FAQ: FAQ on the Nephilim (Update)
John Mc Donagh
have now been corrected. Please delete old copies and read the
new one.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers on:
The Fields of the Nephilim
==========================
Revision 4.1. 15 Feb '93.
This FAQ was arranged by John Mc Donagh (mcdo...@unix2.tcd.ie) and the most
honourable Robert Schmitz (no e-mail at present).
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Questions:
1) How do I join the the electronic mailing list?
2) The vocals are difficult to hear. Can I get lyrics anywhere?
3) Are the Nephilim still around or have they split up?
4) Is there a discography available?
5) What does 'the Nephilim' actually mean??
6) Are there fanzine services available. What is 'Watchmen'? Adresses?
7) What is the chanting in Psychonaut and where does it come from?
8) As a guitar player I am looking for Guitar TAB's. Where can I get them?
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Answers:
1) How do I join the the electronic mailing list?
You can send e-mail to neph-r...@piggy.ucsb.edu and ask to be added
to the list. From then on you will receive articles from other
members of the list. You can send articles to the list by mailing to
ne...@piggy.ucsb.edu. Other questions you have would frequently be
answered here, though alt.gothic might be a good place for information
too.
2) The vocals are difficult to hear. Can I get lyrics anywhere?
The lyrics to Elizium are on the album, but there are only a few other
lyrics available on album covers. On the Contempo compilation of
'Burning the Fields' and 'Returning to Gehenna' called 'Laura' the
(*inaccurate*)lyrics to the songs 'Laura' and 'Returning to Gehenna'
are featured.
The lyrics to the song 'Dawnrazor' appeared on the limited edition
gatefold release of same titled album.
The lyrics to the 'The Watchman' and 'Last exit for the Lost' are
featured on the cover of 'The Nephilim'. 'Celebrate' was printed on the
inlay that came with the first pressing CD and cassette copies of same.
Also in Issue #1 of 'Watchmen'(see below) the lyrics to 'Psychonaut'
and 'Love Under Will' were printed.
I (mcdo...@unix2.tcd.ie), with much help from Robert and list members
have manged to decipher many of the lyrics. They are available via
FTP from ftp.maths.tcd.ie (pub/music/lyrics/nephilim ) or the
more well known cs.uwp.edu . If you have trouble obtaining the latest
version of these lyrics (Revision 4) then e-mail to me.
The lyrics available are: Dawnrazor, The Nephilim, Elizium, Burning the
Fields, Power, Preacher Man, Blue Water and Psychonaut EP's.
3) Are the Nephilim still around or have they split up?
The Fields of the Nephilim split up Summer 1991. Carl kept the
name altering it to 'Nefilim' (phonetic spelling) and according to
rumour was meant to be working on a new album, with the
working title 'Entrance', but we were meant to have had a new single
by last month. Another rumour claims that the delay is because he
fired his new band, who sounded too much like Slayer.
Another rumour however is that Carl has one the rights to use the
original name, so all those with Nefilim merchandise might actually
be in the possession of some rarities :-)
The rest of the band recruited Andy Delany as a new singer and called
themselves Rubicon. They have to date released 2 singles 'Crazed' and
'Watch without pain' and an album 'What starts, End'. Alas to most
fans of the Nephilim, Rubicon's rock guitar feel was a bit of a let
down.
Here is an article from Carl(from Watchman service?)
------------------------------------- Article ---------------------------------
Spring 1992
Hello,
Thank you for writing to us, many of you will have written some time ago,
but due to unforseen changes, this information service has been on hold.
No doubt, many of you will have heard the news surrounding Fields of the
Nephilim, and the fact that I, Carl McCoy, am no longer working with Tony
Pettitt, Paul Wright, Nod Wright, Pete Yates or our management Steve Brown.
After seven years I felt, to be able to continue, develop and strengthen my
concept of the Nephilim, an element of change and freshness was required;
the band was not recessive to this concept, therefore I have recruited
musicians who are, and have the qualities I desired musically. This was not
an easy or fickle decision and I am aware many of you will be disappointed by
it, but confident you will welcome it as much a progression as I have.
I will continue from Earth Inferno to the next cycle, my new collaborators and
myself will be known as "NEFILIM" with the new phonetic spelling. It has been
over eight months since my decision... a period of sacrifice and rebirth. The
new material evolved for the next Album project contains more energy, power,
spirit and passion than ever before. This Album is aimed for release Summer
'92, which will obviously coinside with some live dates - more information
leading up to this.
The Nefilim contact service - i.e. the "Watchman", as a whole, ceased to run
efficiently some time ago, so it is our desire to restructure it, learn from
past errors and create a more reliable network; this will be run by Lynn and
Alexis, two capable and enthusiastic devotees who have assisted me in the
past. This service will be open for those of you who wish to join us on our
journey. Only one P.O. Box number is in operation, so please send your mail
plus stamped addressed envelope to the Watchmen, P.O. Box 17, Stevenage,
Hertfordshire, SG2 OQX, England.
It only remains for me to say, at this stage; we, as a team, endeavor to
provide that which the NEFILIM believe is needed. You are a vibrant part of the
unfolding discovery of the Nefilim and we are strenghthened by your interest,
support and understanding.
This is a conclusion of a continous tale,
we are now in the progress of Burning the Fields.
Let the great "Metamorphosis" begin...
------------------------------ End of article ------------------------------
4) Is there a discography available?
Again... Yes. Discographies are available again via FTP from
the above sites [ftp.maths.tcd.ie in pub/music/lyrics/nephilim ], or
from Kristin at k...@acsu.buffalo.edu or as a last resort from me.
Though I often do not have an up to date copy of this.
I am not aware of a discography of bootlegs as exists for the Sisters
of Mercy, but perhaps Robert or someone else may start one in the
future.
