The Paladin's Odyssey (The Windows of Heaven)

by Powderly Jr. , K. G.

  amphiptere – A non-crested winged dragon that fed on carrion. Fossil remains of this creature today are called Dimorphodon.

  Archronos – The unique title of the divinely created first man and archon. Later corrupted to Chronos, an early Greek god (father of Zeus) who devoured his children and had to be overthrown along with the titans.

  Assuri and Assurim – The pre-Flood Assyria of Genesis 2 and the people who lived there. Similarity with the post-Flood Assyria is only in name.

  astra – An aircraft with jet turbine engines more advanced than aerodrones.

  At’Lahazh – Prominent titan in Aztlan—remembered in Greek myth as Atlas, King of Atlantis.

  Atum-Ra – The biblical Adam, which devolved much later into the earliest version of the Egyptian creator/sun god Ra, who was the eldest of the gods and ruled during the idyllic “First Time” of Egyptian myth. Though connecting Adam with Atum is a fictional device, the ancient god-kings of most pagan mythologies have too many commonalities to be coincidental, and may be faded deified memories of our much longer-lived early fathers.

  Basilisk, the – The oldest and chief of the heavenly rebels of the First Insurrection. The biblical serpent of Eden.

  behemoth – The superlative form of behema—the biggest and most magnificent of all grazing animals. The description of this creature in Job 40:15-24 resembles most a sauropod dinosaur. (Hippos, elephants, and all other large modern herbivores suggested by modernist opinions do not have large “cedar-like” tails but little dinky things—see the Bible passage.)

  cockatrice – A chameleon pack-hunting wurm, the fossils of which are today classified in the Velociraptor, Utahraptor, and Deinonychus family. It is used almost synonymously with the word basilisk.

  Comforter from A’Nu, the – A semi-messianic prophetic figure predicted to arise among the Seer Clan that would comfort the faithful concerning the depredations of the Curse and preserve them through World-end. We find a glimmer of this preserved in Genesis 5:28-29, where the biblical Lemech of Seth’s line prophesies over his son Noah.

  Cosmic Dynasty Stele – The account of creation given by E’Yahavah in written form to the first created man and woman, a version of which survives today as a redaction by Moses in Genesis 1 and part of chapter 2.

  creation codes – Genetic codes expressed on the DNA molecule.

  Divine Name – Describes the proper name of the Creator God.

  Divine Wind – A spiritual persona of the Creator God that uses natural phenomena to reveal the Divine presence, and which breathes life into prophecy. Called El-N’Lil, or God-as-Air, this name distorted later into the Sumerian storm god Enlil. In this story, it is an early and incomplete understanding of what Christians would later call the Holy Spirit.

  Dragon Breaker, the – The constellation today called Perseus.

  El-N’Lil – See Divine Wind.

  Eluhar – The masculine high majestic plural (a fictional extinct language form) used with a singular verb to describe generically the Creator God, usually as a judge. It is linguistically related to the Hebrew elohim (which also uses a singular verb form), which is the generic term for God.

  Elyo – A depiction of creatures named briefly in the Book of Jubilees as “Eljo” and associated with the giants and other bizarre offspring of the sons of God and the daughters of men. My version of them is fictional, although the use of the phrase el indicates a linguistic relationship to the Hebrew root for god or judge. I have rendered the term as a contraction that means Agents of Judgment, though this may not be how the name developed. The Elyo Typhunu is meant to be a form of the Greek monster Typhon.

  E’Yahavah – The proper name of the Creator God (in the story), which was lost but restored in history as the Tetragrammaton YHWH during the Mosaic revelation of God to the Hebrews. In this novel series, E’Yahavah has three aspects: E’Yahavah A’Nu—the vast “God of the Heavens and Eternity,” E’Yahavah El-N’lil—the “Divine Wind” of prophecy that uses natural forces to express himself, and “The Messenger of E’Yahavah” or “Word-speaker” who comes in a human form to interact with men when he sees fit. Together they preside over a council of created lesser gods who are beings analogous to the highest level of angels. A’Nu-Ahki’s clan and Seti in general do not view this council in a polytheistic sense, nor in a henotheistic one where a lesser god could actually unseat E’Yahavah’s preeminence. (That was a later Sumerian corruption.) Evidence in the Old Testament (Psalm 82, Job 1-2, for example) demonstrates that the early Hebrews had a “divine council” concept in their theology that did not violate the Creator’s unique Deity as a monotheistic God, nor the later Trinitarian revelations of Christianity.

