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Help[Opinions] Scottish/Welsh Princess Names
I am working on a new ballet called the Six Swans. The story is about a Scottish king who has 7 daughters. 6 of them get turned into swans by an evil sorceress and the remaining sister spends 7 years in the forest trying to find a way to turn her sisters back into people...anyways, the director asked me today if I wanted to name the 6 princesses (though we have a rotating cast so I have to come up with 9 names). The main character princess is already named Aluralynn. Anyways, I am psyched for my job since it's right up my alley. Anyone have any good Scottish/Welsh princess names in mind? I'm open to all suggestions, thanks! :-)
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Interesting that the director (or whoever made the decision) decided to change the six swans from brothers to sisters. Also, it seems odd that you'd attach names to the dancers instead of the characters. Most shows with rotating casts have various actors/dancers playing the same role.
Other than that, ditto everything to Chrisell :-)
~ Cait
"Blue tinted individuals who go about armed to the teeth and quoting twelfth-century poetry are not easy to comprehend."
~ Lloyd Alexander
Other than that, ditto everything to Chrisell :-)
~ Cait
"Blue tinted individuals who go about armed to the teeth and quoting twelfth-century poetry are not easy to comprehend."
~ Lloyd Alexander
This message was edited 2/4/2005, 11:19 PM
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We have two male dancers who are advanced enough to take on leading male roles so the director had to use some artistic license and change the brothers to sisters. As for the rotating cast, I have no idea why she asked me to choose 9 names and I don't see a reason for it, but that's what she asked me to do. I think she wants the dancers to choose their own names, but that doesn't make sense to me either. There are only 6 little girls dancing the roles of the sisters when they are younger, so I'm pretty sure we'll end up using only 6 names...it makes sense to me anyways.
As for the rest, it's all in the response to Chrisell's post.
As for the rest, it's all in the response to Chrisell's post.
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Some suggestions...
Scottish:
Cairistiona (not sure about this prn.)
Eithne (EN-ya)
Fenella
Donella
Fionola
Iona
Isla :)
Jamesina
Glenna
Shona
Senga
Morna or Lorna
Neilina
Maura or Moira
Kenina
Lileas
Lachina
Annella
Davina
Rowena
Welsh:
Gwyneira
Eira or Eirlys
Betrys
Meiriona
Winifred
Rhian or Rhiannon
Rhosyn
Aneira
Iola (YOH-lah)
Gwenllian
Arienwen (ah-ree-AHN-wen)
Arianell (ah-ree-AHN-ehl)
Venetia
Cordelia
(Edited to add a few more Welsh names)
Scottish:
Cairistiona (not sure about this prn.)
Eithne (EN-ya)
Fenella
Donella
Fionola
Iona
Isla :)
Jamesina
Glenna
Shona
Senga
Morna or Lorna
Neilina
Maura or Moira
Kenina
Lileas
Lachina
Annella
Davina
Rowena
Welsh:
Gwyneira
Eira or Eirlys
Betrys
Meiriona
Winifred
Rhian or Rhiannon
Rhosyn
Aneira
Iola (YOH-lah)
Gwenllian
Arienwen (ah-ree-AHN-wen)
Arianell (ah-ree-AHN-ehl)
Venetia
Cordelia
(Edited to add a few more Welsh names)
This message was edited 2/4/2005, 11:13 PM
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I would check out Seraphina
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Um . . .
Seraphina is Hebrew, not Scottish.
edit - hyperlink
♦ Chrisell ♦
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. - J.R.R. Tolkien.
Seraphina is Hebrew, not Scottish.
edit - hyperlink
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. - J.R.R. Tolkien.
This message was edited 2/4/2005, 11:02 PM
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First of all, make up your mind, are they Scottish or Welsh? They're two completely different languages! You can't have both, it wouldn't make sense.
Secondly, Aluralynn is a made-up modern American name which no self-respecting Scottish king would touch with a ten-foot pole. I realise your director may have chosen that, but if you can you should get her to change it to something that's actually Scottish.
Now, on to the fun part! Here are some nice Scottish names you could use . . .
Aileas
Beitris
Cairistiona
Caitriona
Caoimhe (this is prn KEE-va)
Catrina
Catriona
Donella
Eilidh (prn AY-lee afiak)
Eithne
Elspeth
Fenella
Finella
Fiona
Iona
Ishbel
Isla (prn EYE-la)
Isobel
Kenina
Lachina (lock-EE-na)
Lilias / Lileas / Lillias
Mairead
Mairi
Malina
Marsaili
Maura
Moira
Morag
Morna
Rhona
Senga
Seonaid
Sileas
Sine
Una
:-)
♦ Chrisell ♦
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. - J.R.R. Tolkien.
