What are the feathers all about?

[Djulius]

Sorry if this has been discussed many times before, but while I paint up my DV models I can't help but note all the feathers as adornments. Simple question; what are they all about?  I've read the Descent and Fallen Angel books and don't recall them in those.

[DoggNewTrix]

I think it's covered in an older deathwing short story. I can't recall the name but it pretty well explains why deathwing armour is white. A psuedo Native death ritual in which the marines paint there skin (armour) white and I think feathers just tie into the native theme

[Steel Company]

As Dogg said, it's to do with some much older fluff, that when you look at it now, with everything else, it doesn't seem very Space Marine-y... though if you look at it as an allegory for the fall of Caliban, it sorta works?

[Grand Master Belial]

The feathers reference the old Deathwing story relating to the Plains World Incident. The marines in that story were from that home world and it had a Native American background. So those marines would wear feathers as totems of honor. While the Native American background was dropped, the feathers remain.

[Bryan Blaire]

Not just the Deathwing, the feathers were depicted on a Ravenwing biker at least once and on the Company Masters in the form of a helmet crest also reminiscent of the Native American Great Plains style tribal head-dress. The latter is still available. Now I think the reference would just be "because they are angels, but dark, so less feathers than the Blood Angels." :D

[Magos Valkamar]

Not just the Deathwing, the feathers were depicted on a Ravenwing biker at least once and on the Company Masters in the form of a helmet crest also reminiscent of the Native American Great Plains style tribal head-dress. The latter is still available. Now I think the reference would just be "because they are angels, but dark, so less feathers than the Blood Angels."

The helmet crest feathers date back to before the fall of Caliban, as there are plenty of pictures of pre Heresy DA wearing them.

Also, I've recently read Deathwing, and I'm pretty sure there were no mention of them adorning their armour with feathers.

[WatchCaptainAzrael]

They're leftovers from all the traitors we've sent screaming in abject terror back to their Chaos patron. As one progresses in the Chapter, one naturally gains more of these feathers, until Company Masters have tall wings on their helmets. The SGM of any period could theoretically go to battle dressed like Lady Gaga, but chooses not to for matters of morale.

[EPK]

Not just the Deathwing, the feathers were depicted on a Ravenwing biker at least once and on the Company Masters in the form of a helmet crest also reminiscent of the Native American Great Plains style tribal head-dress. The latter is still available. Now I think the reference would just be "because they are angels, but dark, so less feathers than the Blood Angels."

The helmet crest feathers date back to before the fall of Caliban, as there are plenty of pictures of pre Heresy DA wearing them.

Also, I've recently read Deathwing, and I'm pretty sure there were no mention of them adorning their armour with feathers.

Actually, though it may not have been written in the story, is was shown in the booklet. Below is an image from that original booklet that came the with the Deathwing Expansion to Space Hulk (I may be mistaken, but I believe this image among others accompanied the same story that is found in the Deathwing Anthology). Note the feather, not to mention all the Native American icons.

In more recent DA fluff, the entire story of the Deathwing and the Plainsword Incident is relegated to perhaps being nothing more than a parable. Circles within circle as always, the feathers could be simply a trinket to make the story more believable to those not in the know.

[FIST_OF_DORN]

They're leftovers from all the traitors we've sent screaming in abject terror back to their Chaos patron. As one progresses in the Chapter, one naturally gains more of these feathers, until Company Masters have tall wings on their helmets. The SGM of any period could theoretically go to battle dressed like Lady Gaga, but chooses not to for matters of morale.

.. matters of morale. I like it

[Magos Valkamar]

Speaking of Deathwing, does anyone else feel as if you could of replaced the Dark Angels with any other Native American inspired chapter? It's a great story, don't get me wrong, but it never really feels as if it's a story about the Dark Angels.

 

Back on topic, aren't the Ravenwing feathers based on what a group of knights used use? Prussian, if I remember correctly?

[WatchCaptainAzrael]

Speaking of Deathwing, does anyone else feel as if you could of replaced the Dark Angels with any other Native American inspired chapter? It's a great story, don't get me wrong, but it never really feels as if it's a story about the Dark Angels.

 

Back on topic, aren't the Ravenwing feathers based on what a group of knights used use? Prussian, if I remember correctly?

It's a story about the fall of Caliban with actors and details replaced and obfuscated. Think of it this way: if you were a newly recruited tribal, wouldn't you find this story easier to relate to than a parable about angels and nephilim?

 

Also, the knights in question were the Polish Winged Hussars, widely regarded as the finest cavalry corps in the world.

