As for the magic armor theory, I’ve never personally thought that it could account for the bat wings, but the part of that theory regarding coat color and all that makes a bit of sense. However, Flash Sentry kept his normal color, so who knows.
@Millennial Dan
Hmm, I will read more of the comics. Do you have a link where Lauren Faust says they caves (or something)?
I will ask this… how would you explain the royal guard mostly having such a uniform appearance? Why do they have the same coat and mane/tail color, the all white pegasus guard, the grey coated unicorns, blue serpentine night guard with bat wings, exc?
@EquestrianScholar
They have shown up in the comic several times. Also keep in mind what Faust said. Her opinion was that they primarily lived in caves or something, so sightings of them are pretty rare.
Hmm, perhaps… though it does seem like the sort of name most wouldn’t know the origin of without looking it up. Earth pony, unicorn, pegasus are pretty identifiable names while pyrippi/pyrippus is not unless you look it up. Admittingly that isn’t very hard in this day and age since you can look up just about anything.
Still, I will look into it. Admittingly, I still prefer the headcanon that the royal guard wear enchanted armour which is why they have a uniform appearance. Either that or dyeing their coat, mane, and tail with other cosmetic changes but that means that ponies who become members of the royal guard wouldn’t be able to be told apart off duty… leading me to believe it may be a temporary effect.
Of note in helping this theory is that outside of their appearance as Luna’s personal guard one has yet to see the ‘bat pony’ race unless they appear in the comic… apart from being shown as royal guard.
@EquestrianScholar
I call them pyrippi, singular pyrippus. From what I’ve heard, the term refers to the underworld horses designated for pulling the chariot of Hades. There is a lot of Greek mythology in MLP, so it seemed appropriate.
@Millennial Dan
Sighs, perhaps so though I really don’t see there being true claim since it was never copyrighted. Thestral is intended to be a mythological creature, details of such are often changed mattering the author… such as vampire, and unless J.K. Rowling seeks to mark it as hers only I see no reason why others can’t use it.
Of note there seems to be a band calling themselves Thestral and selling, name your price, an album by that name.
@EquestrianScholar
Even if that tweet is real, that still wouldn’t make them anything other than bat-winged ponies who were partially inspired by something else. You can come up with something other than “bat pony” if you like (which is what I did), but a Harry Potter name is no good.
@Millennial Dan
Actually, if you want the reference it can be found under the tag thestral here on the site. The page, with a link to twitter, can be found here.
@EquestrianScholar
The word “thestral” is technically trademarked by Rowling automatically because she made it up. Not sure if it’s registered, but it doesn’t really matter. And I can’t find any reference made by Larson saying that thestrals were the inspiration of bat ponies, so let’s not go spreading any unverified rumors here.
Here are the facts. These are two very distinct creatures, belonging to completely different franchises. Bat ponies are not thestrals, and thestrals are not bat ponies. That is not how contemporary fiction works, for obvious reasons.
@Millennial Dan
Well if I was an artist of a piece of MLP art and felt the name thestral for what the pony’s race was and did not want connection to Harry Potter I woul be most annoyed if others insisted on saying it has to could as crossover and Harry Potter.
One last question… is thestral a word copyrighted by Harry Potter or J.K. Rowling? I don’t believe so but perhaps I am wrong.
Also, I believe, in this very comment section, it was mentioned that M.A. Larson said that inspiration was taken from the thestral of Harry Potter yet it was clear Luna’s guard were not the same sort of creature they were. The show took the idea of thestral, and put a different spin on it… and was quick to accept the fans idea of calling the race bat ponies. Sighs
My thoughts, there is more then enough reason to use thestral instead of bat pony if a fan so wishes and calling them such does not mean that it is a crossover or connected to Harry Potter… those are my thoughts.
@EquestrianScholar
A “thestral” is a particular kind of animal from the Harry Potter universe. It has a specific definition that belongs to the mythos created by J.K. Rowling. Co-opting that is a bit like naming something “pikachu”. It’d be ridiculous, because that is a creature belonging to a contemporary fictional source other than MLP. You’re comparison to “alicorn” ignores the fact that the word alicorn was not invented by some modern novelist.
That is more than adequate an argument, despite your objections. Using that name would be an obvious crossover, which we do not need.
@Millennial Dan
Why not? Why can’t they be called thestrals? Also, please don’t bring up Harry Potter, as that is not a good reason.
The reason why it isn’t a good argument is because many in the past have tried arguing against the use of alicorn since it was most often the definition of the material a unicorn’s horn is made out of, though it also has roots in French for wing (aile) and horn (corne), yet alicorn is now officially what the royal sisters, Twilight, and Cadance are called as a race.
Whatever origin or use a word previously had, does not mean it can not be given other uses and definitions.
(A different sort of example)Just consider how the word ‘gay’ once meant happy and ‘faggot’ a bundle of sticks yet are now insulting slurs for homosexuals.
In this case… no thestrals do not have to mean skeletal horses with reptilian features and bat wings. Nor does one have to say the Harry Potter definition is the only correct definition.
Though when it comes to the last two points they do apply. I myself have never felt bat ponies were an appropriate name since their features were more reptilian or even draconic given the eyes and frilled ridge on their head. All in all the only thing that could suggest bats are the wings and the fact Luna used them as her guard, yet the rest of their appearance are I feel not bat-like.
@Background Pony #6026
well, to each there own I guess, but it wont stop people from doing these kind of things, so really the association problem is kinda moot.
@Fuedra
Like I said, you can’t separate this from its source. People are always going to think of the origin, and thus be diverted straight into a different work of contemporary fiction. It’s an association that is neither necessary nor desirable.
