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Nurgle is one of four major Chaos gods, a small pantheon whose members have distinct roles. This separation of attributes into four categories is a common theme amongst many classical spheres. This page lists a variety of these correspondences, allowing for new viewpoints in interpreting the ruinous powers.
The first section (down to the opposing Chaos god) is canon information derived from Games Workshop publications. The rest is speculative flufftossing, to be taken with a liberal dose of metaphorical salt; it's my own personal interpretation based on a not-insignificant understanding of the relevant underlying philosophies and the Warhammer background.
Within sections delineated by horizontal lines, the characteristics are internally related in their classical origins (for example each of the four archangels is linked to a particular cardinal direction).
Power | Slaanesh | Nurgle | Khorne | Tzeentch |
---|---|---|---|---|
Adjective | Slaaneshi | Nurglesque | Khornate | Tzeentchian |
Domain | Excess | Decay | Destruction | Change |
Number | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
Colour | Purple / Pink | Green | Red | Blue / Yellow |
College | Amethyst | Jade | Bright | Golden / Celestial |
Daemon Lord | Zarakynel | Scabeiathrax | An'ggrath | Aetaos'rau'keres |
Greater Daemon | Keeper of Secrets | Great Unclean One | Bloodthirster | Lord of Change |
Major Heralds | Masque | Epidemius / Horticulous | Skulltaker / Karanak | Changeling / Blue Scribes |
Lesser Daemon | Daemonette | Plaguebearer / Nurgling | Bloodletter / Flesh Hound | Pink/Blue/Brimstone Horror / Flamer |
Daemonic Steed | Fiend of Slaanesh | Beast of Nurgle / Rot Fly | Juggernaut | Screamer / Burning Chariot |
Primarch | Fulgrim | Mortarion | Angron | Magnus the Red |
Legion | III Emperor's Children | XIV Death Guard | XII World Eaters | XV Thousand Sons |
Opposition | Khorne | Tzeentch | Slaanesh | Nurgle |
Aeldari god | Vaul | Kernous | Khaine | Cegorach |
Aeldari faction | Drukhari | Exodites | Asuryani | Harlequins |
Element | Air | Water | Fire | Earth |
Humour | Blood | Phlegm | Yellow Bile | Black Bile |
Temperament | Sanguine (active, social, risk-seeking) | Phlegmatic (relaxed, peaceful, easy-going) | Choleric (short-tempered, fast, irritable) | Melancholic (analytical, wise, reserved) |
Season | Spring | Winter | Summer | Autumn |
Age | Infancy | Old Age | Youth | Adulthood |
Suit | Swords / Spades | Cups / Hearts | Wands / Clubs | Coins / Diamonds |
Archangel Seraph | Gabriel | Raphael | Michael | Uriel |
Wind direction | North | West | East | South |
Planet | Venus | Jupiter | Mars | Uranus |
I tried relating the four chaos gods to the four horsemen of the apocalypse, but in reading the source text I realised that the modern popular viewpoint has deviated significantly. In particular, there is no "Pestilence" in the original. So there is no appropriate mapping to make between the horsemen and the chaos gods.
Καὶ εἶδον ὅτε ἤνοιξε τὸ Ἀρνίον μίαν ἐκ τῶν ἑπτὰ σφραγίδων· καὶ ἤκουσα ἑνὸς ἐκ τῶν τεσσάρων ζῴων λέγοντος ὡς φωνῇ βροντῆς· ἔρχου. καὶ εἶδον, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἵππος λευκός, καὶ ὁ καθήμενος ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἔχων τόξον· καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ στέφανος, καὶ ἐξῆλθε νικῶν καὶ ἵνα νικήσῃ. Καὶ ὅτε ἤνοιξε τὴν σφραγῖδα τὴν δευτέραν, ἤκουσα τοῦ δευτέρου ζῴου λέγοντος· ἔρχου. καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἄλλος ἵππος πυρρός, καὶ τῷ καθημένῳ ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἐδόθη αὐτῷ λαβεῖν τὴν εἰρήνην ἐκ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἵνα ἀλλήλους σφάξωσι, καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ μάχαιρα μεγάλη. Καὶ ὅτε ἤνοιξε τὴν σφραγῖδα τὴν τρίτην, ἤκουσα τοῦ τρίτου ζῴου λέγοντος· ἔρχου. καὶ εἶδον, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἵππος μέλας, καὶ ὁ καθήμενος ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἔχων ζυγὸν ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἤκουσα ὡς φωνὴν ἐν μέσῳ τῶν τεσσάρων ζῴων λέγουσαν· χοῖνιξ σίτου δηναρίου, καὶ τρεῖς χοίνικες κριθῆς δηναρίου· καὶ τὸ ἔλαιον καὶ τὸν οἶνον μὴ ἀδικήσῃς. Καὶ ὅτε ἤνοιξε τὴν σφραγῖδα τὴν τετάρτην, ἤκουσα φωνὴν τοῦ τετάρτου ζῴου λέγοντος· ἔρχου. καὶ εἶδον, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἵππος χλωρός, καὶ ὁ καθήμενος ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ ὄνομα αὐτῷ ὁ θάνατος, καὶ ὁ ᾅδης ἠκολουθεῖ μετ' αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτοῖς ἐξουσία ἐπὶ τὸ τέταρτον τῆς γῆς, ἀποκτεῖναι ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ καὶ ἐν λιμῷ καὶ ἐν θανάτῳ καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν θηρίων τῆς γῆς.
Here is my own translation (keeping close to the original Greek) of the Revelations of St John the Divine, chapter 6, verses 1 to 8:
Notes:
Inspiration | |
Warhammer Setting | The Dark Tongue; Daemonic Names; Lexicon; Short Stories; Cut-ups; Cool Stuff |
Painted Models | Golden Demon |
Speculation | Chaos God Correspondence; Dark Heresy Backgrounds; Sevenfold Path; Sevenrot; Seven Deadly Sins |
Real World References | Nergal in Mesopotamian History; Symbolism of Three Circles; Symbolism of Seven |