Inconsistent Names

[Wolfshade]

One of the things that annoys me is that the historic names that have been used in 40k are inconsistent.

With Space Wolves they are all Norse in origin and this is all well and good. The Ultras have a serious grecco-roman vibe going on. And then we come to the Blood Angles.

Now this might not be a problem for people but I am trying to re-paint my army and with that give each squad a name and theme, possibly some personalised heraldry on the sarges' banners. So I needed to pick names that fitted in with their naming archetype.

So I did a bit of research, decided that I needed someone with a much wider literay base than myself and here are her investigations.

Mephiston - this is from the Hebrew and means "destroyer" and come sby way of Mephistopheles a name for the Devil.

Tycho - this is most notably linked to Tycho Brahe (though it was a traditional name before him). Brahe was a Danish astronomer who famously lost his nose in a dual over who was right about an equation, neither had the maths to prove who was right so fought for it. It is fitting that he hid his disfirgment with a metal plate (apparently he had serval to match his outfits).

Astrorath - this seems to be a variant on Astaroth a Canaanite derived demon, though it could be a compound noun of Astro + Rath, rath being a circular enclosure with a defensive earthen wall.

Corbulo - a Roman General as found in Tacitus' Annals.

Dante - probable most commonly associated with Il Inferno etc.

Lemartes - possibly from mort so "the dead", quite apt given his place in leading the dead (death company).


So with all these different places where do we pick our names to be consistent?!

For me I like the Cannanite/Jewish/Hebrew route as they were desert dwellers and Astrorath was one of the newest additions to the GW BA line-up

[Psychosplodge]

Go down the literature route, you can include jewish/hebrew biblical names but then you have to be careful not to tread on the dark angels name list...

[Wolfshade]

The trouble with the literature route is that a lot of them are grecco-roman origins so risk treading on Smurfs. As for treading on DA names, it is a concern but I think given their "knights of old" thing that they have going on their names should be more based on north european mythology, more King Authur & the Knights of the Round table route, quite Frankish.

[Psychosplodge]

Have they changed how they do them now? I thought they were old testament inspired like Ezekiel and such like?

[Wolfshade]

No they are mostly old testament names still, but there are room to maenouver.

[Psychosplodge]

Fair enough, so Blood angels occupy an all encompassing space somewhere in the middle?

[Wolfshade]

Yeah where the best names abound ;)

I also think thematically, DA and BA both have some overlap.

Both on the outside have their shiney gallant heroes and both have a shady secret that they will go to extreme lengths to protect (the fallen/the flaw).

Both spent a lot of time together in codex: angels of death

Both are the only legion to use the term Angels

Both make use of wings with a mounted thin device broken sword/blood drop

[Wolfshade]

Go down the literature route, you can include jewish/hebrew biblical names but then you have to be careful not to tread on the dark angels name list...


Have they changed how they do them now? I thought they were old testament inspired like Ezekiel and such like?

Because I know you love this sort of thing... :)

Belial - Hebrew, frequently a synonym of Satan, particularly in the Apocrapha
Asmodai - (Asmodeus) Hebrew, King of Demons, Apocrapha
Sammael - (Samael) Hebrew, King of the Wicked, though also an Archangel
Azrael - (Azriel) Hebrew, Angel of Death
Ezekiel - Hebrew "God will Strengthen", phrophet of the book of Ezekiel (strangely enough)
Naaman - (Naamah) Hebrew, mother of divination, though in Kabbalah one of four angels of sacred prostitution, Naaman in the male form is also mentioned in the New Testament as an example for the will of God to save people who are considered by men as less than pious.

These I would say are more Kabbalah type, or Jewish mysticals if you prefer. But you see all the names are from the same source, and it is quite obvious.

[Psychosplodge]

And the original language of the old testament?

[Wolfshade]

Hbrw
(that's Hebrew without constanonts (and that is very funny if you know why))

Also Aramaic and Greek

[Psychosplodge]

I thought the second two were the New testament?

I'm assuming hebrew only has consonants?

[Wolfshade]

Certainly the NT did have those, though predominately Greek IIRC.

Technically all Jewish books were written purely in Hebrew, though some of them were split down into different books when included in Christian bibles and so those parts were then originally in Aramaic or Greek.

Written Hebrew has no vowels, but a series of pronuciation keys were developed these are dots and dashes that appear above/below/within the letters to help with speaking it.

[bfmusashi]

I had always assumed the Blood Angels took their names from British occult sources like the hodge-podge that is the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Does it sound mystical? Put it in the army!

[Learn2Eel]

Take it from the heart :) That's why my Tyranids are all so aptly named. My fully painted Trygon is "Little John". I'm sure you can find similar inspiration if you look deep enough!

[vharing]

I was doing pretty much the same thing for my blood angels. I found a lot of the ultras names seemed to be more grecian themed, whereas many of the blood angels name can be found used in early italian renaissance.