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Hi.

I am wondering why there is nothing "Lions-ish" represented in the appearance and heraldry of the Dark Angels (despite the helmet).
Can someone enlighten me?

because there aren't lions on caliban,

Lion El'Jonson's name is inspired by the English poet Lionel Johnson, the author of "The Dark Angel". Originally the name was spelt "Lyyn Elgonsen

thats why

BluntmanDC wrote:because there aren't lions on caliban

Well, there isn't a whole lot of anything on Caliban, seeing as it's taken the turn of Alderaan.

'Dark Angel #1: Oh, Inquisitor, Hi! We were merely scanning Caliban, when it blew itself up spontaneously! Isn't that right brother-captain?'

Also, I think you'll find you are actually wrong on that one. There -were- lions on Caliban. They just weren't Terran lions, they were monstrous creatures more like Chimera, one of the Great Beasts of the Forests. Only two were ever recorded, one slain by the Lion, and the other by Librarian Zahariel of the Dark Angels on his knighting quest.

----

However, aside from technicalities, you are right, and that is why there isn't lion heraldry. Which is a good thing, or they'd turn into the Space Wolves, where everything has to have some wolfish element to it, and the viking element, the side that draws alot of players to the lore, is neglected. They are the Dark Angels, the Unforgiven, the Sons of the Lion, and I for one am glad for this.

Edit: I also never knew his name was originally spelt differently. You learn something new everyday.

Dark Angels should be renamed Space Lions! Who wouldn't want to play as Felis Catus the Lionrider. You could wield dual lion claws while wearing your lion tooth necklace and lion pelt cloak of awesomeness. Wouldn't that be amazing?! :p

All of the DA icons involve swords and wings... no lions.

But I'm sure you could find some in Bretonnian nights or Sigmar and similar if you wanted to kitbash.

The Decent of Angels does a sort of good job in explaining reasons for why they are "Angels". Also with the Raven"Wing" and Death"Wing" makes sense to have so much wing visualized.

They are called "Sons of the Lion" for that very fact, they are his sons. He wasn't an actual lion.

We have enough ridicules SM armies such as Space Wolfs and Space Sharks.

combatmedic wrote:The Decent of Angels does a sort of good job in explaining reasons for why they are "Angels". Also with the Raven"Wing" and Death"Wing" makes sense to have so much wing visualized.

They are called "Sons of the Lion" for that very fact, they are his sons. He wasn't an actual lion.

We have enough ridicules SM armies such as Space Wolfs and Space Sharks.

Space sharks are no more. It's Carcharadons (or something like that) now.

VenerableBrotherPelinore wrote:

BluntmanDC wrote:because there aren't lions on caliban

Well, there isn't a whole lot of anything on Caliban, seeing as it's taken the turn of Alderaan.

'Dark Angel #1: Oh, Inquisitor, Hi! We were merely scanning Caliban, when it blew itself up spontaneously! Isn't that right brother-captain?'

Also, I think you'll find you are actually wrong on that one. There -were- lions on Caliban. They just weren't Terran lions, they were monstrous creatures more like Chimera, one of the Great Beasts of the Forests. Only two were ever recorded, one slain by the Lion, and the other by Librarian Zahariel of the Dark Angels on his knighting quest.

----

However, aside from technicalities, you are right, and that is why there isn't lion heraldry. Which is a good thing, or they'd turn into the Space Wolves, where everything has to have some wolfish element to it, and the viking element, the side that draws alot of players to the lore, is neglected. They are the Dark Angels, the Unforgiven, the Sons of the Lion, and I for one am glad for this.

Edit: I also never knew his name was originally spelt differently. You learn something new everyday.

Sig'd

Maurin wrote:

combatmedic wrote:The Decent of Angels does a sort of good job in explaining reasons for why they are "Angels". Also with the Raven"Wing" and Death"Wing" makes sense to have so much wing visualized.

They are called "Sons of the Lion" for that very fact, they are his sons. He wasn't an actual lion.

We have enough ridicules SM armies such as Space Wolfs and Space Sharks.

Space sharks are no more. It's Carcharadons (or something like that) now.

Now they have Samoan tattoos, making them the coolest chapter now.

Thanks for answering. So Azrael's helmet (depicting a lion-head) can be seen as a kind of "accident in the fluff"?

kamar wrote:Thanks for answering. So Azrael's helmet (depicting a lion-head) can be seen as a kind of "accident in the fluff"?

Note that Azrael's helmet isn't really his in the first place. It's called the "Lion's Helm" for a reason.

The "Lion's Helm" presumably was worn by the primarch, am I right?
But: It was stated before, that his name has nothing to do with lions. Despite this, the helmet shows a lion.
Where does this lion come from, when nothing in the fluff of the dark angels ("sons of (the) lion") has anything to do with lions?
I am a bit confused.

I think a chapter artisan went "cool, our Primarch's name is spelt the same way as an animal".

IIRC there is a Lion'El Johnson figure (not sure if it's official... probably just a conversion) which depcits him with a lion breastplate too.

http://www.ioffer.com/i/primarch-lion-el-jonson-dark-angels-gw-warhammer-40k-134284801?source=eisi

All I could find of it was that thumbnail.

kamar wrote:The "Lion's Helm" presumably was worn by the primarch, am I right?
But: It was stated before, that his name has nothing to do with lions. Despite this, the helmet shows a lion.
Where does this lion come from, when nothing in the fluff of the dark angels ("sons of (the) lion") has anything to do with lions?
I am a bit confused.

Obviously you're confused

"Lion" Jonson got his name because he exhibited the traits of the Calibanite Lions. He was tough, ferocious, and stealthy. Luther named him Lion for that specific reason.

It's likely worked into Azrael's helm as a totemic sigil.

According to the DA codex, Lion El'Johnson mean "the lion, the son of the forest". This isn't some coincidental name. He was given this name by the humans who found him after he had spent his youth living alone in the wilds. The primarch was named after the animal, thus it's only natural he should use the animal in some of his symbology

I agree. In DOA and some other fluff it mentions how Johnson was semi-feral when Luther found him, hence the homage to the Calabinite Lion (Which Johnson later killed...I'm assuming being symbolic of him entering a new phase..)

Maurin wrote:According to the DA codex, Lion El'Johnson mean "the lion, the son of the forest". This isn't some coincidental name. He was given this name by the humans who found him after he had spent his youth living alone in the wilds. The primarch was named after the animal, thus it's only natural he should use the animal in some of his symbology