"A dozen light-years off, the twin blue giant suns that were Alpha Crucis dominated heaven." (p. 305)
According to Poul Anderson' text, Alpha Crucis is a double star. These two stars are, of course, not Alpha and Beta but Alpha A and Alpha B. Apparently, "Acrux" (Alpha Crucis) is a multiple with six components. See here.
This chapter is entirely about Merseians attacking Gorrazanians and can be regarded as an instalment of the Merseian future history that parallels the human future history.
We meet Cyntath Gadrol Cannonshield, Vach Ynvory. Thus:
rank: Cyntath
personal name: Gadrol
nickname: Cannonshield
Vach: Ynvory
- also:
rank: Qanryf
personal name: Bryadan
nickname: Arrowswift
Vach: Hallen
- and:
rank: Afal
personal name: Uroch
nickname: the Lucky
Vach: Rueth
These three individuals are all of the dominant Wilwidh culture. There are other Merseians who have surnames but not nicknames and who do not belong to Vachs.
10 comments:
Nicknames or call signs?
https://aviationhumor.net/the-100-most-creative-pilot-callsigns-with-explanations/
Kaor, Dave!
No, imo, nicknames. We do see Merseians from the Wilwidh Ocean culture in others of the stories with similar "informal" names in non-military settings.
Ad astra! Sean
Nicknames acquired by individuals during their lives. Changeable.
Kaor, Paul!
Yes, but the only example we know of a Merseian's nickname changing in the Technic stories was Dwyr the Hook, a spy for the Roidhunate who became disillusioned and defected to Terra's service in ENSIGN FLANDRY. In Chapter 13 we read this as Dwyr was dying: "Will you remember my name? I was Dwyr of Tanis, once called the Merry." It was after he became a quasi-cyborg that he came to be called Dwyr the Hook.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
Chwioch's nickname could have changed from "the Dandy" to "the Shrewd" but he wanted to keep fooling the Terrans.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
True, and I did think of the "Dandy."
Ad astra! Sean
The Meresian practice is based on many human precedents.
Our word 'nickname' comes from an original Old English term, 'eke-name', meaning "additional".
As in, additional to the personal name + patronymic.
Many Roman "cognomen" (the last of the 'tria nomina' started out as nicknames in our sense.
Then they became hereditary.
That's why so many of them -sound- like nicknames when you translate them. "Hairy", "Baldy", "Wart-face".
And Brutus can be rendered as "animalistic stupidity".
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
That was funny! These Romans had a rough peasant sense of humor!
Ad astra! Sean
Fabius Maximus Cunctator ("the Delayer").
Kaor, Paul!
And Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix ("the Happy"). Sulla got that name because he triumphed over his enemies in the civil war with Gaius Marius, ruled Rome as Dictator, and having temporarily reorganized the state, resigned his powers shortly before his death.
Ad astra! Sean
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