What is this strange script?


I have seen this script in several games—and possibly elsewhere—but the only
one I can think of now is [Samurai Shodown]{サムライ・スピリッツ}. The script characters
are typically very rounded and/or squiggly.

I don't know Samurai Shodown lore very deeply, but this script is often found
in relation to the character [天草四郎時貞]{あまくさ・しろう・ときさだ}. I know the video game
character is loosely based around the historical figure of the same name, but
the video game character is depicted as a kind of sorcerer with different
kinds of powers and magic. Here are some images of this script in relation to
the character:

###### (Click to see expanded version)

[![](https://i.stack.imgur.com/7hJ0t.gif)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/7hJ0t.gif)

[![](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Wxq70.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Wxq70.jpg)

[![](https://i.stack.imgur.com/i3iiR.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/i3iiR.jpg)

* * *

#### So what is this script?

  * Is it Japanese? It _kind_ of looks like it could be some type of cursive kanji 字体.
  * Is it something related to East Asian religious/supernatural themes? I thought maybe something related to Shinto due to the 四手 and しめ縄 in the pictures. I looked a bit into [神代]{かみよ, じんだい}文字 and アヒル草文字, but all the examples I could find didn't look much like this.
  * Is it something invented purely for the game?

If the answer is only tangentially related to the Japanese language, feel free
to close as necessary. But any insight is appreciated because this script has
been haunting me for a long time.




The script in the top screenshot is
[Siddhaṃ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddha%E1%B9%83_script) or 梵字{ぼんじ},
often used in Japanese media as a placeholder for arcane Buddhist magic, just
as [Futhark runes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runes#Runic_alphabets) might
be used in Western media.

It originated as the form of the Indic script transmitted to Japan via
Buddhist texts in the 9th century. As such, these are _not_ related to Shinto
and are instead seen in Buddhist contexts, although certainly I'd expect some
license when it comes to their use in the context of games.

While I can recognise the script, I cannot read it and so I couldn't identify
whether the text on the stone legitimately says anything or not. However, the
large glyph at the top of the stone partially resembles the Siddhaṃ
[aum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Om). If the text _is_ legitimate, it's
most likely copy-pasted from some sutra out of context.

The glyphs in your third screenshot are stylistically different to Siddhaṃ and
consequently have nothing to do with it. These are probably a graphic
designer’s imagination at work.

