Etymology of Angel Names in DF

[megarows]

Introduction

This is an attempt to list information about the origin and meaning of the names of the angel-type characters in DF.  (more...)

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However, other than the archangels and Magog, this is hypothetical.  I've bolded "Etymology:" for the few cases I could confirm.

The only angels directly based upon contemporary religious sources seem to be the four major archangels.

In general, most of the DF-specific angel names I've been able to identify seem to consist of a conjugate of a Latin base, suffixed by the Hebrew "-el" (God).

Strict Latin bases do not seem to be used; there are usually modifications to make the name sound more angel-y.

This is not complete, so feel free to make theories/corrections.

1. Named Archangels, with Grace

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- Gabriel -

Etymology:	Hebrew, Gavri'el. "God is my Strength"
DF Title:	"The Trumpeter"
Status of Grace:	Active (Gabriel)
Bearers of Grace:	Gabriel
Lore Refs:	Archangel in all Abrahamic religious traditions.

- Michael -

Etymology:	Hebrew, Micha'el. "Who is Like God?"
DF Title:	"The Prince of the Host"
Status of Grace:	Active (Michael)
Bearers of Grace:	Michael
Lore Refs:	Archangel in all Abrahamic religious traditions.

- Rafael -

Etymology:	Hebrew, Rafa'el. "It is God who heals", "God Heals", "God, Please Heal"
DF Title:	"The Demon Binder"
Status of Grace:	Active (Rafael)? (Alt theory)
Bearers of Grace:	Rafael
Lore Refs:	Archangel in some Abrahamic religious traditions and apocrypha.

- Uriel -

Etymology:	Hebrew, Uri'el. "Light of God" or "God is my Light"
DF Title:	"The Watchman"
Status of Grace:	Active (Uriel)
Bearers of Grace:	Uriel, Michael Carpenter
Lore Refs:	Archangel in some Abrahamic religious traditions and apocrypha.

2. Unnamed Archangels, Fallen

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- N/A -

Non-DF Etymology:	Lucifer.  Latin, Lux (light) + Ferrous (bearing). "Light-bearing" or "Lightbringer". Non-literal: "Morningstar", "Daystar", "Shining One", "Shining Star."
Non-DF Etymology:	Satan.  Hebrew, Satan. "Adversary".
Non-DF Etymology:	Samael.  Hebrew, Sama'el. "Venom of God".	Warden John Marcone
DF Title:	"The Dark Prince", "The Prince of Fucking Darkness", "Father of Lies", "Darkest Shadow"	Warden John Marcone, Griffyn612, wizard nelson, peregrine
Lore Refs:	Fallen archangel or angel in most Judeo-Christian religious traditions.  Jinn in Islamic traditions.
Lore Refs:	Samael is regarded as a different entity, an archangel of death, in most contemporary sources.	peregrine

3. Named Angels, with Grace

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- Amitiel -

Etymology:	Latin, Amicus (friend) + Hebrew, El (God). "Friend of God" or "God is My Friend"
DF Title:
Status of Grace:	Active (Amitiel)
Bearers of Grace:	Amitiel
Lore Refs:	Likely a reference to the character of the same name in the film Gabriel, which was set in purgatory.

4. Named Angels, Fallen (Major/Recurring)

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- Anduriel -

Etymology:	Latin, An- (without) + Hebrew, Uri'el (Light of God).  "Shadow of God" or "God is My Shadow"	Griffyn612
Etymology:	Latin, An- (without) + Hebrew, Duri'el (God is My Home, I Live in Heaven).  "Apart From God" or "Fallen From Heaven"	peregrine
Etymology:	Combination of Andariel and Duriel (fictional angels from Diablo).	Dina
DF Title:	"Master of Shadows"
Sigil:	"Smudge"
Combat Form:	None (individual corporeal shadow)
Status of Coin:	Active (Nicodemus Archleone)
Known Hosts:	Nicodemus Archleone
Lore Refs:	Sigil may be reference to Anduriel's form as a corporeal shadow.

