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This topic has moved here: Subject: One thing that always bugged me about Tartarus...
  • Subject: One thing that always bugged me about Tartarus...
Subject: One thing that always bugged me about Tartarus...
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Steam - slamt4stic
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How can his name be Greek Hell. (Gross oversimplification I know.)

But still how can an Alien's name be from human Mythology? At least the Elite's names sound Xeno in origin.

  • 11.10.2011 9:52 PM PDT

Why are you here?

I don't know, but it sounds badass.

  • 11.10.2011 10:01 PM PDT
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I am...whimsical today.

You could assume that all the Covenant dialog was translated in both meaning and context.

'Del-than' doesn't mean much to us, but to the Covenant it's the name of the afterlife in old Brute mythology*. It has the same connotations as Tartarus does to us, and to the translation preserves this context.

Or maybe his mum was reading a captured Human history book, and liked the sound.

*This is not the name of the old Brute afterlife.

  • 11.10.2011 10:29 PM PDT

You could then also ask why Covenant name their vehicles after entities and creatures "from" Earth. Like the Banshee for instance, which is something that comes from European Medieval times. Or Scarab, as I doubt they actually have scarab (beetles) on Covie planets...

Tartarus is called that way because it sounds menacing, intimidating and still somewhat alien to most people. His name also being the name of the Hell in ancient Greek mythology only adds symbolism to his character.

  • 11.11.2011 1:12 AM PDT
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SC = Supreme Commander/Supreme Canadian.

De Facto leader of the military of the APE (Allied Planets Empire).

Coup = Admiral Asskicker, ZPM hive ship


Posted by: DonVinzone1
You could then also ask why Covenant name their vehicles after entities and creatures "from" Earth. Like the Banshee for instance, which is something that comes from European Medieval times. Or Scarab, as I doubt they actually have scarab (beetles) on Covie planets...


They don't. Those are the UNSC's designations for the vehicles/aircraft.

  • 11.11.2011 2:26 AM PDT


Posted by: SC Matt Klassen

Posted by: DonVinzone1
You could then also ask why Covenant name their vehicles after entities and creatures "from" Earth. Like the Banshee for instance, which is something that comes from European Medieval times. Or Scarab, as I doubt they actually have scarab (beetles) on Covie planets...


They don't. Those are the UNSC's designations for the vehicles/aircraft.


They do. Read the online chapters of Glasslands for instance. Elites refer to Revenants as Revenants. And throughout the series they refer to their vehicles with the same names the UNSC uses.

  • 11.11.2011 2:37 AM PDT
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Steam - slamt4stic
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Posted by: DonVinzone1

Posted by: SC Matt Klassen

Posted by: DonVinzone1
You could then also ask why Covenant name their vehicles after entities and creatures "from" Earth. Like the Banshee for instance, which is something that comes from European Medieval times. Or Scarab, as I doubt they actually have scarab (beetles) on Covie planets...


They don't. Those are the UNSC's designations for the vehicles/aircraft.


They do. Read the online chapters of Glasslands for instance. Elites refer to Revenants as Revenants. And throughout the series they refer to their vehicles with the same names the UNSC uses.


It was either in "The Flood" or " Fall of Reach" one of them talks about how the UNSC referred to the Covie fliers as Banshees because thats what you will be if you see one, Or maybe it was Ghosts or Wraiths... regardless, in one of them it makes a notion that they are nicknames, I'll try to find the paragraph and leave a quote.

  • 11.11.2011 3:17 AM PDT
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Do not waste your tears, I was not born to watch the world grow dim. Life is not measured in years, but by the deeds of men.

Posted by: goldhawk
We should know better, because we are better.

Fun fact:Tartarus's real name is Tartar. All Brutes have their basic name and once they gain adulthood they add the -us suffix. So when Tartarus was a kid he was called Tartar and when he grew up his name became Tartarus.

  • 11.11.2011 4:49 AM PDT

They do. Read the online chapters of Glasslands for instance. Elites refer to Revenants as Revenants. And throughout the series they refer to their vehicles with the same names the UNSC uses.

That could just be an element of writing fiction based on the established universe that we know. What would be the point of calling it something completely different when we all know those vehicles by their UNSC designations?

If Karen used the Sangheili name for the Revenant she would then have to add the reference to it at the bottom of the page and then we'd all be -blam!-ing about the additional names for vehicles. She could then go one step further in a future novel by including the Jiralhanae and Unggoy names for them. Unlikely, but it could be done if needed.

If you include too many original -- alien -- names for objects and locations you risk loosing your audience. That's probably why Greg Bear used familiar names like the Orion arm of the Milky Way. It's so we know what he's talking about.

My advice, don't read too much into the whole naming convention.

  • 11.11.2011 6:07 AM PDT
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SC = Supreme Commander/Supreme Canadian.

De Facto leader of the military of the APE (Allied Planets Empire).

Coup = Admiral Asskicker, ZPM hive ship


Posted by: DonVinzone1

Posted by: SC Matt Klassen

Posted by: DonVinzone1
You could then also ask why Covenant name their vehicles after entities and creatures "from" Earth. Like the Banshee for instance, which is something that comes from European Medieval times. Or Scarab, as I doubt they actually have scarab (beetles) on Covie planets...


They don't. Those are the UNSC's designations for the vehicles/aircraft.


They do. Read the online chapters of Glasslands for instance. Elites refer to Revenants as Revenants. And throughout the series they refer to their vehicles with the same names the UNSC uses.


Yeah, in the POST-WAR era, when the two cultures are starting to mingle...

  • 11.12.2011 3:24 AM PDT
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Does it really matter ?

  • 11.12.2011 3:28 AM PDT

"I may not be perfect, but always been true."

Yeah, the names of all the vehicles as we know them are nothing but nicknames. Both their vehicles and weapons are designed as Type-X (Insert designation/use here), I guess it's a simpler way of classifying them. *shrug*

-Type-26 Ground Support Aircraft
-Type-32 Rapid Assault Vehicle
-Type-48 Light Assault Gun Carriage
-Type-26 Assault Gun Carriage
-Type-47 Ultra Heavy Assault Platform

If you couldn't get what vehicles I named above, they are as this follows:

-Banshee
-Ghost
-Revenant
-Wraith
-Scarab

I just used their Covenant names.

  • 11.12.2011 8:05 AM PDT
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We are determined that before the sun sets on this terrible struggle our flag will be recognized throughout the world as a symbol of freedom on the one hand and of overwhelming force on the other.

Tartarus was the deepest reach of the Underworld in Greek Mythology.

UNDERWORLD =/= CHRISTIAN HELL

Why do people always say this?

The Underworld was where EVERYONE went and your fate was decided.

  • 11.12.2011 8:17 AM PDT