Reversed messages: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 17:48, September 11, 2022

Reversed messages refer to a series of messages hidden in Halo music tracks. There are thirteen reversed messages in the Halo series: one in Halo 2, three in Halo 3, 8 in Halo: Reach, and one in Halo 2: Anniversary.

Destroyer's Invocation message[edit]

In the Halo 2 soundtrack Destroyer's Invocation, (the first movement of the Mausoleum Suite on the Halo 2: Original Soundtrack), a mysterious voice chants. If this mumbling is reversed (listen), a voice is heard saying:

…I have walked among men and angels for three thousand years. Time has no end… no beginning… no purpose.

I wander the earth, seeking forgiveness for my horrible crimes against God and man.

I live to see death and destruction, evil… over the light, but the light cannot be extinguished.

I live in a prison of my own demise.'

I am lost…in time

The voice can be heard in the beginning cutscene of the level The Arbiter, the level Gravemind when John-117 rescues the Marines, and during the level The Great Journey when Thel 'Vadam battles Tartarus.

In 2007, Martin O'Donnell posted on the halo.bungie.org forums that he wondered "why the transcript (of the reversed message) is still wrong."^[1]

Black Tower message[edit]

In the Halo 3 soundtrack, during the first few minutes of the track Black Tower, there is yet another message that can be heard if one reverses the music. Here is a transcript:

Eyes from Death's dream kingdom,

Appear as sunlight on a broken column.

There in Death's other kingdom walking alone,

Trembling lips form prayers to broken stone.

This message appears to be a reference to T.S. Elliot's Poem, The Hollow Men. The first part of the transcript refers to lines 20-23.

In death’s dream kingdom

These do not appear:

There, the eyes are

Sunlight on a broken column

The second part refers to lines 47-49.

Waking alone

At the hour when we are

Trembling with tenderness

Lips that would kiss

Form prayers to broken stone.

It is also worth noting that lines from the last stanza in T.S. Elliot's The Hollow Men were used in the Cortana Letters, which was repeated at the end of the Halo 3 Announcement trailer and in Halo 3 itself.

Dread Intrusion message[edit]

In the Halo 3 soundtrack, a reversed message can be heard in the tracks Gravemind, and Dread Intrusion. The entire message is currently unknown, however, several lines are intelligible. Oddly, the voice during these messages sounds different from Gravemind. It echoes considerably, rendering several lines unknown, it is much deeper in pitch, and multiple other voices can be heard. This could be a reference to multiple Graveminds from the past that speak as one because of inherited knowledge. The first two lines both have 7 syllables each, a possible 7 reference.

Side by side, we march as one,

Humans and Elites will die,

The Earth will fall if we strike together,

So forth shall all of life.

The exact person who is speaking is unknown. Just like the Destroyer's Invocation Message, there are many possibilities about whom it could be. The likely candidates are the Gravemind and the Prophet of Truth, since only Elites and humans are mentioned.

A voice can also be heard on the level, The Covenant. It can be found in the second barrier tower's control room, where there are Brute Stalkers.

Data pads[edit]

Similar to Halo 3's terminals, Halo: Reach has reversed Forerunner audio in the background of the Data pads.^[2]

Culling data

Corruption contained

Breach identified

Welcome Scion

Lineage confirmed

Rogue confirmed

Purge Initiated

Protocols Reinstated

Gathering sources

Scouring Arrays

Prioritizing

Cross-referencing

Referencing

Daemon Running

Searching

Researching

Cryptic Whisper message[edit]

In the Halo 2: Anniversary soundtrack Cryptic Whisper a mysterious voice chants. If this mumbling is reversed, a voice is heard saying:

We squander eons in the darkness

While they seize our triumphs for their own

The Mantle of Responsibility for all things belongs to Forerunners alone

Think of my acts as you will

Do not doubt the reality

The Reclamation has already begun

We are hopeless to stop it.

The voice can be heard in the beginning cutscene of the level The Arbiter. The message alludes to the Ur-Didact's suasoria from Halo 4's Epilogue.

Sources[edit]

[hbo-1] halo.bungie.org: i wonder...