[Brother Landrain]

The Native American theme really was only because of the DW story "The Battle of Two Heads Talking"

 

the DA recruit from many different worlds, this one just had a Native American style culture.

There really was no themes beyond that to showcase Native American themes.

 

But because of the story, the DW are painted bone, to symbolize Dead Men Walking.

The feathers are just another way to enforce that symbolism.

 

For the Ravenwing, I always assumed the Feathers symbolized the 'Raven' being on the fly so to speak.

 

Lastly, as "Fallen Angels" you lose your wings and the feathers 'fall out' so thats another reason I see feathers used as a symbol.

 

The Wings show our heritage, the feathers show our fall.

And the Sword shows we are the right hand of the emperor, ala Archangel Michael.

[EPK]

 

Speaking of Deathwing, does anyone else feel as if you could of replaced the Dark Angels with any other Native American inspired chapter? It's a great story, don't get me wrong, but it never really feels as if it's a story about the Dark Angels.

 

Back on topic, aren't the Ravenwing feathers based on what a group of knights used use? Prussian, if I remember correctly?

It's a story about the fall of Caliban with actors and details replaced and obfuscated. Think of it this way: if you were a newly recruited tribal, wouldn't you find this story easier to relate to than a parable about angels and nephilim?

 

Also, the knights in question were the Polish Winged Hussars, widely regarded as the finest cavalry corps in the world.

 

Yes, Winged Hussars, seems right. The banner poles have evolved, but you can certainly see their original inspiration...

 

Polish Winged Hussar 

 

Old School Ravenwing

[Bryan Blaire]

No, there used to be an image of a Ravenwing (possibly just DA) biker with a single feather "painted" in a tribal fashion along with a whole leather tribal hanging group that was attached by what looked like a leather cord to the end of a handle bar of the bike. There were no front winged fairings like the new ones are depicted at that time (it's an old 2nd Edition image). Also, there are more "tribal" style hangers from the pommel of his sword.

 

I have the image on my computer, but here is a link to one depiction of the image I found. The bike clearly has the DA Ravenwing banner at the time (2nd Edition) on the back.

 

I'm not saying the Hussars might not also have been an influence, but there was at least one "tribal" influence depiction for the DA outside the Deathwing.

[Djulius]

OK - Thanks for the many answers... I guess I asked ;-)

 

Anyway... I've tied these into some fluff for my "Rangers of Caliban" Chapter which evolved from lowly backgrounds. 

 

During the hunt of the monsters, before the arrival of the Emperor, small units of rangers were despatched to scout for monsters across Caliban to report back for an initiate to take on to earn their rank.  These units would often recruit from the orphans of ordinary citizens killed by monsters who were a] motivated & b] cheap!

 

To help in their hunt the rangers employed trained raptor birds to fly above the canopies looking for monsters, or carrion left behind by them.  The favoured bird for the job was the XXX hawk, renowned for its blue plumage. 

 

When these rangers were assessed for the astartes many proved themselves worthy and formed a company; following the destruction of Caliban they were assembled into a small successor chapter called the "Rangers of Caliban"; tasked with exploring the far reaches in search of Fallen, usually reporting back to a larger chapter in order to take them out. In memory of their lowly background they adopted the feathers of the XXX hawk as their token. 

 

Probably broke the fluff there somewhere...  but when I take my pics for the Librarian challenge you'll see the point of the blue!

[Brother iKon]

in a conversation with a longtime 40k acquaintance (plays space wolves) he mentioned that he had read that the feathers are now symbolically angel feathers which really had me hunting the interest for any conversation about it (never did find it) my scouts all have mohawks and feathers. i see them as being recruited from the plains world of the deathwing story

[Brother iKon]

http://www.legendgames.co.uk/acatalog/WhiteDwarf146.jpg much like these scouts

[Magos Valkamar]

in a conversation with a longtime 40k acquaintance (plays space wolves) he mentioned that he had read that the feathers are now symbolically angel feathers which really had me hunting the interest for any conversation about it (never did find it) my scouts all have mohawks and feathers. i see them as being recruited from the plains world of the deathwing story

I think the DA still recruit from Plains World in the current canon - Balthasar in the Dark Vengeance novella mentions coming from culture that uses smoke signals, so it hasn't been completely written out.

http://www.legendgames.co.uk/acatalog/WhiteDwarf146.jpg much like these scouts

I think nearly all scouts had mohawks back the Rogue Trader days!

[Brother Landrain]

LOL, sure do miss the big poofy multi-colored arms... they looks so 'Ren Faire'