Secondly, Aluralynn is a made-up modern American name which no self-respecting Scottish king would touch with a ten-foot pole. I realise your director may have chosen that, but if you can you should get her to change it to something that's actually Scottish.
Now, on to the fun part! Here are some nice Scottish names you could use . . .
Aileas
Beitris
Cairistiona
Caitriona
Caoimhe (this is prn KEE-va)
Catrina
Catriona
Donella
Eilidh (prn AY-lee afiak)
Eithne
Elspeth
Fenella
Finella
Fiona
Iona
Ishbel
Isla (prn EYE-la)
Isobel
Kenina
Lachina (lock-EE-na)
Lilias / Lileas / Lillias
Mairead
Mairi
Malina
Marsaili
Maura
Moira
Morag
Morna
Rhona
Senga
Seonaid
Sileas
Sine
Una
:-)
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. - J.R.R. Tolkien.
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Thanks for the responses. She asked me to look up Scottish and Welsh names, I'm not sure what she means by that.
As for a Aluralynn, we did a similar version of this ballet ten years ago. She asked someone else to research some Scottish (or Welsh, I'm not sure what she asked for back then) names and they came up with some that I have never heard before. I have no idea where she got them. I think that Aluralynn is beautiful, but I've never thought of it as being Scottish. Maybe it's some ancient name from some other culture? I have no idea. Oh well, thank you for the names!
EDIT: I wouldn't mix the names...I plan to give her a list of Scottish names and a list of Welsh names, not a list of both.
As for a Aluralynn, we did a similar version of this ballet ten years ago. She asked someone else to research some Scottish (or Welsh, I'm not sure what she asked for back then) names and they came up with some that I have never heard before. I have no idea where she got them. I think that Aluralynn is beautiful, but I've never thought of it as being Scottish. Maybe it's some ancient name from some other culture? I have no idea. Oh well, thank you for the names!
EDIT: I wouldn't mix the names...I plan to give her a list of Scottish names and a list of Welsh names, not a list of both.
This message was edited 2/5/2005, 12:04 AM
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Nope, Aluralynn is just a combination of "Alura" (probably a variation of the word "allure") and the ever-trendy suffix "lynn".
Glad you're more cluey than I thought at first! :-))
edit - muddled my brackets
♦ Chrisell ♦
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. - J.R.R. Tolkien.
Glad you're more cluey than I thought at first! :-))
edit - muddled my brackets
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. - J.R.R. Tolkien.
This message was edited 2/5/2005, 12:08 AM
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Gee thanks. Well, that is the last time that I post about something like that. I will have to do my own research from now on. Thank you for being so helpful.
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Hmm, well, if that's the kind of response I'm going to get, I won't offer you compliments in the future.
♦ Chrisell ♦
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. - J.R.R. Tolkien.
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. - J.R.R. Tolkien.
This message was edited 2/5/2005, 12:58 AM
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lol, I guess that wasn't a very good answer. I just meant that I missed out on doing my own research, which is really the fun part anyways. I really did appreciate the list of names though, and thank you. I honestly was a little offended by your remark, but I understand why you made it. I'm sorry if you were offended by mine, it wasn't meant to be rude in any way.
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Sorry you were offended.
It's often hard for someone my age (24) to judge whether posts like yours are made by a teenager who knows about names as opposed a teenager who just thinks names are cool. I jumped to the wrong conclusion that time - "guilty as charged"! Sorry about that.
♦ Chrisell ♦
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. - J.R.R. Tolkien.
It's often hard for someone my age (24) to judge whether posts like yours are made by a teenager who knows about names as opposed a teenager who just thinks names are cool. I jumped to the wrong conclusion that time - "guilty as charged"! Sorry about that.
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. - J.R.R. Tolkien.
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Thank you, I'm sorry too. I reread that response and realized it sounds horribly sarcastic (a common problem). I think I was just disheartened because I was so excited about doing this project yet I got such negative answers...but I understand that I didn't explain the project very well. Anyways, if you have a list of Welsh names you think would work for a princess I would love to see it although I think the fairytale that this is based off of is Scottish (I'm not particularly familiar with the original story) so I am really leaning towards just giving her a list of Scottish names and being done with it.
