The Ancients, currently known as the Ancient Ones or the Ones Who Came Before, are a species of beings that existed before humans. They lived on the continent of Mu, which, before its fall, was located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. They created Magic, who in turn created humans, making them humanity's 'grandparents'. They are also responsible for the creation of the Leviathan and the Orichalcos.
Just before the First Cut Off, the Ancients fought in a war against humanity on the side of the Orichalcos. This war resulted in the Fall of Mu, as well as the destruction of their people, culture, and empire. The survivors created a colony in the Middle East named Babylon, though it was eventually overrun by human Assyians.
There are very few surviving Ancients left in the world today and are, for all intents and purposes, an endangered species.
Culture[]
Origins[]
The Ancient Ones are the result of evolution, as they were not created by any divine being. The animal closest in match to them is a chimpanzee, as they share 98% of their DNA with them. The first Ancient took on the name Pojar and he lived in a forest that was later named after him. He would later found the neighbouring town of Schwack. Supposedly, he was buried in that same forest after his death.
Religion[]
The Ancients could be considered atheists, as they do not believe in a god. However, they do believe in worship their current king as if he were a divine being.
Hierarchy[]
They believe in a very strict class structure, where it is impossible to move up or down from the station that you were assigned at birth. The royal line of kings are at the very top, followed by the nobility (relatives of the king). The nobles had their own classes as well: the higher nobility of lords and dukes were more powerful than the barons of the lower nobility. At the bottom of the noble class were the knights. All titles were passed down through familial ties.
The middle class consisted of a group of wealthy, though not politically powerful, group of men who were bankers, merchants, doctors, and other learned professionals. The more money that you had, the higher you were in rank in the middle class.
Finally, the lower class, which was the class that the majority of the people belonged to, was made up of peasants and farmers. They were the work force of the Ancient society and had no say in the government.
The Ancients never had slaves and all of their people, who were employed, had the opportunity to make some form of money.
Women[]
Ancient males and females are seen and treated as equals. Both sexes had equal opportunities to do whatever they wished with their lives, as long as they stayed within their social class. Titles amongst the nobility were passed from parent to the first born child, whether that child was a man or a woman. However, due to the lack of women born first into the royal line, there has never been a female Queen of Mu that has not been sub-servant to her King husband.
Marriage and Love[]
Ancients do not believe in marriage for love. A marriage is a union between two individuals for the purpose of a political or economic alliance between two families as well as to ensure the creation of the next generation. Marriages were usually arranged, though it was possible for the two people to fall in love afterwards.
But for the most part, it was considered acceptable behaviour to have one or more lovers on the side of your marriage in which you genuinely cared for. Many husbands and wives even scheduled their lives in order for their spouses to spend time with their lovers. One did not have to ask the permission of their spouse in order to enter an extra-marital relationship, though it was considered polite to inform them of their existence.
Homosexuality was acceptable, though you were unable to marry a same-sex partner. You could have as many same-sex lovers as you wished. Divorce, though uncommon, was possible.
The only taboo that surrounded this lifestyle was that any child that an Ancient had must be with their spouse. If a pair of lovers were to create a child, both parents would be looked down on by society and the child would be considered a bastard.
Language[]
The Ancient Ones created and spoke the Latin language, which is considered to be a language of great and powerful words.
Creations[]
Magic[]
Under the reign of the fifth King of Mu, King Raa, a group of Ancient scientists discovered the ability to create what they believed was 'negative space.' In reality, what they created was the Shadow Realm, the source of all magic. However, in an experiment gone wrong, they accidentally gave this Realm a consciousness. After a few years of existence, that consciousness started to form a physical body in order to copy the appearance of its 'parents.' Modelling itself after the head scientist, it took the form of a pale, white haired boy.
The being that would later take on the name Magic was seen as an abomination by the Ancient Ones. He was not one of them, nor what he an animal. He was something else entirely and they were not able to 'fit' him into their world views. However, after the discovery that he could give Ancients the ability to use a set of almost supernatural abilities, he was given some free-reign to live.
The Ancients shut him in a room in the palace to observe him, though eventually he began to rebel against his 'parents' out of loneliness, starting with the creation of his wife, Heavenly Sound. In the years to come, he would create humans and lead them to victory in battle against the Ancients.
The Leviathan[]
In the first year of the reign of the sixth King of Mu, King Tonatiuh, he created the Leviathan upon his father's orders. She was intended to be Magic's downfall and was specifically created 'empty' and 'hungry' so that she would feel the need to consume those with souls in order to fill that void within her.
The Leviathan was closer to the Ancients in origin as she knew her name at birth unlike Magic (until he met Amane Bakura, he had no name), though she was unable to walk and talk until taught. She took the form of Heavenly Sound, Magic's wife, for two reasons. One: she believed that in that form, he would be unable to ever kill her (she was correct). Two: she liked the way he sometimes looked at her while in that form (it is hinted that the Leviathan may have been attracted to Magic, though the extent of her feelings are unknown).
Inventions[]
The Ancients were a technologically advanced society. Their civilization looked hauntingly similar to that of modern-day human society. They had high-rise buildings, air planes, cars, and computers amongst many other inventions.
Known Ancients[]
Kings of Mu[]
- King Raa
- King Tonatiuh
- King Ironheart
- King Dartz
- Dartz was born in the generation directly after the Fall of Mu and therefore was King of Mu by title only. He ruled over the colony of Babylon after his father set down
Queens of Mu[]
- Queen Venus, wife of Ironheart
- Queen Iona, wife of Dartz
- Iona was born in the generation directly after the Fall of My and therefore was Queen of Mu by title only.
Knights[]
- Ijiraq
- Ekibyogami
- Cerridwen
- Khnum
- Supai
- Nemain
- Timaeus
- Hermos
- Critias
Other Ancients[]
- Pojar
- The Ancient with amethyst eyes
Trivia[]
- Since the Ancient Ones were created through the process of evolution, there is no such thing as an Ancient soul.
- Soul Steeler Bakura mistakenly addressed the Ancients as 'The Originals.' AlcatrazOutpatient was inspired to add this section by a review she received where the reviewer had made a similar mistake.
- Magic may have generally disliked the Ancients and sometimes wonders if he made the right choice in letting them live after the Fall of Mu. However when he does this, he remembers an Ancient that he used to know
- The term 'Ancient' comes from a slang term that the human fighters used to describe their enemy. After the Fall of Mu, the name stuck. If they referred to themselves by any other term, it is currently unknown.
- There are currently several humans who have Ancient ancestors. These people are considered to be royals by human society. Atem is a direct descendant of the Knight Timaeus, as is her father.