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* AerithAndBob: The ''aions'' all carry hebraic-sounding names, some of them possibly made from Hebraic roots: Akadiel, Abiriel, Ohebiel. Abiriel doubles as Phuniel because of his inner struggles. In version A, we also find Cajahel and Obaddon (the last one to be recognized as "Abaddon").
** ''Akadiel'' means the firstborn of spirits, Ohebiel translates as "ensouled of Love".
** ''Akadiel'' means the firstborn of spirits, Ohebiel translates as "ensouled of Love".
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* LovePoem: The whole work started out as one, quickly embracing all creation. The point of it was to examine the nature of love.
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* SplitPersonality: Abiriel, who doubles as Phuniel, often referred to as "Phun-abiriel". Phuniel is the doubting and melacholic side of him, while Abiriel is the passionate and motivate one.
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* FollowTheLeader: It is hard to imagine the rousing speech of ''Theatre/{{Brand}}'' without this poem. It had a lasting impact on {{Henrik Ibsen}}.
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* RomanticismVsEnlightenment: Lampshaded by Akadiel, who also subverts it: "You find the truth in your heart rather in your mind. Let your feelings mix with your intellect..." And then, Enlightenment and romanticism shall be united.
* RousingSpeech. Akadiel has one, later some prophets, and in the end Jesus. Akadiel`s speech is verging on {{awesome}}, and literal to boot, as it is designed to wake the slumbering humans to their life on earth: "Human, Awake!" is his first greeting.
* RousingSpeech. Akadiel has one, later some prophets, and in the end Jesus. Akadiel`s speech is verging on {{awesome}}, and literal to boot, as it is designed to wake the slumbering humans to their life on earth: "Human, Awake!" is his first greeting.
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* RomanticismVsEnlightenment: Lampshaded by Akadiel, who also subverts it: "You find the truth in your heart rather than in your mind. Let your feelings mix with your intellect...thought, like the sun braided in clouds." And then, Enlightenment and romanticism Romanticism shall be united.
* RousingSpeech. Akadiel has one, later some prophets, and in the end Jesus. Akadiel`s speech is verging on {{awesome}}, and literal to boot, as it is designed to wake the slumbering humans to their life on earth: "Human,Awake!" Awaken!" is his first greeting.
* RousingSpeech. Akadiel has one, later some prophets, and in the end Jesus. Akadiel`s speech is verging on {{awesome}}, and literal to boot, as it is designed to wake the slumbering humans to their life on earth: "Human,
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* TheNeedsOfTheMany: Played straight, since the message is universal freedom, truth and love.
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* RomanticismVsEnlightenment: Lampshaded by Akadiel, who also subverts it: "You find the truth in your heart rather in your mind. Let your feelings mix with your intellect..." And then, Enlightenment and romanticism shall be united.
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** It is implied that humans can be as evil as any {{eldritch abomination}} in the book.
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** It is implied that humans can be as evil as any {{eldritch abomination}} in the book.abomination}}.
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** It is implied that humans can be as evil as any {{eldritch abomination}} in the book.
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* AmbitionIsEvil: Discussed and played straight. Akadiel calls out humanity on it, because freedom for all suffers when a few gets too ambitious, turning the greater lot of humanity into {{muggles}}:
--> Abiriels, have you mislaid your strength? Sharing the lot of the package mule?, Wishing to grow like a cabbage and nothing else?
** Subverted because Akadiel is talking of worldly ambition. In other words, ''wrong'' ambition is evil.
--> Abiriels, have you mislaid your strength? Sharing the lot of the package mule?, Wishing to grow like a cabbage and nothing else?
** Subverted because Akadiel is talking of worldly ambition. In other words, ''wrong'' ambition is evil.
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* AuthorAvatar: Akadiel more often than not.
