“Where do the Shadowsmith names come from?”
This post isn’t really that serious and I wouldn’t look too far into this. After my post about “Astra Malorum” I just went full off the rails trying to see what other insane things I can connect to Black Ops 7.
In all honesty, I don’t have an official answer for this. They are most likely names that the writing team workshopped that sounded really cool and kind of imposing. But someone asked this anyways and I got cracking.
όθᾰρσῐς
When I first heard the name Caltheris, it sounded a lot like όθᾰρσῐς (kóthărsĭs). Or as we use it in English “catharsis”. The dictionary defines “catharsis” as: the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions. It comes from the Greek/Latin word that means “cleanse” or “pure”. It used to have a physical meaning only for purification practices. And was also used to describe purification rituals in Homer’s works. And while this is a big fat nothing burger here, it is interesting that in a way the Shadowsmiths to perform a kind of purification ritual on our characters to make them whole again.
θηρῐ́ον
Veytharion was a little harder to track down. I was not determined to find Greek or Latin roots here, merely words that may be similar to either part of the name. And in my research I somehow came across θηρῐ́ον (thērĭ́on). It is the Greek word for “beast”. There’s no real mythology behind this, other than the constellation Lupus was later named “Therion” by Hipparchus of Bithynia. Interestingly enough, this name is used to refer to one of three beasts in The Book of Revelations. So Tank Dempsey, I fear you are just doomed to be seven degrees from God.
It’s really hard for me to say that this is what the writers intended for their names. Though given how much Greek and Roman mythology has wormed its way into this story (as you’ll see more on this blog lmao) they may have done what any writer does when they need an imposing and ominous name. Look up the Greek or Latin word and add some zest. But without a third Shadowsmith name it’s hard to say if this was done on purpose. Don’t worry, I’ll be on the look out in map 3 now.