  Fire River, the – The stream of stars today called Eridanus. It is associated with the Greek mythical figure Phaethon, who tried to drive Apollo’s sun chariot and was burned.

  Fire-sphinx, the – The bearer of the flaming sword that guards the east gate of Aeden. See Genesis 3:24.

  First Heaven, the and the Ten Heavens – The ancient Hebrews believed that there were many heavens, 10 by some accounts, 7 in others. The First Heaven was that which held the stars and planets (the atmospheric sky is just the “face of the first heaven” in this view). The other 9 heavens were inhabited by various angelic majesties on up to the “heaven of heavens” where God alone dwelt. This view, though not taught directly in Scripture, is reflected in ancient Hebrew literature such as the Enoch manuscripts, originally believed to be written circa 200 to 150 BC. An allusion to the 3rd Heaven is made in one of the New Testament Corinthian letters, and the view of 10 heavens was part of Jewish tradition well into the Middle Ages. In certain parts of the story, like the advanced physics of Q’Enukki, the 10 heavens can be compared to the modern physics theory of 10 dimensions. Though this association is interesting, it should not be taken too seriously. More study in both physics and ancient manuscripts needs to be done.

  Gihunu – The biblical pre-Flood river Gihon of Genesis 2.

  gryndel – The largest of the carnivorous wurm-kin, fossils of which are today called Tyrannosaurus Rex or by the name of other large therapod dinosaurs like Allosaurus in other locations.

  gryphon – A flying dragon known for its talons and sharp bill. Fossils of this creature fall into the Pteranodon family.

  Heh’Bul – The biblical Abel.

  Hiddekhel – The biblical pre-Flood river Hiddekel of Genesis 2, which was associated with the post-Flood river Tigris. It is possible that the post-Flood river was named in early times after the pre-Flood one, though the Earth was so radically changed in the cataclysm that it has no geographic correlation.

  High Archaic – The dialect of the higher tiers of the Seti clans, that is, the oldest generations. Because humans back then lived to such great ages, the most profound modifying factor of language was age, not distance, as it is today. Imagine if Shakespeare were alive today, or Chaucer—how much would they have resisted the innovations and corruptions of speech made by younger men like H.G. Wells or John Grisham. Imagine also how much more forcefully the young would want to express their own ideas and the alienation that would have existed between the young and the old.

  Ish’Hakka and Khuva – Ish’Hakka is the fictional root word for the real Hebrew word for woman, isha. At first the proper name of the created woman, until her husband changed her name to Khuva, which is the fictional root word for uva, ova, ava, ave, ovary, which all linguistically relate to motherhood and to the name of the biblical Eve.

  Iya’Baalu and Iyu’Buuli – The biblical Jabal and Jubal, sons of the Lemech from Cain’s line in Genesis 4.

  Iyapeti – A’Nu-Ahki’s eldest son by Na’Amiha. The biblical Japheth.

  Iyared – The biblical Jared of Genesis 5.

  kapar – A watertight cement made from distilled pine bitumens, pumice and other fine ground stones set with natron; also developed as an artificial rock and pavement by the prediluvian ancients. It is transliterated into the “gopher” of the gopher-wood ark
mentioned in Genesis 6 and a less advanced form of it was used by the Sumerians, where it was signified by the cuneiform letters for KPR. The kapar process (in the story) was used in conjunction with conventional wood-hardening techniques by the technology of this novel and produced a leather-thin petrified shell on the wood as well as an additional shell from the kapar cement. Hence “gopher-wood” is not a type of tree but a specially processed and hardened wood. This is also the Semitic root of the Hebrew kippur, as in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This word came to mean covering as in a covering over sin.

