Hello Everyone,
I was in my Social Studies class the other day learning about Hindu gods and we came across Shiva saying stuff about stuff that I have never heard before but then it said that Shiva was a HE! In all the Final Fantasies SHE has been represented by a female and I would like to know if anyone here has any knowledge about this to explain this for me.

This may no be right, but here it goes.
To my knowledge, Shiva was an eight armed god, aka an Ashura. I think. Usually, Hindu Gods were male.
In FF, Shiva is a pun. Pronounced Shiva not Sheeva.
Shiver.
Shiva.
Ice/ Diamond Dust.
You get the picture. So there is no important relationship between them.

Yeah but wasn't that eight-armed thing just in Mortal Combat? Haha:D that was funny, anyways I just did some research and it seems that they didn't have a preferred sex (dur...like Ifrit is going to be a girl or guy, not that he is a Hindu god, or is he?) but thanks for repying.

A lot of summons in FF are taken from various mythologies from around the world.

Odin is a norse god
Knights of the Round is from Arthurian legend
Gilgamesh is from an ancient Babylonian poem
Phoenix is from ancient Greek Myth
I want to say Leviathan is from an Indian mythos but I'm not sure.

Anyway you get what I'm trying to say.

I know that but that isn't what I'm trying to find out. I know that almost all of them are from different religions and races (forgot one,,,,Quezacotl is from Mayans) but rather the fact of shiva being a guy and represented as a girl.

Maybe they needed more female summons.

Siren- The Ullysses Adventure
Hades - Zues' brother and lord of Underworld.

I thought Quezacotl was from an Aztec origin?
And Ceberus - 3 headed vicious dog that guarded the entrance to the UnderWorld in Greek Mythology

Quatzalcoatl is Aztec, from what I remember. The rest is right: green-feathered snake. Yep.

About Shiva, haha. Read 3x3 Eyes to have your old image of Shiva totally ruined. ^^

Isn't Leviathan from the bible? Or do I mistake it for something else now?

Leviathan is a primordial sea serpent, originating in a prebiblical Mesopotamian myth. In the Old Testament, Leviathan appears as a sea serpent. In Psalms 74:14, Leviathan is killed by God and given as food to the Jewish people, who lived in the wilderness. In Isaiah 27:1, Leviathan is a a symbol of Israel's enemies, who will be slain by God. In Job 41, it is a symbol of God's power of creation. But he also appears in Hindu mythology.

Lets turn this into a Final Fantasy Mythology thread, could be fun.

Bahamut [Arabic Mythology]: Floating in a fathomless sea, Bahamut is a gigantic fish. A giant bull, Kujata, lays upon its back, and upon him is a ruby mountain. Upon that is an angel, the six hells, and the earth, with the seven heavens at the top. The Bahamut is so large that human eyes cannot bear it.

This is the Arabic version of Bahamut, the name "Bahamut" is included in several other mythologies.

Eden [Biblical Mythology]: Eden is the perfect utopia where humans originate in The Bible. It is a land without pain, hunger, disease or any conflicts. Adam and Eve were made into this world, but they were exiled from it when they ate the forbidden fruit of their free will.

Excalibur [Celtic Mythology]: The Excalibur is Arthur's enchanted sword, which shone with the light of thirty torches. The sword appeared in front of a church, stuck in a large stone. Many tried to pull it out, but only Arthur could. He was then crowned. The Excalibur is said to dazzle enemies and protect he who uses it. Another name for Excalibur is Caladbolg which comes from Irish mythology.

Fenrir [Norse Mythology]: The son of the mischevious fire god Loki and the frost giantess Angrboda, Fenrir is the devouring wolf and the beast of Ragnarok, the doom of the gods.

The gods kidnapped Fenrir and brought him to Asgard where they could watch him carefully. He was so savage that only the war god Tyr dared to feed him. At Ragnarok, Fenrir was freed from captivity and swallowed Odin.

Freyja/Freya [Norse Mythology]: Freyja is the daughter of the sea god Njord. She is a fertility goddess. Her greatest treasure was the Bisings' necklace which she obtained by sleeping with the four dwarves who made it. She gained many admirers whrough her breathtaking beauty.

Like Odin, Freyja has interest in the heroic dead, dividing the slain up at the end of a battle, determining who was worthy. Freyja is the goddess of both lust and love, she has a lost husband known as Odur or Od. Little is known about this husband though some stories suggest that it was Odin.


Gaia [Greek Mythology]: Gaia is the earth, who came out of Chaos. She gave birth to Ouranos the sky god who became her husband. Together they had a passionate relationship, but because of the strength of Ouranos' embrace, their children could not escape the earth womb until the youngest son, Cronos, freed them by emasculating his father. From Ouranous' blood, Gaia also gave birth to the Furies, goddesses who sought revenge on murderers.