- Imariel -

Etymology:	Hungarian, Ima (Prayer) + Hebrew, El (God).  "Praying Mantis of God"	Griffyn612
DF Title:
Sigil:
Combat Form:	"It was red and black, vaguely humanoid in shape, but covered in an insect’s chitin.  Its eyes were too large for its head, multifaceted, and its arms ended in the serrated clamps of a preying mantis.  Membranous wings fluttered at its back, a low and maddening buzzing."
Status of Coin:	Active (Polonius Lartessa)
Known Hosts:	Polonius Lartessa
Lore Refs:

- Lasciel -

Etymology:	Latin, lascivus (wanton) + Hebrew, El (God).  "Wanton(ness) of God"
Etymology:	Latin, lascivious (lustful) + Hebrew, El (God).  "Lustfulness of God"
DF Title:	"Seducer", "Webweaver", "Temptress"
Sigil:	"Reminiscent of an hourglass"
Combat Form:	"her clothing just . . . dissolved, like so much smoke, into a clinging, purplish mist that drifted around her in spiraling tendrils— not so much for modesty as for accent, yet for the most part, covering her most delicate parts with the same coyness as a fan dancer’s feathers."
Status of Coin:	Inactive (in Underworld of Hades)
Known Hosts:	Hannah Ascher
Lore Refs:	Possibly a thematic reference to the Babylonian goddess Ishtar.  Ishtar seduced and destroyed many lovers before being rejected by the hero Gilgamesh, who she then attempted to murder.  Ishtar was slain in the Underworld after removing her clothes to pass through the gates and becoming enraged.  (Later resurrected, when all sexual activity on Earth stopped in her absence.)
Lore Refs:	Sigil may be reference to a woman-as-spider/seducer motif, relating title of "Webweaver" to a black widow's thorax.	Second Aristh
Lore Refs:	Sigil may be reference to fictional Dragonlance character Raistlin, who had hourglass-shaped irises that could perceive the effects of time and decay.	Wizard Nelson

- Magog -

Etymology:	Hebrew, Ma'gog.  Alleged to mean "of Gog"
DF Title:
Sigil:
Combat Form:	"a big, leathery gorilla, except for the goat’s horns and heavy claws."
Status of Coin:	Inactive? ("secured" by church)
Known Hosts:	Sanya, Unknown Human Male
Lore Refs:	Likely a reference to the Biblical Gog and Magog.
Lore Refs:	May be something of a joke; in Cold War apocalypticism, Gog (the land), prophesied to destroy Israel, was believed by some to be Russia which is where Sanya (ex-host) was from.
Lore Refs:	May also refer to the Marvel comics anti-hero derived from the same source.

- Namshiel -

Etymology:	Vietnamese, Nam (Man) + Hebrew, El (God). "Prototype (Human) of God"	Griffyn612
DF Title:	"Thorned" (unclear if name or title)
Sigil:
Combat Form:	"basically humanoid, as most of them were, a gaunt, even skeletal grey-skinned figure.  Spurs of bone jutted out from every joint, slightly curved and wickedly pointed.  Greasy, lanky hair hung from its knobby skull to its skinny shoulders"
Status of Coin:	Inactive? (stolen from Michael Carpenter)
Known Hosts:	Unknown Entity
Lore Refs:

- Ursiel -

Etymology:	Latin, Ursa (bear) + Hebrew, El (God). "Bear of God"
DF Title:
Sigil:	"Swirling"
Combat Form:	"the shape of a creature like some enormous bear of a forgotten epoch, except for the extra legs, eyes, and the horns"
Status of Coin:	Inactive (in Underworld of Hades)
Known Hosts:	Rasmussen, Genoskwa
Lore Refs:	Possibly a thematic reference to the maybe-divine giant bear Shardik in the novel of the same name by Richard Adams.
Lore Refs:	May also be a reference to the giant cyborg bear guardian Shardik (based upon Adams' novel) in Stephen King's "The Dark Tower", who eventually goes insane.
Lore Refs:	Sigil may be reference to the radar-like dish, or "thinking cap" of Stephen King's Shardik, which spun in circles and functioned as a second cybernetic brain.

