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Michael · Archangel — Captain of the Heavenly Host, Vanquisher of Satan

Michael (Hebrew Mikha'el, Greek Mikhael, Latin Michael, Arabic Mikail) is the decisive canonical archangel chief of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — three decisive canonical religions. The etymology is the decisive canonical vocabulary of the Hebrew 'mi-ka-El' — 'who is like God (quis ut Deus)'. The decisive textual canon is the Old Testament Book of Daniel (Daniel) 10:13, 10:21, and 12:1 of c. 2nd century BCE — 167-164 BCE — the decisive canon in which Michael is 'one of the chief princes' and 'the protector of the children of Israel' — and the New Testament Revelation (Revelation) 12:7-9 of c. 1st century CE — the decisive canon in which Michael had 'war in heaven' and defeated the great dragon (dragon), namely the 'ancient serpent' Satan (Satan), and his minion angels, and threw them out of heaven. The Mikail (Mikail) of the c. 7th century Islamic Qur'an (Qur'an) 2:98 — the angel of rain and plants — is the decisive canonical iconography. The decisive canonical iconography of the warrior angel in armor and helmet, trampling Satan (dragon) with a flaming sword or spear, and holding scales (scales) for weighing souls in one hand.

Metatron · Scribe of Heaven — Voice of God and Recorder of Divine Acts

Metatron (Hebrew Mēṭāṭrōn, Greek Metatrōn) is one of the highest-ranking angels of the Jewish Kabbalah and apocryphal tradition — the decisive canonical iconographic figure called 'the one who stands closest to God', 'Lesser YHVH', 'Prince of the Presence (Sar ha-Panim)', and 'heavenly scribe'. The etymology derives from Greek meta (beyond, near) + thronos (throne) — 'the one who stands beside the throne' — or Greek metator (messenger, guide). Aliases Yahoel, Sar ha-Panim, Sar ha-Olam ('Prince of the World'), Mitatron, and Lesser YHVH are the decisive canonical vocabulary. The decisive textual canon is 3 Enoch (Sefer Hekhalot) chapters 4-16 of c. 5th-6th century CE in which the human Enoch ascended to heaven and was transformed into Metatron, and Babylonian Talmud Hagigah 15a of the 4th-6th century in which Elisha ben Abuyah (Aher) saw Metatron sitting in heaven and was misled into the 'two powers in heaven' heresy. The decisive Zohar by Moses de Leon of the 1280s — Kabbalah — in which Metatron is the angel of Kether of the Tree of Life (Sephirot), and Metatron (the voice of God) played by Alan Rickman of the film Dogma (directed by Kevin Smith) released in the USA on 12 November 1999 is the 21st-century decisive video canon.

Cherubim · Second of the Nine Angelic Choirs — Guardians of Divine Wisdom and the Throne

Cherubim (Hebrew kerubim, singular kerub, Greek cheroubin, Latin cherubim) is the 2nd-rank angel after Seraphim (Seraphim) of the 9 ranks of Jewish-Christian angelology — the decisive canon, the decisive canonical iconographic figure who supports the throne of God and transmits divine wisdom. The etymology is the decisive canonical vocabulary derived from the Akkadian karibu (intercessor) or Aramaic kerub (close), and the influence of the composite iconography of the Assyrian lamassu (lamassu) and shedu (shedu) of bull, human, and eagle is the decisive canon. The decisive textual canon is the Genesis (Bereshit) chapter 3 verse 24 of c. 6th century BCE — the decisive canon of 'the cherubim and the flaming sword that turned every way (lahat ha-herev ha-mithapeketh)' that guarded the way to the Garden of Eden — and Exodus (Shemot) chapter 25 verses 18-22 and chapter 26 verse 31 — the decisive canon of the two gold cherubim on the mercy seat (kapporet) of the Ark of the Covenant (Ark of the Covenant) — and 1 Kings chapter 6 verses 23-28 — the decisive canon of the 10-cubit (about 4.5 m) cherubim of Solomon's temple. The Ezekiel (Yehezkel) chapter 1 verses 5-14 of 593-571 BCE — the decisive canon of the 'four living creatures (chayot, faces of human, lion, ox, and eagle, four wings)' — and chapter 10 — the decisive canon of the cherubim and wheels (ophanim) — and the Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite)'s Celestial Hierarchy (De Coelesti Hierarchia) chapter 7 of c. 5th-6th century CE — the decisive canon as the 2nd rank of the 9 ranks.

