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    Canonfire :: View topic - Why "Liga"?
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    Why "Liga"?
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    Apprentice Greytalker

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    Fri Aug 28, 2009 10:41 am  
    Why "Liga"?

    Any ideas about the origin of the name "Liga" for Oerth´s sun?

    rol-oeste :-)
    GreySage

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    Fri Aug 28, 2009 11:19 am  

    Nope. Nothing on the wiki. I haven't a clue, sorry. Sad
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    Fri Aug 28, 2009 12:09 pm  

    No idea why they geniuses at TSR called the Sun "Liga". Personally, I always named it "Pelor" in my WoG. Likewise, the various planets ("roaming stars") were named after a variety of WoG gods. Ask a Spelljammer grognard; maybe they know. Smile
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    Fri Aug 28, 2009 12:33 pm  

    Mmh, makes me think about "Luga", the celtic god of the sun and the fire. Shift the "u" for a "i", for a name beginning like "light" and maybe this is Liga.

    Last edited by Galliskinmaufrius on Fri Aug 28, 2009 1:15 pm; edited 1 time in total
    Adept Greytalker

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    Fri Aug 28, 2009 12:38 pm  

    A quick search has provided the following:
    Kule: this is a village in Botswana; a kids' clothing store in NYC; a movie production company in Surrey, England.
    Raenei: the only reference found was ränei, a Maori word meaning "whether, or".
    Liga: the Spanish word for "league".
    Edill: a personal and familial name.
    Gnibile: no references found (outside of Greyspace).
    Conatha: part of the familial "McConatha".
    Borka: a familial name; a village in Slovakia.
    Greela: a personal name, the name of a female troll in "Greela and the 13 Yule Lads", an Icelandic Christmas tale.
    Kule and Raenei are the alternate names of Celene and Luna, which are both ancient words that mean "Moon" (Greek and Latin, respectively). Oerth is a variation of Earth.
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    Fri Aug 28, 2009 1:26 pm  

    Maybe somebody was a fan of Spanish football, or of Luciano Ligabue. Razz
    Adept Greytalker

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    Sat Aug 29, 2009 4:41 am  

    mmm..

    liga in portuguese could be :
    -league
    -something you do to a pastry, to make it firm
    -something women wear on their legs (sort of. "cinta liga" is some erotic lingerie. google it if you are 18+)
    - "Liga pra mim" is "Call me", but the act of call is "ligar".



    so..no conclusion at all, unless tehres something erotic about Oerth Sun! Shocked
    GreySage

    Joined: Aug 03, 2001
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    Sat Aug 29, 2009 1:18 pm  

    gargoyle wrote:
    No idea why they geniuses at TSR called the Sun "Liga". Personally, I always named it "Pelor" in my WoG. Likewise, the various planets ("roaming stars") were named after a variety of WoG gods. Ask a Spelljammer grognard; maybe they know.


    The Spelljammer boxed set indicated that there were so many gods known on Oerth that choosing just a few to be planets was difficult (with five or six human pantheons, you end up with multiple gods associated with the same planet depending on the culture). None of the planets in Realmspace are named after gods either. The planets in Krynnspace are, because Krynn has just a few deities who control the world's cosmology more closely.

    However, I think there are a few fairly obvious possibilities for the association of gods and planets, depending on the culture of origin.

    I assume that the people of Oerth have different names for the celestial bodies than space-travelers do. Like in the Flanaess, the moons are Celene and Luna, not Kule and Raenei. Celene and Luna aren't (officially) deities, however, so there

    Oerthly astrologers would probably do it this way:

    The Mistress and the Handmaiden

    Associated with magic, mystery, and madness, the twin satellites of
    the Oerth are objects of both reverence and foreboding. The mysterious
    gods of the therianthropes - Squerrik, Balador, Ferrix, Daragor, and
    Eshebala - are associated with them, though each the shapeshifting
    races may be tied to both moons, either, or none.

    Of the gods, Pholtus is associated with both the sun and the moons,
    considered to be the one who rescued them when they were stolen by
    demons in the dawn time. The time they spent in the Abyss, according
    to the priests of Pholtus, explains the dark nature that shares the
    moons with the light. The sun, of course, burns away all impurities.

    Luna. Called the Great Moon and the Mistress, silvery Luna is
    associated most of all with the goddess Ehlonna. She represents
    fertility, growth, and romance. Luna has a dark side, too, and is
    associated with the Queen of Air and Darkness of the Unseelie Court
    and Cegilune, patron of hags and bride of Incabulos,.Luna has a more
    powerful effect on the tides than her Handmaiden, and she is
    associated with womens' fertility. While Luna is often associated with
    sylvan things, the dwarves believe her to be literarly forged from
    mithril by their god Moradin (or, sometimes, Fortubo). Wee Jas and
    Istus are also sometimes associated with Luna, and Xan Yae is
    considered the patron of Luna's shadows. Xan Yae is, like the moon,
    the Perfect Mistress.

