|
|
Post by Nezumi on Jun 26, 2009 21:00:15 GMT -5
I am very new to the SCA - hoping to attend my second event soon - and now I'm confident that Japan is an acceptable historic culture, I've decided to choose a Japanese persona. It's not a very difficult decsion, since my bedroom is mainly decorated with Japanese things, and I've just finished my second year of Japanese language class!
I can't say that I don't have some doubts though, since I'm interested in several areas of Western history as well, mainly German Landsknecht and also early medieval England.
I know I'll be wearing European garb at times, and I expect I'll make a t-tunic at some point... but I don't want to try and get people to call me two different names.
While I've chosen a period myouji from the Sengoku Daimyo website - Torii, which happens to sound like my preferred shortening of my real name! - I'd like to find a female first name that wouldn't sound out of place if I'm not in Japanese garb. Not necessarily something that's exactly that same as a European name, just something that won't make people go 'what?'....
I'd be very grateful if anyone could help me out!
|
|
Saionji Shonagon
New Member
One dreamed of becoming somebody. Another remained awake and became. (Found in a fortune cookie.)
Posts: 7,240
|
Post by Saionji Shonagon on Jun 27, 2009 0:42:45 GMT -5
but I don't want to try and get people to call me two different names. It can be done, but you'll find more people confused by it than not. (Trust me on this one....) There's always Hana (flower), I use a variant form of this one, Hanae, for similar reasons - and nobody uses it because it's too "familiar." Another option is to look into 16th Christian converts who adopted Western names. Hosokawa Tamako took "Gracia" as her baptismal name, for example. Ultimately, though, your name does NOT have to match what you decide to wear on a given day. I've known Vikings to wear Elizabethan farthingales. The SCA IS that flexible.  |
|
|
|
Post by maredudd on Jun 27, 2009 3:18:19 GMT -5
I'm not an expert - I spend my time on this forum asking questions rather than answering them- but I am close by (in Mynydd Gwyn) and have a few books and various weblinks I've found useful. If you are coming to Viceroy Tourney at Raglan faire, I should be fighting in the Viceroy tourney in my Japanese armour and you would be welcome to hang out and drink sake etc.
If you want to contact me off-forum my email is maredudd1066 (at) yahoo (dot) co (uk)
|
|
|
|
Post by Nezumi on Jun 29, 2009 11:15:59 GMT -5
Thank you for your comments, everyone! A variant of Hana is a nice idea... but I don't want to copy Hanae-dono! maredudd-dono, I am planning to go to Raglan if I can make it up there, and I would be pleased to meet you. I've found a wonderful name list ( www.panix.com/~gabriel/public-bin/showfinal.cgi/3001.txt) by a Lady named Aryanhwy merch Catmael, using some reference from, among others, Solveig-sensei! The names that seem to have a suitably ambiguous sound are: Aya (or Sai, which is the on-reading of the same kanji - and my usual 'net alias is Ciepher) Iwa ('Eva') Mitsu (there's a German name 'Metze') Sen (there's a German name 'Sanne') Sue (yep - but pronounced 'su-eh' of course) Suzu ('Susan') Now it's just a matter of deciding which sounds better with 'Torii no...'! Any preferances?  |
|
Saionji Shonagon
New Member
One dreamed of becoming somebody. Another remained awake and became. (Found in a fortune cookie.)
Posts: 7,240
|
Post by Saionji Shonagon on Jun 29, 2009 17:10:58 GMT -5
Thank you for your comments, everyone! A variant of Hana is a nice idea... but I don't want to copy Hanae-dono! You wouldn't be. |
|
|
|
Post by Nezumi on Jun 29, 2009 18:23:27 GMT -5
Hmm.. maybe Torii no Hana then... ;D
Ah, I hate trying to make decisions!
|
|
|
|
Post by Nezumi on Jul 2, 2009 14:09:13 GMT -5
Watashi wa Torime de gozaimasu, dozo yoroshiku.
I decided not to worry about cultural crossing after all (thank you for the advice, Hanae-dono!), and go with my favourite kanji, 鳥 - I use Tori as a diminuitive of my real name, Victoria, and had 鳥 tattoed on my arm some time ago!
The 'me' was inspired by Totome and Toyome from the above name reference.
But now, I need to choose a new surname. Xp
|
|
|
|
Post by Yamanouchi Eidou on Jul 3, 2009 11:15:22 GMT -5
Takagi.
Takagi is a cool name
|
|
|
|
Post by Noriko on Jul 4, 2009 15:01:46 GMT -5
Torii no Torime is still cute- may count as a 'weirdness' if you try to register it but there's something nice about it.
Also, if you're looking for surnames, read some diaries or translated works from a time period you are interested in- you may find that such and such person of interest's family had a cadet branch etc. For example, I chose the surname Sugawara because that family has a very interesting legacy. They're well known enough to have a lot written about them but not famous enough or affiliated with the royal family at the time period I'm looking at to count as pretentious.
|
|
|
|
Post by solveig on Jul 5, 2009 2:28:45 GMT -5
Noble Cousin! Greetings from Solveig! I chose the surname Sugawara because that family has a very interesting legacy. They're well known enough to have a lot written about them but not famous enough or affiliated with the royal family at the time period I'm looking at to count as pretentious. I suppose that it depends a bit on what you are doing. As I recall, the Sugawara had a monopoly on the head of the university. On the other hand, this simply makes somebody eligible for particular offices and what naught within the university structure. |
|
|
|
Post by Noriko on Jul 5, 2009 6:59:33 GMT -5
Yes, but that's I think ok under SCA guidelines, as opposed to using the surname Tudor etc.
|
|
|
|
Post by solveig on Jul 5, 2009 13:41:01 GMT -5
Noble Cousins! Greetings from Solveig! Yes, but that's I think ok under SCA guidelines, as opposed to using the surname Tudor etc. I'm pretty sure that it is OK to call yourself something or other Tudor. The Tudor name existed prior to the Tudor dynasty. A name which you should probably not try taking is Plantagenet. Owen Meredith Tudor (Welsh: Owain ap Meredydd ap Tewdwr; c. 1400 – February 2, 1461) was a Welsh soldier and courtier, descended from a daughter of the Welsh prince Rhys ap Gruffudd, "The Lord Rhys". However, Owen Tudor is particularly remembered for his role in founding England's Tudor dynasty --including the legitimacy of his relationship with, and probable secret marriage to, Catherine of Valois, widow of King Henry V of England[1]. The point is that Tudor existed as a fairly low down on the totem pole surname prior to Henry VII seizing the English throne and ending the War of the Roses. |
|
|
|
Post by Noriko on Jul 5, 2009 19:03:33 GMT -5
Alright, my European history is rusty, waaaay rusty, so I was trying to figure out some comparable name for an example. I still think it might get a boing from the heralds because it has evolved certain connotations but IANAH. (:
|
|
|
|
Post by Yamanouchi Eidou on Jul 7, 2009 13:57:29 GMT -5
'Ianah' tte?
|
|
|
|
Post by Noriko on Jul 7, 2009 14:51:09 GMT -5
I Am Not A Herald... (;
I've seen similar abbreviations on other forums for IANAD or IANAL (doctor and lawyer, respectively) etc. when giving advice- a disclaimer that the poster doesn't have professional expertise.
|
|