Also, I just thought I'd ask about Aluralynn...would you have any speculation on how the person who did the research last time (I honestly have no idea who it was) came to the conclusion that it was a Scottish name? I'm trying to make a connection somehow, but I can't think of anything. I hadn't really thought about it much before you mentioned it, but now I'm very curious. :-)
Also, I just thought I'd ask about Aluralynn...would you have any speculation on how the person who did the research last time (I honestly have no idea who it was) came to the conclusion that it was a Scottish name? I'm trying to make a connection somehow, but I can't think of anything. I hadn't really thought about it much before you mentioned it, but now I'm very curious. :-)
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OT: The Story
I highly recommend checking SurLaLune's page on "The Six Swans" out: http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/sixswans/index.html.
In particular, read the short-but-informative history it has on the story. As you'll see, the earliest record of this story is actually German, not Scottish or Welsh. Also, you might want to check out the international versions and variants list.
Hans Christian Andersen's heroine was named Eliza, btw. The Grimm variant "The Twelve Brothers" gives the youngest boy's name as Benjamin.
EDIT: Forgot I don't need to sign my posts anymore.
Miranda
"Multiple exclamation marks are a sure sign of diseased mind" -- Terry Pratchett
I highly recommend checking SurLaLune's page on "The Six Swans" out: http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/sixswans/index.html.
In particular, read the short-but-informative history it has on the story. As you'll see, the earliest record of this story is actually German, not Scottish or Welsh. Also, you might want to check out the international versions and variants list.
Hans Christian Andersen's heroine was named Eliza, btw. The Grimm variant "The Twelve Brothers" gives the youngest boy's name as Benjamin.
EDIT: Forgot I don't need to sign my posts anymore.
"Multiple exclamation marks are a sure sign of diseased mind" -- Terry Pratchett
This message was edited 2/5/2005, 2:15 AM
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Thanks, that was very interesting! I always think it's interesting how stories change, especially ballet stories (mostly because I get to be so familiar with some of them). I especially like the Nutcracker since most versions are so different and they're all different from the original story. I can tell this one is going to require some research too. Thanks for the information, that was great!
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You're welcome! :-)
Miranda
"Multiple exclamation marks are a sure sign of diseased mind" -- Terry Pratchett
"Multiple exclamation marks are a sure sign of diseased mind" -- Terry Pratchett
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It's a puzzle, isn't it! A Google search for Aluralynn picks up only two hits - one on a fantasy roleplaying site as a name for an elf (so in other words, made up :-D) and the other is on some woman's site as the middle name of her granddaughter (Codi Aluralynn *groan*). So I can't see how *any* research could have led to Aluralynn at all, let alone as a Scottish name.
Lynn has an obvious etymology - it's Welsh and means "lake". Tacking "lyn" onto the end of any random name is a common trend and has been going on forever (I call these "Somethinglyn" names).
Most of the tacky-innacurate baby name sites say that Alura is English and means Divine Counsellor, which is pure nonsense. The Old English for "divine" is godcund and for "counsellor" is runwita so there's clearly no etymological link there.
I can't see *any* way that someone could have constructed a Scottish etymology for Aluralynn! Perhaps the person who did the research did it using a cheap and nasty baby name book that just happened to claim that Aluralynn was Scottish.
Here's some nice Welsh names:
Aeronwen
Aeronwy
Alis
Angharad
Anwen
Arianrhod
Bethan
Blodwen
Bronwen
Carys
Catrin
Ceinwen (hard 'C')
Ceridwen (ditto)
Cerys (ditto)
Delyth
Dilwen
Dilys
Eiluned (ei is prn "eye")
Eilwen
Eirian
Eirlys
Eirwen
Elain
Elen
Enid
Lynn has an obvious etymology - it's Welsh and means "lake". Tacking "lyn" onto the end of any random name is a common trend and has been going on forever (I call these "Somethinglyn" names).
Most of the tacky-innacurate baby name sites say that Alura is English and means Divine Counsellor, which is pure nonsense. The Old English for "divine" is godcund and for "counsellor" is runwita so there's clearly no etymological link there.
I can't see *any* way that someone could have constructed a Scottish etymology for Aluralynn! Perhaps the person who did the research did it using a cheap and nasty baby name book that just happened to claim that Aluralynn was Scottish.
Here's some nice Welsh names:
Aeronwen
Aeronwy
Alis
Angharad
Anwen
Arianrhod
Bethan
Blodwen
Bronwen
Carys
Catrin
Ceinwen (hard 'C')
Ceridwen (ditto)
Cerys (ditto)
Delyth
Dilwen
Dilys
Eiluned (ei is prn "eye")
Eilwen
Eirian
Eirlys
Eirwen
Elain
Elen
Enid
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Thanks very much, especially for checking out Aluralynn. It's a great name for an elf I suppose. I like the idea of at least making her sisters have real names :-) And thank you for the list.
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