Ophanim · Third of the Nine Angelic Choirs — Wheels of God, Throne of Justice

Ophanim (Hebrew Ofannim, singular Ofan) is the third-rank angel of the 9-rank angelic hierarchy of Judeo-Christian angelology — the decisive canon — the decisive canonical iconographic figure derived from the Hebrew 'ofan' meaning 'wheel' in plural form. Aliases — Galgalim ('wheels'), Thrones (Latin Throni), wheels of God's chariot (Merkabah, Merkabah) — are the decisive canonical vocabulary. The decisive textual canon is the decisive origin canon of Ezekiel (Ezekiel) 1:15-21 and 10:9-13 of c. 6th century BCE in which beside the Cherubim are giant wheels with a wheel within a wheel (Wheel within a wheel) whose rims are full of eyes, and the decisive canon of Daniel (Daniel) 7:9 of c. 2nd century BCE — the 'wheels of burning fire' throne of the 'Ancient of Days'. The decisive theological canon of the third rank Thrones (Thrones) of the 9-rank angelic hierarchy in The Celestial Hierarchy (De Coelesti Hierarchia) chapter 7 of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite of c. 5th-6th century CE, and the decisive canon of the Thrones in the Summa Theologica (Summa Theologica) Part I question 108 of Thomas Aquinas (Thomas Aquinas) of the 13th century. The decisive 14th-century canon is the decisive canon of the third rank Thrones of the 9-rank angelic hierarchy in Dante Alighieri's (Dante Alighieri) Divine Comedy (Divina Commedia) Paradiso (Paradiso) Canto 28 lines 103-105 of c. 1320.

Athena · Goddess of Wisdom, Strategy, and Craft

Athena (Ancient Greek Athene, Latin Minerva) is the decisive canonical virgin goddess (Parthenos) of wisdom, war strategy, crafts, and city protection among the 12 Olympian gods of Greek mythology, and the decisive canonical iconographic figure born fully armed from the head of Zeus (Zeus). The etymology is the decisive canonical vocabulary as the patron goddess of the city Athens (Athenai), and the aliases Pallas (Pallas, 'maiden'), Glaukopis (Glaukopis, 'grey-eyed' or 'owl-faced'), Tritogeneia (Tritogeneia), Polias (Polias, 'of the city'), and Ergane (Ergane, 'the crafter') are the decisive canonical vocabulary. The decisive textual canon is Theogony (Theogony) lines 886-900 of Hesiod (Hesiod) of c. 8th-7th century BCE — the decisive canon in which Zeus swallows the pregnant Metis (Metis) — and lines 924-926 — the decisive mythological canon in which Hephaestus (Hephaestus) splits Zeus's head with an axe and Athena is born fully armed. The Iliad (Iliad) Book 5 lines 733-747 of Homer (Homer) of c. 8th century BCE — the decisive canon of Athena's Aegis (aigis) shield — and the Bibliotheca (Bibliotheke) Book 3 chapter 14 section 1 of Pseudo-Apollodorus of c. 1st century BCE — the decisive canon of the contest with Poseidon (Poseidon) for the patronage of Athens — Athena gifting the olive tree (elaia).

Artemis · Goddess of the Hunt, Moon, and Maidenhood

Artemis (Ancient Greek Artemis, Latin Diana) is the decisive canonical virgin goddess (Parthenos) of the hunt, wilderness, the moon, virginity, childbirth, and girls' initiation rites among the 12 Olympian gods of Greek mythology, and the decisive canonical iconographic figure of the daughter of Zeus (Zeus) and Leto (Leto), twin sister of Apollo (Apollon). The etymology Greek Artemis is the decisive canonical vocabulary meaning 'the safe one' or 'butcher', and the aliases Phoibe (Phoibe, 'shining'), Delia (Delia, 'of Delos'), Kynthia (Kynthia, 'of Cynthus'), and Potnia Theron (Potnia Theron, 'mistress of wild beasts') are the decisive canonical vocabulary. The decisive textual canon is the Theogony (Theogony) lines 918-920 of Hesiod (Hesiod) of c. 8th-7th century BCE — the decisive canon of the birth of Apollo and Artemis as children of Zeus and Leto — and the Homeric Hymns (Homeric Hymns) No. 27 Hymn to Artemis of c. 7th-6th century BCE and the Hymn 3 to Artemis (Hymn 3 to Artemis) of Callimachus (Callimachus) of c. 3rd century BCE are the decisive canon, and the decisive canon in which the 3-year-old young Artemis, on the knee of Zeus, requested eternal virginity, bow, arrows, short tunic, 60 Oceanid (Oceanides) handmaidens, 20 Amnisides (Amnisides) nymphs, and hunting dogs given by Pan (Pan).

Apollo · God of Sun, Music, Prophecy, and Healing

Apollo (Ancient Greek Apollon, Latin Apollo) is the decisive canonical god of the sun, music, poetry, prophecy, healing, and archery among the 12 Olympian gods of Greek mythology, and the decisive canonical iconographic figure of the son of Zeus (Zeus) and Leto (Leto), the twin brother of Artemis (Artemis). The etymology Greek Apollon is the decisive canonical vocabulary meaning 'destroyer' or 'assembler' or 'the revered one', and the aliases Phoibos (Phoibos, 'the shining one'), Delios (Delios, 'of Delos'), Pythios (Pythios, 'of Python'), and Musagetes (Musagetes, 'leader of the Muses') are the decisive canonical vocabulary. The decisive textual canon is Homer (Homer) Iliad (Iliad) Book 1 lines 43-52 of c. 8th century BCE — the decisive canon in which Apollo, receiving the prayer of his priest Chryses (Chryses), shoots arrows of plague (loimos) into the Greek camp for 9 days with his silver bow (argurotoxos) — and Theogony (Theogony) lines 918-920 of Hesiod (Hesiod) of c. 8th-7th century BCE — the decisive canon of the birth of Apollo and Artemis as children of Zeus and Leto. The Homeric Hymns (Homeric Hymns) No. 3 — Hymn to Apollo — of c. 7th-6th century BCE is the decisive canon of the birth on Delos and the killing of Python (Python) at Delphi (Delphi), and the Pythia (Pythia) of the Delphic oracle is the decisive canon.

