[NR] The meaning of a name (was: Naming of the North!)

[Cisco Cividanes]

I would like to point out something that SCA heralds have been telling
individuals for decades now.

When we set out to create our name and device, a lot of us want to put
our life story into the armory and/or the name. An element of this if
certainly appropriate, but there are some who are convinced that you
have to cram your whole autobiography into it.

What we tell people is that "You give your armory meaning, not the
other way around."  The same can be said for a name without much in
the way of qualifiers.

A purple songbird on a white background may not inspire fear in an
enemy, but if that is your arms, and you consistently fight well, and
honorably, time and time and time again, eventually that songbird will
likely strike fear in the heart of anyone who sees it across the
list-field.

I would just like everyone to keep that in mind as we walk into these
talks. A name can have meaning from the word go, but we, as a
community, can also give it a much stronger meaning through our
actions, attitudes and personalities.

Lord Ivo Blackhawk
Northern Regional Herald