Animal gods (神獣, kami kemono) is a collective noun for the gods of the uncharted lands of Crystania. During the War of the Gods they did not join either side, but remained neutral. During the war the neutral gods (中立の神, chūritsu no kami) fled to Crystania. There, they discarded their divine, human-like bodies, and sealed their souls in the bodies of ordinary animals to blend in with wild-life and hide themselves from evil dragon lords, creatures summoned during the War of the Gods with the purpose of destroying the gods.
The animal gods govern Crystania with a so-called "Cycle" (周期, shūki), an endlessly repeating fate set by them. They have raised the land to great hights, to prevent any foreign traveller who may find it from accessing it and causing a "disturbance" to Crystania's set cycle. The animal gods are worshipped by indigenous people of Crystania who are bestowed with a talent (タレント, tarento) of the animal god they serve and are given a mission for Crystania. The nature of that mission aligns with what their god represents or governs. These indigenous people are called the "People of the Animal Gods" (神獣の民, kami kemono no min). These people are usually grouped together in tribes. Every animal god has its own tribe of followers.
Among the animal gods are the five animal god kings (五神獣王, go kami kemono-ō) , five pillar gods who play a central role in Crystania.
Animal gods[]
| Name | Animal form | Governs | Region | Tribe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkena | Black raven | Fate | Fingal | Tribe of Shadow |
| Bayard | Earthworm | Reincarnation | Iscaria | Tribe of the Subterranea |
| Direon | Golden lion | Waiyana | Tribe of the Mane | |
| Fortino | White-headed eagle | Iscaria | Tribe of Solitude | |
| Fuji | White swan | Charity
Sorrow |
Da’nan | Tribe of the Great Swan |
| Kuroise | Ant | Society
Organization |
Rabradal | Tribe of Crimson |
| LaFontelle | Elk | Fingal | Tribe of the Antler | |
| Melkish | Wildcat | Beldia | Tribe of Enlightenment | |
| Moscos | Buffalo | Southern Crystania | Tribe of the Two Horns | |
| Orgin | Whale | (tribeless?) | ||
| Resfen | Butterfly | Iscaria
Chaos world |
Tribe of the Butterfly | |
| Sertalia | Mountain goat | Sacrifice | Southern Crystania | Tribe of the Wild Goat |
| Silvari | Dark bay horse | Waiyana | Tribe of the Hoof | |
| Sumash | Two-tailed fox | Iscaria | Tribe of Duality | |
| Talukey | Parrot | Beldia | Tribe of Silence |
Animal god kings[]
- Barbas (Tribe of the Fierce Tiger)
- Bruza (Tribe of the Tusk)
- Feness (Tribe of the Silver Wolf)
- Rumiss (Tribe of the (Great) Snake)
- Urus (Tribe of the Sealers)
Notes[]
- The subtitled version of ADV Film's English release of the Legend of Crystania movie refers the animal gods as “god beasts”. The dub, as well as the dub and sub of the OVA, uses “animal gods”.