The Dresden Files > DF Reference Collection
Harry Naming Things
Phaeton Seraph:
--- Quote from: Gigglestomp on December 30, 2013, 07:07:50 PM ---
One instance that goes to show Harry might have a more than normal gift: When he calls Uriel "Uri" and Uriel freaks out. He says something along the lines of don't attempt to familiarize his name with an nickname, because it is part of his nature and purpose. Uriel means "Light of God" and Harry was calling him "Light" (Hebrew)
--- End quote ---
"Light of God" is a more modern, Judeo-Christian interpretation to the meaning of the name. Before what was to become Judaism became the monotheism it became, angels were powerful beings, perhaps even gods themselves in some contexts or even personages.
Any way, with Judaism and Christianity came the One God, the God of Hosts. And the Hosts included the choirs of angels, so so all the names with suffixes of 'el and 'ah (or 'yah), came to mean "of God," although there were rules at one time about the vowel that preceded 'el indicating a distinction from God. e.g. Michael use to mean "who is like God" but is now often translated as "kindness of God".
So yeah, Uriel's name means "Light of God" now. Judeo-Christianity is somewhat polarised when it comes to angels; either they're part of God's Hosts, or they are Fallen... of if you were to look at if from a proto-Semitic angle, if the being wasn't "of God" and not Fallen, then the being was a god(-like being) in its own right.
The point I've tried to make before is that Uriel's anger was probably outrage at the abhorrent concept of himself not being "of God."
What I find interesting is the way in which the Powers of the DV's Never Never mirror the history of (non-fictional) real world mythologies/religious beliefs (and the religious beliefs of he past are today's mythologies). Names may not have the flashy power, here, that they do in Jim's DV but, wow, we certainly use and alter them in ways that amount to power.
BTW:
Sorry, about any confusing inconsistency with capitalisation of the word "god." While I failed as a Christian, my RC education prepared me to be an excellent agnostic. I try to use a lower-case "g" for any fictional god, or real world mythological god (not currently worshipped by a large enough group that I'm afraid of being hunted down by them), I still retain a compulsion to capitalise the "g" when referring to God in all His varied denominations extant in the "real world."
The spelling thing and the Golden Rule, I just can't seem to break myself of those two things.
Well, those two things and taking the Lord's name in vain, or religious curses/oaths when suddenly hurt or surprised. Oh, and looking for someone to plead for help or blame in moments of solitary angst, and the occasional "thank God!" after a near-miss.
Yeah, that's it, that's all of them, except maybe the compulsion to genuflect in church. And a fondness for rosaries.
Okay, I'm still a Catholic in all but the faith. So it's really conflicting. ;)
Quantus:
--- Quote from: rad on December 31, 2013, 10:02:22 PM ---As far as I can remember that was Harry.
--- End quote ---
I was under the impression that it was a common Name for them in the supernatural community. Like how they call themselves the Knights of the Cross but others call them the Knights of the Sword. Granted its a name that Michael denounced in DM when talking about their real purpose and whatnot.
Regardless, I just did a search on every mention of it, and it not presented as something of harry's specifically like the other were, so I dont think it will be significant.
peregrine:
Man, people REALLY put too much emphasis on Naming things when Harry does it. Lash, DR, Ivy and Toot are, in my opinion about it that actually makes a metaphysical difference. Otherwise some people are extending it to such levels where he can "Name" a steel door "Air" and suddenly it has changed it enough that he can walk through it, and otherwise entirely rewrite and override peoples own natures against their will.
Quantus:
--- Quote from: peregrine on January 02, 2014, 05:04:30 PM ---Man, people REALLY put too much emphasis on Naming things when Harry does it. Lash, DR, Ivy and Toot are, in my opinion about it that actually makes a metaphysical difference. Otherwise some people are extending it to such levels where he can "Name" a steel door "Air" and suddenly it has changed it enough that he can walk through it, and otherwise entirely rewrite and override peoples own natures against their will.
--- End quote ---
Dude, this is just us trying to pull together a comprehensive list of everything that he has named. Yes, most of them will be insignificant, but the archangel hinted that harry is unusual when it comes to Naming, so its still worth pulling the reference material together.
That being said I wouldnt be surprised is some function of the Fires of Creation would let him do just that.
magnusth:
I'm pretty sure that harry hasn't got any such ability. It would be pointless, and more the the point, it would undermine the importance of names in the world. Sure, harry's habit of nicknaming things has certainly had metaphysical impact, but that, i think, is because names always have metaphysical impact, and in every case i can think of, the creature or thing impacted has accepted the name; see Ivy, lash, demonreach. But for those to be the result of some sort of naming ability undercuts the importance of names in themselves. And, for Ivy and Lash, it does something else: it undercuts the importance of the kindness harry shows. Everyone calls ivy the archive, but harry refuses to treat her in any way but as a human; and similarly, harry shows understanding, even friendship, to Lash, whom others would simply abhor. That makes them accept the names he gives them, and it changes them. For it to be some sort of super-naming ability renders that kindness and humanness moot, and, i'd claim, weakens the story.
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