Talk:3243: Crystal Gazing

Not counting any posts made before the vale and/or veil of fire. 150.221.155.241 22:10, 8 May 2026 (UTC)

Why is it "vale of fire" instead of "veil of fire"? 174.20.245.60 18:06, 8 May 2026 (UTC)

"vale" is a poetic term for a valley. Barmar (talk) 19:06, 8 May 2026 (UTC)

That is indeed the definition, but seems less appropriate than "veil" which has the connotation of blocking/obscuring.174.20.245.60 20:59, 8 May 2026 (UTC)

Not just a poetic term, but used in placenames (e.g. the "Vale of Evesham"), a vale generally more being a wide valley/flood-plain, framed by hills, rather than a 'mere' river-cut. But one of the more figurative/poetic terms I hear used is "vale of tears", a particularly sorrowful episode of life.

(PPE: a 'veil' and a 'vale' of obscuration would each be rather different concepts. Veil is a thin barrier, vale a 'territory' of (iin this case) inpenetrability. I think the chosen wor is as good a term, if not better, than the other... But, I don't know if it's an intentional choice or merely a slipup that fortunately landed on a somewhat-synonymic term.) 81.179.199.253 21:09, 8 May 2026 (UTC)

Alternative the vale of fire for the heliophysists could just be the photosphere, a barrier in space rather than time.76.180.39.133 01:44, 9 May 2026 (UTC)

I think there's definitely a "veil" pun going on there. "Beyond the veil" is something you can't see. Dogman15 (talk) 02:46, 9 May 2026 (UTC)

I'm not sure if "before the big bang" is a meaningful concept, at least from the inside of the universe. BunsenH (talk) 03:48, 9 May 2026 (UTC)

Surely the vale of fire for early universe cosmologists is the surface of last scattering? 137.25.230.78 07:13, 9 May 2026 (UTC)