AtmaFlare

Mythology and Megaten Nerd

[atmaflare]

-Elagabal, the stone sun- A Roman sun god imported from Syria by the Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. He was worshipped in the form of a black stone, possibly a meteorite, that was even paraded around in a chariot during festivals.

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-Seto taishō, the crockery yokai- A tsukumogami made from broken crockery and kitchen utensils, taking the form of a little soldier. It chases after humans using makeshift weapons, but is incapable of causing true harm, and tends to break by crashing into walls. But even after shattered, it can put itself back together, and then resumes its haunting.

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If you're cold, your demons are cold. Let Holy Gho- I mean, Christmas Spirit in your party! Happy Holidays everyone!

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Happy 30th anniversary, Shin Megami Tensei! Don't have much new stuff to post, so here's a collection of all demon sprites I've made so far

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Vile Cronus! What will you do?

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-Amon, Marquis of Hell- The 7th demon of the Ars Goetia, also mentioned in the Dictionnaire Infernal and Pseudomonarchia Daemonum. A marquis of hell (or prince in the Dictionnaire), he rules over 40 legions of demons, and has the power to breathe fire, reconcile friends and foes and tell his summoner about the past and future. In the Dictionnaire Infernal, he's depicted as a serpentine wolf with an owl's head, but can also take the shape of a man with a raven's head , or with a dog-teethed hawk head.

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tw: gore/horror Attempts at coloring Hanako’s and Pennangal's (Pontianak???) artwork from Kazuma Deluze in something akin to the 32-bit era style. Maybe in another timeline we got them as actual demons in some game. A true shame.

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A bit late, but here’s all the SMTV demon sprites I made prior to the game’s release! ...+ bonus Doi Amabie

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-Ogun, God of Iron- The Yoruba Orisha of iron, and patron god of everything related to it, including warriors, metalworkers and even machinists. Ogun represents the development of human technology and the use of tools to transform nature. According to some stories, he had an active role in the creation of the world, helping shape the mountains and the minerals within. With his sword Adagá, he cleared the way for humans to populate the land, helping birth civilization. In Brazilian Candomblé traditions, Ogun’s warrior aspect is emphasized, with his devotees said to manifest strong personality traits due to his influence. He’s syncretised with Saint George, and associated with dogs and the colors blue, green and red.

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At least the enemies in here are also recruitable

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-Barometz,  The vegetable lamb of Tartary- Also known as Borometz, Borametz or Boranetz. A legendary creature from Tartary (an old blanket term for Central Asia) that's part animal and part vegetable, believed to be a misinterpretation of a cotton plant. It produces fruit in the shape of sheep, with flesh, bones and all, which spend all their lives connected to the plant by a stem, grazing the land around it. If the stem is severed, the sheep dies. It's wool can then be used to make articles of clothing, and the blood is said to be sweet like honey.

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-Loki, the Trickster- The half-jotunn trickster god of Norse mythology, in some sources described as the son of the jotunn Fárbauti and the Aesir goddess Laufey. Loki uses his wit to cheat and lie his way into what he wants, be it for the good of the gods or his own personal gains. With the jotunn Angrboða he fathered the giant wolf Fenrir, the goddess of the dead Hel and the world serpent Jormungandr. By turning into a mare, he also mated with the stallion Svaðilfari and gave birth to Odin’s eight legged horse, Sleipnir. Loki’s relationship with the other Aesir gods changed depending on the story. In most, Loki acted as a comic relief character or travelling companion to Thor, while in some, Loki acted in an antagonistic manner to them. One of the most famous episodes of such is his involvement in the death of Baldr, the god of light. Plagued by ominous dreams foretelling his death, Baldr’s mother, the goddess Frigg, makes everything in the world promise to never hurt her son, with the exception of the mistletoe plant due to how harmless she perceived it to be. This effectually makes Baldr impervious to any damage, greatly annoying Loki, who discovers about the mistletoe and plots to have him shot with an arrow made of the plant. Baldr dies on the spot, depriving the world of its light and setting into motion the events of Ragnarok. As a punishment, Loki is bound to a rock with the entrails of his own son with a huge snake dripping venom on his face. On the day of Ragnarok, Loki is foretold to be freed and join the army of the enemies of the gods alongside his children, only for him and Heimdallr to kill each other in combat.

