Eidolon (astral double)
Encyclopedia
In ancient Greek thought, which has influenced modern literature and Theosophy
, an eidolon (Greek
εἴδωλον: "image, idol, double, apparition, phantom, ghost") is a spirit-image of a living or dead person; a shade or phantom look-alike of the human form. If of a dead person, the phantom can appear under certain conditions to survivors of the deceased.
Two ancient Greek authors, Stesichorus
and Euripides
, denied that Helen of Troy ever bodily went to Troy at all, but only her eidolon. In the story used by Euripides in his play Helen
, Hermes
fashioned a likeness of her out of clouds at Zeus' request, and Helen spent the entire Trojan war in Egypt
.
The term Eidolon was used by Edgar Allan Poe
in his poem 'Dreamland' (1844). It was also later used as the subject of Walt Whitman
's 'Eidolons' (1876).
In Theosophy, the astral double or perispirit
or kamarupa after death, before its disintegration is identified with the eidolon.
In the game Pathfinder
there is a class called the Summoner which gains the ability to summon a special companion called an Eidolon, which can take on various forms based on attributes assigned to it. The official rules state that the summoned Eidolon is an aspect of a powerful otherworldly creature, tying back to the original meaning of the word. It is an Outsider, which implies that it is composed of spiritual essence, usually that of the Outer Planes.
In the game Mystic Empyrean you play as powerful creatures called Eidolons, each one has 5 powers which are formed through how they act in life (I.e. Proud people can become Dragon-like)
, the Eidolon is a vehicle crafted from wood and powered by magic used to navigate the map and destroy dragons.
In the game Final Fantasy IV
, Eidolons are the summons that Rydia summon to help the party in battle. They live in a place called the Feymarch that is set apart from civilization. The Eidolons build houses, set up shops, have a library and are ruled by a King and a Queen. A bond between a specified Eidolon and their summoner is unique. Once one dies, the other dies also, as seen with Rydia's mother early in the game.
In the game Final Fantasy IX
eidolons are entities that may be summoned by two characters to help in battles: Garnet, and Eiko
In the game Final Fantasy XIII
eidolons are entities specific to each of the main cast of playable characters that can be summoned to help in battles.
In the game Hexen 2, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
(Pestilence, War, Famine, and Death) are bosses. They lead up to the final boss, Eidolon.
In the game EVE Online
, the Eidolon is a class of battleship belonging to the Jove race.
In the game City of Heroes
, the Eidolon is a powerful being created from body parts of fallen heroes and reanimated to serve their villainous master, Dr. Vahzilok.
In the Warcraft 3 mod: Defense of the Ancients DotA
, a Hero named Enigma can summon smaller copies of himself called Eidolons
In the game Guild Wars
, an Eidolon is a large, floating monster similar to a squid with immense elemental powers. It is a boss creature that must be slain in order to upgrade your character's armor at one point in the prophecies campaign.
In the game Death Rally
one of the racing tracks is called Eidolon.
In the game Shards of Dalaya one of bosses of Plane of Frost is named Horshint, The Gelid Eidolon
In the game Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup, an eidolon is a spectre which can inflict fear in the player, forcing him to flee.
In the game Warhammer: Age of Reckoning, in the first area for Destruction players, a Chosen named The Eidolon gives item rewards.
superhero War Machine
, a.k.a. James Rhodes, wore a living, symbiotic suit of armor known as the Eidolon Warwear for a short period of time. The suit could be retracted into a mandala on his chest, or released to outfit him with alien weaponry and wrap his full form.
In the Star Wars Rogue Squadron series, the Eidolon was a redesigned Imperial Star Destroyer, though it was just a ruse from a high ranking Imperial officer to steal galactic treasures.
In Jack of Fables
The Big Book of War, an Eidolon army of fables whose stories have been destroyed by Bookburner attacks Revise and the captive fables at the Golden Boughs Retirement Community.
released the Eidolon (album)
in 2008.
American technical death metal band The Faceless
released the track "The Eidolon Reality" for their upcoming 2011 album.
Canadian power metal band Eidolon (band)
formed in 1993.
Seattle progressive rock band Rishloo released Eidolon in May, 2007
Seattle pop-rock band, The Love Lights, released 'O! Eidolon' in 2008.
Theosophy
Theosophy, in its modern presentation, is a spiritual philosophy developed since the late 19th century. Its major themes were originally described mainly by Helena Blavatsky , co-founder of the Theosophical Society...
, an eidolon (Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
εἴδωλον: "image, idol, double, apparition, phantom, ghost") is a spirit-image of a living or dead person; a shade or phantom look-alike of the human form. If of a dead person, the phantom can appear under certain conditions to survivors of the deceased.
