Spiran Inscriptions and Writing in FFX

Above: The inscription on Cid's Airship seen from behind, where you can read all of it.
Writing System: Al Bhed Script

I deciphered it by taking a few screencaps during Yuna's conversation with Tidus about the Fayth near the end of the game. Seen from the front, the inscription turns slowly clockwise behind them, so that the end of the words appear first (click thumbnails for full-size):



You can also see this inscription slowly turning past during Final Fantasy X's ending scene. I like to think it's a farewell to Tidus. Of course, it could also be an Easter Egg reference to Cid Highwind (FFVII).

Now here's a puzzle. This badge below appears again and again, on Brother's Salvage Ship, on the crane of the ship that tries to kidnap Yuna, on the floor of Al Bhed Home (mirror image), and on the top of Cid's airship hull. I think it may originally have been intended for Brother's ship, and just repeated as a handy pattern... or else it's meant to signify how lucky it was they managed to salvage an airship. "Cid['s] Salvage Dream" is a slightly odd phrasing.

Writing System: Cid in Spiran Script, Salvage Dream in Al Bhed



By the time the Celsius was named in FFX-2, common wisdom is that this ship was named the Fahrenheit.

Above: Written in chalk on wall of Aurochs Locker Room (Photo-enhanced for contrast)

REAL transliteration:
To the dreams of my childhood... Farewell.
Captain Wakka, Besaido Aurochs

Writing System: Spiran Script capitalized

During the final match of the Luca tournament, Wakka sits out the first half in the locker room, waiting anxiously with Lulu. As the tournament starts, the scene switches to both of them gazing at a faint chalk inscription on the wall. The subtitles say, "My best memories are here." But that is an English translation of the Japanese subtitles, which were in turn a translation of the English written on the wall in Spiran Script, which includes a Japanese "o" on the end of the English spelling of "Besaid". Confused?

Above: Besaid Cloister of Trials: Wall next to Destruction Sphere
Writing System: Yevon Script

In Besaid's Cloisters of Trials, the Yevon Script inscription spells out the names of different temples of Yevon scattered across all the walls. On the final wall of Besaid Temple, symbolically leading to the Destruction Sphere and Yuna's first summoner's wand, the path of the summoners is spelled out.

The Yevon Script is alphabetical, but some of the signs are used as shorthand for the different temples as well. Here's Besaid's symbol, which you'll see again when you solve the Cloister of Trials in Zanarkand:



Did You Know? Final Fantasy X's Yevon Script is (apparently) based loosely on Siddham Script, an ancient way of writing Sanskrit, which is still used for holy books in Hindu religion.



The four signs at lower right are labeled with the Japanese kanji for the "Four Winds," i.e. four directions: East, West, South, North.

Above: "LUCA" and number 2 on Dock 2. See, you'll never get lost if you look for those numbers! Writing System: Spiran Script


Above: "WEAPON"... "BLITZ BALL" .... "ITEM" kiosk signs outside Luca Stadium

Above: "BAR"

Above: "CAFE"

Trivia note: Remember looking for Auron in Luca? Yuna says she heard a rumor that "Someone saw Sir Auron in a cafe!" But when she leads Tidus to Luca Square, you enter the "BAR" instead. So that's why Auron wasn't there!

Whiskey
Beer
Wine
Cock[tail]

Causeway to the Luca Sphere Theater:


Writing System: Spiran script, lowercase letters: "auction hall"

Inside Luca Sphere Theater:


Writing System: Spiran script: "GIL VENTURE"

Above: Shelinda complains about machina and Al Bhed right in front of a Rin billboard.
Writing System: Al Bhed (top) and Spiran Script (bottom)

Rin has a billboard advertising his Agency along the Highroad shortly before you reach the Agency itself. Not only is Shelinda whinging about machina there, but there's a woman in a purple smock who complains about the billboard if you stop and talk to her.

This is a bilingual sign in Al Bhed and Spiran. Click links to open them in a spare window.

The top says "Rin Travel Agency." The bottom has a typo: "Rin Travel Agancy"!

Shortly after meeting Shelinda, you reach Rin's Travel Agency and have a nice heart-to-heart between Tidus and Yuna. But who cares about plot and character development? We're busy playing with ciphers. Soooo...


"Chocobo Rental" in Spiran Script. I can't make out the diamond-shaped or purple signs. (Maybe "Rin" and "Free Room.") Then another "Chocobo" sign.

When you played the game, you probably noticed "Lake Macalania" neatly spelled out in capitalized Spiran Script in this flashback. The sign is on an arch ust to the left of the Lake Macalania Travel Agency. Here's the rest of the building:


"Welcome" "Rin's Travel Agency"                 "Rin" "Lake Macalania" (Al Bhed Script)

Click for source, and then click "Full Resolution" for FFX-2 Paine Wallpaper

Writing System: Yevon Script

Final Fantasy X-2 is a mixed bag, but this poster rocks. I finally noticed the inscription:

TELL                                   ME

WHY                                  PULL
DID                                    THE
YOU                                   TRIGGER

It's probably meant be an expression of Paine's inner thoughts (is Vegnagun reading them?). Or, since it's in the sacred script used by the Yevon church (and Vegnagun), it could be Vegnagun's silent cry for help, a commentary on the shooting that took place at its feet a thousand years ago, or even the thoughts of Shuyin, Nooj or Baralai... I donno, I'm probably reading too much into it, but it seems to have multiple layers of meaning and applicability.