Chronicled in the Scholar's Stair Archives of Bree in Eriador,
On this the 51st day of Firith in the Year 3018 of the Third Age.
Long into the chilled late watches of the night did I and my new-found friend converse, but no cold did we feel by the warmth of the hearth and in the glowing of spirit that friendship nourishes. And of the many things that we spoke, one most curious to me was the matter of our naming, for edhellen traditions are intricate and our names have deep meaning; but the customs of the edain of Bree are much unlike ours.
Now the given name of my friend is Joesph Cardin. However he knows not the meaning of his name, 'Joesph', but it was bestowed him by his parents and thus it will always remain (although he chooses to be called 'Joe'.) And 'Cardin' is a family name; but is the name of the family of his father, and that of his mother changed to his father's when they were wed. Although this name has a meaning, "one who combs wool", it is indeed meaningless for none in the family of Cardin have aught to do with sheep. Joesph merrily suggested that perhaps in days of yore, his ancestor must have been a wool-comber of high esteem and great renown to be honoured with this appellation!
But Elves have not family names, nor any name shared in wedlock; rather our names oft describe our lineage or qualities. My father's name, Ioriston, signifies "Ancient Scholar" for indeed he was a scholar of Eldar lore; and upon my birth he gave me the ataressë (Father-name) Ioristion (that is "son of Ioriston") and thus was I presented at my Essecarmë or 'Name-making ceremony'. However my mother, Ýridhremes ("Wise Course Wife") seeing my fate in a vision at the hour of my birth, did bestow the amilessë (Mother-name) of Angollon upon me; though more correctly we call it the amilesse apacenyë, or Name of Foresight, and it is an uncommon and valuable gift. My name signifies "Magician", and contains within it both 'angol' ("Deep Lore") and '-ron' ("doer"), for I am both a scholar and a practitioner ('gollor') of angol, that edhellen Art the mortal races oft call "magic".
Now these names are all public names, but there is yet a name which is called a cilmessë, which is utterly private and may be used only by close kin and closest friends; for it is intimate and an insult if used by any other to address an Edhel. This is the Chosen-name which a hên chooses for themselves when they are adepts of lámatyávë, which translates into common speech as "sound-taste" and signifies that personal pleasure is found in the sound and form of words; that is, the hên is eloquent in the tongue of their people and knows therefore the making of words and names of beauty; also that their own nature is known to the hên and they can thus name themselves. Commonly this is when hîn are between seven and ten years of age; for myself, ten summers had I seen when I chose the cilmessë 'Amarion Tirnel', which is "Son-of-earth Star-gazer", and which can be written herein without harm for none shall read these chronicles ere I have removed to Aman or await my fate in the Halls of Mandos. Now to reach self-awareness is of great import in the life of a hên, and is celebrated with the ceremony of Essecilmë.
The final name is the epessë or After-name, which is also an anessi or Given-name, and may be given by any. It can be a title of honour for a great deed or feat, or descriptive of the nature or qualities of its bearer; just as my father was called 'the Learned' and my mother 'the Wise'. Myself, I bear the epithet 'i Nethon', "the Young One" which was bestowed upon me by the Edhil of Duillond where I now abide. However, the most common epessi - and most flattering - are those given between lovers!
And thus is my name in full:
Ioristion Angollon Amarion Tirnel i Nethon
Now the mindful reader of this chronicle will note that the terms I have written are Quenya, though I am of Sindar blood. For the lore of naming arose in Aman with the Amanyar who dwelled with the Valar; and it came to pass that through trade and travel did the Úmanyar who abode in Beleriad commune with the Blessed Realm, and thus did the customs of Valinor cross Belegaer to the Sindar in Doriath. And when Doriath fell into ruin the Iathrim, my parents among them, fled deeper into Ennor, and together with the Sindarin tongue they brought with them those customs to Telerin lands.
So too did the Noldorin Exiles, though Quenya speech was forbidden in the realm of Eru Thingol while the king yet lived, bring their customs and words to Lindon after the deluge of Beleriad in the War of Wrath; and in Mithlond where I was born and nurtured, though Sindarin is the tongue of the Havens, Quenya yet abounds in the lore that I learned from my father.
There are but two more customs of the edain that I needs must record: firstly, the name Joesph is not unique to my friend, for anyone else may also be named thus, but the Edhil will not knowlingly use a name that belongs to another; and secondly, edhellen names change over the course of one's lifetime, and even a cilmessë may change to reflect the nature of whom it belongs (though this is uncommon). Alas, Joe will remain Joesph Cardin until the day he dies and his fëa departs the confines of Arda for that destination unknown even to the Valar.
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