Orobas · 55th of Solomon's 72 Spirits — Horse-Headed Prince of Truth

Orobas (Latin Orobas) is the 55th demon of the 72 demons of Solomon (Goetia) — the decisive canon — of the rank of Great Prince — the decisive canonical iconographic figure with a horse's head and a human body, or a complete horse, an honest demon who never lies. Aliases — Orobas (Orobas), Prince of Truth, Horse-headed Demon, Gentlemanly Demon, 55th Spirit of Solomon — are the decisive canonical vocabulary. The decisive textual canon is the decisive origin canon of Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, 'The False Hierarchy of Demons') by the German physician and occult writer Johann Weyer (Johann Weyer, 1515-1588) of 1577, and the decisive canon of Spirit 55 Orobas in Part I Goetia of the Lesser Key of Solomon (Lesser Key of Solomon, Lemegeton) of the 17th century. The decisive uniqueness canon is the decisive canon as a 'gentlemanly' demon clearly favorable to the summoner unlike the other 71 demons and never lying — the decisive canon summoned in Solomonic magic to receive the oracle of truth.

Gabriel · Archangel — Messenger of God, Bearer of the Annunciation

Gabriel (Hebrew Gavri'el, Greek Gabriel, Latin Gabriel, Arabic Jibril) is the decisive canonical archangel of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — three decisive canonical religions. The etymology is the decisive canonical vocabulary of the Hebrew 'God's strength' (geber + El) or 'man of God'. The decisive textual canon is the Old Testament Book of Daniel (Daniel) 8:15-26 of c. 2nd century BCE — 167-164 BCE — the decisive canon in which Gabriel interprets Daniel's vision — and 9:21-27 — the decisive canon of the 70-weeks prophecy. The Gospel of Luke (Luke) 1:11-20 of the c. 1st-century-CE New Testament — the decisive canon in which Gabriel announces the conception of John the Baptist to the priest Zechariah (Zechariah) — and 1:26-38 — the decisive canon of the Annunciation, the announcement of Jesus's conception to Mary — are the decisive canon. The Qur'an (Qur'an) 2:97-98 of c. 7th century — 610-632 CE — the decisive canon in which Jibril (Jibril) revealed the Qur'an to Muhammad over 23 years — is the decisive canonical iconography. The decisive canonical iconography of the graceful angel holding a lily, the golden trumpet, white silk robes, and large white feathered wings.

Hera · Queen of Olympus — Goddess of Marriage

Hera (Ancient Greek Hera, Latin Juno) is the decisive canonical goddess of marriage, childbirth, women, sovereignty, and the family among the 12 Olympian gods of Greek mythology, the queen of Olympus, and the decisive canonical iconographic figure as the daughter of Kronos (Kronos) and Rhea (Rhea), the elder sister and legitimate wife of Zeus (Zeus). The etymology Greek Hera is the decisive canonical vocabulary meaning 'lady' or 'season' (hora), and the aliases Teleia (Teleia, 'fulfilled' or 'of marriage'), Basileia (Basileia, 'queen'), Parthenos (Parthenos, 'virgin'), Aigiochos (Aigiochos), and Boopis (Boopis, 'ox-eyed') are the decisive canonical vocabulary. The decisive textual canon is the Theogony (Theogony) lines 453-491 of Hesiod (Hesiod) of c. 8th-7th century BCE — the decisive canon in which Kronos swallows his children — and lines 921-923 — the decisive canon of the birth of Hebe (Hebe), Ares (Ares), and Eileithyia (Eileithyia), children of Zeus and Hera — and the Iliad (Iliad) Book 14 lines 292-353 of Homer (Homer) of c. 8th century BCE — the decisive canon of Hera seducing Zeus — and Book 1 lines 518-611 — the decisive heroic-epic canon of the quarrel between Hera and Zeus.

