Wrath's Name And Implications: A Theory

Wrath's name and implications: a theory

As tradition has it, true names are a big deal for demons, as knowing their can grant you full control and power over them. I don't know if this is something that holds true in Kingdom of the Wicked, but if it does indeed (I'm sure it does), for Wrath to tell his true name to Emilia would mean the ultimate twig of trust.

I know the name reveal has been teased a lot by Kerri, and that a lot of readers have their own theories as well (I haven't read them yet, because I just finished the book). But... what if it's been implied, what if we already know? What if it's been hidden in plain sight?

Text under the cut contains spoilers from Kingdom of the Wicked.

When Wrath saved Emilia's life after the Viperidae attack, during that mysterious ritual (something really important we still have to discover), it was implied that their minds were connected.

"I’d felt something last night, more intimate than if we’d shared a bed. For one strangely long second, I swore we’d been inside each other’s minds. What I saw there, deep where he couldn’t hide it, wasn’t simple hatred he felt toward me. It was much more complex".

"When I’d found myself inside his head last night, his expression wasn’t one of love, but fear".

Now, if they shared a "mindspace" during the ritual, there are some things that can be explained: Wrath knowing things about her she didn't share, like where she lived, what her favorite flowers are, what food she enjoys... Another pretty interesting detail that didn't escape my mind was the fact that Emilia never told Wrath her own name, and he didn't ask either, content to call her witch. The few times he had called her by her name, it was only after the healing ritual, never before, and it was never addressed how he came to know. Of course, he could have learned of it off-page or he could known because of the summoning magic, but in a world where names have some importance, it is a noticeable detail.

So, if they did see into each other minds, could Emilia have gathered some insight about Wrath without her not being aware of it? We know she saw things that so far are unrelated to her, but in her confused state she couldn't discern what was dream, memory or reality (similar to what happened to Sofia and Claudia). Here are some of the things she saw:

A giant serpent. A deadly fight. Fangs. Blood. My grandmother’s neck, slashed. Drinking something thicker than honey and so saccharine, I had to gag it down. Strange words spoken fervently. A kiss followed by a blinding spark.

Then the nightmares began. Demons screeching, claws scraping, an unfamiliar woman with midnight eyes and fire in her soul, cursing me. A city of fire and ice. An obsidian throne room. A crown forged of flames and smoke. Enormous gates crafted from bone and leathery wings, bursting open. Betrayal.

(Could this also be visions of Wrath's betrayal and her future in Hell?)

After stating these points, what I'm trying to say is that maybe Emilia has an unconscious reckoning of Wrath after that ritual. So, coming back to Wrath's true name: what if Emilia, without realizing, already know it somehow?

I couldn’t very well call him “Wrath.” The demon prince shifted into view. He gave me a slight shake of his head. It was hard to tell if it was a warning to not give his name [...] My friend Samael is visiting and we wanted to light a candle for Vittoria.

Emilia didn't so much as pause or stutter giving that name, it just came easily to her. And the name is actually very interesting (more on that later).

Wrath leaned against the altar and stared at me, one brow arched. It was one of the most human expressions I’d ever seen him wear. “Samael, really? That was the best name you could come up with?”

“He was a prince of Rome and an angel of death. I’d say that sounds pretty fitting [...]"

He strode over to me, stopping at an almost decent space. “Do not ever call me that again. I am no angel, witch. Never make that mistake.”

“You don’t say. And here I was under the impression most humans considered Samael the devil.”

It's interesting to see how "that" and "ever" are highlighted in cursive, like the words are important. And not only that, but Wrath, who is often said to be expresionless save a few times, does actually look human in that moment (it may be unrelated, but I wonder if it is a sign of surprise or vulnerability). Then, he warns Emilia to never call him that, stating his desire to not be compared to an angel. Wouldn't it be fitting that a ruling demon prince, who is probably a fallen angel and now goes by his sin name, is furious about someone calling him by his angelic name after who knows how long? Again, all of this could be just a coincidence and be unrelated, but it struck me as odd.

To further my reasoning, we also have the mark Wrath put on Emilia's neck. Since the moment it happened and for an unknown reason, I couldn't shake the feeling that the S was the first initial of Wrath's true name.

At some point, I thought his tongue flicked over my jugular, tracing an invisible S along my skin.

The S could be just the shape of a snake, but it just adds on.

So, could Samael be Wrath's true name? Let's take a look at the name and the figure behind it.

Samael was an archangel and, later, a fallen angel. He was part of God's army, the group of angels "trained" in military skills to fight his wars, his heavenly duties sometimes consisting in destruction.

In some lore, his role is/was that of the Angel of Death.

Samael was one of the rebellious angels, and was sometimes considered to be neither good nor evil.

He is often identified as "Melkira", King of the Wicked.

He is heavily linked to the myth of the Garden of Eden and the fall of Adam and Eve. He was the one who planted the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (which is the embodiment of wisdom, free choice and wielding power), which granted him God's fury and his banishment from Heaven. As revenge, he took the form of a serpent to tempt Adam and Eve into sin.

Samael is also associated with the title/name of Satan (Samael being the "true name" of Satan himself), and in some versions he fulfills that role as chief of the fallen angels and leader of satans. In some kabbalistic works, he is the Prince of all demons.

Satan is the most used name for the prince of hell related to the sin of Wrath.

Regarding romantic aspects, he is also linked to Lilith (who's also related to snakes), who became his spouse, and the two of them were said to parallel Adam and Eve as counterparts in Hell. With her, he is said to have fathered multiple demons. In other versions, him and Eve had an affair, which resulted in the birth of Cain (though he is mostly referenced as Adam and Eve's firstborn).

All of this fits Wrath in one way or another. We have the warrior fallen angel vibe, the snake symbolism, his conviction of him and the princes not being good or evil, the Angel of Death reference (that unnerves me a little because of what Fratello Antonio said, but same could be said of other beings), his importance in Hell, the power of free will motivating all his actions and a possible foreshadowing of him being the King of the Wicked (along Emilia).

Now, it's possible that Samael could be his true name, or maybe it's actuallly the other side of the coin, Satan. Either way, Samael and Satan were one and the same in a lot of versions, so my bets are on Wrath's name being one or the other.

Whatever it may be, my point is mainly centered on Emilia having figured it out without realizing it, and how the implications of the name play a part into the story (some of which we have already seen, but others we haven't yet).

It is conflicting though, because both Wrath and Pride (as well as Satan/Lucifer and the Devil concept) share similar imagery, to the point of asking myself if their storylines are going to be somewhat mixed, or who of the two have the right to rule Hell.

Obviously, I'm all for Wrath prooving all these points and defeating Pride if it comes to that. Especially if he fulfills the part of King of the Wicked along Emilia as his ruling Queen 💕