Horus Heresy: Favorite References.

[seaglen]

Ok, I set up this thread for any who are interested in compiling all the little nods and references within the Horus Heresy series to outside influences. These are normally in reference to Old Earth (circa M2) and its cultures, artworks, literature.

Three of my favorites (that i can remember offhand) are:

- The nods to old cities such as L'undone (think this was how it was spelt).
- The override code in Deliverence lost is "Peta Orpheus Epsilon" POE. as in Edgar.
- The starship Heart of Gold was "improbably destroyed" in a space battle in Fulgrim.

Please post any other you can remember. I beleive there are quite a few, especially with reference to works of literature etc.

[wittdooley]

Well, there's the character Caspar Hawser in Prospero Burns...

[Grailkeeper]

The titan rover in deliverance lost

[seaglen]

what is the name casper hawser reference to?

also, anyone have any more of the Old Earth names for places?

[Dalleron]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaspar_Hauser

I haven't read Prospero Burns in so long I forget the point of the reference.

[mjasghar]

POE is also to be found in Dr Strangelove isn't it?
There's a mad Yank in charge of an airbase who sets off the launch, and his password is POE - Purity Of Essence
I loved the acknowledgment of the old Mechanicus Knights, the tons of kabalistic refernces in Thousand sons, Ordo Reductor refrences, and Keeprs of the Dark.

[calltoarms]

These are cool. Keep em coming!

[Thornblood]

Nearly a whole Chapter of Revelation in Mechanicum.

[energongoodie]

First Council of Nicaea. Nice touch.

[Shadow Walker]

Emperor as St. George killing the Dragon in Mechanicum.

[LordKillian]

I like the fact that the whole Heresy is based on the rise and fall of Lucifer from heaven.

[pgarfunkle]

I've just finished Know no Fear so at the moment my favourite reference is Oll's reference to ancient greek myths

[The Last Lamenter]

In Fulgrim, There is an extended "Blayke" reference. The thing is their philosophies actually match up 100% with excess being the road to enlightenment.

[iheartgrimdark]

There's a reference in one of the HH audio books to Malcador the Sigilite having the Mona Lisa hanging in his quarters. Also there's a reference to re-discovering all three of Shakespear's plays.

[jifel]

That Shakespeare one always made me smile. And I think there's a referrence to the city of Nova Yoruk in the underbelly of Terra or something, but Im not positive if that was in the HH...

[Mud Duck]

There's a reference in one of the HH audio books to Malcador the Sigilite having the Mona Lisa hanging in his quarters. Also there's a reference to re-discovering all three of Shakespear's plays.

In the original Klingon? :)

[Brusilov]

the Eisenstein is an obvious reference to the famous Soviet director Sergei Eisenstein, whose major films include "The battleshop Potemkin", "Alexander Nevsky" and "October : Ten days that shook the world".

The Heresy itself IMHO refers to the Bible, and more precisely the rebellion of several angels led by Lucifer against their father, God.

The novel "The last Church" in Tales of Heresy mentions a silver bridge, depending on interpretation, it is either the bridge leading from Mainland Scotland to the Isle of Skye (according to Graham McNeil) or, as I prefer to see it, the famous silver bridge linking Granbretan to mainland Europe in Michael Moorcock's Hawkmoon books.

That's all I can think of from the top of my head.

[Jmaximum]

In almost all of them they reference the 'Romanii' or Romans in some way or another.
Malcador has the Mona Lisa hanging in his private chambers (either in the Assassins novel or the 'something' Dead one)

may I append to the original request for references that they also have brief explanations of the reference if they are not obviously clear.

[iheartgrimdark]

Does London get name-checked somewhere along the line? Lundun?

[The AKH]

One of my favourite references so far is in Know No Fear, near the end, where Oll makes a reference to "trench war style, like they were taught all those years ago in the mud outside... Verdun?"

Presumably a reference to the Battle of Verdun in the First World War.

[troglodytesrus]

Oll Person had really been about a bit, as well as the verdun reference he had also fought under napoleon in a very famous battle (which name sadly escapes me atm) and I think even older battles than that (why am I thinking egypt? :s)
One of my fav HH novels, flight of the eisenstein has at the beginning a quote from einstein except that it is attributed to a scientist called Eisenstein. Obviously 38k years can change a name a bit :P
(see also how shakespear has had multiple references under various names :P)

EDIT: I believe it was the battle of Austerlitz

[matrent89]

In Prospero burns Casper Hawser is a reference to the german boy named Kaspar Hauser who was found with only a toy horse, he is also called Ahmad ibn Rustah who traveld with the Norse people called The Rus'

[bladeofdeath3]

Not strictly HH, but the entire Night Lords chapter.

[Terence]

And of courcse Horu itselves

[awats124]

In A Thousand Sons Magnus says something about the wine coming from Diemans Land(Tasmania) or something

[Jmaximum]

In Prospero burns Casper Hawser is a reference to the german boy named Kaspar Hauser who was found with only a toy horse, he is also called Ahmad ibn Rustah who traveld with the Norse people called The Rus'
On a completely different side note, is this were that movie 'The 13th Warrior' came from????

