Tirek's Horns & Pendant. Possible Symbolism.

[Adorkable 2,737]

It's an interesting theory! Maybe his character design inspiration was based off some of those! ^^

 

Sounds like you have a Tweet for Princess Meghan McCarthy. xD

[Hive King 1,998]

They also look a bit like Robo-Giratina's horns

It's hard to see, but there's a resemblance

[Kel_Grym 1,917]

It's an interesting theory! Maybe his character design inspiration was based off some of those! ^^

 

Sounds like you have a Tweet for Princess Meghan McCarthy. xD

 

I'm afraid if I did that I'd be disappointed that it was just aesthetic choice.

-----

@@SasQ,

 

Huh...The pendant is really ambiguous. There is an implied pyramid, and implied trapazoid, a crescent, two ovals, a ring, and a triangle incorporated into the whole thing.

 

I started looking into the occult significance of trapezoids.

 

http://www.arcane-archive.org/religion/satanism/temple-of-set/the-law-of-the-trapezoid-1.php

 

http://www.trapezoid.org/mission/mysteries.html

 

So, the trapezoid is real big with occult satanic magic...go figure. According to this "order" the trapazoid is a mystery, a gate, a two dimensional representation of a three dimensional shadow, and functions to link objective and subjective realities.

 

Also, apparently obtuse angles are also magically harmful according to the first link...

 

Thankfully, Twilight didn't keep that pendant for long.

 

This still isn't enough to go on...the trapezoid is only implied in the pendant, not definitely there.

 

[edit]

 

!!!AND...there is an implied Ankh.

 

 

But only just barely. If you count the ring that's used to connect the chain as part of the pendants symbolism you can kinda see it, although it's sorta warped.

Edited May 14, 2014 by KelGrym

[Pastel 7,627]

These horns remind me of a lyra:

...

[Hive King 1,998]

These horns remind me of a lyra:

...

That explains it! Lyra was Tirek in disguise!

[Kel_Grym 1,917]

I just realized that the trapezoid is also a common symbol of the Illuminati (allegedly).

 

 

Tireks pendant is an implied triangle and trapezoid. On the dollar bill we find our trapezoid in the incomplete pyramid. The triangle needed to complete it hovers above it, but in Tireks pendant, there is a triangle made of negative space within it!

 

This inversion of symbolism is so profound, that I have no idea what it could possibly mean!

I just counted the number of segments in the jewelry's inner outline.

 

43 segments.

 

http://www.ridingthebeast.com/numbers/nu43.php

 

43 represents the dynamic influence of organizations or free activity of said organizations.

 

Also is connected with angels.

 

http://sacredscribesangelnumbers.blogspot.com/2011/07/angel-number-43.html

 

4+3 = 7

 

Lucky number. Significant esoteric value.

 

edit: BUT, the animators may  have made a mistake in that snapshot, as the segmented pieces are not symmetrically placed. If you look at the bottom two corners of the segmented pieces, you'll see what I mean. This means the actual total may have been intended to be 42, or 44.

 

http://www.ridingthebeast.com/numbers/nu42.php

 

http://affinitynumerology.com/number-meanings/the-numerology-number-44-essence.php

You know...if you can see a resemblance of the Ankh in Tirek's pendant, then you can see a resemblance of Tanit's symbol in his pendant as well.

 

Edited May 14, 2014 by KelGrym

[Grapz224 137]

From what it seems, h is based on a Centaur-Devil. I think there IS Something like this in Greek Mythology, and It's used in a lot of Anime and other "Devil" designs. (as @, kindly points out.)

 

His magic, it COULD be based on LoTR, as the Eye of Sauron DID shoot a "Beam" type-thing to "look" at locations. (it can be seen when the eye changes it's vantage point to the Final Battle Againast Mordor)

 

The pendant... I have no clue.

<Edit> we should also consider that the Pendant did NOT originally belong to him, but to his Brother. (whose name is eluding me right now)... so the question remains, who or what was his BROTHER based on?

[Hive King 1,998]

Actually, his horns look a lot like Giratin's mouth. He even charges up from there

 

It could also be seen as something similar to the Leviathan's mouth, which also shoot laser beams

[Kel_Grym 1,917]

 

Implied symbolism?

 

Or am I batshit crazy?

 

[my image sucks. but you get the idea]

Edited May 14, 2014 by KelGrym

[Ianpiersonjdavis 512]

While the horn's look like the western world's interpretation of the devil's elongated versions, the ball of energy between them reminds me of a sun disk.

 

Which made me think of Hathor as well (unless there is a creature with a similar physiology that I am unaware of), when I finally got a chance to see the finale which wouldn't surprise me since Friendship is Magic has utilized various mythological creatures and characters since its conception.

