Names of Forsaken

[Farwatcher]

Hi guys. I've actually found out that many of the forsaken's names are derived from various religious sources. Oh yes, I've read all the wikipedia's analysis on the wot names, but still. Probably many of you know that Shai'tan plainly means 'devil' in Arabic. Sammael is plainly derived from Samael in Judaism and Kabbalah. His name means everything bad in the human's soul. Asmodean may have been derived from Kabbalah's Arch-devil Asmodeus. By the way, one of these Arch-demons is Beelzebub (so close to Ba'alzamon).

 

Okay, if you have any more ideas just write.

[Jellybelly]

That of course is due to the fact that RJ has expressed a goal of trying to reverse-engineering our myths, so that the Randland people are the source of our myths.

 

That means that the names are of course based on our mythological figures, in the case of the Forsaken mostly semitic demons, but they are not supposed to be them, literally. If you follow RJ's premise, the memory of the Forsaken could have turned into Judean and Arab devils. But of course they are the sources he has based them on, I am not arguing that.

 

In addition to the ones you mentioned, you have Be'lal which is derived from Belial.

 

Ba'alzamon could also be derived from Ba'al Shamin, which means Lord of Heaven. Worship of Ba'al was very common in the Middle East, as you will remember.

 

Ishamael could very well be derived from Abraham's first son, Ishmael, who was exiled for no particular reason, and is said to be the forefather of the Arabs.

 

Tarmon Gai'don is easily recognizable as Armageddon.

 

Shayol Ghul is probably derived from Sheol, the Hebrew word for hell...

 

For those of you who do not already know about this site, check this link out. http://www.steelypips.org/wotfaq/3_sources/3.01_bible.html

A lot of what I have written comes from that site.

 

I find it especially interesting that Lews Therin may be derived from Lucifer, which literally means "bringer of light". I think it fits nicely into RJ's style that the angel we know as the devil is actually based on a remnant of a memory of the man who saved the world. That is, in a purely literary sense, of course, accepting RJ's premise.

[TheDiceAgain...]

It's interesting that you should bring up Lucifer, given that the name refers to the "Morning Star" and Lews Therin was also known as the Lord of the Morning.

[Farwatcher]

Um, Yes, I quite agree that Ishamael could have been derived from Ishmael. Ba'al is also very close to Be'lal.

[Old Skool]

I think Abraham's son Ishmael was exiled due to the actions of Ishmael's Mother. Abraham and her and a run in or something arather, and Ishmael and his mother were exiled, at no fault. But I vaguely remember, Ishmael being a bad egg? I read the story 6 years ago, so my memory is very stretched.

[aronsamma]

Basically, he was Abraham's son with his slave girl, Hagar. When Isaac, who was to be Abraham's heir, was born, Ishmael started to taunt and "persecute" Isaac, so Abraham gave Hagar bread and water and everything she would need for a journey, and dismissed her and Ishmael from service.