Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It is the sound of losing your army to someone else's devotion. Every player of the first game knows the helpless moment when your elephant wavers, flashes, and turns on you. The chant became the series' calling card and an all-purpose meme for anything being taken over; Minecraft's evoker even makes the noise when it recolours a blue sheep red.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Age of EmpiresShow the scene
The chant comes from the Priest, the religious unit in the first Age of Empires (1997). A Priest walks up to an enemy unit, chants, and if the faith meter holds, the target changes sides. Chris Rippy, the game's sound director, made the sound by manipulating a clip from a family video; the "Ay yo" tail was added so the chant was less repetitive. It is often wrongly credited to Age of Empires II's Monks, whose chant is different, though the Priests added in Age of Empires II's Chronicles content do use the original sound.
Sources (2)
- Age of Empires Wiki: Priest (Age of Empires)Trivia and GameplayReference checked
- Age of Empires Wiki: Priest (Age of Empires II)lead and NotesReference checked
Context reviewed