[2] YouTube: DATA PAD SECRET MESSAGES FINALLY DECIPHERED - Halo Reach

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Era|H2|H3}}
+{{Status|Gameplay}}
-{{Ratings}}
+'''Reversed messages''' refer to a series of messages hidden in ''Halo'' music tracks. There are thirteen reversed messages in the ''Halo'' series: one in ''[[Halo 2]]'', three in ''[[Halo 3]]'', 8 in ''[[Halo: Reach]]'', and one in ''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''.
-There are four '''reversed messages''' in the Halo series, one in [[Halo 2]], and three in [[Halo 3]]. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsEo2u10ziM&fmt=18
+== Destroyer's Invocation message ==
+In the ''Halo 2'' soundtrack ''Destroyer's Invocation'', (the first movement of the ''[[Mausoleum Suite]]'' on the ''[[Halo 2: Original Soundtrack]]''), a mysterious voice chants. If this mumbling is reversed ([[Media:Reversed_message.ogg|listen]]), a voice is heard saying:
-== Destroyer's Invocation Message ==
-(For three messages go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsEo2u10ziM&fmt=18)
-In the Halo 2 song ''Destroyer's Invocation'', (the first movement of the ''Mausoleum Suite'' on the Halo 2: Original Soundtrack, a mysterious voice chants. If this mumbling is reversed ([[Media:Reversed_message.ogg|listen]]), a voice is heard saying:
-:''...I have walked among men and angels for three thousand years. Time has no end... no beginning... no purpose.''
+:''…I have walked among men and angels for three thousand years. Time has no end… no beginning… no purpose.''
 :''I wander the earth, seeking forgiveness for my horrible crimes against God and man.''
+:''I live to see death and destruction, evil… over the light, but the light cannot be extinguished.''
+:''I live in a prison of my own demise.' ''
+:''I am lost…in time''
-:''I live to see death and destruction, evil... over the light, but the light cannot be extinguished.''
+The voice can be heard in the beginning cutscene of the level ''[[The Arbiter]]'', the level ''[[Gravemind (level)|Gravemind]]'' when [[John-117]] rescues the Marines, and during the level ''[[The Great Journey]]'' when [[Thel 'Vadam]] battles [[Tartarus]].
-:''I live in a prison of my own demise.' '
+In [[2007 (real world)|2007]], [[Martin O'Donnell]] posted on the [[halo.bungie.org]] forums that he wondered "why the transcript (of the reversed message) is still wrong."<ref name="hbo">[http://forums.bungie.org/halo/archive26.pl?read=783501 '''halo.bungie.org''': ''i wonder...'']</ref>
-:''I am lost...in time''
+== Black Tower message ==
+In the ''Halo 3'' soundtrack, during the first few minutes of the track ''Black Tower'', there is yet another message that can be heard if one reverses the music. Here is a transcript:
-The voice can be heard during the cut scene before [[The Arbiter]], the level [[Gravemind (Level)|Gravemind]] when you rescue the Marines, and during [[The Great Journey (Level)|The Great Journey]] when you fight [[Tartarus]].
+:''Eyes from Death's dream kingdom,''
+:''Appear as sunlight on a broken column.''
-Recently, [[Marty O'Donnell]] posted on the Halo.Bungie.Org forums that he wondered "why the transcript (of the reversed message) is still wrong." This seems to indicate that changes must be made to the transcript before it is accurate.
+:''There in Death's other kingdom walking alone,''
+:''Trembling lips form prayers to broken stone.''
+This message appears to be a reference to T.S. Elliot's Poem, ''The Hollow Men.'' The first part of the transcript refers to lines 20-23.
-There are many theories as to whom the voice belongs. The most plausible candidate is [[032 Mendicant Bias]], however other possibilities include a [[Prophet]] or the [[Gravemind]]. When played, it seems to sound like the [[Gravemind]], but sped up slightly, the voice seems to belong to the [[Prophet of Truth]].  If sped up even more, the voice resembles that of a [[Monitor]].
+:''In death’s dream kingdom''
+:''These do not appear:''
+:''There, the eyes are''
+:''Sunlight on a broken column''
-There are voices that sound like another reversed message in the "Infected" part of the [[Mausoleum Suite]], but so far they seem to be indecipherable (too distorted).
+The second part refers to lines 47-49.
-== Black Tower Message ==
+:''Waking alone''
+:''At the hour when we are''
+:''Trembling with tenderness''
+:''Lips that would kiss''
+:''Form prayers to broken stone.''
-In the Halo 3 soundtrack, during the first few minutes of the track ''Black Tower'', there is yet another message that can be heard if you reverse the song. Here is a transcript:
+It is also worth noting that lines from the last stanza in T.S. Elliot's ''The Hollow Men'' were used in the [[Cortana Letters]], which was repeated at the end of the [[Halo 3 announcement trailer|''Halo 3'' Announcement trailer]] and in ''Halo 3'' itself.
-:''Eyes from Death's dream kingdom,
+== Dread Intrusion message ==
