"Blue Moon Rune" or "Moon Rune"?

[Vextor]

A few people have asked where the name "Blue Moon Rune" comes from. I have been searching for a while, but I have been unable to find an actual official reference to Sierra's rune being called "Blue Moon Rune." There are plenty of Japanese fan sites refering to the rune as "Blue Moon Rune," but no official site has ever mentioned the rune being called in that long form.

However, I found one entry in the Suikoden 2 108 characters guide where Neclord is said to have possessed the "Blue Moon Rune" until he returned it to Sierra. This is as far as I know, the only time an official publication called the Moon Rune as the "Blue Moon Rune." Although it's only been mentioned once, plenty of other official information has only been mentioned once, such as the "Rune of Change." Souleater is also often only called "Souleater" in many publications--it is rare for it to be called "Rune of Life and Death." So I suppose there is in fact an official source for calling the particular rune as "Blue Moon Rune," after all.

[Beecham]

Probably just a transilation error of some sort, like how the Bright Shield Rune has also been called Shining Shield Rune, and the Black Sword is also called the Black Blade, or like the Rune of Punishment is also called Rune governing Atonement and forgiveness.

To be honest, it is true that other than Suikosource and Suikox, I have never heard or seen anyone use "Blue Moon Rune".

[Zaj I mean Mike]

While when whats his name left the company did'nt he name it Blue Moon Inc. Seems like that is the offical name they probley just say Moon rune as an abbreviation.
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[Zeik Tuvai]

Hey, Sars? How should the True Runes really be named and what do they each govern? I always like the little list I formed below, and often mentally replace the in-game names with the below names. I know most of them aren't really different at all, just re-worded...

Rune of Punishment (Rune of atonement and forgiveness)
Rune of Judgment (Soul Eater/Rune of Life and Death)
Rune of Mercy (Moon Rune)
Rune of True Fire
Rune of True Water
Rune of True Earth
Rune of True Wind
Rune of True Lightning
Rune of the Front Gate
Rune of the Back Gate
Rune of Beginning
Rune of the Night
Rune of the Beast
Rune of the Dragon
Rune of the Circle
Rune of Eightfold (Is this is reference to Buddha by any chance?)
Rune of the Sun
Rune of Change

Does it make sense to anyone else that I think of them like that?

And more on the topic... Could the confusion come from the Blue Moon Village, Sierra's place? I know wikipedia uses Blue Moon Rune as well as Suikox and Suikosource. I know because I just did a web search on it, and again, to my unsurprise, Wikipedia has something to say about it. What's even more scary... is that it lists all the Runes so far and who owns them... Everyone who's owned them... 'course, SARS and Suikosource are used as sources for this...

Here's a link... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suikoden
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Are those who have no courage...
But under the wing of a strong leader,
Cowardice cannot survive.

[Urn]

Moon Rune would be the rune of compassion not mercy, but I guess there's relatively small difference there. It governs compassion and bloodlust while allowing vampires to exist in this world

Front Gate and Back Gate are actually just one in the same so no need to separate them. They govern the gates between the million worlds.

Beast Rune governs animalistic rage and passion.

The Elemental True Runes speak for themselves.

The Rune of Punishment and Rune of Life and Death speak for themselves.

Rune of Beginning governs war, thus it has the power to end wars.

Night Rune is the lord of the Night. It allows for all creatures of the night to exist, thus it governs the fallen.

Dragon Rune speaks for itself.

Circle Rune governs Order and Stagnation.

Rune of Change we really don't know what it governs but it causes change. I belive it governs evolution and causes constant change.

Eightfold Rune we don't know what it governs. It does have a lot of resources that trace it to the eightfold path and some believe it governs chaos, but more signs point to it reflecting a rather large and beastly dog that led to the birth of 8 virtues from the Snow Princess from an Asian Myth. Sars Ad-Minh will have more to say about that, but the Japanese name for the Eightfold Rune is Hachifusa and it is similar to Yastufusa, the name of the dog from the myth. Also, we have the fact that its lower tier rune is called the Eight-Devil Rune. Doesn't look like it reflects the noble path after all, but not chaos either.

Sun Rune we have no idea what it governs based on the recent information, but it is looking more and more like it has something to do with fertility, not in birth, but in the aspects of fertile land. We have references to the fact that it dried up the land, making it arid so that the people could not live off the soil. The Sun does have many references to sustaining the land. So, we will see.

