The Tree of Swords and Jewels

On Names

Ealdwood is a place in faery and has like all such places an indefi nite geography. The nomenclature is Celtic and Welsh, with a touch of the Old English, so this particular corner of faery in language and in spirit sits at some juncture of lands where there has been much coming and going of various peoples, likeliest some corner just above Wales, a lovely and ancient place. In this world the speakers of the English are farthest east; the Welsh to the south; and the speakers of the Celtic tongues have their homes farthest seaward: but they mix at Caer Wiell.

As for the elves, they have generally Celtic names, or the Celtic is very like elvish: or what it once was.

Certain of the names like Arafel and Evald which appear early and often, show a different orthography, being somewhat older in the story, and here retained in mercy to the reader, and in further sym pathy to the reader who may never have dealt with any of these tongues, the following table may provide some aid, and some delight as well, since the names of Eald are, if one knows how to look at them, our own.

There are many sounds to be passed over very lightly: the reader skilled in languages may come closest to the ancient way of saying them just by the hint of them passing over the tongue. But this was very long ago and accents change even over one hill and the other, let alone in and out of faery. For most readers who only wish to read without tripping on the words, this table will give little hint of these almost silent sounds, paring them away until only the simplest ver sion is left. C will denote the words that are Celtic; W the Welsh; OE the English.

In general, in the Celtic words, be it noted, mh and bh are the sound we call v; ch is breathed, if possible, as in the familiar loch, a word for lake (but k will do); -gach has often by our day gone to the sound of a hard -gy; and the profusion of vowels has generally a single simple sound at the heart.

In the Welsh most notably -dd- is -th-.

In the English, easiest to render ae- as simple e-, and to treat hr-as r-.

Where a name has a more familiar form, it will be given in capitals.

And if for any reader this small list provokes further curiosity, Celtic, Welsh, and Old English reference works are not that difficult to find. A good place to begin is, after all, with names, the -nesses and -hams and -denes and -eys that come off modern tongues as if they had no meaning in themselves. Names do have power, after all, that of conjuring images of places we have not seen.

aelf (elf) OE an elf

Aelfraeda (elf red a) OE from aelf [elf] and raeda [counsel]

aesc (esh) OE ash

Aescbourne (esh burn) OE ash brook: ASHBURN

Aescford (esh ford) OE ash ford: ASHFORD

Aesclinn (esh linn) OE ash pool: ASHLIN

Airgiod (ar gi ud) C silver

Airgiodach (air gyud y) C silver leaves

Alhhard (al ard) OE sacred courage: ALLARD

An Beag (an beg) C small

Aodhan (a o dan) C rascal: AIDAN

Aogail (a ogel) C deathshead

Aoibheil (a o vel) C joy: ARAFEL

ap (ap) W son of

Arafel (ar a fel) C from AOIBHEIL, qv.

Bainbourne (ban burn) OE fair brook: BANBURN

Bain Sidhe (ban shee) C a Sidhe whose wail portends death; usually appears near water, usually in the shape of a woman washing bloody clothes; lit. White Sidhe: BANSHEE

Ban (ban) C fair, pale

Banain (ban en) C fair: BANNEN

Bebhinn (bev in) C BEVIN

Beorc (burk) OE birch: BURKE

Blian (Win) OE slender: BLINN; BLYNN

Boc (bok) OE deer: BUCK

Boda (boda) OE herald: BODE

Boglach (bog lach) C marsh

Bourne (burn) OE stream

brad (brad) OE broad

Bradhaeth (brad heath) OE broad heath

Branwyn (bran win) W from BRANGWEN (bron win) white breast

Breandan (brendan) C raven: BRENDAN

Brom (brom) OE broom plant: BROM

Cadawg (ca doc) W warrior: CADDOCK

Cadhla (ca ly) C fighter: CALEY

caer (ker) W stronghold

Caer Damh (ker dav) C stag keep

Caer Glas (ker glas) C gray castle

Caer Luel (ker lei) OE castle keep: CARLISLE

Caer Wiell (ker well) OE spring keep

Caerbourne (ker burn) OE castle brook

Caerdale (ker dale) OE castle dale

Caith (kaith) C battleground: KEITH

Camhanach (kavanak) C daybreak

Caoimhin (ku EV in) C kindly: KEVIN

Caolaidhe (keely) C thin: KEELY

Carraig (KAR rak) C standing stone

Ceallach (kelly) C warrior: KELLY

Cearbhallain (KER va len) C victor: CARROL(an)

Cearbhallain (KER va len) C fr. Spearthrower: victor: CARROL-LAN; CAROLYN

Cein (shawn) C old: SEAN; SHAWN

Ceudfailte! (ked faly-tya) C a hundred welcomes!—hail!

Ciaran (kiran) C twilight: KIERAN

Ciataich (ketik) C delight

Cinhil (kin il)

Cinnfhail (kin vel) C head

Cinniuint (kennent) C fate, luck

Cobhan (kovan) C hill: COWAN

Coille (cully) C woodland: CULLY

Coinneach (ko en nach) C moss: KENNETH

Conmhaighe (kon vay) C hound: CONWAY

Cuilean (kul an) C cub: QUILLAN

Dalach (da lach) C adviser: DALEY

damh (dav) C stag; horned beast

Daoine Sidhe (thee na Shee) C the People of Peace; the folk of Faery. Often powers felt to be dangerous and perhaps ill-wishing are named by names felt to be quite contrary to their natures, to avoid calling them up accidentally or offending them by mentioning their true names; again, the feeling is that the true name is not for using. And of course the Daoine Sidhe are not likely to give the true name of all their kin for common use. Other names are the FAIR FOLK, for much the same reason. SIDHE applies to many kinds of creature: the Gruagach by some extension is one of the Sidhe and so are some things very much worse to look on. But the Daoine Sidhe are the highest of their kind.