Sandalphon · Angel of Prayer — Bearer of Mortal Prayers to God

Sandalphon (Hebrew Sandalphon, Greek Sandalphōn) is the highest-ranking angel paired with Metatron in the Jewish Kabbalah tradition — the decisive canon — the decisive canonical iconographic figure of the 'angel of prayer (angel of prayer)' who receives human prayers and weaves them into garlands (wreath) to offer to God. The etymology derives from Greek synadelphos — 'co-brother (co-brother)' — the decisive canonical vocabulary meaning Metatron's twin brother. Aliases — Sanadalphon, angel of Malkuth, angel of prayer, angel of music, and foot of the Tree of Life — are the decisive canonical vocabulary. The decisive textual canon is the decisive origin canon of Babylonian Talmud Hagigah 13b of the 4th-6th century in which Sandalphon stands 500 years' worth of height above the other angels, and the decisive canon of Sandalphon in 3 Enoch (3 Enoch, Sefer Hekhalot) of c. 5th-6th century CE. The decisive canon of the angel of Malkuth (Malkuth, Kingdom) of the Kabbalah Tree of Life (Sephirot) in the Zohar (Zohar) by Moses de Leon of the 1280s, and the decisive 19th-century English and German literary canon of Heinrich Heine's (Heinrich Heine) poem Sandalphon of 1851 and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) poem Sandalphon (Sandalphon) of 1858.

Tyr · Norse God of War, Justice, and Oaths

Tyr (Old Norse Tyr, Proto-Germanic Tiwaz) is the decisive canonical god of war, justice, law, and oaths of the Aesir (Aesir) in Norse mythology, and the decisive canonical iconographic figure who lost his right hand by putting it in the mouth of the giant wolf Fenrir (Fenrir) as a pledge to bind him with the sacred chain Gleipnir (Gleipnir). The etymology Proto-Germanic Tiwaz ('god, sky god') is derived from the Proto-Indo-European deywos ('shining sky god'), cognate with the Latin deus (god), the Greek Zeus, and the Sanskrit dyaus pitar ('sky father') — the decisive canonical vocabulary. The English Tuesday (Old English Tiwesdaeg, 'Tiw's day'), the German Dienstag, and the Norwegian tirsdag are the decisive canonical vocabulary of Tyr, and the rune T Tiwaz (Tiwaz Rune) is the decisive canon of his name. The decisive textual canon is the Prose Edda (Prose Edda) of c. 1220 of the early 13th-century Icelandic poet-historian Snorri Sturluson (Snorri Sturluson, 1179-1241) — Gylfaginning (Gylfaginning) chapters 25 and 34 — the decisive Tyr canon and the Fenrir binding canon — and the Poetic Edda (Poetic Edda) Hymiskvida (Hymiskvida) of the c. 1270 Codex Regius manuscript is the decisive poetic canon of Tyr.

Valkyrie · Warrior Maidens — Choosers of the Slain in Norse Mythology

Valkyrie (Old Norse Valkyrja — 'chooser of the slain', English Valkyrie) is the female semi-divine being of Norse mythology — the decisive canon — who guides the souls of warriors to the war god Odin (Odin), derived from the Old Norse 'valr (the slain)' + 'kjósa (to choose)' meaning 'chooser of the slain (chooser of the slain)' — the decisive canonical vocabulary — the decisive canonical iconographic figure who decides who falls gloriously on the battlefield and guides the souls of dead heroes to the gods' hall Valhalla (Valhalla) to gather the army (Einherjar) for the final war of Ragnarok. Aliases — Valkyrja (Valkyrja), Walküre (Walküre, German), chooser of the slain, Odin's handmaid, Dísir (Dísir) — are the decisive canonical vocabulary. The decisive textual canon is the decisive origin canon of the Völuspá (Völuspá), Grímnismál (Grímnismál), and Helgakviða Hundingsbana (Helgakviða Hundingsbana) of the Poetic Edda (Poetic Edda) in the Codex Regius (Codex Regius) of c. 1270, and the decisive canon of Gylfaginning (Gylfaginning) Chapter 36 of the Prose Edda (Prose Edda) of Snorri Sturluson (Snorri Sturluson) of c. 1220.

Heimdall · Watchman of Bifröst — Trumpeter of Ragnarök

Heimdall (Old Norse Heimdallr, 'shining one of the world' or 'pillar of the world') is the decisive canonical god of light, vigilance, and watching of the Aesir (Aesir) in Norse mythology, and the decisive canonical iconographic figure of the eternal watchman of the rainbow bridge Bifrost (Bifrost). The etymology is the Old Norse compound of heim ('world, home') and dallr ('shining one' or 'pillar') — meaning 'shining one of the world' — the decisive canonical vocabulary, and the aliases Gullintanni (Gullintanni, 'the one with golden teeth') — the god with golden teeth — and Vitli (Vitli, 'the white one') and Hallinskidi (Hallinskidi) are the decisive canonical vocabulary. The decisive textual canon is the Prose Edda (Prose Edda) of c. 1220 of the early 13th-century Icelandic poet-historian Snorri Sturluson (Snorri Sturluson, 1179-1241) — chapter 27 of Gylfaginning (Gylfaginning) — the decisive Heimdall canon — and chapter 51 — the Ragnarok canon — and the Voluspa (Voluspa), Grimnismal (Grimnismal) stanza 13, Thrymskvida (Thrymskvida) stanza 15, and Rigsthula (Rigsthula, Lay of Rig) of the Poetic Edda (Poetic Edda) of the c. 1270 Codex Regius (Codex Regius) manuscript are the decisive poetic canon of Heimdall. The decisive canon of mysterious birth from nine mothers (nine waves, nine sisters), and the decisive canonical iconographic figure who at Ragnarok blows the great horn Gjallarhorn (Gjallarhorn) to wake the gods and mutually destroys with Loki (Loki).

