Thanks for the critique and thanks for bringing that up about the significance of the Germanic context. I hadn't taken that into account, I'll have to start brushing up on my history this weekend. My reply is nearly finished but instead of rushing it, I'll reply when I get back from work.

I appreciate the reply. I was aiming for more of a pointer than a critique. The way I see it you have two prongs to your argument, one developed, one not so much. The first deals with the Destiny Mythos and, its relationship to and grounding in, the historic Carolingian aspects from whence it draws inspiration, if I understand you correctly. This in turn relates to the greater Bungie meta-mythos which they have repeatedly hung story elements on across numerous games. Your second is an attempt to investigate the possible influence of actual Germanic Mythology on the story of Destiny. I think you'd be better served by a segregated examination of these leading to eventual synthesis when both have been detailed to your satisfaction. I understand, however, the tendency to include any and all information/speculation in an argument when you start to spot connections. As I said, I think you definitely have something with what I reckon the first prong is, and I agree with you. Looking forward to your reply.

Constructive criticism is always welcome. That's definitely what I did, I usually fail to fully outline my points because I'm like: "I know what that means, so does everyone else!" Then I just blather stuff about mythology. In my mind (this is all hard to word, let alone translate into prose), the represented group is defined by what it isn't: the emblem is formed from the triangle by removing all of the things they are not. I was mainly thinking The Crow's relationship to Huginn and Muninn obviously started with the raven/crow similarity but broadly illustrated more that he (or his group) will be a symbol for [i]all of the sons[/i] of Charlemagne instead of one in particular. The reason for this is mainly that of the [i]conspirator[/i], Pippin (I've been spelling it wrong the whole time!), being exiled to become a [i]monk[/i] and essentially think (Huginn) over his actions until his death. Also that Louis' twin brother died in infancy, much like the premature deaths of Charles the Younger and Carloman which reunited the Empire under the father-son co-emperors for a short time, effectively turning him and them into memories (Muninn). The Crow (or his group) have/has been shaped by the events they had survived or endured. The ravens are arguably interchangeable in role with [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veðrfölnir_and_eagle]Veðrfölnir and The Unnamed Eagle[/url]. Norse mythology essentially duplicates every idea, takes the second and magnifies it to express the cyclicality of the universe. If we look again at the breastplate we can imagine the two stripes extending up to his shoulders, where the twin ravens might sit, and the bird-triangle roosting atop the brow of an unnanmed eagle. That's what I would have liked to have elaborated on. I still can't figure the [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turul#Emese.27s_dream]Turul[/url] into all of this. That feels like the key because in it's depicted holding the Sword of Attila, once considered Charlemagne's [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miholjanec#Legend]legendary[/url] sabre, Joyeuse.

I'll get back to you on this when I have a proper chance to expound further. It's a worthy investigation and right up my street.

[quote]-(3) Most of what is put forth in (1a) is from the most prominent theory in my mind that attempts to explain the connection between Charlemagne and "one of the great Warminds of the Golden Age." The idea is that the Factions/corporations of the Last City are like that of the Assembly in the Halo Universe, certain aspects of Human expansion were controlled by a (secret) network of advanced AI.[/quote] See [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_(The_Culture)]Minds[/url] in Iain M. Bank's Culture novels in support of what you outlined above.