    Celene. The Lesser Moon or Handmaiden is considered to be the more ethereal and spiritual of the two, associated with strange or prophetic dreams (as opposed to the commonplace dreams governed by Luna). She is associated most of all with Sehanine Moonbow of the elven pantheon (and to a lesser extent her consort Corellon), but she is also linked with occult things of the Deepoerth - the demoness Lolth, the kuo-toa goddess Blibdoolpoolp, the mind flayer god Ilsensine and the elder god known as the Watcher in Darkness. Among humans, she represents messengers and alchemists. She is universally seen as the more magical of the two moons, and despite her servitude of the Great Moon she is usually seen as the older of the two sisters.

    In the Baklunish pantheon Geshtai is associated with Celene, especially in her role as the diviner of hidden wells. Aquamarine Celene is seen to govern long sea journeys, where even her minor tides are still of vital importance, and is thus associated with Osprem.

    Celene governs the more secret activities performed by midnight, and therefore is sometimes associated with gods like Olidammara, Rudd,
    Kurell, Pyremius, and Syrul. The dwarves believe Celene is a precious
    stone or ore, sometimes called moonstone or moonmetal. They speak of
    it in awed and fearful tones. Sometimes it is thought to be jade.

    Liga: Sol (like the Solnor Ocean) would be the Oeridian name. This fits better with Luna and Celene, in my mind, which are also named after Greco-Roman deities. Of course, Sol is supposed to be an alias for Pelor, so some might call the sun Pelor, or Pelor's Chariot, Pelor's Eye, Pelor's Face, etc.

    Edill, which is similar to Jupiter. The closest Oeridian god to Jupiter/Zeus is Velnius. The closest Suel god is Phaulkon. Other possible names: Kord, Io, the Dragon.

    Gnibile, which is similar to Saturn. Nerull would probably be the best analogy. Among the Suel, Saturn corresponds to Lendor, but in Spelljammer Gnibile is haunted by negative energies and undead, so Beltar would probably be a better choice. It could be simply called the Reaper.

    Conatha is most like Neptune (symbolically, because it's a water world but not because real-life Neptune is a water world), and should probably correspond to Procan and Xerbo. Perhaps the Sailor.

    Ginsel is something like Mars (well, not really, but lacking a better Mars in Greyspace), so Hextor and Heironeous would be good patrons. It's a very mercantile world, so Zilchus might fit well, too. I'd call it the Prince.

    Borka could be thought of as a brutal, barbarous parallel of Ginsel during its heyday (today, as a cluster world, it's a parallel of Greela), so Erythnul or Gruumsh might be appropriate. If Ginsel is Zilchus, then Borka would be Kurell. Call it the Warrior, or the Thief.

    Greela, which struck me as a combination between Uranus and Mercury symbolically. I associate it with Boccob, or Corellon Larethian. Call it the Mage.

    The Spectre, a mysterious void world similar in some ways to Pluto. I associate it with Vecna, or even Tharizdun, or compare it to Norebo (because it's literally a flipping coin).
    Master Greytalker

    Joined: Jan 05, 2002
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    Sat Aug 29, 2009 5:51 pm  

    rossik wrote:


    liga in portuguese could be :
    -something women wear on their legs (sort of. "cinta liga" is some erotic lingerie. google it if you are 18+)


    In US English this would be a garter, in British English a suspender, except for the Order of the Garter, the highest order of knighthood in England.
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    Sat Aug 29, 2009 6:57 pm  

    Quote:
    ...Oerthly astrologers would probably do it this way:

    The Mistress and the Handmaiden

    Associated with magic, mystery, and madness, the twin satellites of
    the Oerth are objects of both reverence and foreboding. The mysterious
    gods of the therianthropes - Squerrik, Balador, Ferrix, Daragor, and
    Eshebala - are associated with them, though each the shapeshifting
    races may be tied to both moons, either, or none.

    Of the gods, Pholtus is associated with both the sun and the moons,
    considered to be the one who rescued them when they were stolen by
    demons in the dawn time. The time they spent in the Abyss, according
    to the priests of Pholtus, explains the dark nature that shares the
    moons with the light. The sun, of course, burns away all impurities.

    Luna. Called the Great Moon and the Mistress, silvery Luna is
    associated most of all with the goddess Ehlonna. She represents
    fertility, growth, and romance. Luna has a dark side, too, and is
    associated with the Queen of Air and Darkness of the Unseelie Court
    and Cegilune, patron of hags and bride of Incabulos,.Luna has a more
    powerful effect on the tides than her Handmaiden, and she is
    associated with womens' fertility. While Luna is often associated with
    sylvan things, the dwarves believe her to be literarly forged from
    mithril by their god Moradin (or, sometimes, Fortubo). Wee Jas and
    Istus are also sometimes associated with Luna, and Xan Yae is
    considered the patron of Luna's shadows. Xan Yae is, like the moon,
    the Perfect Mistress.

