Well, again, really not that impressive in the game. His design has not changed much from SMT1 to SMT3, but it certainly looks better in the latter game. Gave me a surprise the first time I saw it attack, too.Wikipedia posted:
Abaddon (Hebrew אבדון Avadon, meaning "destruction"). In Biblical poetry (Job 26:6; Proverbs 15:11), it comes to mean "place of destruction", or the realm of the dead, and is associated with Sheol. Abaddon is also one of the compartments of Gehenna.[1]
In Revelation 9:11, it is personified as Abaddon, "Angel of the Abyss",[1] rendered in Greek as Apollyon; and he is described as king of the locusts which rose at the sounding of the fifth trumpet. In like manner, in Rev. vi. 8, Hades is personified following after death to conquer the fourth part of the earth.
Abaddon is one of the infernal names used in LaVeyan Satanism, and is first in the list—only as it comes first alphabetically—and means "the destroyer."
And he was absolutely badass. And if I recall correctly, the inspiration for Sláine: The Horned God, a comic character that kicks ass.Wikipedia posted:
In Irish mythology Cúchulainn /kuːˈxʊlɪnʲ/ (pronunciation (help·info)) (Irish "Hound of Culann"; also spelled Cú Chulainn, Cú Chulaind, Cúchulain, or Cuchullain; known in childhood as Sétanta, is an Irish folk legend and the pre-eminent hero of Ulster in the Ulster Cycle. His mother was Deichtine, sister of king Conchobar mac Nessa; his father was either the god Lugh the Long Armed, or Deichtine's mortal husband Sualtam, and his foster-father was Fergus mac Róich. His charioteer, Láeg, is ever-present by his side. He had two horses, Liath Macha and Dub Sainglend. He also appears in Scottish and Manx folklore.
See? it looks NOTHING like a Rangda, but it is just like a Barong.Wikipedia posted:
Rangda is the demon queen of the leyaks in Bali, according to traditional Balinese mythology. Terrifying to behold, the child-eating Rangda leads an army of evil witches against the leader of the forces of good - Barong.
It is suggested that Rangda may be derived from the 11th century Javan queen Mahendradatta who was exiled by the king, Dharmodayana, for allegedly practising witchcraft against his second wife. The tale surrounding this is that she proceeded to take her revenge by killing off half the kingdom, which by then belonged to her and Dharmodayana's son Erlangga, with plague before being overcome by a holy man. The name Rangda means "widow".
Rangda is important in Balinese culture, and performances depicting her struggles with Barong or with Erlangga in that tale are popular tourist attractions as well as tradition. She is depicted as a mostly nude old woman, with long and unkempt hair, pendulous breasts, and claws. Her face is traditionally a horrifying fanged and goggle-eyed mask, with a long, protruding tongue.
Bali is a Hindu island, and it is suggested that Rangda may also be associated with Durga, the Hindu mother warrior goddess, and Kali, the black mother goddess of destruction, transformation and protection in Hinduism. While Rangda is seen as fearsome and by many as the personification of evil, she is also nevertheless considered a protective force in certain parts of Bali, much like Kali is seen as a benevolent mother goddess in the Indian states of West Bengal, Assam and Kerala. The colors associated with her - white, black and red - are identical with those associated with Kali. Her iconography is similar to that of both Kali and Chamunda, who are closely related.
In SMT 3, it is also a very annoying boss (and later a very annoying random encounter) because it is immune to physical attacks, and in the Fifth Kalpa, the Shady Broker sells you one with the skill Pierce. Needless to say, it is a very good investment.Megaten Wiki posted:
Girimehkala is a large demonic elephant from Sri Lankan mythology. It is said to be the mount of the demon lord Mara, who tried to tempt Buddha so that he could not achieve enlightenment. The Girimehkala's most prominent feature is its one huge eye, which is said to carry a powerful curse. Anyone that looks into its eye will fall ill and cannot be cured.
It is suggested that Girimehkala is a demonized Ganesha or Airavata from Hinduism, as Buddhist Sri Lankans and the Hindu Indians have come into conflict several times throughout history.