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* FullCircleRevolution: Wergeland goes pretty far in depicting the early christians as revolutionaries of some sort. When {{the emperor}} converts, the ideas of Christianity is embraced by establishment and neutralized. So the historical outcome as far as Wergeland is concerned clearly has shades of the [[AnimalFarm Pig-becoming-Farmer]] gambit.
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* DoorStopper. Obviously.
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* DoorStopper. Obviously. The book is 560 pages long, and in metre all the way.
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* SelfInflictedHell: In this version of Afterlife, all the departed souls come to the same place. This is ''exstremely'' harsh for the souls of the ones committing crimes and atrocities, because they gradually find themselves "not deserving" the bliss they see their victims in. The sinners find themselves in the same bliss, but experience it as torture because of immense guilt. In other words, they make their own Hell.
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* SelfInflictedHell: In this version of Afterlife, all the departed souls come to the same place. This is ''exstremely'' ''extremely'' harsh for the souls of the ones committing crimes and atrocities, because they gradually find themselves "not deserving" the bliss they see their victims in. The sinners find themselves in the same bliss, but experience it as torture because of immense guilt. In other words, they make their own Hell.
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* SelfInflictedHell: In this version of Afterlife, all the departed souls come to the same place. This is ''exstremely'' harsh for the souls of the ones committing crimes and atrocities, because they gradually find themselves "not deserving" the bliss they see their victims in. The sinners find themselves in the same bliss, but experience it as torture because of immense guilt. In other words, they make their own Hell.
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* RousingSpeech. Akadiel has one, later some prophets, and in the end Jesus. Akadiel`s speech is verging on {{awesome}}, and literal to boot, as it is designed to wake the slumbering humans to their life on earth: "Human, Awake!" is his first ghreeting.
** Jesus opens his grand speech later with similar phrazing: "Awake, spirit, slumbering in these hearts!"
** Jesus opens his grand speech later with similar phrazing: "Awake, spirit, slumbering in these hearts!"
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* RousingSpeech. Akadiel has one, later some prophets, and in the end Jesus. Akadiel`s speech is verging on {{awesome}}, and literal to boot, as it is designed to wake the slumbering humans to their life on earth: "Human, Awake!" is his first ghreeting.greeting.
** Jesus opens his grand speech later with similar phrazing: "Awake, spirit, slumbering in thesehearts!"hearts! See, from Heaven I summon thy glory down in the dust yet again!"
** Jesus opens his grand speech later with similar phrazing: "Awake, spirit, slumbering in these
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* RousingSpeech. Akadiel has one, later some prophets, and in the end Jesus. Akadiel`s speech is verging on {{awesome}}, and literal to boot, as it is designed to wake the slumbering humans to their life on earth: "Human, Awake!" is his first ghreeting.
** Jesus opens his grand speech later with similar phrazing: "Awake, spirit, slumbering in these hearts!"
** Jesus opens his grand speech later with similar phrazing: "Awake, spirit, slumbering in these hearts!"
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* TheEmperor: A Roman one, name not stated, only referred to as "Caesar". He is obviously an amalgam of the role, not a historical person ''per se''. And he is not a nice person.
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* TheManBehindTheMan: The priests take up this role over and over in the course of human history, in different societies and religions.
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* IronicTwistEnding: The penultimate chapter in the book, called ''the first great victory of Christianity'' telling the story of how the Roman Empire was christianized. And in that process, Christianity was turned into yet another instrument of power, steering it off it`s original path. This part is only in the 1845 version, by the way.
--> '''The Emperor''': If Caesar is christened, I wager the masses will do his bidding and the armies their tasks as before...
--> '''The Emperor''': If Caesar is christened, I wager the masses will do his bidding and the armies their tasks as before...
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* GoodRepublicEvilEmpire: In a strict sense, since the book advocates freedom, not only on a religious level, but also on a social one. The "evil empire" at the end of the book is {{the roman empire}}. In this respect, the martyrs of christianity is actually scaring the roman emperor before his {{heel face turn}}, because "Jesus is a republican" - and that does ''not'' mean he is a member of the GOP.
