Topic: Devil Forgemaster Crest - An analysis

[theplottwist]

Reviving the thread to mention something I noticed.

The Devil Forgemaster's Crest above is drastically different from the one in Hector's uniform:

http://wallpapers.latestscreens.com/generateSize.php?file=castlevaniacurseofdarkness-01.jpg&game=castlevaniacurseofdarkness&dir=1600x1200&size=1920x1200

[zangetsu468]

From what I can see his crest is mirrored to the original post.
Light and dark are on different sides, moon and stars are reversed, the pattern the seraphim's tails are making is more akin to a DNA strand than infinity symbols, seraphim's 3rd wings are covering their face slightly as opposed to not on the original. (Which I've previously commented on before).

I ask myself though, even if the design differs slightly (I wouldn't call it drastically) was the artwork originally drawn the other way and the artist just didn't bother reversing the crest..

[theplottwist]

From a technical standpoint I find the design very different from the one above (the wings are angled differently, the positions of the serpents are very different, some of the rays are actually wavy and not straight), even though from a conceptual standpoint, it changed almost nothing.

And now that you pointed it, the artwork is originally reversed. The picture I used on the beginning of the thread is wrong. If you Google it, you'll see that the original has the black and white sides positioned just like the ones on Hector's back.

Sorry dudes, I didn't even notice it when I posted the first picture.

I just found it curious that Hector actually has a different crest from the one more popularly known.

[TatteredSeraph]

I'd say that the version shown on Hector's jacket looks like a variant.  It's different, but not different enough that from a heraldic perspective to be a different logo.  It's artistic/stylistic differences on the same emblem.  Probably done to maximize the aesthetics of it in a particular placement/form.

[Sul_Yong]

The Dragons at the bottom are rather interesting. They are each in the shape of infinity, and also are devouring the tail of the other, which is an altered version of the Ouroboros symbol, again referencing infinity and eternity. The concept of Yin and Yang is also present, as that is a constant in the entirety of the Crest, but here it brings to me an odd thought. In the concept of infinity, everything moves in a constant cycle. Time constantly flip flops between two extremes. In one age, that which is considered Light is good and holy, and in the next, the ideas and symbols associated with the Dark in the prior age are now sacred.

The idea behind this is to keep balance. As an external example, if anyone ever cared to play Final Fantasy III, or know the story to it, you find yourself playing as the Warriors of Light to stop the Cloud of Darkness from engulfing the world. However, you find out many years prior, that Warriors of Darkness were similarly sent to save the world from being swallowed by the Light. Light and Dark are at a constant opposition, yet both produce each other, therefore both need each other to exist.
Going back to Dracula, his entire existence is portrayed as the opposition of God. His extreme hatred for God caused him to seek immortality and grow into a being with power to rival God. As such, Dracula is also eternal, unable to be permanently defeated. Thus the struggle between Dracula and God is an infinite cycle.

[zangetsu468]

I'm starting to wonder if the two DFM's were engineered or created by Dracula himself for the purpose of being backup vessels. It makes sense that Dracula creates lesser demons than himself who can create lesser beings than themselves (via Alchemy,

(click to show/hide)

which is how Dracula was created

).

Hector speaks about "the humans" in COD's ending which infers he is not one of them. At the very least he and Isaac possess superhuman strength and the tone of their flesh is more grey in complexion than a regular human.

[TatteredSeraph]

I've always figured that Hector and Isaac were born human, but living in the castle combined with Dracula's dark power influencing them, twisted them into something not quite human.  I think that the manga mentions a few things which make the inhuman.  I'll have to dig my copy of vol 2 out to check. 

[zangetsu468]

I've always figured that Hector and Isaac were born human, but living in the castle combined with Dracula's dark power influencing them, twisted them into something not quite human.  I think that the manga mentions a few things which make the inhuman.  I'll have to dig my copy of vol 2 out to check.

Makes sense. Obviously their lives ran independently of Castlevania's presence, as it crumbles in CVIII and only rises at the end of COD.