    Celene. The Lesser Moon or Handmaiden is considered to be the more ethereal and spiritual of the two, associated with strange or prophetic dreams (as opposed to the commonplace dreams governed by Luna). She is associated most of all with Sehanine Moonbow of the elven pantheon (and to a lesser extent her consort Corellon), but she is also linked with occult things of the Deepoerth - the demoness Lolth, the kuo-toa goddess Blibdoolpoolp, the mind flayer god Ilsensine and the elder god known as the Watcher in Darkness. Among humans, she represents messengers and alchemists. She is universally seen as the more magical of the two moons, and despite her servitude of the Great Moon she is usually seen as the older of the two sisters.

    In the Baklunish pantheon Geshtai is associated with Celene, especially in her role as the diviner of hidden wells. Aquamarine Celene is seen to govern long sea journeys, where even her minor tides are still of vital importance, and is thus associated with Osprem.

    Celene governs the more secret activities performed by midnight, and therefore is sometimes associated with gods like Olidammara, Rudd,
    Kurell, Pyremius, and Syrul. The dwarves believe Celene is a precious
    stone or ore, sometimes called moonstone or moonmetal. They speak of
    it in awed and fearful tones. Sometimes it is thought to be jade.

    Liga: Sol (like the Solnor Ocean) would be the Oeridian name. This fits better with Luna and Celene, in my mind, which are also named after Greco-Roman deities. Of course, Sol is supposed to be an alias for Pelor, so some might call the sun Pelor, or Pelor's Chariot, Pelor's Eye, Pelor's Face, etc.

    Edill, which is similar to Jupiter. The closest Oeridian god to Jupiter/Zeus is Velnius. The closest Suel god is Phaulkon. Other possible names: Kord, Io, the Dragon.

    Gnibile, which is similar to Saturn. Nerull would probably be the best analogy. Among the Suel, Saturn corresponds to Lendor, but in Spelljammer Gnibile is haunted by negative energies and undead, so Beltar would probably be a better choice. It could be simply called the Reaper.

    Conatha is most like Neptune (symbolically, because it's a water world but not because real-life Neptune is a water world), and should probably correspond to Procan and Xerbo. Perhaps the Sailor.

    Ginsel is something like Mars (well, not really, but lacking a better Mars in Greyspace), so Hextor and Heironeous would be good patrons. It's a very mercantile world, so Zilchus might fit well, too. I'd call it the Prince.

    Borka could be thought of as a brutal, barbarous parallel of Ginsel during its heyday (today, as a cluster world, it's a parallel of Greela), so Erythnul or Gruumsh might be appropriate. If Ginsel is Zilchus, then Borka would be Kurell. Call it the Warrior, or the Thief.

    Greela, which struck me as a combination between Uranus and Mercury symbolically. I associate it with Boccob, or Corellon Larethian. Call it the Mage.

    The Spectre, a mysterious void world similar in some ways to Pluto. I associate it with Vecna, or even Tharizdun, or compare it to Norebo (because it's literally a flipping coin).


    Not quite the same associations I made, but I like it. Thanks, Rasgon!
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    Sun Aug 30, 2009 12:54 am  
    God-named planets.

    Rol-oeste ... I hadn't ever thought of why the names were chosen or anything - I always assumed that they were just names made up by the designers, just because they sounded kind of cool. So, thanks for spawning a little creative thought, here in the forums.

    Rasgon ... interesting stuff. Especially about there being different names among Oerth-bound people and among those that travel the system in Spelljamming vessels. And I hadn't thought much about there being alternate names like "Mistress and Handmaiden" for the other planets, Like Sailor, Price, or Reaper.

    Gargoyle ... Great bit of searching, there. An interesting comparison or two in there, and some plain neat things. I never would've guessed tha tsome of those were actual words at all.

    The only thing that I think that I would add to the thread is that there would be very few people, in my opinion, that would actually know these names or have any kind of knowledge about other planets. To the average commoner, things like other planes of existence, a solar system or interstellar travel is something that would likely be beyond their parlance. By way of example:
    The Adventure Begins wrote:
    ...Most people have the idea that Celestian's congregation is supposed to travel to the stars, but this is not taken seriously.

    Of course, sages, and clerics or lay priests of Celestian are very likey to discuss them in common usage, as would be those who work in places like the Grey College Observatory outside the eastern wall of the Free City of Greyhawk. (Also, the former Observatory in Diamond Lake, though it has since been abandoned.) And, there is a little shrine to Celestian somewhere in the Barrier Peaks, and that has had many visitors sho may likely know about the names of planets and such. Laughing

    The great part of this whole thing is adding interesting lore to GH, and making it fun to introduce all these great ideas about naming the planets with flavorful local names.
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