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Ink Burns

This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

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Published on 2004-11-20 17:43:04.

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This ebook edition was published on May 16, 2012 by the Ink Burns fanfiction archive.

Appendix

This is the running tally of side information for River--what angels I added, etymology of names, inspiration from Revelations, links to sources, etc.

My contributions to the angelic cast

My main source for these names and their associations is Angelology. The site is almost totally undocumented, but a primary source appears to be Gustav Davidson's A Dictionary of Angels. From what I can tell it's a bastard combination of solid mainstream biblical interpretation and the kind of iconic mysticism that gives serious Christian theologians hives. It does, however, function as a useful practical compendium of the associations that have grown up around angels over the past couple thousand years, and is no more problematic than any attempted synthesis of such variable and wide ranging materials must be.

Refugees

Arariel: has power over the waters of Earth, latterly the curer of stupidity. Dominion.

Armaita: truth and wisdom. Persian Archangel.

Charoum: secrets and silence.

Harahel: knowledge.

Isda: nourishment.

Maion: self-discipline and hard work.

Nisroc: freedom, associated with the eagle. Principality.

Tabris: free will and choice.

Zachriel: memory.

Anima Mundi

Bodiel and Oriphiel: Thrones. Oriphiel sometimes cited as head of that order rather than Zaphkiel (or a handful of others). Though Zaphkiel's assistant, in the manga, is not named, I have given the name Bodiel to that character.

Jael: Guardian of the Ark of the Covenant in the aspect of mercy. Cherubim.

Rampel: associated with mountains.

Other

Rehel: battles enemies of religion

Hebrew Terms

Belial: "Belial, from a Hebrew word that was formed from the combination of two other Hebrew words, pronounced bel-ee, meaning failure, and yaw-al, meaning to be valuable, was a term of scorn meaning to waste one's worth. The word is used in the Old Testament (see The Older Testament) to describe people who were rebellious and lawless. In the New Testament, it's used only once, for Satan." Source

Ya'al (yaw-al) is also to yeild (make a beginning, determined, pleasing) and to be slack (doting, foolish). This appears to be the same root, futher back, as to ascend (to be valuable, useful, good). Belial could, then, also be read as the one who will not yeild--worthless only when the greatest worth lies in yeilding (to god). Source

***
The name of the new realm, ie the borderlands and growing merged area: Abe. Hebrew for fruit or green plant or growing thing. 'eb, Strong number 3. Source

I named it for association with the fruit of the tree of life that will, according to Revelations, grow in New Jerusalem after the end of the world. Revelations 22:1-2 NIV "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations."

General notes and sources

I make the supposition that Uriel is, or was, the Great One of Dominions, as that is the only order unaccounted for and his is the only title not given.

Next Access is a good site for information on characters, heirarchies and maps, though based on only about two thirds of the manga.

To check passages in several different translations of the Bible, Bible Gateway can't be beat.