Ajax

Ajax is a mentioned character in Genshin Impact.

Profile

Ajax is a popular hero in Snezhnayan legends.^[1] There are countless stories of his feats, including discovering Hyperborea, sailing a ship into a whale's belly, fighting a dragon for seven days, his star-crossed romance with a Snegurochka.^[2] He was also the "second-strongest warrior of the alliance,"^[3] though no further information is given about the alliance.

At some point, a "tragedy [play] of unknown provenance" was written based on Ajax's life. It contains a line which led Rene to believe that it is possible to descend into the Abyss and be reborn as a primordial human (or in the play, a "holy infant").^[3]

Trivia

• The legends surrounding Ajax have parallels with the narratives of multiple different people:
  • Saarelainen:
    • Ajax took only enough gold from the dragon he slew to "cure his sick friends,"^[2] while Saarelainen is specifically called upon by the Frostmoon Scions to heal wounds and cure disease.^[4]
    • Ajax's star-crossed lover was a Snegurochka (Russian: Снегурочка lit. "Snow Maiden"). Saarelainen's lover was the daughter of Pakkaisukko.^[4] The name "Pakkaisukko" is derived from the Finnish pakkasukko, meaning "Father Frost" — a figure who, in Eastern Slavic tradition, is also the identity of Snegurochka's grandfather.
      • Pakkaisukko is described as a servant of the Hyperboreans (the ancestors of the Frostmoon Scions), and servants of the Hyperboreans have all been fae.^[5] Some fae are capable of transforming into human appearances,^[6] which is based on the mythological changeling. Ajax was separated from the Snegurochka due to the "wicked tricks of the changelings," while Pakkaisukko's "wicked scheme" involved having Saarelainen "open the gates of Pohjola" as a condition for marrying his daughter, knowing that whoever did so would be punished by the Heavenly Principles.^[4]
  • Belyi Tsar and Filipov:
    • The Belyi Tsar and Filipov are recorded in General History of Snezhnaya as having sailed into the belly of a whale and fighting a dragon for seven days, feats that have also been ascribed to Ajax.
      • In Rene's notes, he notes that a line from a play named after Ajax can be read as relating to the concept of a Primordial Human, which aligns with the Belyi Tsar's status as an incomplete Primordial Human.
      • According to Akeem, Filipov was the second strongest warrior of the Pale Star Court, which aligns with Ajax being the second strongest of his alliance.

Etymology

• "Ajax," or "Aias" (Greek: Aἴας), is a Greek name; in this case, it refers to Ajax the Great of The Iliad, who was second only in strength to Achilles among the Greeks in the Trojan War.

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References