@Background Pony #6026
I realize that, but that does not stop others from creating new versions of said creature, ones which may not relate to the original, as done here.
Sure, here you go.
As for the magic armor theory, I’ve never personally thought that it could account for the bat wings, but the part of that theory regarding coat color and all that makes a bit of sense. However, Flash Sentry kept his normal color, so who knows.
Hmm, I will read more of the comics. Do you have a link where Lauren Faust says they caves (or something)?
I will ask this… how would you explain the royal guard mostly having such a uniform appearance? Why do they have the same coat and mane/tail color, the all white pegasus guard, the grey coated unicorns, blue serpentine night guard with bat wings, exc?
They have shown up in the comic several times. Also keep in mind what Faust said. Her opinion was that they primarily lived in caves or something, so sightings of them are pretty rare.
Whoops, I forgot to mention you. ^^;
Still, I will look into it. Admittingly, I still prefer the headcanon that the royal guard wear enchanted armour which is why they have a uniform appearance. Either that or dyeing their coat, mane, and tail with other cosmetic changes but that means that ponies who become members of the royal guard wouldn’t be able to be told apart off duty… leading me to believe it may be a temporary effect.
Of note in helping this theory is that outside of their appearance as Luna’s personal guard one has yet to see the ‘bat pony’ race unless they appear in the comic… apart from being shown as royal guard.
I call them pyrippi, singular pyrippus. From what I’ve heard, the term refers to the underworld horses designated for pulling the chariot of Hades. There is a lot of Greek mythology in MLP, so it seemed appropriate.
If I may, could I ask what you have named them?
Sighs, perhaps so though I really don’t see there being true claim since it was never copyrighted. Thestral is intended to be a mythological creature, details of such are often changed mattering the author… such as vampire, and unless J.K. Rowling seeks to mark it as hers only I see no reason why others can’t use it.
Of note there seems to be a band calling themselves Thestral and selling, name your price, an album by that name.
Even if that tweet is real, that still wouldn’t make them anything other than bat-winged ponies who were partially inspired by something else. You can come up with something other than “bat pony” if you like (which is what I did), but a Harry Potter name is no good.
This reference is mention on the MLP Wiki under List of allusions/Season Two. so I believe that adds strength to it, despite the missing twitter page.
Sighs, I partly take that back, seems the twitter link is broken. My apologizes
Actually, if you want the reference it can be found under the tag thestral here on the site. The page, with a link to twitter, can be found here.
The word “thestral” is technically trademarked by Rowling automatically because she made it up. Not sure if it’s registered, but it doesn’t really matter. And I can’t find any reference made by Larson saying that thestrals were the inspiration of bat ponies, so let’s not go spreading any unverified rumors here.
Here are the facts. These are two very distinct creatures, belonging to completely different franchises. Bat ponies are not thestrals, and thestrals are not bat ponies. That is not how contemporary fiction works, for obvious reasons.
Well if I was an artist of a piece of MLP art and felt the name thestral for what the pony’s race was and did not want connection to Harry Potter I woul be most annoyed if others insisted on saying it has to could as crossover and Harry Potter.
One last question… is thestral a word copyrighted by Harry Potter or J.K. Rowling? I don’t believe so but perhaps I am wrong.
Also, I believe, in this very comment section, it was mentioned that M.A. Larson said that inspiration was taken from the thestral of Harry Potter yet it was clear Luna’s guard were not the same sort of creature they were. The show took the idea of thestral, and put a different spin on it… and was quick to accept the fans idea of calling the race bat ponies. Sighs
My thoughts, there is more then enough reason to use thestral instead of bat pony if a fan so wishes and calling them such does not mean that it is a crossover or connected to Harry Potter… those are my thoughts.
A “thestral” is a particular kind of animal from the Harry Potter universe. It has a specific definition that belongs to the mythos created by J.K. Rowling. Co-opting that is a bit like naming something “pikachu”. It’d be ridiculous, because that is a creature belonging to a contemporary fictional source other than MLP. You’re comparison to “alicorn” ignores the fact that the word alicorn was not invented by some modern novelist.
That is more than adequate an argument, despite your objections. Using that name would be an obvious crossover, which we do not need.
Why not? Why can’t they be called thestrals? Also, please don’t bring up Harry Potter, as that is not a good reason.
The reason why it isn’t a good argument is because many in the past have tried arguing against the use of alicorn since it was most often the definition of the material a unicorn’s horn is made out of, though it also has roots in French for wing (aile) and horn (corne), yet alicorn is now officially what the royal sisters, Twilight, and Cadance are called as a race.
Whatever origin or use a word previously had, does not mean it can not be given other uses and definitions.
(A different sort of example)Just consider how the word ‘gay’ once meant happy and ‘faggot’ a bundle of sticks yet are now insulting slurs for homosexuals.
Whatever they are, they’re not thestrals.
Though when it comes to the last two points they do apply. I myself have never felt bat ponies were an appropriate name since their features were more reptilian or even draconic given the eyes and frilled ridge on their head. All in all the only thing that could suggest bats are the wings and the fact Luna used them as her guard, yet the rest of their appearance are I feel not bat-like.
Harry Potter.
well, to each there own I guess, but it wont stop people from doing these kind of things, so really the association problem is kinda moot.
Like I said, you can’t separate this from its source. People are always going to think of the origin, and thus be diverted straight into a different work of contemporary fiction. It’s an association that is neither necessary nor desirable.
and how good sir is it a bad idea?
It’s a bad idea though. It has no history outside of HP, so it’s forever linked to that narrative.
I realize that, but that does not stop others from creating new versions of said creature, ones which may not relate to the original, as done here.