Edited May 14, 2014 by TimeLordRainbowDash

[SasQ 1,355]

Huh...The pendant is really ambiguous. There is an implied pyramid, and implied trapazoid, a crescent, two ovals, a ring, and a triangle incorporated into the whole thing.

Too much implied stuff, I guess.

 

I started looking into the occult significance of trapezoids.

 

http://www.arcane-archive.org/religion/satanism/temple-of-set/the-law-of-the-trapezoid-1.php

 

http://www.trapezoid.org/mission/mysteries.html

 

So, the trapezoid is real big with occult satanic magic...go figure.

Satanic? I don't really see how.

If you mean the relation to pentagrams, I guess it could be a side effect of the fact that pentagrams has been "demonized" in recent couple of centuries, and there is one special trapezoid related to a pentagram, called "golden trapezium" (or "traphisium"), because it is based on the golden ratio.

 

 

Unfortunately I don't see their shapes match accurately enough. That's why I didn't write about that so far.

 

As for the "satanic" meaning of these trapezoids:

I always say that when interpreting symbols, one has to pay close attention to the surrounding context of use of the particular occurrence of that symbol, because the context can change anything, and it is the context which dictates the meaning of the symbol. The meaning of the symbol must match its context. There is a great explanation of this concept at the beginning of "DaVinci Code" movie here:

 

 

Also, apparently obtuse angles are also magically harmful according to the first link...

The first link seems to me a piece of gibberish, since in the same text it says that obtuse angles can be good. This is a logical contradiction, a sign of lack of logic at all.

 

Thankfully, Twilight didn't keep that pendant for long.

But it is one of the keys to the Harmony Box, a very unique one. Especially that this object is ancient. It literally waited thousands of years to ultimately find its place in the lock of the Harmony Box. Can you imagine?

 

This still isn't enough to go on...the trapezoid is only implied in the pendant, not definitely there.

Exactly. It doesn't even seem like a trapezoid. It's more like a triangle with fancy top.

 

!!!AND...there is an implied Ankh.

But only just barely. If you count the ring that's used to connect the chain as part of the pendants symbolism you can kinda see it, although it's sorta warped.

I thought of the Ankh key already, too. Exactly the way you described it. I even tried to found something to match it. Here's what I managed to find so far:

 

 

but none of them looks exactly like it. So I dropped this path for now.

 

From all the possible clues, this seems to be most probable for me, though, since it is from the same bucket as Tirek's "Hathor" horns: from Ancient Egypt. So I will continue investigating this path later when I find some more time.

 

There's one more path worth checking, though: the Phoenix.

 

When I first saw this amulet, I thought about Phoenix with its wings spread upwards, and its tail being this rounded triangle hole in the middle. As you probably know, Phoenix is a bird-like creature which supposedly regenerates from its ashes. It is a symbol of resurrection and transformation, end of one thing giving birth to another, rebirth. It would be quite fitting, since it quite matches Discord's transformation. The end of his past life as a villain, and beginning of his new life as a friend, when he finally understood and appreciated the true value of Friendship. He gives this medallion to Twilight when his transformation is already completed. It is then used as a key to unlock the Harmony Box, and literally "resurrect" the Harmony Magic back again, and reinstate Twilight's home in its new fashion, which also ends her past life as a authority-driven bookworm and begin her new life as a Princess of Friendship. (BTW see? Told ya! ) It was once also a symbol of Scorpan's transformation from a villain into a fiend of ponies. So the pattern is definitely there.

 

I even quite see these three transformations symbolized as the three holes in the medallion. (The holes are somewhat intriguing, because they seem to be there to match some mechanism, you know, like in these adventure movies, when one needs to put some medallion into some mechanism to unlock some secret trapdoor. Or see through it into some landscape to match certain elements and find a secret hiding place.)

 

But this is still too much speculative, and that's why I didn't write about it earlier. I prefer working out things until they're perfect before I publish it. But since you rushed this with your posts, then oh well, let me post it anyway and see what will come out of it ;J

 

I'm afraid if I did that I'd be disappointed that it was just aesthetic choice.

A soar truth is better than a sweet lie.

 

But if she replied that this is just a random stuff, how could you be sure that she's not telling that to misguide you?

Edited May 14, 2014 by SasQ

[Kel_Grym 1,917]

 

I have improved on my original image.

 

Hopefully this illustrates properly the implied symbolism, I'm seeing.

 

 

Satanic? I don't really see how. If you mean the relation to pentagrams, I guess it could be a side effect of the fact that pentagrams has been "demonized" in recent couple of centuries, and there is one special trapezoid related to a pentagram, called "golden trapezium" (or "traphisium"), because it is based on the golden ratio.