5. Unnamed Angels, Fallen (Major/Recurring)

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- N/A -

Etymology?:	Urumiel (Malayalam, Urumi (curling blade) + Hebrew, El (God). "Curling Blade of God"	Tami Seven
DF Title:
Sigil:
Combat Form:	"lean and crouched, with shadowy tendrils of razor-edged hair slithering around it in a writhing cloud."
Status of Coin:	Inactive? (host dead, recovered by Fallen)
Known Hosts:	Deirdre
Lore Refs:

6. Named Angels, Fallen (Minor)

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- Akariel -

Etymology:	Malay, Akar (Plant Root) + Hebrew, El (God). "Darkroot of God"	Griffyn612
DF Title:
Sigil:
Combat Form:	"Big, black and furry"
Status of Coin:	Inactive? (host dead, recovered by Fallen)
Known Hosts:	Unknown Entity
Lore Refs:	Combat form may reflect a Malay-based name.
Lore Refs:	May be a reference to a gate in HP Lovecraft's "The White Ship".

- Ordiel -

Etymology:	Latin, Ordi- (order/arrangement) + Hebrew, El (God). "Order of God" or "God is my Order" (?)
Etymology:	Pun on "Ordeal."(?)
DF Title:
Sigil:
Combat Form:
Status of Coin:	Inactive? (host dead, recovered by Fallen)
Known Hosts:	Unknown Entity
Lore Refs:

- Saluriel -

Etymology:	Malay, Salur/Alur (flow/move like liquid) + Hebrew, El (God). "Snake of God"	Griffyn612
Etymology:	English, Silurian (fictional reptiles in Dr. Who), originally Latin, Silures (from Ancient Whales, unknown) + Hebrew, El (God). "Reptile of God"	Second Aristh
Etymology:	Latin, Salacious (lecherous) + Hebrew, El (God). "Lecher of God"(?)
DF Title:
Sigil:
Combat Form:	"sinuous and strong-looking, like a man who had traded its legs in on the scaled body of an enormous snake."
Status of Coin:	Inactive? ("secured" by church)
Known Hosts:	Quintus Cassius
Lore Refs:	May refer to fictional reptile race from Dr. Who.	Second Aristh

- Tarsiel -

Etymology:	Greek, Tarsos (flat of foot) + Hebrew, El (God) "Foot of God"(?)
Etymology:	French, Tarsier (small primate) + Hebrew, El (God) "Monkey of God"	Tami Seven
DF Title:
Sigil:
Combat Form:
Status of Coin:	Inactive? (host dead, recovered by Fallen)
Known Hosts:	Unknown Entity
Lore Refs:

- Urumviel -

Etymology:	English, Uru (fictional metal in Marvel comics) + Hebrew, El (God) "Metal of God"	Second Aristh
Etymology:	Latin, -saurus from Greek, Sauros (lizard) + Hebrew, El (God) "Lizard of God"	Griffyn612
DF Title:
Sigil:
Combat Form:	"he had a lot of muscle and a ridge of leathery plates running down his spine."
Status of Coin:	Inactive? (host dead, recovered by Fallen)
Known Hosts:	Unknown Entity
Lore Refs:	Name may refer to a fictional metal from Marvel comics' Beta-Ray Bill.	Second Aristh

