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Naming Day
A Thursday Prompt Story
© 2019 by Walter Reimer
Thumbnail art by
thetiedtigress
Prompt: girl (365 word limit; word total between the upper and lower lines)
_________________________________________________________________
“It’s quite beautiful,” Kirian said as he admired the diorite sculpture of a Kashlanin mother and child. The vir was rendered flawlessly, and the small kat in her arms was the subject of an adoring expression. “You say she arranged for you to receive this on your birth day?”
“Ulnt. The weight penalty must have been high, for such a dense material.” Her smile was fond. “I guess she still hasn’t learned all about our customs yet.” Her smile broadened as the statue triggered an associational link in her memory. The cascade tumbled, and she was five years old again . . .
The first four years of her life, she had been called Girl, or Daughter, but today was different. This was the last day of her fourth year; when the day came tomorrow, she would be someone else.
She would have a Name.
Her mother had awakened her near midnight and dressed her in a thin shift that could be easily removed. Vath then took her by the hand and led her downstairs to the main room, which was lit by actual candles and filled with her relatives. Flanked by more candles, her father stood at the far end, waiting as her mother removed the girl’s shift and moved her to face him.
“Who are you?” he asked.
She had been coached for a few days leading up to this. “I am Daughter, but now I claim my name, and my place in this family.”
Then speak your Name, child,” he said sternly. The tone of voice was quite unlike him. Even when she’d been bad, he never shouted at her.
The vat turned and faced her family. “I claim the name Varan, for my mother’s mother, and that is my name until my life ends.”
One by one, her relatives came and hugged her, touched her forehead with a bare fingertip of red dye, and called her by her name. The dye easily washed off; in ancient times it had been korip’s blood.
The cascade ended, leaving Varan looking at the sculpture.
She smiled at Kirian. “I think it’s very nice of her, and she’s told me, ‘It’s the thought that counts.’”
____________________________________________________________________
End.
A Thursday Prompt Story
© 2019 by Walter Reimer
Thumbnail art by
thetiedtigressPrompt: girl (365 word limit; word total between the upper and lower lines)
_________________________________________________________________
“It’s quite beautiful,” Kirian said as he admired the diorite sculpture of a Kashlanin mother and child. The vir was rendered flawlessly, and the small kat in her arms was the subject of an adoring expression. “You say she arranged for you to receive this on your birth day?”
“Ulnt. The weight penalty must have been high, for such a dense material.” Her smile was fond. “I guess she still hasn’t learned all about our customs yet.” Her smile broadened as the statue triggered an associational link in her memory. The cascade tumbled, and she was five years old again . . .
The first four years of her life, she had been called Girl, or Daughter, but today was different. This was the last day of her fourth year; when the day came tomorrow, she would be someone else.
She would have a Name.
Her mother had awakened her near midnight and dressed her in a thin shift that could be easily removed. Vath then took her by the hand and led her downstairs to the main room, which was lit by actual candles and filled with her relatives. Flanked by more candles, her father stood at the far end, waiting as her mother removed the girl’s shift and moved her to face him.
“Who are you?” he asked.
She had been coached for a few days leading up to this. “I am Daughter, but now I claim my name, and my place in this family.”
Then speak your Name, child,” he said sternly. The tone of voice was quite unlike him. Even when she’d been bad, he never shouted at her.
The vat turned and faced her family. “I claim the name Varan, for my mother’s mother, and that is my name until my life ends.”
One by one, her relatives came and hugged her, touched her forehead with a bare fingertip of red dye, and called her by her name. The dye easily washed off; in ancient times it had been korip’s blood.
The cascade ended, leaving Varan looking at the sculpture.
She smiled at Kirian. “I think it’s very nice of her, and she’s told me, ‘It’s the thought that counts.’”
____________________________________________________________________
End.
Category Story / General Furry Art
Species Alien (Other)
Size 93 x 120px
File Size 36.2 kB
I love how you captured a lot of this culture as well as what I assume is a struggle related to finding one's identity in these 365 words. Very powerful.
I also noticed you capitalized some instances of "Name" and not others. It feels as if though it was intentional. i'm tempted to suggest for you to capitalize all instances to emphasize the importance of Names within the culture, but I also don't know for sure if that was your intent.
I also noticed you capitalized some instances of "Name" and not others. It feels as if though it was intentional. i'm tempted to suggest for you to capitalize all instances to emphasize the importance of Names within the culture, but I also don't know for sure if that was your intent.
Kythra had the right of it; it started back when parents didn't have a high emotional stake in young children because of the possibility that they might die early. Later on, the ritual lost its immediate purpose ("You've lived this long, so we'd better give you a name") but still continues.
The capitalization indicates the ritual significance, of being promoted from 'Girl' or 'Boy' to 'Varan' or 'Karan.' A lot of Kashlanin given names can start with V or K for feminine or masculine, respectively.
The capitalization indicates the ritual significance, of being promoted from 'Girl' or 'Boy' to 'Varan' or 'Karan.' A lot of Kashlanin given names can start with V or K for feminine or masculine, respectively.
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