The runes in Suikoden

Vaya · Post by **Vaya** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 1:27 pm

Are the runes i the game made up just to be used in the series, or do they hail from some kind of Japanese mythology or legend?

Post by **Vextor** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 2:23 pm

They're made up for this series.

KoboldsRule · Post by **KoboldsRule** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 3:54 pm

I thought runes were exclusively a form of Norse writing - an alphabet, actually. Specifically the Futhark alphabet (using 'alphabet' for lack of a better term here.). Maybe writing in itself was once considered mystical or magical? It is after all an interesting mental exercise, if you think about it - each group of abstract symbols forms a word that the mind interprets as a particular concept. No wonder learning to read is so difficult for adult illiterates; I imagine it's tougher than learning a spoken language. Especially English with its illogical spelling rules.

When I first played Suikoden (starting with number 1, yay me) it took awhile to stop mentally translating 'rune' as 'writing' and instead think of it as 'contained magic.' Sometimes reading a lot can be a problem...

Post by **Vextor** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 4:09 pm

"Rune" is how they translated it from the Japanese version. The Japanese version doesn't call them runes--they are called "Monsho" which can be translated into words like "crest" or "emblem."

LunasMeow · Post by **LunasMeow** » Fri Oct 14, 2005 5:04 pm

They are called runes because, as stated before, while runes were the alphabet for the norse, it was also believed by many cultures (and still used in many fantasy books today) that another type of writing would be used to write down magical spells using symbols or runes. Writing was usually reserved for the king, and the magicians, priests, etc. for each culture. Therefore is was mysterious and most believed it magical especially since the magicians, priests, etc. helped that belief along.

Post by **patapi** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 2:39 am

So "rune" is another case of mistranslation in the series?

That explains where they get "Zexen Rune" from.

LunasMeow · Post by **LunasMeow** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 7:14 am

Probably not a mistranslation, just that since most people don't know the history of runes, they probably used it that way on purpose. At least in he american and PAL versions. It would also explain why they are crests or emblems as Sars said in the Jap version.

Dooz · Post by **Dooz** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 5:29 pm

Just so people know, runes are not purely Norse. Runic alphabets were used throughout a large portion of the European area.

koriand'r · Post by **koriand'r** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 6:07 am

Oddly by conidence the image on Gimli's helmet is similir alike to the blinking rune.

http://www.theonering.net/scrapbook/view/1703

http://suikoden.seiryuu.org/Runes/Blinking.jpg

LunasMeow · Post by **LunasMeow** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 6:52 am

Dooz wrote:Just so people know, runes are not purely Norse. Runic alphabets were used throughout a large portion of the European area.

True, but most people only know about the Norse version.

soul_eater · Post by **soul_eater** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 11:21 am

rune...norse...it all legend... could ne true coz lengend can be true..i also wat im talking...rune atually is our live i think..technically..maybe we were given a rune in our life...it up to us whether we make the rune evil or good...that depend on our thinking..we think good it become good..if we think bad...its becum bad of coz...the rune we were given has it own character...maybe.."STRENGTH" "HOPE" "LOVE"..i dun really noe coz this 3 are important to me..it all myth base on wat im saying

Moonbay · Post by **Moonbay** » Thu Nov 17, 2005 12:05 pm

koriand'are wrote:Oddly by conidence the image on Gimli's helmet is similir alike to the blinking rune.

http://www.theonering.net/scrapbook/view/1703

http://suikoden.seiryuu.org/Runes/Blinking.jpg

I think it goes beyond similar......

Makes one wonder if a little Norse history went into the design of the runes, though?

Komataguri · Post by **Komataguri** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 12:04 pm

Moonbay wrote:
koriand'are wrote:Oddly by conidence the image on Gimli's helmet is similir alike to the blinking rune.

http://www.theonering.net/scrapbook/view/1703

http://suikoden.seiryuu.org/Runes/Blinking.jpg
I think it goes beyond similar......

Makes one wonder if a little Norse history went into the design of the runes, though?

Or a little suikoden went into the design of that helmet.