Cronos turned out to be much like his father, and swallowed his own children. Gaia advised Rhea, Cronos' husband, to give Cronos a stone wrapped in linen instead of their youngest born, Zeus. Rhea did so and Cronos swallowed the rock without noticing. Zeus then overthrew Cronos, and freed his brothers and sisters from his stomach.

Gaia again helped Zeus, warning him that a child of his born from his lover Metis would take over. Zeus then swalloed Metis, and Athena sprang from his head. Zeus had been saved, by Gaia, from a fate similar to Cronos and Ouranos', holding his place as the supreme god.


Gilgamesh [ Akkadian poem, Sumerian Mythology]: The Epic of Gilgamesh is a long poem, composed in about 2000 B.C. It tells the story of Gilgamesh and his friend attept to become famous and gain immortality through it. Enkidu dies, though, and Gilgamesh finds the fame to be hollow. Gilgamesh goes to Utnapishtim (similar to the Bible's Noah) who tells him about his immortality, a gift he recieved during 'the great flood'. Gilgamesh learns of a plant of life but the plant is swallowed by a snake. Gilgamesh learns that death is inevitable.

Gilgamesh is apparent earlier in some Sumerian stories.


Ifrit [Arabic Mythology]: Able to take on human or animal appearance, Ifrits are large winged fire beasts. Living in their own tribes and communities, Ifrits lead social lives amongst themselves but can also have relationships with humans. They are impervious to weapons, but they can be harmed by properly used magic.

Jourmungand [Norse Mythology]: The son of the fire god Loki and the frost giantess Angrboda, Jormungand is a large serpent. Odin threw Jormungand into the ocean and it grew so long it enciircled the earth, becoming known as the Midgard Serpent. At Ragnarok, Jormungand was slain by Thor, but first bit the god. His venom eventually killed Thor.

Minotaur (Brothers) [Greek Mythology]: The Minotaur is the monstrous son of a white bull, sent by Poseidon and Pasiphae, the wife of the Crete king, Minos. The child was born with the body of a man and the head of a bull, and was named Minotaur (Minos' Bull).

The Minotaur fed each year on seven boys and seven girls, who were sent as a tribute by the Athenians. To stop these sacrifices, the hero Thesus entered the Labyrinth where the Minotaur lived and killed it. Thesus was aided by Minos' daughter, Ariadne, who gave him a sword to slay the beast, and a ball of thread which he could unravel through the maze so he could find his way out.

Odin [Norse Mythology]: Odin is the chef god of Germanic mythology. He is the oldest god, the first son of Bor. He was risen to favor mostly by the Vikings, and became known as the supreme god in the eigth and ninth centuries. The Vikings admired Odin's love for the battle, as he was known as the "father of the slain". Odin's prominence demonstrates the importance of warfare to Germanic traditions.

Odin loved to cause conflicts and shifts of power. He once aided Harald, a Danish King, instructing him in tactics and granting him victories for years. In the king's final battle, however, Odin took the place of Harald's charioteer and drove the king to his demise.

Although Odin embodied deceit, violence and war, he also embodied many admirable qualities. He was the most learned god, with a great love for wisdom. He would willingly sacrifice himself for it.

With the threat of Ragnarok, the death of all gods, Odin built the Valhalla, a great hall of the "heroic dead". Odin would then gather heroes and warriors who were slain in battle, and bring them to Valhalla so they would fight alongside the gods on the Vigrid plain, in an attempt to strengthen and save the gods in the final battle against the frost giants at the time of Ragnarok.

Odin was killed by a wolf, Fenrir, a monstrous offspring of the fire god Loki and the frost giantess Angrboda.


Owain [Celtic Mythology]: Owain was the son of Urien and a warrior of King Arthur. He once set out to find the mysterious Black Knight who defeated Cynon, a fellow warrior. He was able to wound the knight, but nearly became a prisoner within a castle that the knight fled to. A woman named Luned saved Owain, giving him a ring of invisibility. The Black Knight died of his wounds and Owain married his widow, becoming master of the Castle of the Fountain, where the Black Knight lived. King Arthur sent his knights to find the long parted Owain, and Owain returned with them, eventually forgetting about his wife and the castle.

A very angry woman came to court and accused Owain of treachery and unfaithfulness and Owain became ashamed. He fled to the woods where he lived as a hermit until a well-born lady restored his health. Owain then slew a dragon and befriended a lion, with whom he had numerous adventures. They saved Luned from a fiery death. Eventually Owain returned to the Castle of the Fountain and made up with his wife, where they lived "happily ever after."


Pandora [Greek Mythology]: Pandora was the first woman, similar to 'Eve' in The Bible. She was created by Hephaistos, the smith god, under the order of Zeus to upset Prometheus, the god of fire and friend of men.

When Pandora was sent to live with men, she was given a sealed jar (often called Pandora's Box). The jar was a gift from the gods which contained the misfortunes and sorrows of existence. Pandora's curiosity overcame her fear and she opened the jar, releasing sorrow, disease and conflict to mankind.

The name Pandora means 'all gifts': The good, and the bad. Men gained a female companion, but they also gained many woes.