- Varthiel -

Etymology:	Celtic, Varth (Wonder) + Hebrew, El (God).  "Wonder of God", "God is My Wonder"	Tami Seven
Etymology:	Unknown, Vardlokkur (2) (Spirit Binder) + Hebrew, El (God).  "Spirit of God"	Tami Seven
Etymology:	Dutch, Var (boar) + Hebrew, El (God).  "Boar of God"	Griffyn612
Etymology:	Serbo-Croatian/Czech, Var (heat/boiling) + Hebrew, El (God).  "Tar of God"	Griffyn612
Etymology:	Hungarian, Var (scab) + Hebrew, El (God).  "Scab of God"	Griffyn612
DF Title:
Sigil:
Combat Form:
Status of Coin:	Inactive? (host dead, recovered by Fallen)
Known Hosts:	Unknown Entity
Lore Refs:

[Warden John Marcone]

Lucifer's angel name is Samael.  Lucifer means "Morningstar" if I'm recalling right, its a nickname.

[Snark Knight]

Well, you can fill in Namshiel's combat form. Spiky, skeletal, bony protrusions.

[peregrine]

Satan=Samael is a non standard reading, though so is the Dresden Files.

Also, An+Uriel is missing the D there, and Duriel is Hebrew for "God is my home" or "I live in Heaven" or something similar.

[Quantus]

Lucifer's angel name is Samael.  Lucifer means "Morningstar" if I'm recalling right, its a nickname.

Samael was an Archangel of Death, one of 7 in Rabbinic Judaism.  It translates to Venom/Poison of God. He's a Tempter and sometimes identified with the Serpent in the Garden, but never as Luficer directly that I can find. 

[Second Aristh]

As far as Saluriel goes considering the snake theme, it's probably a reference to Dr Who's Silurian race of reptile people.

[Dina]

Silurian is not only a DW thing. It's a geological age. Also, siluriformes is the order of the catfishes (order as a taxon). But I don't think Saluriel is a reference to that.

[wizard nelson]

At some point lucifer is called 'the darkest shadow' but I haven't a clue where that was book wise atm. Well, the devil or whatever, I know it was referring to him specifically is my point.

[Griffyn612]

At some point lucifer is called 'the darkest shadow' but I haven't a clue where that was book wise atm. Well, the devil or whatever, I know it was referring to him specifically is my point.

I don't recall that.  I remember him being mentioned only twice.  The first in FM by Chauncy, who called him "the Dark Prince", and then in SmF, when Harry calls him "the Prince of fucking Darkness".  I just did a quick text search of the 15 books + SJ, and there were no results for "darkest shadow".  It might have been in one of the short stories not included in SJ.

[wizard nelson]

I don't recall that.  I remember him being mentioned only twice.  The first in FM by Chauncy, who called him "the Dark Prince", and then in SmF, when Harry calls him "the Prince of fucking Darkness".  I just did a quick text search of the 15 books + SJ, and there were no results for "darkest shadow".  It might have been in one of the short stories not included in SJ.

i'll look, might not find it for a few days... It's in a side convo somewhere, like with luccio in smf, it exists though cause it struck me sideways after hhwb was called hunter OF shadows in BR.

Do you mean to say you skimmed 15 plus books on my account  Sorry.

[Eldest Gruff]

I don't recall that.  I remember him being mentioned only twice.  The first in FM by Chauncy, who called him "the Dark Prince", and then in SmF, when Harry calls him "the Prince of fucking Darkness".  I just did a quick text search of the 15 books + SJ, and there were no results for "darkest shadow".  It might have been in one of the short stories not included in SJ.

And the offhanded mention in SG about the last time an archangel Falling there were 'extended consequences'.

[Griffyn612]

If you expand source roots, we can possibly find some more.

Salur/Alur from Malay¹, which means "flow/move like liquid" (vaguely snake-like). 

Ima from Hungarian² gets you "Prayer", as in praying mantis form for Imariel.

Akar from Malay³ gets you "plant root".  Akariel is described as dark, big, and furry, but that's it.  There's a possibility that its actually a plant-like form, and the "fur" is actually a lot of root hairs all across the body.  Seems like a stretch, but I haven't seen anything else.