Wikipedia posted:
Ganesha (Sanskrit: गणेश; Gaṇeśa; listen (help·info), also spelled Ganesa) is one of the best-known and beloved representations of divinity in Hinduism.[7] Although he is known by many other attributes, Ganesha's elephant head makes him easy to identify.[8] Several texts relate mythological anecdotes associated with his birth and exploits, and explain his distinct iconography. Ganesha is worshipped as the lord of beginnings, the lord of obstacles (Vighnesha),[9] patron of arts and sciences, and the god of intellect and wisdom.[10] He is honoured with affection at the start of any ritual or ceremony and invoked as the "Patron of Letters" at the beginning of any writing.[11]
Ganesha appears as a distinct deity in clearly-recognizable form beginning in the fourth to fifth centuries AD, during the Gupta Period. His popularity rose quickly, and he was formally included as one of the five primary deities of Smartism, a Hindu denomination, in the ninth century AD. During this period, a sect of devotees (called Ganapatya; Sanskrit: गाणपत्य; gāṇapatya) who identify Ganesha as the supreme deity was formed.[12] The principal scriptures dedicated to his worship are the Ganesha Purana, the Mudgala Purana, and the Ganapati Atharvashirsa.
Today, Ganesha is the most-worshipped divinity in India.[13][14] Worship of Ganesha is considered complementary with the worship of other forms of the divine, and various Hindu sects worship him regardless of other affiliations.[15][16][17] The devotion of Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to Jains, Buddhists, and beyond India.
MegatenWiki posted:
Mishaguji was a native god worshipped in the ancient Shinto region of Japan before the Yamato took control, at which point the worship of it became a taboo. Mishaguji was the god of sexual intercourse and if he was left an offering, then sex would become better. It is said that Mishaguji's incarnation on Earth had a very phallic shape, possibly similar to an earthworm, and he would take shelter under rocks or stones. Once Yamato took control however, Mishaguji became seen as a god that only the undesirable and unfaithful would worship.
Wikipedia posted:
Scylla, or Skylla (Greek: Σκύλλα) was one of the many monsters in Greek mythology (one other being Charybdis) that live on either side of a narrow channel of water. The two sides of the strait are within an arrow's range of each other, so close that sailors attempting to avoid Charybdis will pass too close to Scylla and vice versa. The phrase between Scylla and Charybdis has come to mean being in a state where one is between two dangers and moving away from one will cause you to be in danger from the other. Traditionally the aforementioned strait has been associated with the Strait of Messina between Italy and Sicily, but more recently this theory has been challenged, and the alternative location of Cape Skilla in northwest Greece has been suggested. Scylla is a horribly grotesque sea monster, with six long necks equipped with grisly heads, each of which contained three rows of sharp teeth. Her body consisted of twelve canine legs and a fish's tail. She was one of the children of Phorcys and either Hecate, Crataeis, Lamia or Ceto (where Scylla would also be known as one of the Phorcydes). Some sources cite her parents as Triton and Lamia.
In classical art she was depicted as a fish-tailed mermaid with four to six dog-heads ringing her waist.
In Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus is given advice by a ghost from the land of the dead to sail closer to Scylla, for Charybdis could drown his whole ship. Odysseus then successfully sails his ship past Scylla and Charybdis, but Scylla manages to catch six of his men, devouring them alive. When this happens, Odysseus takes the empty spot on the boat and helps the men row the ship out of harms way.
According to Ovid, Scylla was once a beautiful nymph. The fisherman-turned-sea-god Glaucus fell madly in love with her, but she fled from him onto the land where he could not follow. Despair filled his heart. He went to the sorceress Circe to ask for a love potion to melt Scylla's heart. As he told his tale of love about Scylla to Circe, she herself fell in love with him. She wooed him with her sweetest words and looks, but the sea-god would have none of her. Circe was furiously angry, but with Scylla and not with Glaucus. She prepared a vial of very powerful poison and poured it in the pool where Scylla bathed. As soon as the nymph entered the water she was transformed into a frightful monster with twelve feet and six heads, each with three rows of teeth. She stood there in utter misery, unable to move, loathing and destroying everything that came into her reach, a peril to all sailors who passed near her. Whenever a ship passed, each of her heads would seize one of the crew.