[matrent89]

yes its based off the book Eaters of the dead which is based off ahmad's travels

[orkward2.0]

pretty sure Garro refers to himself as coming from albion or albia at some point

[Cpt Codpiece]

not exactly a refrence..... more of a quote.

but re reading legion i had a true LOL moment......... at 3am :rolleyes:

alpharius and the soldier about to sneak out and help his buddy....

A: "i admire your balls"
S: "they are only out 'cause im having a piss"

[Jmaximum]

Damnit Cap, now I have to go read Legion again!
Again, going a sidenote here, but in The Last Church: the Emperor destroys the last church on Earth.
However, it Outcast Dead: there is a church within viewing distance of the Golden Palace. wtf man?

And in keeping with the spirit of this thread: Fulgrim and his painting is very Dorian Grey-esque.

[Cpt Codpiece]

Damnit Cap, now I have to go read Legion again!
Again, going a sidenote here, but in The Last Church: the Emperor destroys the last church on Earth.
However, it Outcast Dead: there is a church within viewing distance of the Golden Palace. wtf man?

And in keeping with the spirit of this thread: Fulgrim and his painting is very Dorian Grey-esque.

yeah i missed the balls bit the first time i read it too :) it is 'alpharius' and hurtado bronzi that are having the conversation, just as bronzi is about to go look for soneka.

the church in outcast dead is not an official church though...... at least not from what i remember of the book, it was just a ramshackle building that the people mockingly labelled the church..... which just hapened to be a breeding ground for the lectitio divinitatus..... all good and heretic..... until all hell breaks loose.

yeah the whole dorian grey aspect tickled me, but the 'hope' that fulgrim may be restored at some point is tantalising..... it could never happen, but it would be cool.

[Jmaximum]

yeah i missed the balls bit the first time i read it too :) it is 'alpharius' and hurtado bronzi that are having the conversation, just as bronzi is about to go look for soneka.

the church in outcast dead is not an official church though...... at least not from what i remember of the book, it was just a ramshackle building that the people mockingly labelled the church..... which just hapened to be a breeding ground for the lectitio divinitatus..... all good and heretic..... until all hell breaks loose.

yeah the whole dorian grey aspect tickled me, but the 'hope' that fulgrim may be restored at some point is tantalising..... it could never happen, but it would be cool.

In Outcast Dead, there's a statue of an angel at the head of the church. C'mon, it's a church man. Not only that, the MEGA SPOILER ALERT
the statue turns out to be the vessel for a demon! How in the world would the emperor or his agents complete overlook this place. To me, that's a huge continuity issue.
I do so love the tragic irony that the Lectitio Divinatus stems from the book of Lorgar, and waaaaay after Lorgar turns traitor, the Imperial Faith is still based on his early teachings.

[Cpt Codpiece]

In Outcast Dead, there's a statue of an angel at the head of the church. C'mon, it's a church man. Not only that, the MEGA SPOILER ALERT
the statue turns out to be the vessel for a demon! How in the world would the emperor or his agents complete overlook this place. To me, that's a huge continuity issue.
I do so love the tragic irony that the Lectitio Divinatus stems from the book of Lorgar, and waaaaay after Lorgar turns traitor, the Imperial Faith is still based on his early teachings.

I honestly think the whole church on the doorstep was an attempt to show how FUBAR'd the imperium was, rather than continuity, come on there was a supposedly extinct war hero/enemy in the city and no body twigged, not even questioned his proto astartes bodyguards.

as for the lectitio it was indeeed from the book of lorgar, im sure its mentioned in the flight of the eisenstein or aurelian/first heretic, and it was spread by word bearers fanatics. nicley fitting with the conspiracy theories of the emoror died and horus is on the throne, or that through the heretic imp creed lorgar succeeded where horus failed, and lorgar knew horus would fail all along but did not care since the LD was already out there spreading the heresy to the masses.
actually the second fits.... seeing as lorgar could used guilimans not dying as a vehicle to enforce his chaplain edict and reinstate the librarius, thus spreading the taint of chaos in dogma (chaplains) and warp taint (psychers)

[Jmaximum]

I honestly think the whole church on the doorstep was an attempt to show how FUBAR'd the imperium was, rather than continuity, come on there was a supposedly extinct war hero/enemy in the city and no body twigged, not even questioned his proto astartes bodyguards.

as for the lectitio it was indeeed from the book of lorgar, im sure its mentioned in the flight of the eisenstein or aurelian/first heretic, and it was spread by word bearers fanatics. nicley fitting with the conspiracy theories of the emoror died and horus is on the throne, or that through the heretic imp creed lorgar succeeded where horus failed, and lorgar knew horus would fail all along but did not care since the LD was already out there spreading the heresy to the masses.
actually the second fits.... seeing as lorgar could used guilimans not dying as a vehicle to enforce his chaplain edict and reinstate the librarius, thus spreading the taint of chaos in dogma (chaplains) and warp taint (psychers)

Yeah I was little bothered by the fact that at least two thunder warriors were running around as drugged up warlords, and the fact that they were experimenting on others to create their own thunder warriors.

[Hurons_Champion]

the flight of the einstine is a direct reference to Jason and the Argonaughts being exiled