-:''Appear as sunlight on a broken column.''
+In the ''Halo 3'' soundtrack, a reversed message can be heard in the tracks ''[[Gravemind (music)|Gravemind]]'', and ''[[Dread Intrusion]]''. The entire message is currently unknown, however, several lines are intelligible. Oddly, the voice during these messages sounds different from Gravemind. It echoes considerably, rendering several lines unknown, it is much deeper in pitch, and multiple other voices can be heard. This could be a reference to multiple Graveminds from the past that  speak as one because of inherited knowledge. The first two lines both have [[Seven|7]] syllables each, a possible '''7''' reference.
-:''There in Death's other kingdom walking alone,
+:''Side by side, we march as one,''
-:''Trembling lips form prayers to broken stone.''
+:''Humans and Elites will die,''
+:''The Earth will fall if we strike together,''
+:''So forth shall all of life.''
+The exact person who is speaking is unknown. Just like the ''Destroyer's Invocation'' Message, there are many possibilities about whom it could be. The likely candidates are the [[Gravemind]] and the [[Prophet of Truth]], since only [[Sangheili|Elites]] and [[human]]s are mentioned.
-This message appears to be a reference to T.S. Elliot's Poem ''The Hollow Men.''  The first part of the transcript refers to lines 20-23.
+A voice can also be heard on the level, [[The Covenant (level)|The Covenant]]. It can be found in the second [[barrier tower]]'s control room, where there are [[Brute Stalkers]].
-:''In death’s dream kingdom
+==Data pads==
-:''These do not appear:
+Similar to Halo 3's terminals, ''[[Halo: Reach]]'' has reversed [[Forerunner]] audio in the background of the [[Data pads]].<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_HcWBU9dJg '''YouTube''': ''DATA PAD SECRET MESSAGES FINALLY DECIPHERED - Halo Reach'']</ref>
-:''There, the eyes are
-:''Sunlight on a broken column''
-The second part refers to lines 47-49.
+:''Culling data''
+:''Corruption contained''
+:''Breach identified''
+:''Welcome Scion''
+:''Lineage confirmed''
+:''Rogue confirmed''
+:''Purge Initiated''
+:''Protocols Reinstated''
+:''Gathering sources''
+:''Scouring Arrays''
+:''Prioritizing''
+:''Cross-referencing''
+:''Referencing''
+:''Daemon Running''
+:''Searching''
+:''Researching''
-:''Waking alone
+==Cryptic Whisper message==
-:''At the hour when we are
+In the ''Halo 2: Anniversary'' soundtrack ''[[Cryptic Whisper]]'' a mysterious voice chants. If this mumbling is reversed, a voice is heard saying:
-:''Trembling with tenderness
-:''Lips that would kiss
-:''Form prayers to broken stone.''
-It is also worth noting that a line (or lines) from the last stanza in ''The Hollow Men'' was used in the end of the Halo 3 E3 2006 trailer. The Stanza is as follows:
+:''We squander eons in the darkness''
+:''While they seize our triumphs for their own''
+:''The [[Mantle|Mantle of Responsibility]] for all things belongs to [[Forerunner]]s alone''
+:''Think of my acts as you will''
+:''Do not doubt the reality''
+:''The [[Reclaimer|Reclamation]] has already begun''
+:''We are hopeless to stop it.''
-:''This is the way the world ends
+The voice can be heard in the beginning cutscene of the level ''The Arbiter''. The message alludes to the [[Ur-Didact]]'s [[Wikipedia:Suasoria|suasoria]] from ''[[Halo 4]]'''s [[Epilogue (Halo 4 level)|Epilogue]].
-:''This is the way the world ends
-:''This is the way the world ends
-:''Not with a bang but a whimper.''
-== Gravemind/Dread Intrusion Message ==
+==Sources==
+{{Ref/Sources}}
-Also in the [[Halo 3]] soundtrack, a reversed message can be heard in the tracks ''[[Gravemind]]'', and ''Dread Intrusion''. The entire message is currently unknown, however, several lines are intelligible. Oddly, the voice during these messages sounds different from Gravemind. It echoes considerably, rendering several lines unknown, it is much deeper in pitch, and multiple other voices can be heard. This could be a reference to multiple Graveminds from the past that  speak as one because of inherited knowledge. The first two lines both have [[7]] syllables each, a possible [[7]] reference. Also, the last two lines could also be a [[7]] reference as the third line contains 10 syllables and the fourth contains six. 1+0+6=7
+{{Easter Egg}}
-:''Side by side, we march as one,
-:''Humans and Elites will die,''
-:''The Earth will fall if we strike together,
+[[Category:Halo 2 Easter eggs]]
-:''So forth shall all of life.''
+[[Category:Halo 3 Easter eggs]]
+[[Category:Halo: Reach Easter eggs]]
-The exact person who is speaking is unknown. Just like the ''Destroyer's Invocation'' Message, there are many possibilities about who it could be. The likely candidates are the [[Gravemind]] and the [[Prophet of Truth]] since only [[Elites]] and [[Humans]] are mentioned.
-{{Easter Egg}}
-[[Category:Easter Eggs]]
-[[Category:Halo 2 Easter Eggs]]
-[[Category:Halo 3 Easter Eggs]]