The Shrine of Hamaskis. Hachiman Source Material Contact the High Priest.

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If Hachiman mirrors at all Japan, which it does in so many ways, then in all likelihood the land was ruled by an Emperor/ress before the Shoguns took complete power. It should also be noted that the Samurai existed well before the appearance of Shoguns. However, I am digressing into non-canonical areas when there is still more in the way of facts to discuss.

Interestingly, Ojin was the Emperor of Japan between 270 and 310. He was deified and known as the God, HACHIMAN, "God of War." The ground of this deification was that Ojin had accompanied his mother (the Empress Jingu) as an unborn babe to protect her throughout her Korean campaign where many miraculous adventures befell her among which was the total defeat of all her enemies by her small band of followers, who were vastly out numbered by the enemy. Although he was of an outstandingly gentle disposition, he has been regarded in history as Hachiman the God of War . In later years, Hachiman was adopted as the guardian deity of warrior class and became very popular as the warrior class won dominating power and influence over the nation.

Thus we can see that Hachiman is, whichever way you look at it, a land named after the War God. Anyway, these are just some links to be built on, but at least we have some parts of the puzzle.

We also know that Hachiman believes in Kami because the `Kami of the Heavens' are referred to by the Shogun in FF20. Further, Hotei the God of Luck is specifically mentioned as well by the Shogun in FF20. This is the Shinto name for the god of Luck as well. The logical conclusion therefore is that Hachiman's Kami belief mirrors very closely that of feudal Japan. If the Hachiman pantheon is to be developed then it is from the Japanese pantheon that we should draw. However, this must also be set in the context of Titan. Therefore, what I have set about trying to do is adapt the Japanese Shinto Kami to a Hachiman `Titan' Kami.

In Japan one of the most famous legendary characters is Musashi. In very short terms he is a swashbuckling swordsman of peerless ability off on a quest to polish his skills as a swordsman, but also to seek the truth, to perfect himself.

Musashi was an actual person whose story has been embellished by varying authors over the years. Musashi wrote the Book of Five Rings, one of three works on swordsmanship, as a classic of military strategy (used more recently as a guide to understanding Japanese business prowess).

He was born in 1584 in the province of Mimasaka, modern-day Okayama, in the western part of Japan's central island. And this is where Shinmen comes in because Musashi was the son of a warrior best known as Shinmen Munisai Taketo. He was a master of the jitte, a short truncheon, as well as a noted swordsman who was once praised by Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki as "Japan's peerless martial practitioner."

Late in his life Shinmen Munisai was ordered by his lord to kill the house elder. Although he initially protested the order, Munisai ultimately carried out the murder. Rewarded, he nevertheless secluded himself and later moved to Miyamoto village where he remained incognito. Although some feel he died there it may well be that he left the village and went to Kyushu, Bungo and then Nakatsu, most likely as a fencing instructor.

Perhaps this brief history of Shinmen can enable us to make some deductions about the Shinmen in Hachiman. Perhaps he too was master of the jitte. Perhaps we can infer that the name of the village he was from is similar to that of a village in the province of Mimasaka in Japan. It would add some further texture to Hachiman if we could give the village of Shinmen a name, and in this way would keep to the spirit of the book.

Hagakure was the name of a book written by Yamamoto Tsunetomo, and is known as the Book of the Samurai. The word Hagakure can be translated as either hidden leaves or hidden by leaves. This seems most apt for the samurai. The book itself was published on September 10, 1716. It is a compilation of the philosophies of Yamamoto Tsunetomo, a follower of the way of the Samurai. Within the book are many quotes which can be gleaned to give some insight into the minds of the Samurai and their philosophy.

It is interesting to note the name Seventh Seal as this is said to be the seal that once broken signals the Last Battle!

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