03 What’s in a name?

Oh, there is no doubt Chella is a woman! But “matronym” or “patronyme” refer not to her gender but to her parent’s gender -in this case, Cheyk. It’s Cheyk’s gender we don’t know as it’s never clarified.

@Alex :I didn’t think there was any ambiguity with Chella’s gender. Tyrion calls her a maid and she says she’s not because she has son and later Tywin says something about the men of the mountains clan being tough and Chella interjects “and the women.” So I never thought there was any ambiguity with Chella’s gender but I’d love to hear your perspective on Chella. I am also realizing part of the reason why I don’t have any doubts is because she is depicted as a woman in her game art.

Sunday Oct 06, 2024

Alex

I didn’t think there was any ambiguity with Chella’s gender. Tyrion calls her a maid and she says she’s not because she has son and later Tywin says something about the men of the mountains clan being tough and Chella interjects “and the women.” So I never thought there was any ambiguity with Chella’s gender but I’d love to hear your perspective on Chella. I am also realizing part of the reason why I don’t have any doubts is because she is depicted as a woman in her game art.

Sunday Oct 06, 2024

Ragman’s Harbour

I think it’s a bit ambiguous what Cheyk’s gender is. 😅 But yeah, if she’s a woman that would be an example of a matronym used by the clans! It wound certainly fit with their culture that you could use your mother’s name if said mother was a badass.

Saturday Oct 05, 2024

Alex

Chella, daughter of Cheyk, leader of the Black Ears - the only clansman that uses a maternal name as far as I know

Saturday Oct 05, 2024

Ragman’s Harbour

Excellent point about Lollys’s baby whose name is not Tywin because Cercei won’t allow for it. An authorisation can be given, or denied. Re: the many Tywins, there’s also the many Walders, that Walder Frey points out are named after him in order to curry his favours, too. It doesn’t seem to work too well though! Tonga gets brought up again in later episodes, and will show up again at some point for sure. I’m not not talking about this whole chunk of my life! Thanks for the comments, it’s great to read you!

Thursday Oct 03, 2024

Alex

Love hearing Virginie talking about Tonga. Also in the books, someone asks Cersei’s leave to name her son Tywin - Cersei declined and Tyrion is chosen. Cersei thought about the realm drowning in Tywin’s because of people wanting to curry favor via naming conventions.

Thursday Oct 03, 2024

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