Origins of Abzu [split from Role of Magic Items]

[Angaros]

The Wheel of Fire plays a central role to Luke's BW campaign. It is the embodiment of the God of Fire (Abzu) in an earthly form.
Very cool indeed. Interesting to make Abzu the god of fire since Abzu is the primordeal sweet-water ocean in Mesopotamian myth. The Sea of Abzu and all that. ;)

[csjames75]

Enuma Elish anyone?

Actually without a little research I have no idea. Is that what it's from?

My first thought was the Hindu diety of fire and also passage to the gods ... grr what is his name? *looks on the internet .. Got it, Agni ... either way, it's a fantastic re-invention of the mythical wheel (bad pun). Hey what can I say, all my heroes have 1,000 faces.

*Joe Campbell rolls over in his grave*

[Angaros]

Google said


According to ancient Mesopotamian belief, the Abzu (or engur) was the vast freshwater ocean that lay beneath the earth (as opposed to the salt sea, which was thought to surround the earth). The Abzu therefore served as the source of all wells, springs, rivers, streams and lakes.

The Abzu was the domain of the god Enki/Ea, his consort Damgalnuna (Damkina) and his mother Nammu, as well as being the home of a number of his peculiar creatures. (Enki was believed to have ruled the Abzu prior to mankind's creation). The temple of Enki at Eridu was known as E.ABZU, "the house, or temple, of the Abzu".

On another level, according to the Babylonian Epic of Creation, Apsû was a primal being, the lover of Tiamat. After Ea's killing of Apsû, he erected his dwelling on Apsû's body, the dead creature's name being transferred thereafter to Ea's residence. As Ea's son, the Babylonian chief god Marduk was often designated "firstborn son of the apsû".

The Underworld was located beneath the Abzu. Occasionally, it seems, the Abzu was identified with a river (the Hubur) that one had to cross in order to reach the Underworld.

The term abzu / apsû was occasionally also used to refer to a tank for holy water in a temple courtyard.
So... Luke is a tank of water eh?

[jc_madden]

I already pointed that out, keep up!
http://burningwheel.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6816&highlight=#6816



What can I say? Luke's an Abzu.

He's a vast underground fresh water ocean I get it, but what's that got to do with rules?

[Angaros]

:oops: Sorry... I guess I haven't been paying attention. So shoot me. But not in the face. :wink:

[luke]

The Sea of Apsu or Abzu if you prefer.

Well, color me a reinventionist. The god of water was already in place with a name when I needed one for element of fire in our campaign world. I was reading Joseph Campbell at the time -- reading about Marduk knocking heads, mixing it up with Tiamat and Abzu. I was also listening to a lot of Morbid Angel's Blessed are the Sick -- one of the greatest death metal albums of all time.

I liked the name, so I stole it. I imagined, and invoked, the image of Abzu as a great lake of fire beneath the earth. In our game, it is to him that the souls go upon death -- to be burned eternally or purified and sent to heaven. A vast sea of fire, roiling beneath the earth.

And it's just such a cool collection of syllables!

Anyway, I'll never use that co-optation in printed matter. Gamers are big mythology nerds, so I'd be endlessly defending myself. But I'll continue to use it as my electronic nom de plume.

Also, over at NERDNYC.com (http://nerdnyc.com/forum/), "abzu" is synonomous with "A person, especially a man, regarded as mean or contemptible." (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=dick)

Go figure.
:roll:

[Angaros]

Speaking of Tiamat and Marduk -- there are two metal bands in Sweden bearing those names. You seem to be listening to a lot of metal so maybe you already knew that and listened to them, if not check them out, they're pretty good IMO.

[Drozdal]

Speaking of Tiamat and Marduk -- there are two metal bands in Sweden bearing those names. You seem to be listening to a lot of metal so maybe you already knew that and listened to them, if not check them out, they're pretty good IMO.
Move along - Nothing to see here (Tiamat was really big for me around "Wildhoney", and i always had soft spot for Marduk -"The funeral is about to begin...SIR ;) ) \m/
(But Abzu probably never heard of about any of those bands :roll: )

[Viper]

Also, over at NERDNYC.com (http://nerdnyc.com/forum/), "abzu" is synonomous with "A person, especially a man, regarded as mean or contemptible." (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=dick)

Go figure.
:roll:

It's your own damn fault, when in a fit of self-doubt, you betrayed your abzu-ness and asked whether or not you were an abzu.