How do you pronounce them and what on earth do they mean?
As these are such commonly asked questions, I am going to explain everything here, starting with our main man.
Llyr (who else?)
Pronounciation – Lee-ur (with a bit of a tongue roll somewhere)
What on earth does it mean?
As the mers from the Jewel and Evergreen are situated in the seas somewhere between the west coast of England, Wales and Ireand, many of their names have a Celtic flavour.
Llyr was originally a deity in Welsh folklore, probably derived from Irish word 'Ler' ("the Sea").
The Welsh Triads (medieval manuscripts that also discuss King Arthur amongst other mythical figures) talk about a Llyr and Shakespeare's play 'King Lear' is based on material taken secondhand from another playwright Geoffrey of Monmouth, which was based on a mythical king , who has often been connected to the sea god Llŷr.
Like Llyr, our royal 'Salt Kisses' mers are often named after water gods or goddesses, which brings me onto...
Nephys
Pronounciation – Nef-iss
What on earth does it mean? Our beautiful Evergreen princess has a slightly more exotic name than Llyr. She is named after the Egyptian river goddess Nephthys
Although Nephhys was also a goddess of death, sleep and the night, she is thought to be the source of the Nile and other rivers. Perhaps, Tairese didn't know he would have such a bright and bubbly daughter, otherwise he may not have named her after such a serious goddess.
Ri
Pronouciation – I think it is supposed to be pronounced 'righ' as in 'high' but in the Salt Kisses books it is like 'Ree'
What on earth does it mean? Rí is an ancient word meaning "king".It is used in historical texts referring to the and kings, and those of similar rank. As our King of The Jewel was born into royal bloodline, it would seem Ri's parents didn't think too much outside the box upon naming their son...
Kara
I think we all know how to pronounce this one.
What on earth does it mean? It is actually an ancient Turkish word (as our dark princess is from those seas). It means 'black' and 'dirt', amongst other things.
Dara
Pronunciation - Daa-raa
What on earth does it mean? Jaspers fellow sea slut, Dara, is named after the Celtic Dara knot. Celtic knots are symbols, often representing something in nature. In the case of the dara knot, it is supposed to symbolise the root of an oak tree and therefore means strength, courage, endurance. It's a good name!
Okay, now that I have plied you with fascinating ancient facts, I must dash.
Hope you enjoy the latest AMSK update 'Drunken Love' in the meantime.
YOU ARE READING
A Thousand Extras -All Things Salty
AcakAre you in the mood for moonlight and music and love and mermance? I am getting to the stage in my Watty life, where I am finding lots of things I truly want to share with my readers, so I started this little book 'A Thousand Extras'. Also if you ha...