Baldr · God of Light and Purity — Tragedy of the Beloved

Baldr (Old Norse Baldr or Baldur, Proto-Germanic Balthraz 'brave, bright') is the decisive canonical god of light, purity, joy, beauty, and dreams of the Aesir (Aesir) in Norse mythology, and the decisive canonical iconographic figure as the son of Odin (Odin) and Frigg (Frigg), the brother of Thor (Thor), and the most beloved among the gods. The etymology is the decisive canonical vocabulary derived from the Old Norse baldr or Proto-Germanic Balthraz ('brave, bold, bright'), cognate with the English bold. The decisive textual canon is the Prose Edda (Prose Edda) of c. 1220 of the early 13th-century Icelandic poet-historian Snorri Sturluson (Snorri Sturluson, 1179-1241) — chapter 49 of Gylfaginning (Gylfaginning) — the decisive canon of Baldr's death — and the Baldrs draumar (Baldrs draumar, Baldr's Dreams) and Voluspa (Voluspa) of the Poetic Edda (Poetic Edda) of the c. 1270 Codex Regius (Codex Regius) manuscript are the decisive poetic canon. When Baldr dreamed nightmares predicting his death, his mother Frigg took oaths from all things not to harm him, but the mistletoe (mistilteinn), considered too young to swear, became his weakness, and Loki (Loki) had the blind brother Hodr (Hodr) hold a mistletoe arrow and killed Baldr — the decisive canon that became the catalyst of Ragnarok (Ragnarok).

Ra · Egyptian Sun God — Creator and King of the Gods

Ra (Egyptian Ra or Re, 'sun') is the decisive canonical sun-god, creator, and king of the gods of ancient Egyptian mythology — the Heliopolis (Heliopolis, Egyptian Iunu, 'city of the pillar') theology — and the decisive canonical iconographic figure, who rose by himself from Nun (Nun), the primordial chaos sea, and as the ancestor of the Heliopolis Ennead (Ennead) of Shu (Shu), Tefnut (Tefnut), Geb (Geb), Nut (Nut), Osiris (Osiris), Isis (Isis), Seth (Seth), and Nephthys (Nephthys). The etymology is the decisive canonical vocabulary of the Egyptian Ra ('sun'), and during the New Kingdom 18th dynasty (1550-1292 BCE) he merged with the god Amun of Thebes to become Amun-Ra (Amun-Ra), the supreme god — the decisive canon. The decisive textual canon is the Pyramid Texts (Pyramid Texts) of c. 2400-2300 BCE — Old Kingdom 5th-6th dynasty — the decisive canon of the inside of the pyramids of Unas (Unas, 2375-2345 BCE) and Pepi I (Pepi I) — and the Coffin Texts (Coffin Texts) of c. 2100-1700 BCE Middle Kingdom — and the Book of the Dead (Book of the Dead) and the Amduat (Amduat) of c. 1550 BCE New Kingdom are the decisive canon. The pharaoh's title 'son of Ra (sa-Ra)' and the decisive canonical iconography of a falcon head with sun disc and the Uraeus (Uraeus) cobra.

Horus · Egyptian God of Sky and Kingship — Falcon-Eyed Restorer of Justice

Horus (Egyptian Ḥr Hor, Greek Hōros) is the god of the sky, kingship, and justice of ancient Egyptian mythology — the decisive canon, the son of Osiris (Osiris) and Isis (Isis), the decisive canonical iconographic figure who became the legitimate king of Egypt after an 80-year throne struggle with his uncle Seth (Seth). The etymology of the Egyptian Ḥr is the decisive canonical vocabulary of 'the high one' or 'the distant one', and the aliases Heru (Heru), Hor (Hor), Hor-sa-Iset (Hor-sa-Iset, 'Horus son of Isis'), Hor-wer (Hor-wer, 'Horus the Great'), Hor-akhti (Hor-akhti, 'Horus of the two horizons'), and Harpokrates (Harpokrates, 'Horus the Child') are the decisive canonical vocabulary. The decisive textual canon is the decisive origin canon of the Pyramid Texts (Pyramid Texts) of Unas (Unas) of the Old Kingdom 5th dynasty of c. 2400-2300 BCE, and the decisive canon of the 80-year struggle of the 'Contendings of Horus and Seth (Contendings of Horus and Seth)' of the Chester Beatty Papyrus I (Chester Beatty Papyrus I) of the New Kingdom 20th dynasty period of Rameses V of c. 1250 BCE. The De Iside et Osiride (De Iside et Osiride) chapters 12-20 and 54-58 of Plutarch (Plutarchos) of c. 100 CE of the Greek 1st century CE — the decisive Greek-Latin canon.

