Nicknames in Egilsstead
by Sir Egil "Tree-Speaker" Njalsson,
Lord of the Household of Egilsstead
(September 1996)

Within the Viking world, people were typically known simply by their first name. This worked fine if you were speaking directly to the person involved, or if they were at least present; but it made reference to a non-present person a little tricky. Obviously, there were only so many first names to go around, so for reference purposes people were typically given a secondary name (like our culture's last names) to help specify who they were. Typically, this was based on their father's first name (for instance, "Egil's-Son"="Egilsson" or "Bjarni's-Daughter"="Bjarnisdottir"). But even this means of reference had limits, because of the limited combination of first names and parents' first names. Some people stood out from the crowd for some distinguishing physical or personality feature, which led to a nickname (such as "Flat-Nose" or "Deep-Minded"). In this case, the nickname tended to take priority over their father's name when referring to that person.

Within the household of Egilsstead, I let it be known a few months before the July 1996 household feast that I was willing to accept whatever nickname the household chose for me, and I set it up as a contest. My beloved Elaine won, and in fact proved to be quite adept at coming up with nicknames for people, as the rest of the evening demonstrated. Once the initial contest was concluded, we sat around and came up with nicknames for the rest of the household, though they are under *no* obligation to use them. (I'm the only one who agreed ahead of time that I would use whatever the household came up with.) Some were serious; others were very whimsical. For most people, we came up with quite a list of potential nicknames, ranging from the complimentary to the downright abusive (in a teasing way, of course). After coming up with a list of possibilities for each person, those present voted on their favorite. The following descriptions are listed in the order we were sitting in that day, and the order has no other significance. Here's what won the majority of votes (which didn't always include me) for each of us:

 

Egil Tree-Speaker: From my first day in Amtgard, I played Druid, and became quite good at it, becoming the first member of Dragonspine to achieve masterhood in that class. Though I have since moved into other classes, for my first few years in Amtgard I was thought of as the embodiment of the Druid class. Also, my first encounters with Elaine were a direct result of my spending time in the woods, and my ability to merge invisibly into the trees.

Bjarni Sausage-Seeker: When Ironpaw first recruited Bjarni to lead a royal hunting expedition on Baron Solmoriah's coronation day (the first day Amtgard saw Bjarni), his complete ineptitude as a tracker led to the suggestion that we have sausages for dinner. He jumped at the opportunity, and since then his love for sausages has become widely known. In fact, he has joined the ship of Hellsguard with the promise that they would help him search for the Great White Sausage. The fact that Bjarni is typically "in the closet" when Egil is in public, and that when he appears he is therefore coming "out of the closet," may have something to do with the nickname as well.

Randall Rabble-Rouser: With his "power to the people" campaigns, he has stirred up more populace unrest than any other person in the kingdom. Perhaps someday he will be king; though it will be interesting to see if he still wants the monarchy overthrown at that point.

Harald I-Think-I-Know-A-Shortcut: For a ship's pilot, he shows an amazing tendency to get lost while steering, and indeed for falling off the ship. At times, he makes Bjarni feel like a responsible scout, and that's saying quite a lot.

Aaron Who?: Aaron Strongbow shares with many others the fact that his mundane name is so well known that people often forget to use his persona name, or indeed just what that name is. It is up to those of us who are familiar with Aaron's name to make sure it gets a lot of use. Of course, if he were here more often (which is not his fault; he unfortunately has mundane responsibilities which are very worthwhile), the name would get more chances to be heard.

Trent Lawgiver: Of a list of rather humorous and/or abusive names, we settled on a rather sedate one, which Trent himself liked. As Heir Apparent and former Champion, he has shown his ability to lead, and to dispense justice.

Ferron Earth-Inheritor: The meek shall inherit the earth, and Ferron will probably get the largest share. More power to him, and to those like him.

Alaeric Randall-Smacker: At times, Alaeric and Randall, two rival bards who joined the household together, have somewhat of a Skipper-Gilligan relationship, and the phrase "come here, Randall" is often followed by a loud noise of some kind.

Elaine Skirt-Wearer: This is a kenning I came up with in the original version of the ongoing Egilsstead poem: "Skirt-Wearer knows the power she wields." In Egilsstead, as in most households, it truly isn't important who "wears the pants in the family;" for the true power lies in the one who wears the skirt.

 

(The following were not present to defend themselves:)

Lyvyndyr Forest-Child: Lyvyndyr, the elf from Beldon Forest, came to me years ago seeking guidance and instruction in the ways of the natural magics. It is only natural that the apprentice of Tree-Speaker should be known as Forest-Child.

Andacar Longspeaker, the Digressor: Andacar, the first bard to join our household, learned from us the ability to tell sagas -- long, detailed stories made to fill the long, cold winters of Scandinavia. He and I both share a tendency to turn a simple answer or tale into a long and complicated event, bringing in references to a variety of other subjects. This is a great asset for a saga writer, but is also the same quality in myself that makes people groan when I stand up to address the royal court. Thus, with tongue firmly planted in cheek, we gave Andacar the longest nickname.

Beo the Odiferous: As my berserker, and guardian of my horses, Beo isn't known for having a fragrant aroma. His incessant habit of sniffing things led us to a smell-based nickname, and we figured we'd call him something he couldn't even pronounce, let alone understand.

Meldrun the Mysterious: A Welsh elf chased from his kingdom by witch hunters, Meldrun soon became known in Dragonspine for his mastery of the mystical arts. Indeed, he is the only person I can think of who was (deservedly!) awarded masterhood of a class (Wizard) while only third level. His recent absence just adds to the mystery.

Marik Koresh: Those who remember Marik as the fish god know of his ability to start a cult with a dedicated following, just as David Koresh did. Though the fish cult seems to have decayed, we can only hope its leader is still intact.

Sven It's-Not-The-Size-That-Matters: The smallest member of our household is nevertheless as important as any other member, and no household function or kingdom feast would be complete without his presence. It is the quality of a person, and not their size or appearance, which leads us to welcome them into Egilsstead. Sven embodies much that we hold dear, as a true viking with a bit of a soft and cuddly side.

 

Again, the above list was voted on by the majority of the household present at a particular feast, and though the process of coming up with names and then voting on them was a lot of fun, it meant that democracy ruled rather than the wishes of individuals. Not all of them were my favorite for that person; nor indeed were all of them well received by the people they were assigned to, but that's how democracy works. Though none of the above (except myself) are under any obligation to accept these nicknames, I have only had two people openly reject the nickname the household gave them, in favor of a nickname they would be more willing to use. The following were given to me by the individuals involved, and they are willing to use them:

Alaeric the Protector: Alaeric was a frequent visitor to our household years before he became an official member. He and Elaine have developed a very strong bond, particularly from the time the two of them ruled the kingdom together, and my duties to the household and the kingdom often prevent me from being with my beloved wife. Thus, Alaeric has become her protector, with my blessing. Woe to any who try to mess with Elaine, for they will find a powerful, mildly-insane Viking (a truly dangerous combination) coming after them.

Andacar Curse-Maddened: The man from Keccia has been wandering for over 3500 years, under a curse placed on him by a god. Though he has recently remarried, he has spent millennia seeking both his lost wife and an end to his suffering. Such a thing can wear on a person after a few centuries.

 

Thus, each member of the household will be easy to remember for historians. Each of us bears character traits which make us unique, and which are relatively easy to notice. Whether you use the nicknames on yourselves or with each other is totally up to you; and indeed the ones we have now may change in time. But regardless of whether they are accepted or not, welcome to another aspect of true Viking culture.

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