In a recent blog, I shared some insight behind the names of several dragons from The Dragon Lord Chronicles. Today we'll look more into the names in general, as well as specific dragons' names.
A brief reminder: dragon names don't adhere to any obvious rules, such as matching the human name rules for a country or region. The names given here are the ones they use with humans since their real names- like their language- is generally unpronounceable by humans.
Drachmaeius - This one shows up early on. I wanted a name that was a bit ominous and foreign, possibly exotic. "Drach" is a close approximation of the first syllable for the word "dragon" in their own speech. "Maeius" just sounded good, and evoked "mage" which pulls in mystery and things beyond the control of mere mortals such as Gerald or myself.
Selene - Selene's natural color is a white that glows softly, much like the Earth's moon. Selene was the ancient Greek goddess of the Moon.
Andromeda - I picked this name for Selene's mother simply because I liked the name. Despite the names both coming from Greek mythology, neither dragon has any connection with Greece.
Glorious - I think dragons are glorious, and the story just begged for one to be named so. In the moment we first hear the name, it needed to be at least slightly incongruous, setting the tone for the story being told.
Timberlake - Much to my surprise, I had recently found myself learning the bass line from a Justin Timberlake song ("Can't Stop the Feeling") to use with a Christmas carol at church. The name happened to be on my mind when I needed one, and it has a nice, earthy sound. We don't know this dragon story yet; hopefully it appears in Cuthbert's book.
Goyim - I love the idea of naming a single dragon with a plural name. The name sounds kind of pointy, so I gave Goyim "razor-sharp wit".
Selwyn - I just like the name. I first heard it in an obscure song; during a vocal interlude one of the singers quietly says, "Selwyn?" as part of the song's story.
Merlin - This name appeared just to mess with people's heads in the story. The legendary mage was born well after the dragon. It is unclear whether the mage was named for the dragon.
Cheyenne - I wanted a North American reference. While few dragons have crossed oceans (at least in modern times), some have. And once upon a time,dragons communicated mind-to-mind. Whether the dragon or people were named first, I have not heard.
Copyright 2019, Miles O'Neal, Round Rock, TX.
Illustration by Alli Ritchie (from chapter 13 of "Into Otherness").