 

I don't think there is anything satanic about trapezoids either, but apparently some satanic based occult groups are into it.

 

*shrugs*

 

It was the first thing I came across

 

 

 

The first link seems to me a piece of gibberish, since in the same text it says that obtuse angles can be good. This is a logical contradiction, a sign of lack of logic at all.

.

 

I know, right? I thought it was funny so I included it, cause I like contriving any kind of connection between Tirek and the devil.

 

 

 

When I first saw this amulet, I thought about Phoenix with its wings spread upwards, and its tail being this rounded triangle hole in the middle. As you probably know, Phoenix is a bird-like creature which supposedly regenerates from its ashes. It is a symbol of resurrection and transformation, end of one thing giving birth to another, rebirth. It would be quite fitting, since it quite matches Discord's transformation. The end of his past life as a villain, and beginning of his new life as a friend, when he finally understood and appreciated the true value of Friendship. He gives this medallion to Twilight when his transformation is already completed. It is then used as a key to unlock the Harmony Box, and literally "resurrect" the Harmony Magic back again, and reinstate Twilight's home in its new fashion, which also ends her past life as a authority-driven bookworm and begin her new life as a Princess of Friendship. (BTW see? Told ya! ) It was once also a symbol of Scorpan's transformation from a villain into a fiend of ponies. So the pattern is definitely there.

 

Hmm...that's pretty cool, but when I first saw it, I didn't even think of a phoenix.

 

 

 

I even quite see these three transformations symbolized as the three holes in the medallion.

 

I just saw a skull face, lol

 

 

 

But this is still too much speculative, and that's why I didn't write about it earlier. I prefer working out things until they're perfect before I publish it. But since you rushed this with your posts, then oh well, let me post it anyway and see what will come out of it ;J

 

I like to work that way. Just throw around the clay ball, until a sculpture forms out of it.

 

It's just a process of thesis and anti-thesis. Start with a good ol bullshit session and whittle away until you hit gold.

!

 

Tanit^[1] was a Punic and Phoenician goddess, the chief deity of Carthage alongside her consort Ba`al Hammon.^[2][3]

Tanit is also called Tinnit and Tannou. The name appears to have originated in Carthage, though it does not appear in local theophorous names.^[4] She was equivalent to the moon-goddess Astarte, and later worshipped in Roman Carthage in her Romanized form as Dea Caelestis, Juno Caelestis or simply Caelestis. - Link

 

Um...if the implied sybolism of Tanit is not in my head, but something legitimate, then I might have struck gold.

 

Romanized as Juno Caelestis...Caelestis...Celestia? Equivocated with the moon-goddess?

 

...and associated with child sacrifice...which goes hand in hand with the Moloch association with Tirek.

 

This pendant could tie in Celestia, Luna, and Tirek, all together!

 

Maybe.

 

 

but none of them looks exactly like it. So I dropped this path for now.

 

The Ankh is called the key of life. If you can find something to properly tie the ankh in with the pendant, that would be real exciting.

 

[edit]

 

Oh...here's something.

 

 

Isis and Nephthys flanking the Ankh. It kinda resonates with Tireks horns and the energy he collects between them, but the imagery isn't a perfect match...though this kind of imagery could have inspired the artistic design of the pendant in some way.

 

I think that if this is the case, the artist went to incredible lengths to obscure the imagery in the pendant to hide its origins.

[edit]

 

 

I have a strong suspicion that the center design is a modification of the Tengri revival symbol.

 

From Wikipedia-

 

In Tengriism, the meaning of life is seen as living in harmony with the surrounding world. Tengriist believers view their existence as sustained by the eternal blue Sky, Tengri, the fertile Mother-Earth, spirit Eje, and a ruler who is regarded as the holy spirit of the Sky. Heaven, Earth, the spirits of nature and the ancestors provide every need and protect all humans. By living an upright and respectful life, a human being will keep his world in balance and maximize his personal power Wind Horse (or pony ). - Link

Edited May 14, 2014 by KelGrym

[SasQ 1,355]

OK I think I've got something:

 

 

There seem to be some connection between the Phoenix and the Egyptian imagery of the Scarab. It is often being depicted with bird wings, and it is rising up the Sun between his "horns". It is often accompanied by the Ankh symbols. Also note the similarity of these shapes to Tirek's horns with the sundial in between them.

 

 

The usual shape of the Phoenix's wings and the shape of Scarab's "wings" above are very similar in shape to the part of the medallion, and this is what I saw first when I spotted this medallion for the first time.

 

This is the path I would most preferably follow, since it all seem to be related to Ancient Egyptian symbolism. Other, more modern or fictional symbols (such as the Eye of Sauron) might look cool, but I don't think this is the correct path.

