Random Character Observations
I was thinking about Asgoreās weapon today. First off is the question of whether its a pitchfork or a trident. Funnily enough, snooping into the gameās code reveals that its actually called a spear (spr_asgore_swipe_spear.sprite.gmx) in the sprite files. At first I was inclined to write that off because clearly it wasnāt a spear. But after a bit of research I realized I was incorrect. Part of a Tridentās definition is that it is a three pronged spear. Okay so its a trident right? Well maybe. Tridents are commonly identified by having barbs on the end of the prongs, rather like those you see in Posideonās trident. And a trident is was initially used as a fishing spear, thatās what the barbs are for, to help keep hold of the fish you stabbed and are trying to pull back out of the water. Another common attribute is that tridents often have a ācurve of third orderā. (Math is not my strongest suit, but from what I can gather it has to do with the curving of the prongs outward in three different directions and then a fourth opposite one made by the handle.) So Asgoreās weapon has the curve for certain and is identified in the code as a spear, but it doesnāt have the barbs on the end of the prongs. It does, however, have the association of a fishing spear. Since Asgore trained Undyne in fighting and she is a fish based monster. Others have suggested that his weapon is a pitchfork, and I want to look into that as well. Pitchforks are agricultural tools. Often they can have three prongs, but they can have more depending on the specific job you wish to do. Three pronged pitchforks are most commonly used for picking up bales of hay and straw. Of course some even go as far as to pull in the symbolic connection to the Devil. Because he too had a pitchfork, right? Wrong. This idea is not native to Christianity at all and comes from Greek Myth. Hades, the God of the Underworld, bears a Bident. The use of this tool was different for several cultures. Ancient Egyptians used a form of it as another fishing tool (only unlike the trident it was tied with either a line or feathers to find it and thrown), the Romans used it as another agricultural tool. But the Greeks used it in the form of bronze weapons, and a symbol of Hades (but only in the Renaissance! The Greeks happily depicted both Posideon and Hades as having three pronged weapons). The idea was that Zeus had a lightning bolt which was basically a single prong. Then Hades had the Bident with two, and Posideon the Trident with three. (ādentā comes from Latin root ādentisā meaning teeth.) Early Christian Writers often identified Hell as being the Classic Underworld, comparing and analyzing the characters found in both, such as the monsters that run the Underworld being depicted as Christian Demons. This sort of thing appeared and evolved through literature and artwork well through the medieval period and onward. But somewhere along the way the bident was exchanged for a different farming implement (because though the Greeks used it as a weapon, the lingering Roman influence was still very strong). The Pitchfork. This is what became cemented as the item the Devil wields, however many many modern depictions have him bearing a trident with barbs and curved prongs (tines) instead. Since Asgore is depicted as the Main Antagonist for most of the game, possesses fire magic, and is the ruler of an underground kingdom... the symbolic connection to the devil is definitely there. And even the agricultural connection for a pitchfork is there as Asgore is known for his gardening and love for plants and growing things. But its important to note that the Trident is used in the modern day as another agricultural tool (specifically a decorticator) and historically was used as a weapon in Ancient Rome. So which is it? Based on the evidence, his weapon is useless as a fishing tool. He does use the stab motion necessary, but it wouldnāt bring the fish back up. Yet it wouldnāt be much use as a pitchfork either because of the curved tines and the space between those tines, it would be a very clumsy gardening tool. Trident however also has the definition as being a Scepter (staff or wand held by a ruling monarch as an item of royal or imperial insignia). Since heās the King, a scepter would be fitting. And it also has a little flower on it, which goes with most of Asgoreās characterizations. It is this, and Tobyās sprite name of it being a spear, that makes me choose Trident over Pitchfork. However this trident is a summoned weapon, made of magic in a similar manner to Undyneās spears or the Skeleton Brosā bone attacks. Thereās evidence in the game that though such magical items can be conjured and vanished in battle, they can also remain for a significant if unspecified amount of time afterward (Papyrusā bone attacks are kept in a box in his room after your fight. They do not seem to vanish). Also we can guess that magical weapons of this sort are fairly consistent in shape and design when summoned. It could be a specific technique, handed down, or it could be something that grows and changes with the Monster over time (which could explain the little flower on the weapon). I was going to talk about the actual fighting tactics he goes into with this trident and historical trident fighting styles, but Iāve run out of time. So that might be a post for tonight. Hope you enjoyed this character lore dive anyway.
