Memoria - brief glimpses from history

Click here to listen to the song.

Being a sucker for legends and mythology, the song Memoria was quick to grab my attention. The beautiful pieces of artwork, along with the bittersweet music is perfect to create a reminiscent mood.

Here are brief accounts on the real life counterparts of the seven summoned heroes which the anime expects you to be aware of, for a better viewing experience.

Alexander the Great (Rider) real

"Alexander in Babylon" by Charles le Brun

Alexander (or Iskandar, which is the Persian version of his name) was the king of Macedon from 356 BC to 323 BC, and is considered one of the greatest army commanders of history. His biggest achievements include the conquering of the entire Persian Empire, and creating the largest ancient state (5.2 square kilometers) under the banner of one king.

He was known for having both a rough temper and calculated mind. Many historians glorified him due to his respectful attitude towards the empires he conquered, a fact which has been extensively used in the anime. Also, his soldiers were known for displaying immense loyalty towards their king, even though they revolted when he decided to cross the Ganges River in attempts of further expansion.

Gilgamesh (Archer) semi-mythical

Statue of Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh was a king of Uruk and ruled sometime around 2500 BC. Very few records of him exist, but the most prominent of them is the Epic of Gilgamesh, an epic poem from Mesopotamia, which is also one of the oldest surviving works of literature.

In these pieces of literature, he is often referred to as a demigod of superhuman strength who built the city walls of Uruk to defend his people from external threats. He was also known to have gathered all the treasures of the world.

Diarmuid Ua Duibhne (Lancer) mythical

"The Tree of Love" by Jim Connolly

Diarmuid (an Irish mythological figure) was a famous soldier under Fionn, the leader of Fianna. He was known to have killed 900 soldiers with a single blow. He received the famous love spot after sleeping with a goddess who was the personification of youth, and it was believed that any woman who gazed upon it  instantly fell in love with him.

After Fionn lost his wife, he decided to marry princess Gráinne. But she was unhappy about the marriage since Fionn was older than her own father, and got instantly attracted to Diarmuid. She forced Diarmuid to flee with her despite him being against it. After a long chase, Fionn decided to forgive Diarmuid after repeated requests from the latter's father, following which Diarmuid returned to Fianna and married Gráinne officially.

Afterwards Diarmuid was injured by a boar while hunting (which was meant to happen, according to a prophecy), and Fionn refused to heal him by letting him drink water from his hands, thus causing his death.

He wielded two legendary swords (Moralltach and Beagalltach) and two legendary spears (Gáe Buide and Gáe Derg). We get to see only his spears, since he was summoned under the Lancer class.

Gilles de Rais (Caster) real

Execution of Gilles de Rais

Gilles de Rais (1404–1440) was a leader in the French Army who fought alongside Joan of Arc. He became famous as a serial killer of children, whom he would kidnap, sexually abuse, and then butcher to death. His methods were quite similar in nature to what is actually shown in the anime. The kidnapped children would be treated like royalty, and would be given expensive food and expensive clothing. After many hours of indulging in merrymaking, he/she would be taken to a room where horror awaited. It is said that he derived extreme pleasure from the shocked, horror-filled faces of the children, whom he would decapitate with a short double-edged sword.

A folktale written in the 1600s 'Bluebeard' is said to have been inspired by him, where Bluebeard married and murdered several women, till being found out and killed by the brothers of one of his wives.

Despite being widely considered as a villain, there are chances that all the crimes of Gilles de Rais were simply conjured and passed onto history by other powerful people.

Hassan-i Sabbah (Assassin) real

Hassan-i Sabbah

Hassan-e Sabbāh (1050s-1124) was a Persian missionary who founded a group, whose members were referred to as the Hashshashins or Assassins, to protect Alamut from attackers outside of Iran.

The Assassins were generally young in age giving them the strength and agility required to carry out murders. They were taught to be patient, cold, and calculating. They were generally well educated because they were required to possess not only knowledge about their enemy, but about his or her culture and their native language. They were trained to disguise themselves, sneak in to enemy territory and perform the assassinations, instead of simply attacking their target outright.

Sir Lancelot (Berserker) mythical

The Lady of the Lake carrying Lancelot

Sir Lancelot (also known as 'Lancelot of the Lake' because, as a child, he was carried away from his parents and raised by the Lady of the Lake) was one of the Knights of the Round Table at King Arthur's court. He is well known for his love affair with Queen Guinivere, wife of King Arthur.

When he became a famous knight, a lady named Elaine falls in love with him and tricks him into sleeping with her by using magic to convince him that she is Guinivere. When Guinivere learns about this, she rebukes Lancelot bitterly and banishes him. This is said to have driven Lancelot mad, which might've been why he was chosen as the Berserker servant in the series.

Arturia Pendragon (Saber) semi-mythical

"How Mordred was slain by Arthur, and how by him Arthur was hurt to the death"

Arthur Pendragon or King Arthur was a king of Britain during the 5th and 6th centuries, and is said to have defended Britain from Saxon invaders. His existence is debated over by historians, and all his stories might just be limited to legends. In such legends, he is known to have lead a search for the Holy Grail.

He became the king after drawing Excalibur (the Sword in the Stone) which held the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain. Some legends indicate that he might have actually been a woman and thus gave rise to the character of Arturia Pendragron.

His rule ended with the fall of Camelot. In the final battle, he fought against his own illegitimate son, Mordred. The king drove a lance through Mordred, killing him on spot. Before dying, Mordred swung his sword one last time, and thus delivered a fatal wound to the King which ultimately led to his death.