Tag: Anonymous

Are there any dwarves who are not aware of their dark names? Or have difficulty accepting them? I have been working with my therapist recently on developing a sense of identity and self-value and thinking, “man, I wish I had a dark name.” Sorry to get so personal, but I find Sansukh so relevant to my own life!

Ah, Nonnie. *hugs* Good on you for getting the help you need. You’re awesome.

All dwarves are aware of their dark-names from a very young age, I think.

Absolutely, I think there would definitely be some Dwarves who have a hard time accepting theirs. For some, it could be mental illness, or a lack of certainty or self-confidence in their identity. Perhaps some of them are intimidated by that promise. Maybe some of them simply don’t like it. And for other Dwarves, that lack of acceptance could be due to their circumstances.

For instance, Thror’s dark-name is Umùhud-zaharâl. It means ‘Builder of Glory’. And it must have felt utterly impossible to live up to when he was young. He’d lost everything – his parents, his brother, his home. The young King of a houseless people, once more wandering the world looking for a place.

And then he did build glory. He re-took Erebor, and it was magnificent, a palace and a home that lived on in song. He would have felt like he was fulfilling his purpose at last. Providing for his people in peace and plenty, ensuring their protection and wealth from the smallest child to the eldest greybeard. Building glory, to live on after he had returned to stone.

And then. It was lost. Again.

His dark-name would have felt like a mockery. A cruel taunt. I think it certainly contributed to the overwhelming anger and guilt that led him into the catastrophe at Azanulbizar.

Anyway. Look after yourself, Nonnie. You don’t need a special name to tell you that you’re awesomely brave.

Thank you for answering so diligently and patiently our shenanigans <3 You're truly praiseworthy and I'm so glad I found this piece of art you're creating. Today I discovered elven naming customs and I found out they have a "mother-name" (Amilessë), some kind of private name. I wonder if Legolas still remembers his? Do you plan on doing something with it? The system doesn't seem as strict as the dwarven one though. Thaank you! *leaves throwing petals on the ground you walk*

No worries, Nonnie! My pleasure. I try to answer as many as I can, and I always feel a bit guilty when I can’t really give an answer. And sometimes an ask just sits in my inbox for so long that I am embarrassed about answering it after all that time, lol

Oh gosh, yes! The mother-names! God, Valinorean naming conventions, PHEW. So complicated.

Aaaaaaand I totally forgot about them, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REMINDER! (I found a pretty good breakdown on Legolas’ name here, actually! and it looks as though I have free reign to pick something bwaaahahahaha)

Okay, for those who can’t click the link bc they’re on their phone or whatevs, the mother-name (Amilessë) seems to be a prophetic Quenya name, given to a Valinorean Elf by their mum (i.e. Maitimo = Maedhros; Fëanáro = Fëanor). It’s usually used amongst family and close friends. There are four different names for a High Elf! The mother-name (Amilessë), the father-name (essi/Ataressë), the chosen name (Cilmessë) which the Elf picks for themselves, and the after-name (Epessë) – such as Elrond’s ‘Half-Elven’ (Elrond Peredhil).

I think? I could be barking up the wrong mallorn here. Any lore-masters out there want to give us their insight?

I just want to thank you for creating this huge and stunning piece of art. Sansûkh has really helped me get through some bad times and is always there to cheer me up (no matter how much I complain that you make me cry on a regular basis it’s great to see these characters work though their problems and find solutions and heal because it gives me hope). Sansûkh has, on several occasions, managed to help me wind down after being badly triggered and I’ve recently found new peace in singing (1)

(2) the songs in Sansûkh that have been put to tune and other songs of the like (Demonbane by Mercedes Lackey is an excellent example). I just want you to know that I love your work and it has helped me so much that even I have trouble believing it. I will never be able to thank you enough.

Thank you so much, Nonnie. I am so glad it has helped you. So, so glad. 

I wish you everything wonderful in the world. 

What exactly is the ‘dark name’ thing?

