Randy Grant wrote:
 > 5) Burning One: this is derived from the name "Lucifer."  A common
 > misconception is that the Devil's name as an angel was Lucifer, but
 > became Satan after the Fall.  In reality (or what passes for it in
 > theological philosophy), the angel's name was Sammael and became Satan
 > after the Fall.  Lucifer is a nickname derived from the Christian
 > conceptualization of Hell (fire and brimstone) meaning something along
 > the lines of "Bringer of Fire" in Latin.  This is why matches and
 > fireflies both have names similar to "lucifer" in most romance languages
 > ("luciole" in French; "luciola" in Italian; "luci�rnaga" in Spanish):
 > they are also "bringers of fire."

Actually, there are several major errors and misconceptions here, all of
which are being presented as "fact".  This is fine to do within the
context of the story where the fabric of the world is up to you, but to
throw them here in a footnote as a presumably "scholarly" comment is
more than a bit sloppy.

First, as anyone with a high school exposure to Romance languages should
be able to figure out, "Lucifer" means "light bringer" -- "lux" and its
cognates all mean "light" and not "fire".  Secondly, "Lucifer" was not a
real heavenly figure -- the one reference to Lucifer in the Bible (Isaiah
14:12, used to justify the myth of the Fall), is in fact a gloating
political commentary on the writer's contemporary Nebuchadnezzar.  Thirdly,
you appear to be conflating this mythical figure with another -- Prometheus,
the "bringer of fire" in ancient Greek myth.

Fourthly, "Satan" as a named entity is a recent invention.  In the Old
Testament books of Job, Chronicles, Psalms, and Zechariah there is
mention of "the satan" (there's once instance of "satan" without the
definitive article in I Chronicles 21, but it's generally accepted to be
a transcription error).  As numerous Old Testament texts show, the satan
is not a specific person, but a title or job description -- God's loyal
"prosecuting attorney".  There is no scriptural material ever naming a
"Sammael" or "Samael" -- and a lot of rather dubious effort was made in
the middle ages to try and shoehorn him into the Bible to justify his
presence in Christian orthodoxy of the period.

For some good, straightforward plain-English information on the subject,
check out:

http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mangels.html
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mjob.html

-- Bob

===============================================================================
Robert M. Schroeck          rms@eclipse.net         http://www.eclipse.net/~rms
===============================================================================
Please to remember
Eleven September --
Hijack, destruction and plot.
Our outraged reaction
To terrorist action
Should never be forgot.
===============================================================================



-- Bob

===============================================================================
Robert M. Schroeck          rms@eclipse.net         http://www.eclipse.net/~rms
===============================================================================
Please to remember
Eleven September --
Hijack, destruction and plot.
Our outraged reaction
To terrorist action
Should never be forgot.
===============================================================================


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