Quote Originally Posted by Gwaeron View Post
Actually, Primals were released during the Battle of Silvertear Skies in 6AE 1562, ten years before the calamity, as seen in the opening movie, here!
Now, it's unclear but believed that there was a Primal present in Eorzea some time between when the Garlean Empire conquered Ala Mhigo in 1557 and the Battle of Silvertear Skies in 1562. This was the Primal to halt their advance into Eorzea and the assumed reason for their attack on Silvertear. Garlean forces also encountered Primals on Othard, sometime between 1552 and 1557.

At any rate, it was in the 6th Astral Era that Beast Tribes were taught summoning rituals by the Paragons and probably shouldn't be linked to events of the 7th Umbral.