We also have Rune of Dawn. We don't know what it governs, but dawn refers to the rising of the sun. Dawn also refers to commencement. So, the Sun refers to birth and this does as well. Maybe it is an aspect of the sun. I'm more inclined to think it governs the rise or the source of some event. I see Dawn>>Sun>>Dusk.

There is also the mystery True Rune yet to be revealed. Which will more than likely have something to do with the sun.

I hope that helped with the whole what each True Rune governs. But, back to the whole Blue Moom Rune or Moon Rune discussion. Let's look at Blue and how it relates to the moon. Blue refers to dejected, gloomy, melancholy, moody, and wicked. Moon refers to desire and day dream. Ironically, there is a term called blue moon. It's direct meaning is long period of time or forever and ever.

So, it seems that blue and moon are directly related to what the True Rune is supposed to represent. Moon in desire, compassion and lust; blue as in wicked, gloomy, and melancholy. Also, Moon refers to woman in many myths and also has an effect on the "cycle" (yes, that cycle). So, I don't know if they meant for it to be Blue Moon Rune or Moon Rune, but Blue certainly fits and serves a purpose.
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[Zeik Tuvai]

Wow, cool stuff. I thought the Blue Moon Rune governed compassion and destruction, not compassion and bloodlust. That's why I said Rune of Mercy. Mercy in compassion and mercy in descruction, depending on the circumstance... Ah well, one of my little sad theories down the drain. I can only come up with more :D

Blue the color also refers to solace/comfort, blood, greatness, and royalty (though that's similar to greatness, a.k.a. "First Prize Ribbon")

And the moon is just awe inspiring and can also represent darkness, depth, hunting, and love.

"Give me a melancholy gloom...
But a first prize ribbon,
Makes me feel I've royal blood.
What am I...?"
_________________
Those who stray from the path of justice,
Are those who have no courage...
But under the wing of a strong leader,
Cowardice cannot survive.

[Urn]

Yeah, it does govern compassion and destruction, but I don't see how that relates to mercy because there really exist no mercy in destruction, more like merciless as it strips away their former selves by destroying what they were and making them into vampires. The compassion is most certainly mercy as it gives them a chance to live another life, but they have to destroy others to sustain their lives in the absence of the Blue Moon Rune. Either way I don't see where the mercy is in the destruction aspect. The bloodlust is the curse. Any way, the blue in the Blue Moon Rune fits.
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~ Humbly walk the path of death

KOOLUK SUPPORTS TINTO MINERS

[Thief]

Unlike the (Blue) Moon Rune, Souleater has been referred to as the Rune of Life and Death in many more instances though. I'm more inclined to think that someone might have mixed up the rune's name with the vampires' village, hence the rare event of inconsistency. After all, it is the "rune of the Blue Moon Village".

[Zaj]

[Admiral Ackbar]

But the opposite of blue is orange.

Yep, completely random!

Edit - And the whole Black Blade and Shining Shield thing is a simple translation inconsistency error, just like how Jowy is sometimes called Joei.
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[Fayt]

I never heard the name "Blue Moon Rune" from an official source, the only thing "Blue" was the name of Sierra's village "Blue Moon Village".

I always assumed people called the rune "Blue" because they got the names mixed.
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[Kobold]

Strangely, it has always been Blue Moon Rune to me... I believe Suikoden 2 itself mentioned blue moon rune a few times, and moon rune on the others. S3's stage acting called it moon rune though... Yet, i've always been more inclined towards Blue moon...

I suppose it only makes sense to add in the colour since it IS blue...
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[Zaj]

[poorguy171]

First of all, I believe we should wait until Suikoden V is released. There, we will probably see if there is a relation between the Blue Moon Rune and "Sun Rune," as well as the name of the "Sun Rune." If it is named just Sun Rune, then this should be the Moon Rune.

Also, Suikoden II was so littered with mistranslations, I would trust III's usage of Moon Rune over II's usage of Blue Moon as well as Blue Moon Village.
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[Vextor]

There's really no point arguing over this, because Konami has used "Blue Moon Rune" in their official publication (in Japanese, so it is not a translation). Fans arguing over whether this is a mistake or not is... well, pointless.