Jade Emperor · Supreme Deity of Daoism — Emperor of Heaven

Jade Emperor (Yu Huang Shang Di, Yu Di) is the supreme god of Taoism and Chinese folk religion — the decisive canon, the emperor of the celestial realm who resides in the heavenly Jade Capital (Yujing) and rules all gods, humans, ghosts, and natural phenomena — the decisive canonical iconographic figure. The etymology is the decisive canonical vocabulary of Yu (jade) + Huang (emperor) + Shangdi (Lord of Heaven), and the aliases Yudi, Yuhuang Dadi, Tiangong (Heavenly Lord), and Haotian Jinque Zhizun Yuhuang Dadi are the decisive canonical vocabulary. The decisive textual canon is the decisive origin canon of the Heavenly Emperor (Tiandi) and Lord (Shangdi) of the Taiping Jing (Taiping Jing) of the Han dynasty c. 2nd century CE, and the decisive Taoist canon of the Jade Emperor Sutra (Yuhuang Jing, Gaoshang Yuhuang Benxing Jijing) of the Tang dynasty (618-907). The decisive canon is the canon as the official imperial object of worship through the title 'Taishang Kaitian Zhifu Yuli Hanzhen Tidao Yuhuang Datian Di' bestowed by Emperor Zhenzong of Song (reigned 997-1022) in 1012, and the title 'Taishang Kaitian Zhifu Yuli Hanzhen Tidao Haotian Yuhuang Shangdi' bestowed by Emperor Huizong of Song (reigned 1100-1126) in 1116.

Amaterasu · Japanese Sun Goddess — Ancestress of the Imperial House

Amaterasu (Amaterasu-Ōmikami) is the supreme deity and sun goddess of Japanese Shinto mythology — the decisive canon — the ruler of Takamagahara and the ancestor of the Japanese Imperial Family — the decisive canonical iconographic figure. The etymology is Amaterasu (, 'the one who illuminates heaven') + Ōmikami (, 'great deity') — the decisive canonical vocabulary — and aliases Ōhirume-no-Muchi (, 'great goddess of the sun'), Amaterasu-Ōmikami, and the Great Deity of Ise are the decisive canonical vocabulary. The decisive textual canon is the decisive origin canon of Kojiki Vol. 1 of 712 CE by Ō no Yasumaro — Amaterasu was born from Izanagi's left eye when he returned from Yomi and purified himself — and the decisive canon of Amaterasu hiding in Ame-no-Iwato (, Heavenly Rock Cave) in fury at her brother Susanoo's outrages, plunging the world into darkness. The decisive canon of Nihon Shoki Vol. 1 Age of the Gods of 720 CE by Prince Toneri, and the decisive canon of the principal deity of the Inner Shrine (Naiku) of Ise Grand Shrine and the Shikinen Sengū ritual every 20 years.

English Folk Marsh Spirit

The Will-o'-the-Wisp (English Will-o'-the-Wisp) is the most decisive canonical iconographic spirit of the will-o'-the-wisp (ignis fatuus) of English folklore. The etymology is the English Will of the Wisp ('Will holding a wisp torch'), first attested in English in 1607 — the decisive canonical vocabulary. It appears in marshes, wetlands, and moors at night as a small flickering blue or yellow flame — receding when approached and approaching when receded — luring lost travellers into the marsh to their death — the decisive canonical iconography. The decisive etymological canon is the decisive legend that the evil blacksmith Will (Smith Will) of 16th-century England, rejected from both heaven and hell after death, carries a wisp torch with coal given by the devil and wanders the marshes forever, and the decisive literary canon is line 104 of the twin poem L'Allegro (L'Allegro) of the British poet John Milton (John Milton, 1608-1674) of 1631 — 'led by the Friar's Lantern' — and the fairy tale The Will-o'-the-Wisps Are in Town, Said the Marsh Woman (Lygtemaendene ere i Byen, sagde Mosekonen) of the Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen (Hans Christian Andersen, 1805-1875) published in Copenhagen, Denmark on 7 April 1845 — the decisive Andersen fairy-tale canon. The decisive 21st-century film canon is the Pixar (Pixar) animated film Brave (Brave) released in the USA on 22 June 2012 — in which blue Will-o'-the-Wisps lead the Scottish princess Merida to her fate — the decisive global film canon.

