is supposedly cursed, but very powerful. It is so innately cold, that water disperses off it when drawn and exposed to air.
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| − |
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| − | '''Mayone'''
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| − |
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| − | (Flea's Japanese name) Pun on Mayonnaise.
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| − |
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| − | '''Mazoku'''
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| − |
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| − | Mazoku (Mystics) Lit. 'Demon Clan'. Has no archaic usage that I know of. In CT, it is what the Mystics prefer to be called. The Japanese have numerous names for demons. This is just one of them.
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| − |
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| − | '''Medina'''
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| − |
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| − | Holy city of Islam.
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| − |
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| − | '''Mega Mutant'''
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| − |
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| − | "Mega" means x10^6, or one million times.
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| − |
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| − | '''Miguel'''
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| − |
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| − | Miguel >Michael :
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| − | from the Hebrew 'miyka'el', which means 'who is like God', like Michael the archangel.
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| − |
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| − | '''Mojo'''
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| − |
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| − | Mojo is Spanish for gravy, but more accurately means:
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| − |
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| − | A magic charm or spell, an amulet, often a small flannel bag containing one or more magic items, worn by adherents of hoodoo or voodoo, or personal magnetism; charm.
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| − |
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| − | [Perhaps ultimately from Fula moco'o, medicine man.]
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| − |
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| − | '''Mt. Pyre, Pyretor'''
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| − |
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| − | Pyre is the Latin root for 'fire.'
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| − |
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| − | '''Mystic Warriors'''
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| − |
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| − | Ozzy Osbourne, lead singer of Black Sabbath; Slash, guitar player of Guns 'n' Roses, and Flea, bassist of the band Red Hot Chili Peppers
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| − |
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| − | '''Mythril'''
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| − |
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| − | From the Squaresoft Repository:
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| − |
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| − | Mithril was a rare metal that was invented by J.R.R Tolkien for his fantasy world of Arda, or more specifically, Middle Earth. The name 'Mithril' is Elvish in origin. It was discovered deep within the mines of the Misty Mountains by the dwarves during the Second Age of the Sun, and it was their source of wealth, the reason for their greed, and the cause of their destruction. For their insatiable desire for the silver inadvertently resulted in the release of a Balrog that had been sealed in the mountains, and they were driven away from their homes for ever. It was not until two hundred years that accursed Balrog was finally defeated when he was cast down from the pinnacle of Silvertine by Gandalf the Grey.
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| − |
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| − | "Mithril! All folk desired it. It could be beaten like copper, and polished like glass; and the Dwarves could make of it a metal, light and yet harder than tempered steel. Its beauty was like to that of common silver, but the beauty of mithril did not tarnish or grow dim." [J.R.R Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring Chapter IV]
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| − |
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| − | '''Guardian of Ages''': ''In Elvish the root "mith" signifies "grey" and comes up innumerable times (Mithrandir, another name for Gandalf, is "Grey wanderer"; Mithlond are the grey havens). The second part, "ril", means "gleam", I believe. This also appears in other names, the most notable being "Narsil". Anyway, Mithril thus means "Grey gleam". Also, unless it is either an inconsitency in his story, or a poetic licence that Bilbo takes, Mithril was discovered even in the First Age, and mined by the Elves of the West. In his poem of Earendil at Rivendell Bilbo says that the Elves the Elves used Mithril in the construction of the heavenly ship in which Earendil bears the Silmaril he has in his keeping. Therefore it must in some form exist in the Western lands of Valinor, and perhaps even Tol Eressea. This is not unplausable, because in reference to the animals it says that every type of creature, save those foul ones of the throne of Morgoth, to have ever lived in the world (and even some never seen in Middle-Earth), dwell yet in the West. This is, I would think, because of Yavanna, the Vala who loves the animals. Her husband, the Vala Aule, has a love for the things of the earth, of stone and metal (and it was through his power that the lands of Arda, the mountains and metals and such, were shaped). So it is not unlikely that through his will Mithril would exist in the West as well as in the East.''
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| − |
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| − | '''Naga-ette'''
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| − |
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| − | Nagas are a kind of half-human, half-serpent people in Indian mythology, the word simply means 'snake' sometimes.
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| − |
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| − | '''Nikki's Forest Song'''
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| − |
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| − | Sweet sister of mine is likely an allusion to the Guns 'n' Roses Sweet child o'mine.
