Ilum
In “The Gathering” (The Clone Wars 5.6), a class of Jedi younglings travels to the ice planet Ilum as part of a rite of passage, searching for kyber crystals with which to construct their lightsabers. The name “Ilum” evokes the word “illume” and its variants “illumine” and “illuminate,” all of which refer to the act of brightening, lightening, or enlightening – whether literally (physically) or metaphorically (spiritually or intellectually).
Ilum, then, is a fitting name for a planet where young Jedi students work to create physical swords of light as part of their journey towards spiritual and intellectual enlightenment. The nature of the trial underlines the light-related significance of the planet’s name: the path to the caves where the kyber crystals are found is only open when a beam of sunlight melts the ice wall that blocks the doorway when it is dark. Ilum is a place where literal light creates an opportunity for metaphorical illumination.
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