  Khavilakki – The pre-Flood biblical land of Havilah from Genesis 2. It was known for its gold, lapis lazuli, and onyx. Not to be confused with the post-Flood Havilah or Haweilan in what is now Saudi Arabia.

  Kherub, Kherubim, and Kherubar – A representation of biblical Cherubim, which were originally visualized by the ancient Assyrians as winged lions with man-like heads and later by the Hebrews as messengers of Yahweh.

  Khumi – The youngest son of A’Nu-Ahki. The biblical Ham.

  Ki – The earth, as in the sum of all lands, in Sumerian.

  Kush – The land mentioned in Genesis 2 through and around which the river Gihon flowed. Not to be confused with the post-Flood Cush that became the father of the Ethiopians and others.

  L’Mekku – The Lemech of Cain’s line in Genesis 4 – not to be confused with Lemech the father of Noah.

  Leviathan – The constellation Cetus, and one of the Basilisk’s chief vassals. Also any large flesh-eating marine reptile of the Plesiosaur or Mosasaur variety. Some had long necks; others (like the Mosasaur) were more fish-like or crocodilian in shape.

  Ley of the Brothers Lost – The epic of Qayin’s murder of Heh’Bul (in the story), a version of which survives in a Mosaic redaction as the part of Genesis 4 that tells the story of Cain and Abel.

  Lilitua, the Lost Daughter – The planet we call Mercury, named for the wife of Qayin, who founded the great eastern and northern civilizations of the pre-Deluge world (in the story). She is remembered in Hebrew tradition, albeit with much distortion, as Lilith, the wife who rejected Adam and was doomed to wander, and in Sumero-Akkadian myth as the Lili demons that seek sexual contact with men. I have instead made her the eldest daughter of Adam and Eve, the wife of Cain, which makes more redemptive sense.

  Lumekki – The biblical Lemech of Seth’s line and father of Noah.

  Mnemosynae and Lethae – Priestess psycho-technicians of Aztlan. The titans Mnemosyne and Lethe of Greek Mythology, who had power over memory and forgetfulness.

  Muhet’Usalaq – The biblical Methuselah.

  Nae-fillim – Common plural of Nae-fil, fictional root word of the real Hebrew nephil and nephilim. It means fallen one and is closely associated with the Greek gigantes, which means earth-born or giant.

  Nhod – The desolate region where Qayin was doomed to wander. A falling star blasted the area and poisoned the soil there (see the apocryphal Book of Jasher). The pre-Flood biblical land of Nod (see Genesis 4).

  Orchard of Aeden – The biblical Garden of Eden.

  orichalcum – A gold alloy tinted towards the red, though not copper. In Plato’s Criteus and Timaeus, the smiths of Atlantis forged orichalcum.

  Pandura – Techno-priestess of Aztlan. The Pandora of Greek mythology.

  Pisunu – The pre-Flood River Pishon of Genesis 2.

  Prime Zaqen – The chief patriarchal elder of a city-state in Seti.

  Promised Seed or Woman’s Seed, the – The messianic deliverer promised at the dawn of time. Often viewed in A’Nu-Ahki’s culture (and later) as the greatest of monster slayers, who would suffer a poisoned wound but vanquish his serpentine or dragon foe in the end. The pure version of that promise is preserved in Genesis 3:15. Many ancient civilizations had corrupted versions of it reflected in their mythologies and views of the constellations. The deeper spiritual dimension of this figure was often lost upon the people of A’Nu-Ahki’s generation. The ultimate fulfillment of this archetype comes in the death, resurrection, and Second Coming of Christ.

  Psydonu – A fallen Watcher and his chief titan son in Aztlan. He is remembered in Greek myth as Poseidon.

  Pyra T’Qinna – Novice priestess granddaughter of Pandura. The Pyrhha, daughter of Pandora in Greek mythology, who marries Deucalion and survives the Greek version of the global flood.

  Q’Enukki – The Great Seer and ancestor of A’Nu-Ahki. A representation of the biblical Enoch of Seth’s line who was “translated” and taken alive to be with God. (See Genesis 5 and Hebrews 11.)