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| − |
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| − | '''Norris'''
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| − |
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| − | 'Northerner' in old French. Could denote Porre as being north of El Nido.
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| − |
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| − | '''Parepori'''
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| − |
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| − | The prefix 'pare' is French for 'shield' or 'guard' or 'protector' or '-proof' (object, not person) I have yet to establish what the Pori means.
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| − |
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| − | '''Pentapus'''
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| − |
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| − | Bastardization of Octopus, referring to its five legs.
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| − |
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| − | '''Prometheus'''
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| − |
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| − | Prometheus was a mighty Titan. He and his brother Epimetheus were in charge of repopulating the Earth after all living creatures had perished in the early battles of the gods. Zeus gave them great measures of gifts to bestow upon their creations. Prometheus was a devoted artisan, and he put his heart and soul into his creations, now known as mankind. But Epimetheus rapidly made all kinds of animals and lavisehd all the good gifts upon them. When Prometheus went to get the gifts, there were hardly any left, for Epimetheus had stolen all the fur, antannae, tails, retractable claws, prehensile tails, etc.! So mankind really got shafted!
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| − |
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| − | Now Prometheus looked upon his creations with pity, for it was winter and they were freezing to death. He asked Zeus if he could take some of the fire from the sacred hearth for his poor creatures. But Zeus denied him this, saying the fire is fit for only the gods. But Prometheus couldn't stand to see the needless suffering, and stole some fire to bring to the humans. The fire worked wonders! The people began to wonder, and think, and philosophize! But Zeus was angry! And to punish Prometheus for his sly ways, he chained him to a rock, and sent an eagle to eat his liver. But Prometheus, being immortal, grew a new liver right away, and so each day the eagle came and ate Prometheus' liver, for all of eternity.
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| − |
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| − | '''Radius'''
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| − |
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| − | Mathematical term for the distance of a straight line from the center of a circle to any point on the circle.
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| − |
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| − | '''Rune Blade'''
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| − |
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| − | Rune, or runic, a form of writing used by ancient Europeans, embodies many mystical and magical aspects, and was a highly valued form of writing.
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| − |
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| − | '''Sara'''
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| − |
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| − | Sara (Schala's Japanese name) Has several possible meanings. The name Sarah means 'royalty 2. sarabakari (balance) 3. sarabande (music) 4. sarakedasu (to expose, to lay bare, to confess) 5. saranari (of course) 6. sarasara (rustling, murmuring, fluently, silken hair) 7. sarasara (not at all) 8. sarashi (bleach, refine) 8. sarau (kidnap, abduct) 9. sarabada (farewell)
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| − |
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| − | '''Sea of Eden'''
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| − |
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| − | Primeval Paradise from the Biblical Old Testament, symbolizing mankind's original perfect union with God.
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| − |
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| − | Eden was the first creation of the new world. The Sea of Eden was the first creation of what became El Nido.
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| − |
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| − | '''Serge'''
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| − |
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| − | Serge is Russian for servant, and Latin for attendant.
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| − |
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| − | '''Shiva, Kali'''
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| − |
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| − | Shiva, The destroyer, is a part of a triangle if you will; Brahmin, the creator, Vishnu, the Protecter, and Shiva, the Destroyer. Now, Shiva is the destroyer of evil; not quite evil herself.
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| − |
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| − | In the tale of Markindaya, Shiva and Kali show to Markindaya that they are both the same; a pillar of light emanates between them.
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| − |
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| − | Kali is not evil; you're taking Terrible in the wrong sense. not Terrible as in evil, but Terrible as in great *IE: It is terrible fun!*
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| − |
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| − | DarkBear33: It's because Kali and Shiva are two incarnations of the same being that is precisely why the reference works - because Kali Blade and Shiva Edge are the same single weapon!
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| − |
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| − | '''Siren'''
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| − |
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| − | In Greek Mythology, Sirens (also sp. "Seirenes," which may be where the mermaid Irenes' name is derived from), are depicted as voluptuous mermaids with such melodic voices as to lure sailors lost at sea (namely, Odysseus) off their boats and onto the rocks, where the Sirens would then do nasty things to them.
