Talk:Geist/@comment-72.88.115.93-20170606202644/@comment-25936766-20170607013414

3Via time:

1-Bahamut is a giant fish from Arabian mythology, who supports the earth. Sometimes, it was portrayed with the head of an elephant or an hippo.

The 1001 Arabian Nights are a collection of middle eastern and southasian stories and folk tales, compiled in Arabian, whose tales have Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Arabic, Persian, Indian and Jewish roots.

According to Jorge Luis Borgues, in the 496th night, Bahamut is the giant fish that Jesus (Isa) beholds, swimming in the vast ocean. It carries a bull, which carries a rock, over which is an angel carrying the seven stages of the earths. Beneath it lies air, then fire, then a serpent called Falak. Upon seeing Bahamut, Jesus (Isa) loses consciousness:

''"At this sight Isa fell down aswoon, and when he came to himself, Allah spake to him by inspiration, saying, 'O Isa, hast thou seen the fish and comprehended its length and its breadth?' He replied, 'By Thy honour and glory, O Lord, I saw no fish; but there passed me by a great bull, whose length was three days' journey, and I know not what manner of thing this bull is.' Quoth Allah, 'O Isa, this that thou sawest and which was three days in passing by thee, was but the head of the fish; and know that every day I create forty fishes like unto this." ''

40 fishes like it....every day. Damn, Allah.

(Source <- Taken from Wikipedia)

But, long story short, it's a giant fish, not a Dragon.

Now 2-Final Fantasy, especially the first few games, based most, if not all, their creatures, on Dungeons and Dragons's monsters. So any innaccuracies from the latter were also imported without much care. Including Bahamut being a Dragon.

Now every game where Bahamut appears has it as a Dragon due to Tradition, just like Shin Megami Tensei having Cerberus as a 1-headed White Lion with a Snake tail instead of....you know, a 3-headed dog (just look it up, SMT Cerberus).