Latin 'Foolish Fire,' Scientific Name for Will-o'-the-Wisp

The Ignis Fatuus (Latin ignis fatuus, English ignis fatuus/will-o'-the-wisp, German Irrlicht, French feu follet) is the canonical scientific name for the natural-phosphorescence phenomenon in marshes — Latin 'foolish fire' (ignis 'fire' + fatuus 'foolish') — and the canonical iconography of medieval European folklore and English literature, the blue light presumed to be the natural ignition of marsh methane (CH4) and phosphine (PH3) that lures travelers and causes them to lose their way. The etymology is the combination of the Latin ignis ('fire') and fatuus ('foolish'), and since appearing in the Natural History (Naturalis Historia) of the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder (Plinius Maior, 23-79 CE) of the 1st century, it settled as the decisive scientific name in 16th-18th-century natural histories. The decisive textual canon is the canon of Act 3 Scene 3 of the historical play Henry IV, Part 1 of the British William Shakespeare (1564-1616) of 1597 — in which Sir Falstaff compares Bardolph's red nose to 'ignis fatuus or a ball of wildfire' — the decisive English-literary entry, and the decisive poetic canon is the canon of lines 634-642 of Book 9 of the epic Paradise Lost of the British poet John Milton (1608-1674) of 1667 — comparing Satan's seduction of Eve to the marsh ignis fatuus — the decisive English-literary canon. The Will-o-Wisp of the 1977 D&D Monster Manual by Gygax of TSR in the USA — consistent through to 5e (5th Edition) of 2014 — is the decisive canon of the modern fantasy RPG will-o'-the-wisp.

English Folk Will-o'-the-Wisp

The Friar's Lantern (English Friar's Lantern, 'lantern of the friar') is the decisive canonical variant name of the will-o'-the-wisp of English folklore, with the c. 1568 anonymous prose narrative The History of Friar Rush (The History of Friar Rush) published in England — about the mischievous monk-spirit Friar Rush of 16th-century England — as the decisive etymological canon. It appears as a small flickering light in marshes, moors, and churchyards — in the form of a monk holding a torch or lantern — that lures travellers off their path — the decisive canonical iconography. The decisive literary canon is the 1631 poem L'Allegro (L'Allegro) of the British poet John Milton (John Milton, 1608-1674) line 104 — 'led by the Friar's Lantern' — the decisive event of vocabulary canonisation in English literature, and Act 2 Scene 1 of the 1595-1596 play A Midsummer Night's Dream (A Midsummer Night's Dream) of William Shakespeare (William Shakespeare, 1564-1616) — in which Puck, who is Robin Goodfellow (Robin Goodfellow), says 'I am that merry wanderer of the night' and describes himself as a spirit who misleads travellers — is the decisive English-literary precursor canon to the 1631 Milton canon. It is the decisive will-o'-the-wisp spirit of the same family as the Jack-o'-lantern.

Arabian Cosmic Fish + D&D Platinum Dragon of Justice

Bahamut joins two unrelated traditions under one name. The first is the colossal cosmological fish of medieval Arabic cosmography, attested in the thirteenth-century ʿAjāʾib al-makhlūqāt of Zakariyyā al-Qazwīnī (1203-1283) and in the 'Pearl of Wonders' of Ibn al-Wardī, swimming beneath the bull Kuyūthā and bearing the seven layers of the world; Jorge Luis Borges transmitted the tradition to a Western audience through 'El Libro de los seres imaginarios' (Manuel Peña, Buenos Aires, 1957). The second is the Platinum Dragon of Dungeons & Dragons, introduced by Gary Gygax in 'Supplement III: Eldritch Wizardry' (TSR, 1976) and developed across the AD&D 'Monster Manual' (1977), 'Deities & Demigods' (1980), 'Draconomicon' (1990) and the fifth-edition 'Monster Manual' (2014) and 'Fizban's Treasury of Dragons' (2021). The D&D Bahamut is the platinum-scaled god of justice, honour and truth, king of the five metallic dragons (gold, silver, copper, bronze, brass), escorted by seven ancient gold dragons, given to walking the world as a humble human sage and locked in eternal opposition to the chromatic queen Tiamat.

The Golden Guardian of Justice

The Gold Dragon is the highest of the five metallic dragons of Dungeons & Dragons (gold, silver, copper, bronze, brass), introduced by Gary Gygax in 'Supplement III: Eldritch Wizardry' (TSR, 1976) and codified across the AD&D 'Monster Manual' (1977), 'Deities & Demigods' (1980), 'Draconomicon' (1990), the fifth-edition 'Monster Manual' (2014) and 'Fizban's Treasury of Dragons' (2021). Its alignment is locked Lawful Good, and its signature features are sun-bright gold scales, a pair of elegant rear-swept horns and the wisp of gold barbels hanging beneath the jaw. From the jaws come two breaths, exhaled in a ninety-foot cone: a stream of gold fire and a weakening gas that temporarily drains the strength of those who breathe it. Seven ancient gold dragons stand as the personal guard of Bahamut, the platinum king of the metallic dragons. The Gold Dragon can polymorph at will into a human, elf, dragonborn or other humanoid, and is the most accomplished spellcaster of any dragon, wielding ninth-level magic such as time stop in fifth edition. The same silhouette and lore appear in the Dragonlance Chronicles and in the gold-dragon encounters of Baldur's Gate 3 (2023).