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| − |
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| − | '''Sonja'''
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| − |
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| − | Wind goddess from Russian lore
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| − |
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| − | '''Termina'''
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| − |
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| − | The Latin word terminus means "boundary," but Termina probably refers more to its function as a port (like an air terminal).
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| − |
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| − | '''Terra Mutant, Terrator'''
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| − |
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| − | Terra is Latin for Earth.
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| − |
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| − | Tera means 'x10^12,' a trillion times.
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| − |
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| − | '''Tesseract'''
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| − |
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| − | http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/tesseract wrote:
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| − |
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| − | Tesseract
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| − |
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| − | In geometry, the tesseract or hypercube is a regular polychoron,with eight cubical cells.
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| − | It can be thought of as an n-dimensional analogue of the cube . Roughly speaking the 4-d hypercube is to the cube as the cube is to the square.
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| − | In a square, each vertex has two perpendicular edges incident to it, while a cube has three. A tesseract has four. Canonical coordinates for the vertices of a tesseract centered at the origin are (±1, ±1, ±1, ±1), while the interior of the same consists of all points (x0, x1, x2, x3) with -1 < xi < 1.
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| − |
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| − | A tesseract is bound by eight hyperplanes , each of which intersects it to form a cube. Two cubes, and so three squares, intersect at each edge. There are three cubes meeting at every vertex, the vertex polyhedron of which is a regular tetrahedron. Thus the tesseract is given Schläfli symbol {4,3,3}. All in all, it consists of 8 cubes, 24 squares, 32 edges, and 16 vertices. The square, cube, and tesseract are all examples of measure polytopes in their respective dimensions.
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| − |
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| − | Hypercubes in fiction
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| − |
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| − | Robert Heinlein mentioned hypercubes in at least two of his science-fiction stories. ...And He Built a Crooked House described a house built as a net (i.e. an unfolding of the cells into three-dimensional space) of a tesseract. It collapsed, becoming a real hyperdimensional tesseract.
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| − |
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| − | Glory Road (1963) included the foldbox, a hyperdimensional packing case that was bigger inside than outside. In addition, a reference can be found in The Number of the Beast (1980) wherein the Burroughs continua device uses the hypercube principle to travel interdimensional universes to the incredible number of the beast.
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| − |
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| − | A hypercube is also used as the main deus ex machina of Robert J. Sawyer 's book Factoring Humanity. The tesseract is mentioned in the children's fantasy novel A Wrinkle In Time , by Madeleine L'Engle , as a way of introducing the concept of higher dimensions, but the treatment is extremely vague. In that book she uses the tesseract as a doorway, which you can pass through and emerge far away from the starting point, as if the two distant points were brought together at one intersection (at the tesseract doorway) by the folding of space, enabling near-instantaneous transportation.
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| − |
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| − | In Alex Garland's 1998 novel "The Tesseract", the author uses the term to mean the three-dimensional net of the four-dimensional hypercube rather than the hypercube itself. It is a metaphor for the characters' inability to understand the causes behind the events which shape their lives: they can only visualize the superficial world they inhabit.
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| − |
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| − | '''The Tower of Geddon'''
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| − |
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| − | Geddon taken from the name "Armageddon". Armageddon itself is often, mistakenly, taken as the name of a day or a battle; it is, in actuallity, a real field of battle. As it says in Revalations "they gathered at the place called Armageddon". It is thought that this stands for Har Megiddo, or "the mountain of Megiddo". The plains of Megiddo fall at a very strategic point, and throughout history many battles have been fought there.
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| − |
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| − | '''Three Gurus'''
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| − |
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| − | Belthasar, Melchior, and Gaspar are three wise men who brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the infant Jesus according to legend.
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| − |
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| − | The following is from the afterword of the book "Lamb" by the author Christopher Moore. The novel itself is a work of fiction, but it is based on some truth. Moore did extensive research of both the Gospel and the Bible as a whole before writing. Here's what he says:
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| − |
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| − | "Another Gospel misassumption is that the three wise men were kings, or, in fact, that there were even three of them. We make that assumption because there are three gifts given to the Christ child. Their names are never mentioned. The names Balthasar, Gaspar, and Melchior come to us from Christian tradition written hundreds of years after the time of Christ." (pages 442-3)
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| − |
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| − | When the Catholic church committed those wise men to sainthood, they did so with the names Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthasar. There's no actual record in the primary sources, but all three names were canonized together at a much later date.