Two ancient Greek authors, Stesichorus
Stesichorus
Stesichorus was the first great poet of the Greek West. He is best known for telling epic stories in lyric metres but he is also famous for some ancient traditions about his life, such as his opposition to the tyrant Phalaris, and the blindness he is said to have incurred and cured by composing...
and Euripides
Euripides
Euripides was one of the three great tragedians of classical Athens, the other two being Aeschylus and Sophocles. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to him but according to the Suda it was ninety-two at most...
, denied that Helen of Troy ever bodily went to Troy at all, but only her eidolon. In the story used by Euripides in his play Helen
Helen (play)
Helen is a drama by Euripides, probably first produced in 412 BC for the Dionysia. The play shares much in common with another of Euripides' works, Iphigenia in Tauris.-Background:...
, Hermes
Hermes
Hermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
fashioned a likeness of her out of clouds at Zeus' request, and Helen spent the entire Trojan war in Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
.
The term Eidolon was used by Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
in his poem 'Dreamland' (1844). It was also later used as the subject of Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman
Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse...
's 'Eidolons' (1876).
In Theosophy, the astral double or perispirit
Perispirit
In Spiritism, "Perispirit" is the subtle body that is used by the spirit to connect with the perceptions created by the brain. The term is found among the extensive terminology originally devised by Allan Kardec in his books about Spiritism...
or kamarupa after death, before its disintegration is identified with the eidolon.
In role playing games
In the game Dungeons and Dragons a monster called a Rogue Eidolon exists. The accompanying flavour-text tells that these creatures are animated statues of ancient cults to various dark gods, and that they were eventually driven insane by their fraction of sentience. (Monster Manual II) Other books from D&D 3.5 also mention Eidolons; Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations mentions an Elder Eidolon and Frostburn: Mastering the Perils of Ice and Snow mentions a Rimefire Eidolon. The Elder Eidolon is an animated stone carving but the Rimefire Eidolon is a described as a chunk of ice surrounded by blue flame walking on thin tendrils. In the Eberron campaign setting Eidolons are described as similar to illusions that inhabit the fringes of the plane Dal Quor: The Region of Dreams. In the Ghostwalk campaign setting, Eidolon is a character class for ghost characters.In the game Pathfinder
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game
The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game is a fantasy role-playing game first published in 2009 by Paizo Publishing...
there is a class called the Summoner which gains the ability to summon a special companion called an Eidolon, which can take on various forms based on attributes assigned to it. The official rules state that the summoned Eidolon is an aspect of a powerful otherworldly creature, tying back to the original meaning of the word. It is an Outsider, which implies that it is composed of spiritual essence, usually that of the Outer Planes.
In the game Mystic Empyrean you play as powerful creatures called Eidolons, each one has 5 powers which are formed through how they act in life (I.e. Proud people can become Dragon-like)
In video games
In the c64 game The EidolonThe Eidolon
The Eidolon was one of two games that were part of Lucasfilm Games' second wave in December of 1985. The other was Koronis Rift. Both took advantage of the fractal technology developed for Rescue on Fractalus!, further enhancing it...
, the Eidolon is a vehicle crafted from wood and powered by magic used to navigate the map and destroy dragons.
In the game Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy IV
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1991 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game was originally released for the Super Famicom in Japan and has since then been rereleased for many other platforms with varying modifications. An enhanced remake with 3D graphics...
, Eidolons are the summons that Rydia summon to help the party in battle. They live in a place called the Feymarch that is set apart from civilization. The Eidolons build houses, set up shops, have a library and are ruled by a King and a Queen. A bond between a specified Eidolon and their summoner is unique. Once one dies, the other dies also, as seen with Rydia's mother early in the game.
In the game Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy IX
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation video game console. It is the ninth title in the Final Fantasy series. The game introduced new features to the series like the 'Active Time Event', 'Mognet' and a unique equipment and skill system.Final Fantasy IXs...
eidolons are entities that may be summoned by two characters to help in battles: Garnet, and Eiko
In the game Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy XIII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. Released in 2009 in Japan and 2010 in North America and PAL regions, it is the thirteenth major installment in the Final Fantasy series...
eidolons are entities specific to each of the main cast of playable characters that can be summoned to help in battles.
In the game Hexen 2, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are described in the last book of the New Testament of the Bible, called the Book of Revelation of Jesus Christ to Saint John the Evangelist at 6:1-8. The chapter tells of a "'book'/'scroll' in God's right hand that is sealed with seven seals"...