Okay, here is the inspiration, from Appendix F of LOTR:

But in the Third Age close friendship still was found in many places between Men and Dwarves; and it was according to the nature of the Dwarves that, travelling and labouring and trading about the lands, as they did after the destruction of their ancient mansions, they should use the languages of men among whom they dwelt. Yet in secret (a secret which unlike the Elves, they did not willingly unlock, even to their friends) they used their own strange tongue, changed little by the years; for it had become a tongue of lore rather than a cradle-speech, and they tended it and guarded it as a treasure of the past. Few of other race have succeeded in learning it. In this history it appears only in such place-names as Gimli revealed to his companions; and in the battle-cry which he uttered in the siege of the Hornburg. That at least was not secret, and had been heard on many a field since the world was young. “Baruk ’!Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!” – ‘Axes of the Dwarves! The Dwarves are upon you!” Gimli’s own name, however, and the names of all his kin, are of Northern (Mannish) origin. Their own secret and ‘inner’ names, their true names, the Dwarves have never revealed to any one of alien race. Not even on their tombs do they inscribe them.

So, I am sure I have mentioned that I have no self-restraint a love of extreme detail! I went with this concept to the absolute limit. If we assume that Mahal makes each Dwarf personally and with utter love, I thought that perhaps instead of Dwarves naming their children twice – once with an ‘outer’ name, and once with a ‘secret and sacred’ name, it wasn’t beyond the realms of possibility that Mahal himself had given the Dwarf their sacred name. Mahal would have written it into their very bones, sent it swirling through their blood.

I went a bit further. That sacred name would be the whole and soul of a Dwarf – the very essence of their best self. It would be inextricably linked to a Dwarf’s very personality. (i.e. Gimli’s dark-name is Sansûkhâl [One who sees with perfect/pure sight], which refers to many things. His bluntness, his role in defeating darkness, his overcoming institutionalised racism, his perception of Elves, Dwarves and Men, his caring and comforting nature.)

Aaaaaand a bit further yet. If they are sacred names, then I reasoned that it was likely that Dwarves only shared such names with close kin. Also – they would customarily be shared only under stone, because Khuzdul itself is not to be used in outer lands amongst other peoples. Therefore – “Deep name” or “dark-name.”

And so, the ‘outer name’ (i.e. Gimli) would also be known as a ‘sky-name’ – to be used in the open air.

All this dark names business is really hurting a lot *gathers up shards of my heart* it just seems to me to be such a charged thing, filled with implications and fraught with danger too… on one hand it’s dazzling, intimate and pure, yet on the other it’s surely quite a source of contention and doubt? for every person who feels blessed about being told, there’s another who /hasn’t/ been told–and all that that means. even if one may love another truly, it must still hurt, disappoint, devastate.

Hmmmm. I think it IS fraught, yeah. Any time you have the whole ‘secret names’ thing, it’s going to be fraught. *hugs the Nonnie* Sorry.

But I don’t think it’s meant to evoke jealousy. I think the whole concept would be surrounded by such a culture of respect that to be given one is to be given a HUGE gift. If your partner received your child’s dark-name, for instance, you would celebrate that. That means that your child found perfect trust with them. That means that your partner has been given a wonderful and dangerous gift. And it in no way takes away from the magic and danger of your own name, or implies that your child might not ever share their name with you.

To be envious of someone receiving such a name would mean that you value less your own, or those that have shared theirs with you. I’m probably not explaining it well, idk, but I feel that to be envious of a special moment between people you love would be very frowned upon, generally. That isn’t to say that there wouldn’t be some who get upset. But it would be viewed as mean-spirited, covetous and petty, or worse, controlling.

The physically affectionate dwarves are one of my absolute favourite things the movies gave us, and I love how much it features in Sansukh. Bifur especially makes me laugh, just casually flinging his arms around people or patting them on the head. Open affection, yay!

Thank you, Nonnie! And – heck yeah Bifur! I ADORE BIFUR SO MUUUUUUCH. IDK, I just feel like he would be the cuddliest Dwarf ever. It’s the flip side to his berserker mode. Open, honest affection FTW!