Mithril · True Silver — A Legendary Metal Light as a Feather, Harder Than Steel

Mithril (English Mithril, Sindarin mith + ril) is the true-silver (true-silver) of the decisive canon — feather-light, harder than steel, the legendary metal — derived from Sindarin 'mith (grey)' and 'ril (brilliance)' — the decisive canonical vocabulary — the decisive canon of J.R.R. Tolkien's coinage. Aliases — Mithril (Mithril), true-silver, Moria-silver, true silver, grey brilliance — are the decisive canonical vocabulary. The decisive Tolkien canon is the decisive canon of the English J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings (The Lord of the Rings) of 1954-1955. The decisive Moria canon is the decisive canon of the mines of Khazad-dûm (Khazad-dûm, Moria). The decisive Frodo canon is the decisive canon of Bilbo's mithril coat.

Orichalcum · The Lost Mystic Metal of Atlantis

Orichalcum (English Orichalcum, Latin orichalcum, Greek oreíkhalkos) is the lost mythical metal of Atlantis of the decisive canon — derived from Greek 'oreíkhalkos (ὀρείχαλκος oreíkhalkos, mountain copper, óros 'mountain' + chalkós 'copper')' — the decisive canonical vocabulary — the decisive canon of Plato's Critias. Aliases — Orichalcum (Orichalcum), oreíkhalkos (Greek), metal of Atlantis, mountain copper, red gold — are the decisive canonical vocabulary. The decisive Plato canon is the decisive canon of the temple of Atlantis in the Greek Plato's Critias (Critias) 114e-116c, 119c of the 4th century BCE. The decisive Homeric Hymn canon is the decisive canon of Aphrodite in the Homeric Hymn (Homeric Hymn) of the 7th century BCE. The decisive Sicily canon is the decisive canon of the discovery of 39 orichalcum ingots from a shipwreck off Gela of Sicily in 2015.

Silver· Ag Metal of the moon and the soul

Silver (English Silver, Latin Argentum, Chinese ) is one of the seven metals of human history — the decisive canon — and the decisive canonical iconographic figure of the 'metal of the moon' — established as the weakness of werewolves and vampires in fantasy canon — also the metal of sacred purification and the standard of currency. Aliases — Silver (Silver), Argentum (Argentum, Latin), argyros (argyros, Greek), Metal of Selene, Tears of the Moon — are the decisive canonical vocabulary. The decisive origin canon is the decisive origin canon of silver mining in Mesopotamia and Anatolia of c. 3000 BCE, the electrum coinage of Lydia of the 6th century BCE, and subsequent silver coinage. The decisive weakness canon is the decisive origin canon of killing a werewolf with a silver bullet at the Beast of Gevaudan (Bete du Gevaudan) incident in France in 1764, and the decisive global film canon of the silver-headed cane in the film The Wolf Man (1941) by USA Universal Pictures (director George Waggner, starring Lon Chaney Jr.).

Monoceros · Unicorn — Legendary one-horned creature

The Monoceros (Greek Monokeros, Latin Monoceros, 'single horn') is the archetype of the one-horned beast in Greek and Roman natural history. It first appears in the Indika of Ktesias of Knidos (fifth century BCE), a Greek physician at the Persian court who describes wild asses of India with white bodies, purple heads, blue eyes, and a single horn about one cubit long, banded in white, black, and crimson; cups carved from the horn make the drinker immune to poison, seizures, and epilepsy. In the first century CE, Pliny the Elder's Natural History VIII.31 standardised the description as 'a body like a horse, head like a stag, feet like an elephant, tail like a boar, and a single black horn about two cubits long in the middle of the forehead.' When this image reached medieval Europe through Latin sources it was equated with unicornus, the unicorn. In later fantasy, however, Monoceros often persists as a wilder, fiercer original distinct from the white-horse unicorn.

High Elf · Noble Elves — Aristocrats of Arcane Magic

An elven aristocracy of light and high arcana, with hair of gold or silver, ornate robes, and a mastery of arcane magic that rises above all other elven branches. They are the ruling caste of elven realms and the keepers of an ancient magical civilisation, prouder and more closed than their lesser-elven kin. J. R. R. Tolkien's Noldor in The Silmarillion (George Allen & Unwin, 1977) fixed the modern archetype; Dungeons & Dragons (Advanced Players Handbook 2nd ed., TSR, 1989; 5th ed. PHB, 2014), Games Workshop's Asur of Ulthuan in Warhammer Armies: High Elves (1993), and Blizzard's Quel'dorei in World of Warcraft (2004) have made the fantasy template.

Half-Elf · Of Mixed Blood — Between the Worlds of Human and Elf

A people born of human and elven parents, between the two in features, longevity, and inheritance. Half-elves live longer than humans but shorter than elves, blend the gifts and looks of both lineages, and are remarkable for their adaptability and charisma; yet they belong fully to neither world. J. R. R. Tolkien's Peredhil lineage in The Silmarillion (George Allen & Unwin, 1977, edited by Christopher Tolkien) — Beren and Luthien, Tuor and Idril, Earendil and Elwing — and the standard half-elf race introduced by Dungeons & Dragons in 1974 together fixed the figure as the canonical 'walker between two worlds' of modern fantasy.