(Pestilence, War, Famine, and Death) are bosses. They lead up to the final boss, Eidolon.
In the game EVE Online
EVE Online
Eve Online is a video game by CCP Games. It is a player-driven, persistent-world MMORPG set in a science fiction space setting. Characters pilot customizable ships through a galaxy of over 7,500 star systems. Most star systems are connected to one or more other star systems by means of stargates...
, the Eidolon is a class of battleship belonging to the Jove race.
In the game City of Heroes
City of Heroes
City of Heroes is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game based on the superhero comic book genre, developed by Cryptic Studios and published by NCsoft. The game was launched in North America on April 27, 2004 and in Europe on February 4, 2005 with English, German and French language...
, the Eidolon is a powerful being created from body parts of fallen heroes and reanimated to serve their villainous master, Dr. Vahzilok.
In the Warcraft 3 mod: Defense of the Ancients DotA
DOTA
DOTA may refer to:*Defense of the Ancients, a custom scenario for the video game Warcraft III**Dota 2, the sequel to the previously listed game, developed on the Source engine* Dota , a video game genre*DOTA , a chemical...
, a Hero named Enigma can summon smaller copies of himself called Eidolons
In the game Guild Wars
Guild Wars
Guild Wars is an episodic series of online 3D fantasy role-playing games developed by ArenaNet and published by NCsoft. Although often defined as an MMORPG the developers define it as a CORPG due to significant differences from the MMORPG genre. It provides two main modes of gameplay—a cooperative...
, an Eidolon is a large, floating monster similar to a squid with immense elemental powers. It is a boss creature that must be slain in order to upgrade your character's armor at one point in the prophecies campaign.
In the game Death Rally
Death Rally
Death Rally is a top-down perspective racing video game developed by Remedy, published by Apogee and distributed by GT Interactive. It was released on September 6, 1996...
one of the racing tracks is called Eidolon.
In the game Shards of Dalaya one of bosses of Plane of Frost is named Horshint, The Gelid Eidolon
In the game Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup, an eidolon is a spectre which can inflict fear in the player, forcing him to flee.
In the game Warhammer: Age of Reckoning, in the first area for Destruction players, a Chosen named The Eidolon gives item rewards.
In comic books
The Marvel ComicsMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
superhero War Machine
War Machine
War Machine is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in comic books set in the Marvel Comics universe. The character of James Rhodes first appeared in Iron Man #118 by David Michelinie, John Byrne and Bob Layton...
, a.k.a. James Rhodes, wore a living, symbiotic suit of armor known as the Eidolon Warwear for a short period of time. The suit could be retracted into a mandala on his chest, or released to outfit him with alien weaponry and wrap his full form.
In the Star Wars Rogue Squadron series, the Eidolon was a redesigned Imperial Star Destroyer, though it was just a ruse from a high ranking Imperial officer to steal galactic treasures.
In Jack of Fables
Jack of Fables
Jack of Fables was a spin-off of the comic book Fables, both of which were published by DC Comics as part of that company's Vertigo imprint. It shows the adventures of Jack Horner after his exile from Fabletown. A preview of the series was shown in Fables #50, and the series itself debuted in July...
The Big Book of War, an Eidolon army of fables whose stories have been destroyed by Bookburner attacks Revise and the captive fables at the Golden Boughs Retirement Community.
In music
German black metal band Dark FortressDark Fortress
Dark Fortress is a black metal band from Landshut, Germany, formed in 1994. They have released six studio albums, a split album and a demo album.-Early:...
released the Eidolon (album)
Eidolon (album)
-Notes:# Thomas Gabriel Fischer appears as a guest vocalist on the song Baphomet.# A video of the song Edge of Night was made and can be viewed at their MySpace page.-Personnel:Dark Fortress* Morean – vocals* V...
in 2008.
American technical death metal band The Faceless
The Faceless
The Faceless is an American technical death metal band from Encino, California. They released their debut album, Akeldama in November 2006, and a follow-up, Planetary Duality, in November 2008.-History:...
released the track "The Eidolon Reality" for their upcoming 2011 album.
Canadian power metal band Eidolon (band)
Eidolon (band)
Eidolon was a Canadian power metal band formed in 1993 by brothers Shawn and Glen Drover . The band was signed to Metal Blade Records, but was let go in 2004, in part because of a refusal to tour. Eidolon signed soon after to Escapi Records. The band has released seven studio albums to date...
formed in 1993.
Seattle progressive rock band Rishloo released Eidolon in May, 2007
Seattle pop-rock band, The Love Lights, released 'O! Eidolon' in 2008.