Re: Deva?

From: ian_hammond_cooper <ian_hammond_cooper_at_...>
Date: Fri, 01 Feb 2002 10:51:35 -0000


David Dunham:
>>IMO the Orlanthi refer to daimones as spirits.
>>Spirit is a perfectly good English word, so it's the best
>>translation.

Peter Metcalfe
> Using spirits for petty gods does lead to the confusing
> situation where if you want a magician to deal with a
> spirits, the spirit-talker may not be the best person to
> ask.

Personally, I suspect that like the legendary Eskimo, the Heotlings have many words of fine grained distinction, of little profit to us.

I think what is being searched for is a gamespeak term for generic use, not a cultural name. I'm not certain that newbies would not find demon or demigod the most comprehensible alternatives. Deva may seem too exotic.

I am tempted by good old AS/German wight for Heortling use. Its already there in wyter (ON:vaettir), the most important petty being we have. It tended to be used as a generic term. Barrowwight, Hearthwight, Riverwight, Rockwight, Windwight, Stormwight all feel nicely Heortling. YGMV.

Ian Cooper

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