Vathah's Name is heretical

[Alfa he/him]

Acoording to Vorinism "Vathah" is perfectly symmetrical, making the name heretical. And, most insulting, Vathah is a Darkeye, a deserter.

More about names: I find it strange, that no one of the Kholin family has even slightly symmetrical names.

Any thoughts on this?

Edited July 30, 2015 by Alfa

[Windrunner he/him]

There are two main Alethi forms of names Brandon works with. One is the religious names, but there's also the classical aesthetic which gives you names like Kaladin and Dalinar. He discusses is on an episode of writing excuses, but I'm not sure which one. Ialai is like Vathah too.

[Alfa he/him]

Vathah seems to be named symmetrically by accident or atheistic parents...

[Argent he/him]

There must a few WoBs around on the topic. Here's one I found.

[Alfa he/him]

On some research, I found other people with heretically symmetric names in the books: Laral (Kaladin's childhood friend), Rillir (Roshone's son), Tarah (Kaladin's former lover).
Even more interesting, that in the first two cases the parents were brighteyes, presumably also Vorinists.

[Dhavaer]

 

More about names: I find it strange, that no one of the Kholin family has even slightly symmetrical names.

 

Jasnah is nearly symmetrical. So is Navani, although she's a Kholin by marriage. Possibly the Kholins have their own family tradition and Jasnah  was named according to her mother's tradition?

[Argent he/him]

No. "Nearly symmetrical" has a very specific meaning in the Vorin cultures - it means a name is only one letter off from perfect symmetry. Shallan talks about it. Jasnah and Navani, much like Dalinar, Renarin, and Adolin, simply follow the other naming convention. 

[DreamEternal]

Jannaj-simetrical

Jannah-"simetrical"(Pattern disagrees, but...)

Jasnah-almost simetrical, perfect vorin name

Navan-simetrical, and probably derived from Nalan

Navani-almost simetrical, perfect vorin name

Both are one letter away from simetry.

Edited August 3, 2015 by CognitivePulsePattern

[Argent he/him]

Fair enough, I didn't think it through.

[Alfa he/him]

More heretical names, this times two highprinces (seems, that heresy is not so uncommon): Hatham and Vamah.

I think, that I figured out, where the "H-rule" can come from: in this case HONOR is perfectly symmetrical.

[DreamEternal]

First, it is not heretical, just a somewhat blasphemous. Is some religions there is no difference, but that is not always the case, especialy in less extremistic ones.

Second, that explanation wouldn't work in universe, since they don't speak english on Roshar.

Edited August 3, 2015 by CognitivePulsePattern

[Alfa he/him]

First, it is not heretical, just a somewhat blasphemous. Is some religions there us no different, but that is not always the case, especialy in less extremistic ones.

Second, that explanation wouldn't work in universe, since they don't speak english on Roshar.

I agree. Was only a thought, not really a full-grown theory.

And yes, i confound blasphemous and heretical. (English is not my native language. I'm german/russian. By the way, the german word for Honor, "Ehre" is also Alethi-Symmetrical)

[DreamEternal]

I suppose I can accept that by coincidence the Alethi word also becomes simetrical if you accept "h" as a "joker letter", since it fits so well.

[Oudeis he/him]

Isn't there also a real H, though? We know that it's not that the letter "H" is used to replace a letter. Shallan notes that the word is written symmetrically (Nohadon is actually written Nodadon) but the diacritical mark is added to let the reader know to pronounce it like an h. So Jasnah is more like Jasna!j.

 

So it's possible Vathah isn't "vatha!v" with the marked V being pronounced as an H, it's possible his name actually is written "vathah" and is thus off-symmetrical.

 

Also, we know from Ialai that perfectly symmetrical names might be a touch scandalous, but not beyond the pale.