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I'm certainly less well-Black Library 40k-read than some here, which is why I'm asking this question.

I can't remember a single time that a 40K text invoked Tzeentch by name. Instead there are references to Tzeentch by other names, often directly emphasizing that this entity has many, many names.

Compare that to Slaanesh, who gets name-checked constantly by worshippers as "Slaanesh," not just "She Who Thirsts" etc.. I'm pretty sure Khorne ("Blood for the Blood God," yes, but also "Blood for Khorne!') and Nurgle (not just "Grandfather") are frequently appealed to using their iconic titles as well.

But in 40K, if Tzeentch is ever invoked or cursed by that name, it must be in a novel or story I've not yet read.

Is this really true? Or can someone reference a 40K novel or tale where a character directly invokes Tzeentch by name (a la "Praise be to Tzeentch, Changer of the Ways!" etc.)

If not, is there some lore reason that BL authors shy away from using this particular chaos god's most iconic and familiar name?

(And please don't give me "'cause it's a stupid name!" It's no dumber than naming a chaos god of war after maize, or naming a god of disease something that rhymes with "gurgle" just because it sounds icky.)

 Talking Banana wrote:
or naming a god of disease something that rhymes with "gurgle" just because it sounds icky.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nergal

Thanks, Platuan. I had no idea.

(For the record, I do know Khorne isn't meant to reference corn. It just rubs me the wrong way that they sound exactly the same.)

Still curious about whether or not "Tzeentch" gets said by anyone in 40K fiction.

It absolutely does somewhere but considering there are hundreds of BL books spanning both 40k and Fantasy/AoS you are unlikely to get people quoting specific examples.

Can't really answer your question but I found it interesting that in the first novel featuring a DG warband (Lords of Silence) Nurgle isn't mentioned by name a single time (it's always "the god" IIRC). So there are examples of the other gods' names being avoided as well.
I think in a similar way Warcry seems to avoid direct mention of the gods, instead every warband has their own Version of the Chaos gods, sometimes it's obvious who is behind the idea, sometimes less so. I think that's pretty nice worldbuilding actually.

The Lost and the Damned, Siege of Terra 2 by Guy Haley. Chapter 26, page 285 in my Kindle edition:

‘To Tzeentch, God of Knowledge, and to Slaanesh, God of Pleasure…

Aash wrote:
The Lost and the Damned, Siege of Terra 2 by Guy Haley. Chapter 26, page 285 in my Kindle edition:

‘To Tzeentch, God of Knowledge, and to Slaanesh, God of Pleasure…

Thanks for that - pretty sure that's the first time I've seen Tzeentch get invoked by name in 40K Black library lit. As a Tzeentch fan, it's good to see.

I was thinking maybe the differing use of proper names is also down to world-building. Slaanesh's name seems to get a lot of use, but then, Slaanesh is offering excess, and people get willingly seduced. Slaanesh followers tend to celebrate and brag about their deity. Followers of Khorne also seem to call out their god's name alot, but they're kind of expected to do this regularly, insofar as they're constantly seeking skulls and blood to pay tribute to their god with. I expect some would seek out Tzeentch for knowledge and the power it brings, but the god's most iconic faction (Thousand Sons) was partly tricked into service and seem to resent their patron.

I can't substantiate this, but my impression is that of the Four, Slaanesh and Khorne get invoked most by their original names, while Nurgle and Tzeentch get invoked least by theirs.

It's just a guess; we'd probably need an A.I. to scan all 40K BL fiction for the names and tabulate their usage to really know.

Tzeentch is called out by name several times in the Ian Watson novels. I think most notably in Space Marine, during the raid on corrupted Squats. Also features a Lord of Change iirc.

It's just a guess; we'd probably need an A.I. to scan all 40K BL fiction for the names and tabulate their usage to really know.

Yeah, I can't speak to the frequency of dropping their actual names, but all the gods *do* get called by their epithets pretty often.

The eldar, for instance, treat the name "Slaanesh" almost like "Voldemort," and pretty much always refer to them as She-Who-Thirsts, the Great Enemy, etc. I've definitely seen Khorne referred to as "the blood god," rather than by name too. If I had to guess, I'd assume Nurgle gets called by his name more often than most just because "grandfather Nurgle" is one of his more fun nicknames. Tzeentch also seems to have a ton of frequently-used nicknames, so it's possible that it's just easier to cycle through those longer without sounding repetitive.

I don't think there's a meta attempt to avoid using certain names, but I'm pretty sure that knowing the names of chaos gods is a no-no for most imperials who haven't heard those names shouted on the battlefield, and repeating those names is probably discouraged. (By commissars and such.)