Introduction
This is an attempt to list information about the origin and meaning of the names of the angel-type characters in DF. (more...)
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
- Gabriel -Etymology: | Hebrew, Gavri'el (http://url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel).
"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 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_(archangel)).
"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 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphael_(archangel)).
"It is God who heals", "God Heals", "God, Please Heal" | |
DF Title: | "The Demon Binder" | |
Status of Grace: | Active (Rafael)? (Alt theory (http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,44852.0.html)) | |
Bearers of Grace: | Rafael | |
Lore Refs: | Archangel in some Abrahamic religious traditions and apocrypha. | |
- Uriel -Etymology: | Hebrew, Uri'el (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uriel).
"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
- N/A -Non-DF Etymology: | Lucifer. Latin, Lux (light) + Ferrous (bearing).
"Light-bearing" or "Lightbringer".
Non-literal (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucifer): "Morningstar", "Daystar", "Shining One", "Shining Star." | |
Non-DF Etymology: | Satan. Hebrew, Satan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satan).
"Adversary". | |
Non-DF Etymology: | Samael. Hebrew, Sama'el (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samael).
"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 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil_(Islam)) 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
- 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 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_(film)), which was set in purgatory. | |
4. Named Angels, Fallen (Major/Recurring)
- 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 (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/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 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magog_(comics)) derived from the same source. | |
- Namshiel -Etymology: | Vietnamese, Nam (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/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 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Dark_Tower_characters#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 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Dark_Tower_characters#Shardik), which spun in circles and functioned as a second cybernetic brain. | |
5. Unnamed Angels, Fallen (Major/Recurring)
- N/A -Etymology?: | Urumiel (Malayalam, Urumi (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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)
- Akariel -Etymology: | Malay, Akar (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/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 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_White_Ship_(story))". | |
- 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 (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/salur) (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 (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/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 (http://marvel.wikia.com/Beta_Ray_Bill_%28Earth-616%29) (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 (http://marvel.wikia.com/Beta_Ray_Bill_%28Earth-616%29). | Second Aristh |
- Varthiel -Etymology: | Celtic, Varth (https://books.google.com/books?id=ts5EAAAAcAAJ&dq=varth%20old%20english&pg=PA356#v=onepage&q&f=false) (Wonder) + Hebrew, El (God).
"Wonder of God", "God is My Wonder" | Tami Seven |
Etymology: | Unknown, Vardlokkur (https://wanderingwomanwondering.wordpress.com/2011/08/26/vardlokkur-song-of-seidhr/) (2 (http://wearewalkinginbeauty.org/Walking_in_Beauty/Blog/Entries/2014/2/21_Definitions.html)) (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: | | |