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* ScaryAmoralReligion: Many doctrines as presented by the {{sinister minister}}s. The trope is subverted because religion in itself is not evil or amoral, but is being handed down as such when it becomes an {{instrument of power}} for seducing the minds of ordinary humans.
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** A more human example occurs later, when a king in some old neolithic state (possibly Egypt), gains full autocratic power, and are about to proclaim himself a God. The priest who urged him on, quickly stabs him to death with the following words: "I think not..."
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* CainAndAbel: Obviously, since the story follows the bible. The quarrel here, however, is over property.
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* CainAndAbel: Obviously, since the story follows the bible. The quarrel here, however, is over property. property.
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: ''Power and Deceit'' show a list of examples. The son of the king stabs his father, the priest stabs the king, the king stabs the priests, and both of them everybody else...
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: ''Power and Deceit'' show a list of examples. The son of the king stabs his father, the priest stabs the king, the king stabs the priests, and both of them everybody else...
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* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: Both human kings and priests go far over the top in the "power and deceit" segment, making life harsh for everyone who is not them.
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* AGodAmI: Discussed at the start. Abiriel has {{delusions of grandeur}}, wishing to create on his own. Ohebiel states that his lack of wisdom makes him distant to God, who is the only one with true creative powers.
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* AGodAmI: Discussed at the start. Abiriel has {{delusions of grandeur}}, wishing to create on his own. Ohebiel states that his lack of wisdom makes him distant to God, who is the only one with true creative powers.powers.
* ArcWords: As stated by Jesus. ''Freedom'', ''truth'', ''love''.
* ArcWords: As stated by Jesus. ''Freedom'', ''truth'', ''love''.
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* TimeAbyss: From the very start of creation and beyond. Akadiel is said to be "the oldest of spirits", and it is not stated ''how old". The earth is only one in a long string of worlds being created, implying a universal abyss as well.
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* TimeAbyss: From the very start of creation and beyond. Akadiel is said to be "the oldest of spirits", and it is not stated ''how old".''how'' old. The earth is only one in a long string of worlds being created, implying a universal abyss as well.
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* ThePowerOfLove: All the way. Love has it`s own segment, called ''interlude of the hearts'', telling some sweet stories of people going as far as humanly possible for the sake of love. Ohebiel descended for love, Jesus sacrifices himself for love, and holds a long speech on the subject:
--> Love is not surrounded by emptiness, like the source that makes everything flourish. It fills the deep with good deeds...
--> Love is not surrounded by emptiness, like the source that makes everything flourish. It fills the deep with good deeds...
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** Of course the priests in the New Testament segment, being responsible for the death of Jesus. He is set as the ultimate "whistle-blower" of the story.
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** Of course the priests in the New Testament segment, being responsible for the death of Jesus. He is set as the ultimate "whistle-blower" of the story.story.
* TimeAbyss: From the very start of creation and beyond. Akadiel is said to be "the oldest of spirits", and it is not stated ''how old". The earth is only one in a long string of worlds being created, implying a universal abyss as well.
* TimeAbyss: From the very start of creation and beyond. Akadiel is said to be "the oldest of spirits", and it is not stated ''how old". The earth is only one in a long string of worlds being created, implying a universal abyss as well.
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* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: Humanity over time. It is implied that the spirits Abiriel and Ohebiel once was born on distant planets, and ascended to spirithood, where they are witnesses to the creation of earth, and descend to a lower plane.
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* DoorStopper. Obviously.
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* {{Presence}}: God. Referred to, but never shown.
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* {{Presence}}: {{TheOmnipresent}}: God. Referred to, but never shown.