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| − |
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| − | A couple of centuries after the Gospels were written (say, 7th or 8th century), though, the names Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar were traditionally used to describe the three wise men. Perhaps people were trying to "boost" Jesus' image by showing that royalty from the three major world powers were visiting him -- Balthazar would obviously have been a Babylonian name at the time, while Gaspar/Caspar would have been Persian and Melchior would have been Arabian
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| − |
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| − | '''Valkyrie'''
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| − |
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| − | Valkyrie: Means "chooser of the slain," derived from Old Norse: valr "the slain" and kyrja "chooser". In Norse myth the Valkyries were maidens who led heroes killed in battle to Valhalla.
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| − |
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| − | '''Van, Goh'''
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| − |
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| − | Van Gogh was a reputable French painter.
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| − |
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| − | '''Zurvan'''
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| − |
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| − | Zurvan/Zervan is ancient Persian for "Infinite Time" and could be used as a euphamism for "End of Time".
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| | | | |
| | ==Sociopolitical Trends== | | ==Sociopolitical Trends== |
The creators of the Chrono series were initially faced with the task of writing a unique history for their world; as ours is a product of a logical evolution of human ideas and reasoning, theirs was invariably so as well; many similarities exist between the two. Elements of culture were borrowed and fitted for the games, some inadvertently, others carefully selected for extra meaning. We may thus delve into them to locate each reference to our own world, and in some cases, discover names that hold more value for their objects. This study is divided into the following sections:
The Chrono series shares many parallels with our own history. 65000000 B.C. and onward to the age of Zeal is an amalgation of the Pleistocene Epoch and the Mesozoic Era; within the former, humans began to reach a fully evolved state, and the latter witnessed the rise and fall of the dinosaurs, made extinct in this case by Lavos. 65000000 B.C. was probably chosen as this is the date given by Luis Alvarez, a famous researcher, as the rough estimate of the Cretaceous extinction, when a large meteorite is theorized to have landed at the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico and caused the extinction of numerous animals. In the Chrono series, this exctinction comes in the form of a millions of years long Ice Age. Though there have been several Ice Ages on Earth, none can so closely correspond with that of the Chrono series.
While there is no wondrous catalyst for human evolution on our planet such as the Frozen Flame, the history of the Chrono series nonetheless coincides with our own theoretical evolution by suggesting a cranial expansion; this can be seen in Chronopolis.
On a more simpler note, Zeal yields the three Gurus; their religious inclinations will be discussed below in the appropriate section. Historically, they may have significance closer to Chrono Trigger's "home."
Lastly, Zeal's cities have Persian sounding names; upon closer inspection, Zeal can mirror the first Persian Empire, which was swift and mighty in its rise and fell due to decay and decadence. Its achievements were legendary, as the city of Persepolis is still under review as to how it was constructed -- such is the quality of its architecture.
The Muslim element first appears in this era as well, as Magus bears striking resemblances to the prophet Muhammed who founded the religion. Muhammed was born in Mecca, which, unsurprisingly, bears a relation to Zeal, the birthplace of Magus: Muslim pilgrims revere the Black Stone, a meteorite which fell in the time of Adam; this is reminiscent of Zeal's obsession with Lavos, who fell from the sky in early human history and whose fragment, the Frozen Flame, has been sought after through the ages and was rumored in Radical Dreamers and Chrono Cross to have been used in Zeal, perhaps in the Mammon Machine. Muhammed was also recorded to have been born in 570 A.D.; this coincides with Magus's given age in Radical Dreamers as 'in his thirties,' which means Magus was transported away from Zeal around that date in the Chrono series. When Muslims mention Muhammed, they usually follow his name with the phrase "Peace be upon him;" Magus is also honored in several vocal ways -- in the Cathedral, he is quoted by the Mystics as "Our Hero;" in Medina, he is "the almighty," and to his followers at Medina Square, his name is preceded with the title Sir.
Magus's introduction to the Mystics, in all probability, served as the primary cause of their rise to power; his castle later became the site of Medina, the city of the Mystics. Like Magus, Muhammed, though being born into the richest clan of Mecca (i.e. the royal family of Zeal), he was repeatedly persecuted for his religion, and suffered excessively -- Magus too endured "the darkness" to realize his life's goal. Muhammed eventually took his followers to Medina, where he became leader of the city, and was known as the Prophet -- the title also given to Magus as he revists Zeal in the Keystone Timelines, and also his status over the Mystics.
