Out now in PDF: The Smoking Ruin & Other Stories

[Joerg]

38 minutes ago, Jeff said:

The point is that name repetition is common. Probably far more common than we make out. 

On the other hand, there is hardly any name repetition in the names of rulers in Glorantha, anywhere. While single name elements are repeated in the Fortunate Succession, we don't get numbered sets of Rhamesis or Tutmosis. The kings of the Heortlings have maybe three names that appear more than once, and similar for the governors of Heortland. Only the Bailifides introduce repeat names into the list of Seshnegi kings.

[Jeff]

5 minutes ago, Joerg said:

On the other hand, there is hardly any name repetition in the names of rulers in Glorantha, anywhere. While single name elements are repeated in the Fortunate Succession, we don't get numbered sets of Rhamesis or Tutmosis. The kings of the Heortlings have maybe three names that appear more than once, and similar for the governors of Heortland. Only the Bailifides introduce repeat names into the list of Seshnegi kings.

And? The number of king's lists we have are pretty minimal.

At this point you seem to be looking for something to critique rather than discussing the Smoking Ruin.

[French Desperate WindChild]

23 minutes ago, Joerg said:

On the other hand, there is hardly any name repetition in the names of rulers in Glorantha, anywhere. While single name elements are repeated in the Fortunate Succession, we don't get numbered sets of Rhamesis or Tutmosis. The kings of the Heortlings have maybe three names that appear more than once, and similar for the governors of Heortland. Only the Bailifides introduce repeat names into the list of Seshnegi kings.

Again it seems realistic

How to show you are richer /more educated ? find a "different" name for your children, just to stand out

[Cloud64]

2 minutes ago, French Desperate WindChild said:

Again it seems realistic

I politely disagree. Just look at real world monarchies and the limited number of names they use. Us Brits now have a George VII coming down the line, our next will be Charles III and his son will be William V. Imagine the insanity in the papers if they risked a King Kevin, King Wayne or Queen Kylie. Not that there’s anything wrong with those names – don’t blame me for the snobbery inherent in the British class system. Even dynasties of the rich have a habit of passing down names. 

[French Desperate WindChild]

16 minutes ago, Cloud64 said:

I politely disagree. Just look at real world monarchies and the limited number of names they use. Us Brits now have a George VII coming down the line, our next will be Charles III and his son will be William V. Imagine the insanity in the papers if they risked a King Kevin, King Wayne or Queen Kylie. Not that there’s anything wrong with those names – don’t blame me for the snobbery inherent in the British class system. Even dynasties of the rich have a habit of passing down names. 

absolutly (like monarchy) but I would prefer examples like "Louis".

In all case, we can conclude that a lot of people with the same name are just ... a normal fact in a "pre medieval background". Of course, few people with the same name would be just ... a normal fact too

 

 

[Joerg]

2 minutes ago, Jeff said:

At this point you seem to be looking for something to critique rather than discussing the Smoking Ruin.

Sorry if this came across as needless grumbling.

I meant to admit defeat with my "Vargast Vargastson" post above.

In fact I have complained about the lack of repetition in those king lists long ago.

The ruler lists we have (Kings of the Heortlings, Hendriki kings, Sartar Princes, Tarsh kings, Colymar kings, to name a few) are our main source for male names, and we have a much reduced set of names for females.

There appears to be a Glorantha-wide trend to have similar multi-syllabary names in a dynasty, but introducing variations. As if those names are written in a syllabary where each syllable has something like a runic meaning. Denesiod, Dismesiod - Elmexdros, Karmexdros - Dismanthuyar, Urvanyar, Karvanyar. This is reminiscent of Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, where "-el" is short for "elohim", which probably translates as "the Lord" or "God".

We get quite similar names for close cousins, like Valinyr and Valina of Nochet.

Now there is a chance that something like this is only done for posh names, and that low status people get to have names with fewer syllables.

There are only a few known cases where a leader takes on a different name than his birth name - the masks of Moonson, Sheng Seleris, and I think one or two of the Kralori Emperors are documented as having done so.

 

Getting a handle on how names are generated in the setting is part of the character creation in any fictional setting.

[David Scott]

Also bear in mind there maybe a naming system - like the Scottish naming system (which is dying out), which even has a built in exception system. I'm named David, but should be a John after my paternal grandfather, instead I'm named for a maternal great uncle who died in WWII (as that's an allowed exception). To illustrate to naming variety, My grandfather John was called Jock (it's diminutive in Scotland, Jack in England). So overall just because someone should be a particular name, doesn't mean they are actually called by it in the end.

Edited January 13, 2020 by David Scott

[Bill the barbarian]

3 minutes ago, David Scott said:

Also bear in mind there maybe a naming system - like the Scottish naming system (which is dying out), which even has a built in exception system. I'm named David, but should be a John after my paternal grandfather, instead I'm named for a maternal great uncle who died in WWII (as that's an allowed exception). To illustrate to naming variety, My grandfather John was called Jock (it's diminutive in Scotland, Jack in England). So overall just because someone should be a particular name, doesn't mean they are actually called by it in the end.

Thank you. That is interesting and informative even if I still can’t see how one gets from John to Jack, yes Kennedys I am looking at you! I mean really, Jack F Kennedy, eh, really?

Cheers 

[g33k]

13 minutes ago, Bill the barbarian said:

... I still can’t see how one gets from John to Jack...

John --> Johann --> Jochan --> Joachim --> Jacques --> Jack

(I think there are other paths, too)

[Akhôrahil]

3 hours ago, Bill the barbarian said:

Thank you. That is interesting and informative even if I still can’t see how one gets from John to Jack, yes Kennedys I am looking at you!

Could be weirder. C. S. (Clives Staples) Lewis was called “Jack”.

[Shiningbrow]

This.

Is.

VARGAST!!!!!!

 

 

And so is he. And him. And that guy over there. And this girl walking up the road... 

[Rob Darvall]

18 hours ago, Bill the barbarian said:

Ohh Rob.... Y’all know me so well!

I rolled a 1 when I aimed that one then.

[Jason D]

On 1/13/2020 at 12:13 PM, MOB said:

In fact, there are three Michaels, we go by Mike, MOB, and Michal to make it easier. 

And there are three Davids: David Scott, David Larkins, and David Naylor.

Not to mention all the Js: Jeff, Jason, Jim, Jamie, Julia and John.

Two Jameses... Lowder and Coquillat. 

Not only that, but for many years Chaosium employed a male Lynne and now employs a female Lynne.