Nam from Vietnamese⁴ means "man".  Thorned Namshiel is said to look like a human skeleton with bone spurs at its joints.  It could be a proto-man form.

Urumviel is the only name+description we have.  Ur, Uru, Urum, Rum, and Um don't seem to have any roots similar to the description of leathery plates on the spine.  The first thing I think of is a stegosaurus, with the Greek usage of saurus meaning lizard-like.  Borrow the -uru- from saurus... maybe...

[peregrine]

I think when someone is trying to summon HWWB, they call him something like "darkest shadow."

Also, in Small Favor, when Eldest Gruff is chatting with Harry after killing Magog, he refers to the Denarians as "Servants of the darkest shadow."

[Griffyn612]

I think when someone is trying to summon HWWB, they call him something like "darkest shadow."

Also, in Small Favor, when Eldest Gruff is chatting with Harry after killing Magog, he refers to the Denarians as "Servants of the darkest shadow."

I just checked.  Gruff actually does say it in SmF.  My text search is failing to find that string. “Hast thou asked why the wicked Queen of Winter would wish thee to prevent Marcone from being taken by those servants of the darkest shadow? Why she who embodies destruction and death would wish to protect and preserve the Archive?” - Butcher, Jim (2009-03-03). Small Favor: A Novel of the Dresden Files (p. 374). Penguin Group. Kindle Edition.

Now we just have to question whether he's referring to Lucifer, or referring to Nicodemus controlling the other Denarians and having them do his dirty work.  One's the master of shadows, and the other is the Prince of Darkness. 

As for the summoning of Behind, here's what Marge says:  “While here we wait, O hunter of the shadows! We who yearn for your shadow to fall upon our enemy! We who cry out in need for thy strength, O Lord of Slowest Terror! May your right arm come to us! Send unto us your captain of destruction! Mastercraftsman of death! Let now our need become the traveler’s road, the vessel for He Who Walks Behind!” - Butcher, Jim (2010-03-03). Blood Rites: Book six of The Dresden Files (p. 346). Roc. Kindle Edition.

...

But this text search thing is driving me nuts.  I can even search "servants of the darkest", and it'll find it, and "shadow?".  But if I search "darkest shadow", "darkest s", or even "t shadow", it comes back with 0 results.

Now I'm questioning all of the searches I've done. 

[Tami Seven]

I just checked.  Gruff actually does say it in SmF.  My text search is failing to find that string. “Hast thou asked why the wicked Queen of Winter would wish thee to prevent Marcone from being taken by those servants of the darkest shadow? Why she who embodies destruction and death would wish to protect and preserve the Archive?” - Butcher, Jim (2009-03-03). Small Favor: A Novel of the Dresden Files (p. 374). Penguin Group. Kindle Edition.

Now we just have to question whether he's referring to Lucifer, or referring to Nicodemus controlling the other Denarians and having them do his dirty work.  One's the master of shadows, and the other is the Prince of Darkness. 

As for the summoning of Behind, here's what Marge says:  “While here we wait, O hunter of the shadows! We who yearn for your shadow to fall upon our enemy! We who cry out in need for thy strength, O Lord of Slowest Terror! May your right arm come to us! Send unto us your captain of destruction! Mastercraftsman of death! Let now our need become the traveler’s road, the vessel for He Who Walks Behind!” - Butcher, Jim (2010-03-03). Blood Rites: Book six of The Dresden Files (p. 346). Roc. Kindle Edition.

...

But this text search thing is driving me nuts.  I can even search "servants of the darkest", and it'll find it, and "shadow?".  But if I search "darkest shadow", "darkest s", or even "t shadow", it comes back with 0 results.

Now I'm questioning all of the searches I've done.

I'll never understand why they who control this forum won't open it up to Google searches. :shrug:

Anyway, I really doubt that Nic and the Denarians are working for the Outsiders.