Research-type things

[icarus_chained]

Researching stuff for possible AUs leads you to some truly fantastic places, you know that?

For example, researching Persian names. A lot of them had in the 'meanings' section the explanation 'character from the Shahnameh'. I had never heard of the Shahnameh, so I looked it up. And now I really, really, really want to know if there are any reasonably decent english translations, or, failing that, how hard it is to learn Modern Persian.

I also got potholed into reading about Zoroastrianism (which might have been useful for Highlander fanfic) and the Islamic conquest of Persia, which was an interesting half an hour (nowhere near enough time to do the subject justice, obviously, but I have to get back on track sometime).

Also, random-but-slightly-related question, as an Arabic version of 'Aziraphale', which of these names sound the best?
Ashraf - most honourable
Azhar - ,most shining, luminous
Azzam - determined, resolved

I went looking for names that sounded vaguely similar, obviously, but those three had meanings that pinged, too. Personally, I sort of like 'Azhar', because it fits really nicely with an image I have in my head plus the whole angel thing, but 'Azzam' too, because ... well, 'Zira's a stubborn SOB when he wants to be. *grins*

Crowley is much harder to find, since arabic as a language doesn't seem to be fond of 'c' names, but 'Karim', meaning generous, is interesting ... of course, Crowley might not actually need a name, beyond ...

Anyway! Enough rambling for the day ...