 

Re "Celestia": I'd rather blame it on the etymology of her name. "Celestia" comes from Latin and it means "of the heavens". It's perhaps about her connection to the sky and heavenly bodies (particularly the Sun). In the description you quoted, she would rather have to be related to the Moon, which is Luna's domain. So this doesn't quite match her.

 

Edit: OK I need to get some sleep now. See you tomorrow.

Edited May 15, 2014 by SasQ

[Kel_Grym 1,917]

@@SasQ,

 

I can totally see it, especially with the rings the scarab/phoenix holds in it's talons.

 

We definitely got something here.

 

I should have known the Tanit/Celestia connection was too good to be true, but it is startlingly coincidental.

 

I updated my post with the Tengri connection, probably right around when you were typing up yours. I still think there is some merit in it, even though it doesn't go along with the egyptian motif. What do you think?

 

 

Edit: OK I need to get some sleep now. See you tomorrow.

 

Oops...sorry if I kept you up. Night.

[iiNANOii 33]

Interestingly enough, my Dad was in the room when I was watching the finale. Us being Christians, he immediately asked what Tirek was because he had cult symbols all over him as he said. When I saw Tirek, I was quite unsettled too, honestly. I'm not saying Hasbro did this on purpose, but they must have thought that would suit him as he was a villain from tartarus. Anyway, point is, my Dad and I were suspicious too.

[Grapz224 137]

Remember that the Amulet was NOT Tireks originally, but his Brothers. if we could find what his Brother is based on, it might help us with he amulet...

 

though it seems you guys are a lot more into it than I am, I just thought I should point that out.

[Kel_Grym 1,917]

Remember that the Amulet was NOT Tireks originally, but his Brothers. if we could find what his Brother is based on, it might help us with he amulet...

 

though it seems you guys are a lot more into it than I am, I just thought I should point that out.

 

Well possession is 9/10ths and what not.

 

I thought about it, but unfortunately I don't know any relevant symbols that have to do with gargoyles or brothers betraying each other that could fit into the amulet.

Some more research.

 

It was said that Isis tricked Ra into telling her his "secret name" by causing a snake to bite him, the antidote to whose venom only Isis possessed. Knowing his secret name thus gave her power over him. The use of secret names became central in many late Egyptian magic spells. By the late Egyptian historical period, after the occupations by the Greeks and the Romans, Isis became the most important and most powerful deity of the Egyptian pantheon because of her magical skills. Magic is central to the entire mythology of Isis, arguably more so than any other Egyptian deity.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isis

 

 

 

Isis and the Moon.

 

From what I've been gathering, Isis, while not originally connected to the moon, later was, and it seems fitting, considering the crescent shape in the amulet. It seems even more so appropriate, considering Isis's major domain was Magic.

 

It made sense that this amulet was given to Twilight. The symbology speaks to her character, perhaps more so than Tirek's, but I don't see why the symbology has to be directed to Tirek himself, especially considering that one point that guy brought up in the forums, saying that the amulet wasn't Tireks to begin with.

 

The imagery of the Scarab with falcon wings is still relevant though.

 

 

Those things in the scarabs talons seemed like they were in the right place to correspond with the holes in the amulet, but what did they mean? I found out.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shen_ring 

 

It's a shen ring, symbol of eternity. I think that the two holes in the amulet are minimalistic reinterpretations of these symbols held by the scarab. This feels right to me, since both Celestia and Luna are immortal, these holes could actually represent them, Sun and Moon, linked in their common association with Isis, Egyptian Goddess of Magic.

 

I think the whole amulet is a minimalistic reinterpretation of all these symbols and themes, and Tirek's horns were just the clue to point us in the right direction of Egypt.

 

There isn't much support for my Tengris idea, unless the artist who designed the amulet decided to just throw that in there.

 

I still havn't figured out the triangle...unless it's just a reference to pyramids...or possibly a symbol for Twilight, if the holes are Celestia and Luna.

 

Seems like it all fits.

Announcement!

 

I have cheated...I sent a tweet to Meagan McCarthy and asked her if Tirek's horns and amulet are a reference to Egypt.

 

A sour truth is better than a sweet lie.

 

We wait and see.

[Darker 1,351]

Tirek was a satanic archetype since G1, he was pure evil and wanted to corrupt the entire world with the Rainbow of Darkness.

 

They could have used this in G4, but I probably could have been too dark for kids and also because unlike in G1, we, humans, don't live in the same earth as the ponies, thus Tirek wouldn't use the Rainbow to corrupt anything so they deleted this idea.

 

Also, they ripped-off another G1 villain, Arabus, and take his personality and motivations to Tirek. That is sad to me.