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Sprites of some very cool new demons

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-Lamassu, Ancient Protector- A supernatural being from Assyrian mythology, associated with constellations and originating from the Sumerian protective goddess Lama. With time, the image of the winged goddess evolved into that of a hybrid creature. They were portrayed as human-headed, with the body of a bull or lion, and powerful wings sprouting from their chest. The Lamassu acted as guardians of a certain space, households and palaces alike, protecting its inhabitants from malign supernatural forces. In the Book of Ezekiel, divine creatures later identified as Cherubs are described as part of God's entourage, each one having 4 different heads: one of a human, eagle, ox and lion. It is speculated that the Ezekiel's Cherubs chimeric form may have been influenced by Jewish contact with Assyrian culture, having their origins on the Assyrian Lamassu.

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Shin Megami-style sprites for some of my own designs. None of these were originally made to fit the SMT series, so I just picked a random few who I felt could pass as demons more easily. Links to the originals for comparison sake at Atmaflare’s: Mula sem Cabeça Karakasa Mimi Tatzelwurm Elatha Ribesal

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Some SMT2 mockup screenshots, because why not?

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-Gozu Tennoh, Syncretic pestilence god- A syncretic Japanese deity whose name means "Ox-Headed Heavenly King", also called Gion Tenjin and Butou. Not originally a Japanese god, it's theorized he may have been a protector god of the ancient Buddhist monastery in Jetavana, changing along the way as Buddhism spread across mainland Asia, and then arriving in Japan. The Gozu sandalwood, taken from a mountain of the same name, is praised in Buddhist texts as ideal for making incenses and for its medicinal purposes, and is theorized by some that association with this sandalwood is why he was viewed as a god of pestilence and healing in early Japan. Gozu Tennoh was a considered a fearsome god responsible for causing epidemics, but one whom could also be prayed to for protection against the demons of said epidemics. He was portrayed as a fierce-looking man with the head of an ox above his head, and is frequently represented holding an axe and a lasso. He was also sometimes depicted with three heads and multiple arms. With the separation of Buddhism and Shinto during the Meiji period, the worship of gods such as Gozu Tennoh was outlawed by the government, plunging him into relative obscurity to this day. Several shrines reidentified him as the Shinto kami Susanoo, to whom he was already closely associated, even considered the same as, previously for a long time. The annual Gion Festival in Kyoto is said to have its origins as a ceremony to placate Gozu Tennoh/Susanoo during the plague that was ravaging Japan in 869.

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-Dyeus, Ancient sky father-

The hypothetical “sky father” of the Proto-Indo-European civilization, a personification of the day lit sky. Dyeus was thought to be an all-seeing, sun-eyed god. His opposite and consort is thought to be Dhéghōm or Plethwih, the also hypothetical earth goddess, whom he impregnates with his fertile rains to create new life. The Proto- Indo-Europeans are a hypothetical prehistoric ethnolinguistic group who lived across Eurasia and are thought to be the ancestors of many ancient civilizations. After dispersing across the world and millennia passed, common etymological roots can still be found across ancient civilizations in Europe, Africa and Asia. Gods whose names derive from the root dyeu or who are called by some variation of the title “sky father” are thought to share a common ancestor. While non-attested in written or archeological materials, it’s proposed by researchers this god would be called Dyeus based on naming conventions, and would’ve been worshipped by the ancient Proto-Indo-Europeans. Possible gods who may share an etymological root with him in some way include the Rigvedic Dyaus, the Greek Zeus, the Norse Odin, the Slavic Stribog, the Irish Dagda and many others.