Diarmaid (der mit) C free: DERMOT

Diomasach (dem sey) C proud: DEMPSEY

Domhnull (donal) C ruler: DONAL; DONALD

Donn (don) C brown

Donnchadh (don chad) C brown tartan: DUNCAN

drow (drow) C fr. drough; dark elf

Dryw (drew) W sight: DREW

Dubh (du) C black

Dublachan (du la han) C dark: DOOLAHAN

Dubhlaoch (dooley) C dark fighter: DOOLEY

Duilliath (dul yeth) C shadowleaf

Duine Sidhe (dena shee) sing, of DAOINE SIDHE, qv.

Dun na h-Eoin (doon na hey win) C tower of birds

Dun Gol (doon goal) C hill of weeping

each (ek) C horse

each-uisge (ek-wiskey) C water horse; a type of fuath, which entices one to ride and then drowns the victim who is stuck to the each- uisge's back. See: fuath.

Eachthighern (ek ti am) C lord of horses

Eada (ed) OE noble: ED-

eald (eld) OE old

Evald (ev aid) OE fr. AECWEALD, oak wood

Fearghal (fir gal) C valorous man: FARREL

Feochadan (fo ka dan) C thistle

Fionn (fee an) C fair: FINN

Fionnbhar (fin var) C fairhair

Fionnghuala (fin el a) C white shoulder: FINELLA

Fitheach (fay ak) C raven

Flann (flan) C red: FLANN

Floinn (floin) C red: FLYNN

fuathas (fyath-as) C hate, spite; also, a water-dwelling Sidhe such as the each-uisge or pooka. Many baneful Sidhe appear as black ani mals.

Gaelbhan (gelven) C white

Geannan (gennon) C pale

Gearr (gear) C spear; also GEAR: GEAR-; GER-

Glas (glass) C gray

Gliadrachan (li-ad-ran) C lightsome

Gruagach (gru gy) fr. C: hairy. The word has scattered meanings. As one of the Sidhe, this is one of the working sort who performs homely tasks.

Gwernach (gwer nak) alder stream: GARNOCK

Haesel (hay sel) OE hazel: HAZEL

haeth (heath) OE heath: HEATH

Hagan (ha gen) C little: HAGEN

Haraleah (harley) OE haremeadow: HARLEY

Hlowebourne (lowburn) OE low water

Holen (ho len) OE holly: HOLLIN

Hrothramm (roth ram) OE famous raven

Hugi (hu (g) i) OE wise: HUGH

Laochailan (la ok Ian) C hero: LACHLANN

Leannan (lennon) C cloak: LENNON

linn (lin) OE pool: LYNN

lios (li-ess) C Sidhe fort

Liosliath (liess-lia) C Sidhe fortress: LESLEY

Lioslinn (liess-lin) C Sidhe fort lake

Lonn (Ion) C strong: LONN

Madawc (maddock) W good: MADDOCK; MADOC

Meadhbh (mev) C: laughter: MAEVE; MAB

Meara (mer a) C wild laughter

Meredydd (me re dith) W sea; MEREDITH

Miadhail (mithil) C precious

Muirne (murn a) C hospitality; MYRNA

Nathair Sgiathach (nayer skey-ak) C lit.: winged serpent; dragon

Nearachd (nyerakt) C fortunate

Niall (ne al) C hero: NEAL

Odhran (odrin) C pale

Ogan (o gan) C youth

Owein (owen) W noble: OWEN

pooka (pooka) C a fuath which appears in the form of a black horse, and which entices one to ride it—to (as the legend runs) disaster: POOKA , also PHOOKA

Raghallach (rahkly) C brave: RIDDOCK; RIDLEY

Rhys (reese) W burning; glory: REECE; REESE

Riagan (regan) C little king: REGAN

righ (ree) C king

Ronan (ronan) C seal ring: RONAN

ruadh (ro ak) C red; red deer

Ruadhan (ro an) C red; rowan: ROWAN

Ruaidhigh (ru a ree) C red king or deer king: RORY

Seaghda (shea) C kingly: SHEA

Seamaire (sha-mare) C shamrock

Sgeulaiche (skel ly) C storyteller: SKELLY; SCULLY

shellycoat a type of fuath which has no skin, but is covered with rocks and shells and debris from river and lake bottoms which rattle as it moves. It drowns its victims.

Sidhe (shee) See: Daoine Sidhe

Siobrach (sov rak) C primrose

Siodhachan (sheehan) C peace: SHEEHAN

Siolta (shel ta) C waterfowl

Skaga (s(k)a(g)a) ( )=soft; stand of trees: SHAW

Sobhrach (sov rak; sovry) C primrose

Suileach (sullak) C darkeye

Taithleach (tul ly) C experienced: TULLY

Tiamhaidh (tiv ak) C drear

tighearn (ti am) C lord

Tuathal (tu-aly) C northerner: TULLY

well (well) OE spring

Wulf (wolf) OE wolf