Much like in our own Middle Ages, the forces of Christendom, represented by Guardia, and the Muslim civilization of the Mystics clashed, though the offensive roles may have been somewhat reversed. The Muslims took the Holy Land of Palestine in a time when Western Europeans had little care for such a far off region, especially since the Muslims permitted pilgrimage. However, attitudes changed once stories circulated of violence towards Christians and the destruction of a shrine (though it was later rebuilt). Unlike our own history, in which Christendom launched the bulk of offense against the Muslims, the Mystics of the Chrono series lead an effort to wholly conquer the nation of Guardia, which spends most of its efforts on defense. However, similar to the crusades of Christendom, the Mystic assault on Guardia stopped short and failed to permanently achieve its objective.
Lastly, Magus shares a simple relation with Genghis Khan, who had gotten as far as Europe when he died and the Mongols were suddenly stunted in their advance (Magus perished, ending the Mystic war).
Unifying the history of the Chrono series is a familiar calendar system of A.D. and B.C., though this does not necessarily mean a Christ existed in the Chrono series (see the Religion section below for an extensive debate on this subject).
a) Gaia, goddess of the Earth, was oppressed by Uranus, god of Space.
b) The Entity (Planet) was oppressed by Lavos.
a) Gaia sends her son Cronos to kill Uranus.
b) The Entity sends Crono to kill Lavos.
a) Cronos castrates Uranus.
b) Crono sends Lavos to the Darkness Beyond Time.
a) Cronos devours each of his children each time one of them is born.
b) Crono's party (see Lucca's letter in CC) feels that they 'killed' the people of the former future, even before they were born, by creating the new time-line.
a) Zeus, one of his son, kills Cronos.
b) ??? (maybe FATE somehow kills Crono)
a) Gaia sends the Giants (who are actually giant reptiles) to defeat Zeus.
b) The Entity sends the Dragonians to defeat FATE.
a) Their chief Typhon is sealed in the Tartarus.
b) The Dragon God is sealed in the Darkness Beyond Time.
a) Prometheus steals the Fire from Zeus to give it to the Humans.
b) Prometheus requisitions the Frozen Flame from FATE to 'give' it to Serge.
a) The Humans gain some powers against Zeus.
b) Serge defeats FATE.
a) (a late Orphic sect belief) The Humans can manage to fuse with the Universe by meditating.
b) Serge defeated the Devourer of Time and merged back the dimensions.
Chrono'99 makes a convincing argument in comparing the Chrono series to classic mythology; it can be compared to Xathael's effort to view the Chrono series as an allegory for Christianity.
Ioka has shades of meritocracy: didn't Ayla say that the strongest person would be the village leader? Then again, the average Iokan appears to be his/her own ruler, so to speak, and the meetings themselves would probably be more ceremonial than political.
Laruba is essentially identical, but perhaps its leader is chosen on the basis of age rather than might.
We the players witness only one instance in which Azala shows her authoritarian leadership; that would be her commanding Nizbel to sic the party. There is nothing else to suggest how she actually governs the Reptites. There IS, however, a suggestion of "ancestor worship/respect/etc.": notice how several of the doors in the Tyrano Lair are made of dinosaur skulls.
Zeal is an absolute monarchy with an "Enlightened" despot, though Enhasa and Kajar may hold the title of "free cities".
Algetty continues to function in the manner of Ioka and Laruba, albeit with better syntax in the leader's speeches.
Guardia is your standard monarchy, neither autocratic nor figureheaded.
All four cities have elders and are more sophisticated versions of the two Stone Age settlements and the Earthbound village, basically.
The trial scenes heavily suggest that Guardia has become a constitutional monarchy, especially "the elective process".
Medina, the middle establishment, has an elder; the villages are mostly unchanged. There doesn't seem to be much political change in any city.
Of the two domes in which some semblance of human civilisation survives, one is an anarchy, and the other is a pale copy of the pre-historic regimes.
As for the robots, well, let's just say that Mother Brain is a dictatrix presiding over a mechanical society, in which pure communism has likely succeeded (machines are perfect, they say).
In the new future, the Central Regime exists; its nature is unknown, though it may be a Utopian society. It maintains a military.
