The Firstborn's Word...

[robkelk]

Originally Posted by gjc8

Light is often used as a metaphor for knowledge. Illuminati is cognate with "illuminate", literally meaning "light up". Also "enlighten".

Exactly. Lucifer's angelic Word was one that included a great deal of knowledge, so it isn't beyond the bounds of possibility that he would have known what was going to happen to Michael's Word.

[Whitelaughter]

Discovering what Words are, and how to hold them, would have taken eons to work out. Likely the oldest angels didn't have 'Words' per se but powers developed and mastered during that discovery process. The stress of the Rebellion though would force Heaven to formalise the system (for security if nothing else) so that Michael's powers of 'near eternity of struggles and victories' needed to be formalised as 'War' so that Dominic would have warning if Michael was going to Fall.

[Methariel]

Originally Posted by gjc8

Light is often used as a metaphor for knowledge. Illuminati is cognate with "illuminate", literally meaning "light up". Also "enlighten".

Thank you. Only now I have recovered from the embarrassment of not being able to understand - despite writing a doctorate thesis which requires me to be able to read and understand Latin...

Whitelaughter, I don't believe that's correct. Baal was the Archangel of Valor before the Fall, Andrealphus bore the Word of Love, so there's plenty of evidence of Words being bound to angels (or the other way around) before the Fall. Obviously, the system already was 'formalised'.

Good night - yes, it's late over here!

M.

[gjc8]

Originally Posted by Methariel

Thank you. Only now I have recovered from the embarrassment of not being able to understand

So you've seen the light, as it were.

[Rocket Man]

I've got to admit, that was brilliant.

[robkelk]

Originally Posted by Rocket Man

I've got to admit, that was brilliant.

Yes, it gives one a warm glow...

(Okay, does Kobal have enough incidental Essence from us yet?)

[Azel]

Baal's word was Archangel of Valor (IIRC canon right now). Beleth's was Archangel of Fear (Divine Fear, like awe, respect, caution, etc. not mindless terror). Each of these words now hold deeply complex, and often negative in our modern American English, connotations.

Bt that's part of the fun of In Nomine: it believes in The Word. The Word has real meaning. Perhaps manifold, complex, metaphysical, almost contradictory at times (note the capacity of darkness in Princely analogs), but it is the word that is real. It is beyond just our individual language, but (as noted through Destiny's interest in words) it is also intimately tied up into how humans deal with thought/belief through language.

For a fun exercise, check out what the Hebrew meaning of Michael is (granted interpretation is not exact): Micha = "The Power" & -el = "of God". That which is powerful, differentiated from that which is not. Thus follow-up question: How is differentiation achieved? ... In a way that line of thought translates to the idea of Competition, and subsequently War.

So Michael is that which is Potent of God. What is potent is that which displays potency (self-defining, a = a), and how it distinguishes itself against that which is not (definition through negation, a =! b). Therefore it must always prove itself by successful comparison, a.k.a. perpetual competition.

Michael MUST be the best; it's built into his word! :D