Seven Darks

[Sgt Anjay]

Arioch is definately one of my favorite characters of any kind in any series, especially when at his beautiful/horrible best. I've always been especially fond of the tittle "Lord of the Seven Darks". For whatever reason I've found it tremendously evocative, and since I first read the Elric saga years ago as a teen I've found myself interpreting and reinterpreting what the Seven Darks might be. So I was just wondering what others have thought of as the Seven Darks of which Arioch is Lord, including Mr. MM himself.

[Oren]

Welcome to the forums Sgt Anjay!

In Jewish folklore hell consists of 7 housings, the seven planes of Genehom (Gehenna). The origin of the term is in the Talmud where it's said King David raised the soul of Absalom from the seven planes of hell, or saved him seven times from great dangers. This term is used in everyday spoken Hebrew to describe great difficulty ("The soldiers in Lebanon passed through the seven planes of hell").

By the way, in the cosmology of D&D hell consists of 9 (and not 7) planes, the Nine Hells.

[Miqque]

Hey Oren-

What do you know of Heaven, as in "ascended to the third heaven" or term "seventh heaven"?

[Sgt Anjay]

Well, the origin of the term Seven Darks has roots in hells....but what does that mean for Arioch's Seven Darks? In what way are they hells? Are they some sort of spheres of suffering and/or punishment Arioch has come to call his own? Are they deific realms of some sort belonging to Arioch? Are they spheres once like any other that Arioch came to dominate and lock into chaotic flux, securing them as his personal domains? Thoughts/opinions?

[Oren]

Hey Oren-

What do you know of Heaven, as in "ascended to the third heaven" or term "seventh heaven"?

Here's some information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventh_Heaven

The actual Hebrew term is Seventh Sky (or firmament). In modern Hebrew it's used to denote something great: "That Hawkwind show was so great, I was in the seventh sky".

When Muhammad rode from Jerusalem to heaven on his flying mount the angel Gibril (Gabriel) led him through the Seven Skies where he met Abraham, Moses and other personalities (the higher you go, the more important the personality is it seems). In the Seventh Sky he met god.

In Jewish mysticism each of the seven skies (including the third one) is described in great detail.

The third heaven is mentioned in the New Testament and as I understand is the highest one according to it (so there are 3 and not 7).

[Oren]

Are they spheres once like any other that Arioch came to dominate and lock into chaotic flux, securing them as his personal domains?

That's exactly how I would imagine the Seven Darks. Realms that Arioch shaped (or rather distorted) according to his own will, where he rules supreme.

[Miqque]

Thanks, Oren! (Bless Wikipedia!)

[Michael Moorcock]

Yes, I imagined seven dark realms of which Arioch is sole ruler. But also seven levels of darkness.

[Sgt Anjay]

In what way do you mean darkness, if I may ask sir? Darkness as in evil? Or varying levels or types of chaos? Or am I reading to much into it and maybe you just need progressively better flashlights in each?
You'll have to excuse my curiosity, my cats go through quite a few lives