Phoenix [Greek, Egyptian and Chinese Mythology]: The Phoenix is a great mythical bird. The creature lives for 500 years, and when it's lifespan ends it sets itself aflame. From it's ashes, a new phoenix is born.

The Phoenix is a symbol of rebirth, ressurection or renewal. The revive item in most FF games is the 'Phoenix Down', a reference to the creature.

The Phoenix in Chinese mythology is known as Feng


Quezacotl/Quetzalcoatl [Aztec, Toltec and Mayan]: Quezacotl, or "Feathered Snake", was a powerful god of vegetation to many middle-american cultures. He is depicted as a large snakelike bird in both mythology and Final Fantasy VIII.

According to Aztec belief, the universe goes through various periods of existence. Quezacotl was known as the ruler of this (their) period, who brought back human life, spreading it throughout this existence.

For the Toltecs, Quezacotl was the ruler of Tula, the capital city. He was expelled by the night god, and then immolated himself, becoming the planet Venus. He then became god of the morning and evening stars, of death and ressurection.


Ragnarok [Norse Mythology]: Ragnarok is one of the most important events in Norse mythology, marking the doom of the Germanic gods. A terrible winter lasted for three years before the final battle on the Vigrid plain between the gods and the frost giants. Alongside the gods also fought the 'glorious dead' who had been summoned from Valhalla by Odin to fight on their side in the battle. Alongside Loki, the fire god, and the frost giants fought the "unworthy dead" whom they summoned from Hel, along with the wolf Fenrir and the serpent Jormungand. The destined event could not have been prevented by the gods.

Apocalypse is a common theme in many mythologies, but the Nordic version is unique as it entails the death of their gods.


Ramuh/Ramah/Rama [Hindu Mythology]:
There are three Ramas in Hindu tradition, though the name Ramah refer more specifically to Ramacandra, the seventh incarnation of Vishnu. He is an incarnation known for his chivalry, virtue and right-doing.

Notably, it is possible that Ramah was a real historical figure, or simply part of the mythology.


Tiamat [Assyrian and Mesopotamian Mythology]: Tiamat is the dragon of Chaos, the first entity. She is freshwater, a counterpart to saltwater, Apsu, in union with whom she becomes the mother of the gods. She is killed by the god Merodach, who then takes her body to form heaven and earth.

It took little bit of time, but I think I've supplied quite of knowledge there. I'd like to thank www.GalbadiaX.com and www.Ancient-Mythology.com, for allowing me to steal this information. Cheers.

You could just have posted the link to the website where you copied this from, instead of writing this huge post. Actually, you SHOULD have mentioned your source in any case. Because someone has actually put a lot of work in writing this, and deserves credit.
http://www.galbadiax.com/mythology/

Yeah I thought that too, I just have a really short memory span. Sorry about that. I'll just do some editing. Also by me posting that people won't have to bother doing the hefty task of clicking on the links, plus I have lots of time to waste and I'm bored so meh.

WOW! That was a LOT of typing and I don't think that I would ever do that. Yeah the quezactol thing (aztec mayan, mayan aztec they are very similar easy mistake) but yeah my science teacher likes shiva and he told me some stuff abou it and I thnk that the Final fantasy games just represent her as a girl for the sake of her being a girl. LOL:)

Yeah it was alot of typing, just glad I didn't do it. All I did was do the emboldening, and typing the name of the character and what Mythology region they came from. Trusty 'Copy and Paste' shortens everything, and makes me look like a cheap-skate.

Yeah i figured that because no one in thier right mind would type all of that when they are bored.:eye:

Obviously you haven't seen my FF15 story in the Fiction and Poetry section.
Well I learned some stuff today. Like anyone really cares that I learned anything, which I don't either.
But I do like the mythology stuff. I love hearing about Gods and the sort.

Its cool that you like to learn about this stuff, I myself have shown quite an intrest in it as well. Its always good to show an intrest in all kinds of things. And if you think no one cares, I do. I'm glad people are learning subjects like this and keeping themselves occupied.

Yeah gods are always cool to learn about because they are mythical and good for you for showing an interest in them. It is a good thing to learn about and even though I am only 15 I still know what you mean DO0od.

Ok then.
Proves what I know.

I'm only 14 and I'm interested in this stuff.

Well Kudos to you DO0od! I am just about the same age as you. When is your birthday?

Ask him this in a PM. No further chatting in this thread. Evil mod said so. ;)

So if they say Bahamut is a gigantic fish in the sea, why in FF, he is depicted as a dragon?

Duhhhhhh! The answer is clearly obvious and only an idiot would not realize it (Im just kidding). Because dragons are cooler and attract a bigger audience. You wouldn't see people being like, "WHOA! A BIG TROUT CAME AND ATE THE CACTUAR!!!!!!!"

no wasn't Quezacotl a god of wind and life but looked like a man....coz thats what i learned...oh and he has a blue mask on.

_________
OMNISLASH!!! yea im so kew...