5) What does 'the Nephilim' actually mean??
The Nephilim is derived from a passage in Genesis 6, though in many
printings the word 'giant' is used. My copy of 'The New American Bible'
does feature it. It says:
"Genesis 6: 'Origin of the Nephilim'
(1) When men began to multiply on earth and daughters were born to
them, (2) the sons of heaven saw how beautiful the daughters of man
were, and so they took for their wives as many as they chose. (3)
Then the Lord said: 'My spirit shall not remain in man forever, since
he is flesh. His days shall comprise one hundred and twenty years.'
(4) At that time the Nephilim appeared on earth(as well as later),
after the sons of heaven had intercourse with duaghters of man,
who bore them sons. They were heros of old, the men of reknown."
God then wiped 'these' evil men from the earth with the great flood
of which Noah survived on the Ark. So from this it can be speculated
that the Nephilim epitimize men of evil, though they were the spawn
of angels and man.
There are comments in the bible on the passage which say:
" 'As well as later': According to Numbers 13,33 when the Israelites
invaded Palestine and found there the tall aboriginal Anakim, they
likened them to the Nephilim. cf Deuteronomy 2,10. Perhaps the huge
megalithic structures in Palestine were thought to have been built
by a race of giants, whose super-human strength was attributed to
semi-divine origin. 'The heros of old': the legendary worties of
ancient mythology."
Others have commented from a more mythological view point:
From: Michael Duvernois, du...@ellis.uchicago.edu
Briefly, the Nephilim were the gigantic off-spring of gods and mortal
women from the Book of Enoch. They ravaged the Earth in a long war
with the angels and other various divine creatures. The Book of Enoch
is not a part of the bible proper, but is interesting reading (giants
and sea monsters, wars in heaven and on Earth, kinda like a Tolkein
clone mated with the book of Revelations).
And from a purely speculative view point:
From: wg...@andrew.cmu.edu
As the cherubim are angels of love, and the seraphim are angels of
wisdom, it would follow that the nephilim are the angels of death.
The Eldritch Bitch(spi...@cave.tcp.com) says:
The Nephilim are major characters in the plot line of Madeline
l'Engel's "Many Waters" (the 4th in "The Wrinkle of Time" series).
Also, look for allusion in Byrons' poem Manfred, act 3 (I think).
Apocryphal texts contain many more stories than the Bible, but those
references are harder to find.
Robert says:
The Nephilim allegedly refers to mythical beings which are believed
to be the off-spring of male fallen angels(not -Gods!) and mortal
women. He points out that it is a Hebrew word and singular/plural
so whether it refers to a single being or a group of people is unsure,
and no *real* information is available.
6) Are there fanzine services available. What is 'Watchmen'? Adresses?
TRIXIE(MJ...@VAXB.YORK.AC.UK) who likes Rubicon gives us this:
Rubicon information is available from
P.O. Box 15, Ashwell, nr. Baldock, Hertfordshire, England.
To become an official member costs 7 pounds 50, but send them a few
SAE's and they'll still send stuff to you.
'Watchmen' is the Nephilim/Nefilim fan base. However it has been very
quiet of late, and the last 2 *quarterly* issues have not arrived
in several peoples mail boxes. So IMHO keep clear for the moment(and
don't send any money). The address is for those still interested:
P.O. Box 22, Wallington, Surrey, sm6 8un, England.
(From the Elizium cover).
7) What is the chanting in Psychonaut and where does it come from?
You'll need to see the lyrics for the 2 lines that have been deduced.
People have seen these in the Necronomicon. However as to the
Necronomicon, I know little, and it really isn't altogether relevant
to this FAQ. See alt.necromicon (spelt wrong purposely) for more
information on Necronomicons etc...
Also Robert tells me that these *chants* are printed on the surface of
the CD single. So get deciphering.
8) Where are the samples used on Dawnrazor and The Nephilim from?
Robert says(slightly edited):
Some of the samples on Dawnrazor come from "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre"
(from which comes the walking at the start of Dust, and the screaming/
mutilation sounds after The Sequel). Supposedly Carl said the samples
in an interview in Kerrang! a few years ago that the samples in 'Vet
for the Insane' were from "A Nightmare in Elm Street".
Spiggy however says:
these are from "Evil Dead". The little girls voice sing-songing "we're
gonna get you, we're gonna get you, not another peep, time to go
asleep."
On samples on the Nephilim, Robert sheds the following light:
Most of the samples on The Nephilim are from "The Name of the Rose",
including the word "Penitenziagitae" which is uttered by the
hunchback in the film when given his last chance to confess his sins.
This word is also the catch-cry of the Penitents, who opposed the
accumulation of wealth by the Church, in the middle ages, about 1380AD.
Also we hear from this film the monastic chanting before Last Exit
for the Lost, and the lightning before Phobia.
Also during Submission the sample there is allegedly Aleister Crowley
reading from one of his works.
Robert also speculates that the voice that is sampled before Phobia
is that of John F. Kennedy. If anyone can shed light on this please
e-mail me. If anyone know the samples from Elizium (After 'For Her
Light') please send me mail. A) What do they say, B) Where are they
from?
8) As a guitar player I am looking for Guitar TAB's. Where can I get them?
Again try ftp.maths.tcd.ie . There are some TAB's in the directory
pub/music/guitar/fields_of_the_nephilim . You could also try
ftp.nevada.edu in pub/guitar/the_fields_of_the_nephilim . There is
also a mini mailing list of those who enjoy playing Gothic Guitar
music. Again e-mail me (mcdo...@unix2.tcd.ie) for details.
Thank you for reading this far. If you have any questions, corrections or
comments to make, please don't hesistate to e-mail.
--oOo--