The Tonberry

[Xystic]

I'm quite fascinated by the tonberry. I've googled for information regarding the history of the tonberry but I've not found very much info on the Tonberries.

I was looking at something called Will-o'-the-the-wisp, sometimes known as the marsh lights, Jack-O-Lantern, ignis fatuus and friar's lantern. It talked about some games paying tribute to the phenomenon. One series of games that was listed was Final Fantasy and specifically the tonberry. The first time I saw the tonberry was in FF7 when I first picked up on the series. I did not realize the tonberry was a tribute to such a phenomenon.

Could somebody quench my thirst for this information or point me in the right direction.

I'd like to know more about these creatures. If possible.

[Nialle]

The Scholar Job storyline goes into detail about the nature of Tonberries, at least as they exist in Eorzea.

I agree that part of their appeal in previous games is their mysterious nature, but in FFXIV they are (mostly) explained:

They are the remnant of the Nymian population, transformed by a plague and emotionally warped by living in isolation and being viewed as monsters by the rest of the world. I got the impression that the plague may also have affected their mental state to a degree just by itself. It was a disease that came from the sea, and that's all we know, though it's obviously magical in some way because the original victims are still alive and don't seem to die of old age (given that Nym fell long ago past the normal lifespan of most races).

[Orophin]

I don't think Tonberries had any kind of backstory associated with them until FFXI, and as mentioned above their existence in Eorzea is explained a bit through the Scholar quest line.

They first appeared in FF5 and have appeared in subsequent titles, but they've never really had any purpose other to be an obstacle.

http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Tonberry

[Xystic]

Thanks, it definitely help quench some of the thirst for tonberry knowledge. Wish I had played a scholar.

I was able to dig thru that link and find more information from the Kuluu in which the Tonberries were from. That is a rather interesting story.

[Ishmachiah]

FFXI's Tonberries had an amazing story. The Rise of the Zilart Expansion dealt with them in part.

[Naraku_Diabolos]

I don't think Tonberries have anything to do with will-o-the-wisps. I have a big, thick book on ghosts and paranormal entities in my bedroom, and I do not see any correlation between wisps and Tonberries. Tonberries are made up creatures while will-o-the-wisps are known to actually exist. Will-o-the-wisps are essentially occurrences of spiritual energy drawn by the Earth's own magnetism, and are given a visible form (usually light). You are more likely to find real wisps in areas with a lot of history and death, such as Gettysburg and battlefields. Sometimes wisps can actually be elementals, and that was touched up on an episode of Ghost Hunters are year or so ago on SyFy (TV). I have seen a wisp myself when I was in Williamsburg, Virginia. It was October, so no fireflies were out, but I saw a flash of light occur across the field when doing a ghost tour; on the other side of the field was a salt marsh, so I don't think anyone had a flashlight!

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

This is the most well-known one here in the US, and it is said to actually be real and has VERY intelligent behavior; if it appears, it can follow you around, examine you, disappear, reappear a distance away and zoom off. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hornet_ghost_light

[AltaneenXIV]

While I don't know the official answer, I'll offer my opinion on how tonberries may offer a tribute to wisps.

I believe the link between Tonberry and wisps is due to the torches they carry. The torches they hold and the way they walk could easily be mistaken, in a lore sense, as floating wisps swaying by at night. That could lead to ghost stories and such of wisps flying by a small town ect.

[Xystic]

While I don't know the official answer, I'll offer my opinion on how tonberries may offer a tribute to wisps.

I believe the link between Tonberry and wisps is due to the torches they carry. The torches they hold and the way they walk could easily be mistaken, in a lore sense, as floating wisps swaying by at night. That could lead to ghost stories and such of wisps flying by a small town ect.

Yes I was looking at the phenomenon and the scientific explanations behind it when I browsed across it. Its was mentioned at the very bottom of the article.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will-o'-the-wisp

[Mezolitik]

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

From that link:

"some say it more resembles a camping lantern travelling a couple of feet off the ground."



Woooo~

[Naraku_Diabolos]

Okay...then what are Poe's based off from The Legend of Zelda? :-/