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Mythology

The original idea of Spira is based in the idea that Susano-O stopped the sacrifices of eight when he fought Yamato-no-Orochi. Susano-O is expelled from Heaven and meets a couple weeping over their lost daughters. They have had to sacrifice seven of the eight and are trying to figure out what to do about their eighth daughter. Considering the idea of eight sacrifices, I find it amusing that there are eight aeons that Yuna can get. There was no one, no outsider, to stop the sacrifices and thus all were sacrificed.

I strongly consider that Tidus is expelled/ejected/removed from Heaven (Zanarkand, the ideal) and later decides to stop the sacrifices. True, he didn't stumble upon a crying couple. While his own father got him involved, I find it an interesting concept that Braska, as summoner, ended up seeking assistance to save his daughter from sacrifice. This still partially fits with the initial idea and I find it quite charming, actually.

If we count only the required summons we end up with five. We can easily consider that Yuna and her guardian of choice will be the sixth and seventh. However, we also know about Anima through Seymour's summoning. So, we know that there are at least six fayth making Yuna's guardian and Yuna the seventh and eighth sacrifices for the current cycle. Well, making them at least eight sacrifices for the current cycle!

I find it awesome, in fact, that when we count up all of the summons available to Yuna we hit eight. I don't think that has anything to do with particularly anything, but I did find it interesting that there were at least eight willing people to assist. Although, we do know more than eight because the Magus Sisters, while one summon, are three distinct souls. For me, though, it would still be eight sacrifices counting the Magus sisters as one force rather than three. This is something that could be totally unrelated but is amusing to me.

Not Mythology just Another Explanation

This site serves a second purpose, one that lets me reflect on ideas I've kept bottled up. Another is for me to reminisce as Final Fantasy X and X-2 were the last two games I played with my uncle before he passed away in 2009. The aspects of death and sacrifice are concepts that I understand, and am struggling with in context of losing my uncle. And it has made it so much harder for me to get through the games that I once really enjoyed playing. It's also made me a lot more introspective in way of verbalizing my thoughts and helping me to articulate what I am thinking. Ultimately, I decided to write down my thoughts almost completely unedited as part of coming to terms with many emotions and feelings. In particular, you might notice some extremely mixed and sharp comments in Anima's section - they are feelings that I cannot completely separate from. I'll be honest, I didn't try. When I say that I have revised it would be more accurate to say I checked for typos and added sections.

I have a very different grieving process than most. I don't cry at funerals and I don't usually cry over the dead. I never feel angry, in fact, sometimes I feel relieved to know that someone is no longer suffering (too true, in the case of my uncle). I find death to be the ultimate release to the suffering in life. I find death to be a sacred promise, the sort of promise for something better. This is part of my own faith which I will not dive into here. Suffice to say though, that Spira's cycle of death confuses and saddens me because it is not a cycle of freedom, but a cycle of entrapment. The way that Sin functions denies many from death and those unfortunate enough not to get sent turn into fiends only to be destroyed again. The way that Spira works goes against many of my natural beliefs and for that reason was an interesting writing experience for me.

This site has helped me to write and remember. Though it did not help me come to terms with my uncle's death. It did not help me understand the concepts of Spira any easier either. It did, however, let me explore and write and for that I am thankful. The journey of exploration will also explain the bouts of longer and shorter writing as well as better and worse writing.