Wikipedia posted:
Kraken ( "krah’ ken" | IPA RP: /ˈkɹɑːkɛn/ | GA: /ˈkɹɑːkɛn/ | AuE: /ˈkɹaːken/) are legendary sea monsters of gargantuan size, said to have dwelled off the coasts of Norway and Iceland. The sheer size and fearsome appearance attributed to the beasts have made them common ocean-dwelling monsters in various fictional works (see Kraken in popular culture). The legend may actually have originated from sightings of real giant squid that are estimated to grow to 13 metres (46 feet) in length, including the tentacles. These creatures normally live at great depths, but have been sighted at the surface and reportedly have "attacked" small ships.[citation needed]
Kraken is the definite article form of krake, a Scandinavian word designating an unhealthy animal, or something twisted.[1] In modern German, Krake (plural: Kraken) means octopus, but can also refer to the legendary Kraken (Terrell, 1999).
The hell? That is supposed to be female?Wikipedia posted:
Hārītī (Sanskrit), also known as Kishimojin in Japanese:鬼子母神, is a Buddhist goddess for the protection of children, easy delivery, happy child rearing and parenting, harmony between husband and wife, love, and the well-being and safety of the family. Women without children also pray to Kishimojin to help them become pregnant.
Originally, Kishimojin/ Hariti was a cannibalistic demon. She had hundreds of children whom she loved and doted upon, but to feed them, she abducted and killed the children of others. The bereaved mothers of her victims pleaded to Śākyamuni Buddha to save them.
Śākyamuni stole Aiji, youngest of Kishimojin's sons, and hid him under his rice bowl. Kishimojin desperately searched for her missing son throughout the universe. Finally, she pleaded with Shakyamuni for help. The Buddha pointed out that she was suffering because she lost one of hundreds of children, and asked if she could imagine the suffering of parents whose only child had been devoured. She replied contritely that their suffering must be many times greater than hers, and vowed to protect all children.
Kishimojin became the goddess of easy birthing and the protection and parenting of children.
Some stories describe her as an aspect of Kannon. She is also sometimes identified with the Hindu goddess Kali.
Pancika was her consort, and he fathered her children. He was one of the 28 Yakṣa generals in the army of Vaiśravaṇa (Bishamonten).
In Gandhara, depictions of Hārītī take on many attributes of the Greek goddess Tyche; like Tyche, she is often depicted holding a cornucopia and dressed in Greek attire.
In SMT3, these guys are immune to half of the things you can do to them, and WEAK to everything else. Somewhat handy, unless you fight one of the things that can hurt them.MegatenWiki posted:
An ancient Japanese aboriginal god since the Kohun period. The Momunofu were his servants and before his religion was submerged by the Shinto pantheon, Arahabaki was worshipped in Japan's North-Eastern regions. He was also worshipped by Nagasunehiko, an enemy of Emperor Jimmu, and so by the Emperor's orders Arahabaki became a symbol of treachery, rebellion, and herocy and his worship was forbidden for a long period afterwards. Nowadays, Arahabaki's clay figurine is especially common in inns throughout Japan.
MegatenWiki posted:
According to the ancient records in the Kojiki and Nihonshoki of ancient Japan, Nagasunehiko was the younger brother of Abihiko and the chieftain of ancient Yamato. When Emperor Jimmu started his migration east, he put his older brother Itsuse no Mikoto in command of the army. As the army approached Naniwa (where modern day Osaka now stands) they encountered the forces of the local chieftain, Nagasunehiko who showed his excellent leadership skills by defeating Jimmu's army and killing Itsuse in the ensuing battle.
Jimmu came to the conclusion that the reason they had lost is because they battled eastward against the Sun, and thus could not obtain the blessings of Amaterasu. He then decided to land on the east side of the Kii Peninsula so that he could battle westward, and with the help of Yatagarasu was able to move onto Yamato. While there, his army once again encountered Nagasunehiko's forces, but this time were victorious and was able to meet Nigihayahi no Mikoto who Nagasunehiko was protecting. Jimmu and Nigihayahi both claimed to be descendants of Takamagahara, and when the two met Nigihayahi accepted Jimmu's legitimacy, and Jimmu ascended to the throne.