  Q’Unukku – The biblical Enoch son of Cain, for whom an early city was named. Not to be confused with the Enoch of Seth’s line or the Great Seer.

  Qayin – The biblical Cain, who murdered Abel.

  quickfire – What we today would call electricity.

  Ram, the – What is today called the constellation of Aries.

  Seraf and Serafim – A lower order of heavenly being associated with the winged fire-serpent and the fallen Watcher Samyaza. Biblically, a seraph or seraphim, which is a form of angelic being with a fiery aspect.

  Seti – The biblical Seth, son of Adam.

  Shining One – The biblical Lucifer that became the Serpent or Satan.

  skel – A weight measure etymologically related to the later Hebrew shekel.

  sons of God, the – An Old Testament term for angels; bene elohim. In The Windows of Heaven it is another term for the fallen Watchers of the Second Insurrection led by Samyaza and Uzaaz’El—The Shamhazai and Azazel of ancient extra-biblical Hebrew legend. This term also shows up in a modified form as sons of the gods, though this version of the name speaks more of the hybrid offspring of the bene elohim of Genesis. Lumekki, who uses the “sons of the gods” version in speaking of the Watchers in Book 1, was probably doing so because he had picked up the habit from a non-Setiim source during the foreign wars he fought. Because elohim (God) is in the plural form it can be translated either way. Strictly speaking, however, the sons of God are not the same as the giants or nephilim they are said to have spawned. Also referred to as “sons of A’Nu”

  Star Signs, the – The constellations of the zodiac and in this novel series, their original divinely inspired interpretations. The interpretations were later so grossly corrupted and confused that the zodiac became a form of idolatry.

  Straticon – A military rank at which strategic level decisions are made. Loosely similar to a modern general or field marshal.

  Sword of the Breaker – The comet of A’Nu-Ahki, observed to approach from out of the Dragon Breaker constellation, which we call Perseus.

  Tacticon – An army officer in charge of tactical level decisions, loosely analogous to a colonel.

  Tiamatu – Root of the Sumero-Babylonian water monster Tiamat, out of whose divided carcass Marduk supposedly created the present world after slaying the beast. In this story, Tiamatu is also the former fifth planet, the remains of which make up many of the asteroid fields and the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. While this theory is not popular any longer among many astronomers who hold to the various accretion theories of planetary development, accretion theories themselves have serious difficulties with the laws of physics and have not yielded good scientific predictions about the nature of planetary bodies. (See recommended reading list after Book 4.) The 5th Planet is only one of many Catastrophist theories and not a necessary agent for Dr. John Baumgardner’s Runaway Subduction model of the Flood, which looks at other causal possibilities.

  titan – A term for the hybrid offspring of the Watchers and human women before the cataclysm. The term arises out of Greek mythology, where it was a class of god or giant that preceded the pantheon led by Zeus and Hera. Of course, even within Greek mythology, there are contradictory versions of who Zeus is and the titans are. The Greeks also had a deluge in their legends in which Deucalion and his wife Pyrhha escaped in a large wooden box. The titans lived before that deluge. The word satan is linguistically derived from a
common root word with titan: titan – thaitan – shaitan – satan.

  Tubaal-qayin – The biblical Tubal-Cain, father of the metallurgy of hard common metals like bronze and iron. He is also called T’Vul-qayin in the Aztlan dialect and ‘Baul-qayin in Kush. A memory of him in pagan myth as Hephaestus among the Greeks and Vulcan among the Romans.

  ‘tween-ager – A pre-Flood adolescent. Because of the difference in lifespans, the story has youngsters hit puberty at around ages 25 to 35 and a biological adolescence that lasts to age 55 or 60.

  Ufratsi – The pre-Flood River Euphrates of Genesis 2, which probably had no geographic correlation with the post-Flood river of that name.

  Na’Amiha – A’Nu-Ahki’s second wife. The biblical Naamah, sister of Tubal-Cain from Genesis 4.

  Underworld – The place of the dead. Analogous to the Hebrew sheol or the Greek hades and tartarus.