Angus "Thermopyle"

[robo]

So, Thermopyle is also a Greek city. I've heard it pronounced as Ther-ma-po-li. Is that how Angus would pronounce it? Sounds too elegant a name for him. Ther-mo-pile sounds more like him. How do you all pronounce it?

[amanibhavam]

I think Angus himself gives the pronounciation as "Ther-mo-pa-lee". It's in the first book, when Angus beats up Nick in the doorway of Mallory's...

You might have heard about the battle in the straits of Thermopylai in Greece in ancient times...

[Hearthcoal]

SRD had this to say about The Real Story (from the Afterward):

I wrote the first draft of The Real Story in the summer of 1985. At the time, I thought I was simply working on a novella: the idea came to me , so I worked on it at my earliest opportunity.

(Where did that idea come from? Well, this is a little embarrassing. It grew entirely out of the names of the characters. Driving through Albuquerque one day, I suddenly found myself chanting like a mantra, "Angus Thermopyle. Angus Thermopyle." I couldn't begin to guess why that name appeared; but I could feel its importance, so I kept on chanting it. For weeks. And then as if accidentally, another name manifested itself: Morn Hyland. So I chanted, "Angus Thermopyle," and "Morn Hyland"--until they were joined by Nick Succorso. By this time I like the names so much that I began consciously trying to pull together a story good enough for them.")

There you are...from the mouth of SRD himself. (Why did he think this was embarrassing?)

I couldn't begin to guess where he got the names, but I do find it interesting that Angus is a Scots name. Reverse Morn's name and you get "Hyland Morn" or Highland Morn, and, of course, Scotland is famous for its Highlands, where many a man (or woman) with a price on his (or her) head found refuge.



In 480 BA, the Persians under Xerxes defeated the Greeks (Spartans, Thespians and Thebans) at Thermopylae, but only after treachery. Thermopylae was a mountain pass which controlled the road between the place where the Persian navy and army landed on Greecian shores and Central Greece where they wanted to invade. The Greeks could probably have held off the Persians, although they were sorely outnumbered, but they were betrayed. The Battle of Thermopylae

[robo]

So is there anything about Albuquerque that would remind someone of Scotland?

[Hearthcoal]

Out of curiosity I looked up the meaning of "Angus" and found the following:

ANGUS m Scottish, Irish, English

"One choice" from the Gaelic name Aonghus. Aonghus Og was the Irish god of love. The name was also borne by an 8th-century Pictish king and several Irish kings.

I suppose then, that it is not strictly accurate to say that Angus is a Scots name, because it is also Irish and English.

Angus, as the God of Love...??? Angus with "one choice"...??? (That's interesting.)

Danlo would know better than I about whether Albuquerque inspires thoughts Scottish (but from what I have seen of A-town, no, Scotland is not what springs immediately to mind, nor Greece nor Persia).

[robo]

Maybe that's precisely why Scotland came to mind to SRD.

[amanibhavam]

I am one-third into Chaos and Order, and I am biting my nails off; I wouldn't have imagined I would ever feel sympathy towards Angus, but his torments within his "crib" must have been enormous.

[danlo]

Aside from the fact that we are a mile high and have some BIG mountains, no Heartcoal is right there's nothing in Albq. that would remind any1 of Scotland. Except 4 maybe me--since I come from the McCallister clan: earthloving, white-Druid, warrior-priests! Hoot Mon! I think in the Gap series Angus means Agnst and Thermo-pile, well we know what that means!

[aliantha]

I always read it Ther-MOP-oh-lie, like the Greek city. It wouldn't make any sense for Angus to pronounce it Thermo-pile, because then why would Nick make fun of him by calling him that? I always picture Angus wanting to ram his fist down Nick's throat when he calls him, "Captain Thermo-pile"....

[Skyweir]

exactly!

[aliantha]

Not that Angus is a violent sort, or anything...

[Revan]

when nick interacts with angus (The Real Story) in the pub called malroys; Nick refers to Angus' last name being pronounced "Thermo-pile". Then Angus states his name is pronounced differently. I cannot remember what pronouncement Angus corrected Nick with. I will look into it tonight.

[Nav]

When I first read the Gap Series, I didn't read the books in the right order. I had already read Chaos and Order, A Dark and Hungry God Arises and half of Forbidden Knowledge before reading The Real Story. As a result I didn't find out the correct pronounciation of Thermopyle for some time, I had assumed that Nick was placing a lot opf emphasis on the 'pile' part.

[amanibhavam]

actually Thermopyle should be pronounced thermopüle, ü being the vowel heard in words lige French lune, German müde, grün, Hungarian füst etc.

[robo]

I don't think it's the pronunciation as much as the syllable stress. Nick obviously stresses the last syllable while I believe Angus stresses the second with "pyle" being two syllables.

[Loredoctor]

Being that it came out of Donaldson's head, and that I gather he'd know how to pronounce Greek words, I'm certain it's pronounced Ther-mop-a-lee.

[Skyweir]

lol .. and from memory SRD provides that pronunciation as guide in the series

[UrLord]

yes, he did. During a strange scene where Angus provides the correct pronunciation for Nick..

[Dutch]

I keep thinking of "Beef. It's what's for dinner." You know, Angus beef?

Okay, I'll sit down...

-Dutch

www.mistythemouse.com

[Warmark Jay]

Despite what SRD would have you believe, Angus' last name bears a lot of symbolic weight. The battle of Thermopyle occured during the days of the Greek/Athenian empire. The Persian Empire (known for "assimilating" other cultures throughout the Middle East - sound familiar?) sent a massive force, estimated by some historians at one million, down to invade the Greek peninsula. There was no time for the various city-states to marshall their troops, so a small, hand-picked group of Spartans (about 300 of them) led a contingent (about a thousand total) to delay the Persians until the remainder of the Greek armies could rally. The Spartans were, at the time, the best-trained, most ferocious, and smartest warriors in the known world. The Spartans held the Persians off for about a week, at the mountain pass of Thermopyle, killing thousands before being wiped out. It's regarded as one of history's greatest feats of arms, and was accomplished only because of those 300 Spartans - who were viewed as "super soldiers" of their age. So Thermopyle is a very fitting name for Angus, himself a super soldier; one that I suspect is not accidental. I highly recommend the book "Gates of Fire", by Steven Pressfield - a great historical novel about this event.