kari-no-sugata Posted August 13, 2014 Report Share Posted August 13, 2014 This may be another case of me missing the original discussion but Google turns up nothing. I also hope I've not missed some obvious counter-example (Kaladin Stormblessed does not count). But I figured it wouldn't hurt to post, just in case. So anyway, as best as I can tell in Vorin culture darkeyes do not get family names. As well as the lack of family names for all known Vorin darkeyes there is this quote: "Fine," Adolin said, striding back into the room. "You. Moash, was it? I guess those Shards are yours, now. Congratulations. You now outrank ninety percent of Alethkar. Pick yourself a family name and ask to join one of the houses under Dalinar’s banner, or start your own if you are inclined." That part would seem unnecessary if darkeyes did get family names. This is an interesting bit of world building and I wonder if it has always been the case or if it was imposed at some later stage by the lighteyes (or something else). Historically for Earth, it's not that unusual. To take a more recent example: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_name#Customs Until the Meiji Restoration, Japanese common people (people other than kuge and samurai) had no surnames, and when necessary, used a substitute such as the name of their birthplace. For example, Ichirō born in Asahi mura (Asahi village) in the province of Musashi would say "Ichirō from Asahi-mura of Musashi". Merchants were named after their stores or brands (for example, Denbei, the owner of Sagamiya, would be Sagamiya Denbei), and farmers were named after their fathers (for example, Isuke, whose father was Genbei, would be "Isuke, son of Genbei"). After the Meiji Restoration, the government ordered all commoners to assume surnames in addition to their given names, as part of modernization and Westernization; this was specified in the Family Register Law of 1898. Many people adopted historical names, others simply made names up, chose names through divination, or had a Shinto or Buddhist priest choose a surname for them. This explains, in part, the large number of surnames in Japan, as well as their great diversity of spelling and pronunciation, and makes tracing ancestry past a certain point extremely difficult in Japan. Considering how many darkeyes there are in the army I wonder how they distinguish between them, legally. Father's name like the Shin? Location of origin? Something else? Would be fascinating to see events if this gets changed (ie all darkeyed can chose a family name) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Star Posted August 13, 2014 Report Share Posted August 13, 2014 Maybe each soldier has to come up with their own catchy nickname. Kaladin Stormblessed Rock the Chef Lopen the One-Armed Herdazian (or is it Lopen the Gancho?) Teft the old weirdo Moash the vengeful Sigzil the unmanly Leyten the blacksmith Earless Jaks Dunny the singer Maps the navigator Skar the Scarred Dabid Moolie Rlain the traitor Herbert the Pervert Nice observation, by the way. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Windrunner he/him Posted August 13, 2014 Report Share Posted August 13, 2014 I'd definitely go by father's name. If it's a girl, perhaps by mothers. I don't think it's all as codified as Szeth-son-Neturo, but when Tien is being drafted by Amaram and Roshone in Hearthstone, he is referred to as Tien son of Lirin, if memory serves. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kari-no-sugata Posted August 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2014 Nice observation, by the way. Thanks. I was fearing that this had come up before but it seems not. There's all sorts of little background things that give the story a certain extra depth - like the Vorin kingdoms only having flatbread iirc while the Thaylens get risen bread. I'd definitely go by father's name. If it's a girl, perhaps by mothers. I don't think it's all as codified as Szeth-son-Neturo, but when Tien is being drafted by Amaram and Roshone in Hearthstone, he is referred to as Tien son of Lirin, if memory serves. Ooh, nice! Yeah, chapter 44 has them all going "x son of y". Reminds me of the manga "Vinland Saga" (recommended!) which has all the characters introducing themselves as "x son of y". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyman he/him Posted September 2, 2014 Report Share Posted September 2, 2014 Lopen the One-Armed Herdazian (or is it Lopen the Gancho?) It's Lopen the Lopen. Or just The Lopen, for short. Who needs last names when the first name says it all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king of nowhere Posted September 2, 2014 Report Share Posted September 2, 2014 it was common in many cultures, before family names were invented, to use patronimics. i guess that and the place of origin would be enough. by the way, it is not the first time sanderson uses that trick: also in mistborn skaa had no surnames. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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