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The "poem", which is quite a {{door stopper}}, tells the tale of humanity and it`s relation to God and the higher celestial beings, beginnig with creation, following {{the bible}}, and walks through human history, the emergence of kings, nobles and clergy, and putting in some juicy social criticism on the way. After this, he presents "lights in the darkness" , the philosophers and several doctrines, before going straight to {{Jesus}} and his life. This ends as expected, and Wergeland goes on to explore the growing christian movement, and how it is hijacked by {{the powers that be}}, to be just another instrument of power. The ending of ''man'' shows the disillusioned poet sitting on a hill easter morning. He is confronted by the highest being, [[MessianicArchetype Akadiel}}, who shows him the intended way for humanity to go. The poet wakes up consoled, admitting that it will all turn out alright.
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The "poem", which is quite a {{door stopper}}, tells the tale of humanity and it`s relation to God and the higher celestial beings, beginnig with creation, following {{the bible}}, and walks through human history, the emergence of kings, nobles and clergy, and putting in some juicy social criticism on the way. After this, he presents "lights in the darkness" , the philosophers and several doctrines, before going straight to {{Jesus}} and his life. This ends as expected, and Wergeland goes on to explore the growing christian movement, and how it is hijacked by {{the powers that be}}, to be just another instrument of power. The ending of ''man'' shows the disillusioned poet sitting on a hill easter morning. He is confronted by the highest being, [[MessianicArchetype Akadiel}}, Akadiel]], who shows him the intended way for humanity to go. The poet wakes up consoled, admitting that it will all turn out alright.
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* {{Presence}}: God. Referred to, but never shown.
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* {{Presence}}: God. Referred to, but never shown.shown.
* SinisterMinister: All priests presented, from various religions, are more often than not presented as this. Figures prominently in the "power and deceit" segment, where the priests are {{the man behind the man}}. Their agenda is to preserve power by conceiling the truth from ordinary people, turning religion into "public opium". To kick this message in, Wergeland states that when true connection to God is reestablished, humanity doesn`t need priests anymore, let alone kings or rulers.
** Of course the priests in the New Testament segment, being responsible for the death of Jesus. He is set as the ultimate "whistle-blower" of the story.
* SinisterMinister: All priests presented, from various religions, are more often than not presented as this. Figures prominently in the "power and deceit" segment, where the priests are {{the man behind the man}}. Their agenda is to preserve power by conceiling the truth from ordinary people, turning religion into "public opium". To kick this message in, Wergeland states that when true connection to God is reestablished, humanity doesn`t need priests anymore, let alone kings or rulers.
** Of course the priests in the New Testament segment, being responsible for the death of Jesus. He is set as the ultimate "whistle-blower" of the story.
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* {{Mythopoeia}}: The "Golden Age" monologue, telling the story of "the man", presented as a sage and culture hero, who teaches mankind of the inner wisdom, and going by a strain of names from different mythologies: Norse,zoroastrian, greek, gothic, jewish, chinese, african and malayan, to mention a few.
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* AGodAmI: Discussed at the start. Abiriel has {{delusions of grandeur}}, wishing to create on his own. Ohebiel states that his lack of wisdom makes him distant to God, who is the only one with true creative powers.
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* ThePresence: God. Referred to, but never shown.
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* ThePresence: {{Presence}}: God. Referred to, but never shown.
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* Heroic Sacrifice: Ohebiel ensouls Eve to give Humanity a chance, realizing that the woman needs a soul to cope with the newly ensouled Adam. And she ''really'' loves Abiriel.
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* Heroic Sacrifice: HeroicSacrifice: Ohebiel ensouls Eve to give Humanity a chance, realizing that the woman needs a soul to cope with the newly ensouled Adam. And she ''really'' loves Abiriel.
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* Heroic Sacrifice: Ohebiel ensouls Eve to give Humanity a chance, realizing that the woman needs a soul to cope with the newly ensouled Adam. And she ''really'' loves Abiriel.
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* LibertyOverProsperity: Abiriel ensouls Adam because he wishes to be the master on earth rather than the most timid of the spirits in heaven. He "jumps in", Adam awakes, having promptly forgotten his celestial background. But Abiriel is now his soul.
