Earlier I wrote about how much trouble I had finding even one example of a fairy trying to learn a human’s name to use it against them, but folktales where it is the other way round do exist!
Until recently the best example I had for this “use a fairy’s true name against them” plot, was Rumpelstiltskin (and all its variants, for there are many). But technically the Rumpelstiltskin plot itself is not enough to claim that knowing a fairy’s true name gives you power over them. After all, a specific deal was struck between the fairy (or dwarf, or imp, etc.) and the human, with the finding out of the name releasing the human from their debt to the fairy. (Best examples including a fairy: Peerie Fool, Tríopla Trúpla, Titty Tod).
But it turns out that the tale type “The name of the helper ATU 500” contains stories in which I would argue it is made clear that knowing a fairy’s name holds power:
In these stories a the supernatural creature in question is a helpful house spirit or neighbour to the human, but immediately leave them forever as soon as they (sometimes through trickery) find out their name, after they refused to tell them:
Hoppetînken, a mountain dwarf (German, Kuhn, 1859)
Gwarwyn-a-throt, a spirit/elf/bogie (Welsh, Rhys, 1901)
Silly go Dwt, a fairy (Welsh, Rhys, 1901)
And these stories contain what I would call “strong circumstantial evidence”:
In Winterkölbl (German Hungarian, Vernaleken, 1896) a grey dwarf who lives in a tree makes a young king guess his name before he will (somewhat reluctantly) consent to let him marry his human foster daughter (she was abandoned, he did not steal her!).
In The Rival Kempers (Irish, Yeats, 1892) an old fairy woman sets a young woman the task of guessing her name, but then gives it to her freely (with some extra help to win her good fortune), because she was polite and generous to her.
Conversely, in The Lazy Beauty and her Aunts (Irish, Kennedy, 1870) the three fairy women who help the protagonist with her spinning, weaving and sewing, actually introduce themselves by name, but they are clearly nicknames: Colliagh Cushmōr (Old Woman Big Foot), Colliach Cromanmōr (Old Woman Big Hips), Colliach Shron Mor Rua (Old Woman Big Red Nose).
But my two favourite examples are Whuppity Stoorie (Scottish, Chambers, 1858; reprinted by Rhys, 1901) and The heir of Ystrad (Welsh, Rhys, 1888, reprinted in 1901). I'll summarise them below the cut:
Whuppity Stoorie (Scottish, Chambers, 1858; quotes from Rhys, 1901)
A woman is left by her husband. She has a baby boy to feed and her only hope is that her sow will have a big litter of piglets. However the sow gets ill and as the woman weeps with the fear that the pig will die, she sees an old woman coming up the road. “She was dressed in green, all but a short white apron and a black velvet hood, and a steeple-crowned beaver hat on her head. She had a long walking staff, as long as herself, in her hand --” This “green gentlewoman” tells her that she knows the woman’s husband is gone and that the sow is sick and asks what she’ll give her if she cures the pig. The woman heedlessly promises her anything she likes. So the green woman cures the pig with a spell and some oil and then reveals that she wants to have the woman’s baby in return, thereby revealing to the poor woman that she is a fairy. The fairy is unmoved by the woman’s sorrow, but does reveal that: “I cannot, by the law we live under, take your bairn till the third day; and not then, if you can tell me my right name.” Luckily the woman overhears the fairy woman singing her own name and gets to keep her child by addressing her as such, after which: “If a flash of gunpowder had come out of the ground it couldn't have made the fairy leap higher than she did. Then down she came again plump on her shoe-heels; and whirling round, she ran down the brae, screeching for rage, like an owl chased by the witches.”
The heir of Ystrad
A young gentleman hides in the bushes to see “the fair family” dance on the river bank. There he sees the most beautiful girl he has ever seen and wants more than anything to win her for his own. He jumps in the middle of the circle of fairies and grabs her by force, while all the others flee. He is kind to her, but keeps her captive, and eventually she agrees to become his servant. She steadfastly refuses to tell him her name though, no matter how often he asks. One night he once again hides near where the fairies play and he hears one fairy lament to another that last time they were there, their sister Penelope (Pénĕlôp) was stolen by a man. He returns home joyfully, calling is favourite maid by her name, which greatly astonishes her. The young man finds her so beautiful, industrious, skilled and fortunate, that he wishes to marry her. “At first she would in no wise consent, but she rather gave way to grief at his having found her name out. However, his importunity at length brought her to consent, but on the condition that he should not strike her with iron; if that should happen, she would quit him never to return.” They marry and they lived “in happiness and comfort”. She bears him a beautiful son and a daughter and through her skill and fairy fortune they grow richer and richer. But one day while trying to bridle an unruly horse the husband accidentally hits his wife with the iron bridle. As soon as the iron touches her, she vanishes. But one cold night she comes to his bedroom window one more time, telling him that if ever her son should be cold, he should be placed on his father’s coat, and that if her daughter should be cold, she should be placed on her petticoat. Then she disappears forever.
I adore both of these stories. Whuppity Stoorie is probably the clearest example of the power of a fairy's name. But The heir of Ystrad is as good a fairy bride story as The Shepherd of Myddvai and that has been a beloved favourite of mine for as long as I can remember. Either way they're both wonderful takes on the power it grants to know a fairy's name.
Ok so I'm really interested in Hell having the same values as the faerie?!
Because in fae you have a true name and then you have a chosen name. A true name is the one given to at birth, it holds power over you and you must listen to it, but your chosen name is the one you go by, because if everyone know your true name everyone would have power over you.
In the Hellaverse we all know that the characters name were most likely not the ones they had in their mortal life, so what if it had the same type of values n shit? Using Angel Dust for an example, we learn that Anothony was his real name and Valentino seems to be the only one who knows that, and therefore holds power over Angel. Sinners change their names (ie. Give themselves a chosen name) to go by in Hell because your upside name has power over you.
Because there is no way in fucking Hell someone actually named their kid Vox or Velvette or Angel Dust in their topside life. But for Angels in heaven it doesn't really matter because they're socialists of some sort..
aka Fawn of the Air Genasi - true name Oissine (aw-SHEEN)
Created for my D&D multiverse.
Fawn is the fairy godparent guardian of the fae changeling child of @ceruleanties Ama of the Air Genasi. In disguise as a fellow air genasi, Fawn helps bring mother and child home to their family in the mountains after the two had been lost in the Wilds of the Fey.
Ama and Fawn end up co-parenting Ama's children and eventually falling in love.
To protect their family, Fawn must help Ama and her children escape the Unseelie fae in the mountains and reveal the truth about herself and the changeling child. Ama accepts her family as they are and they all set out to re-unite the rest of the family that has been scattered across the world by the Unseelie fae's pursuits.
Fawn designed by me. Ama designed by @ceruleanties. Story by me and Cerulean. Heroforge couple poses by Tiny Tiefling and Jaspin.
From Tevinter Nights (specifically Genetivi Dies in the End); we know that the Antaam (Qunari) are looking for Solas' true name - because it would allow them to exploit Solas' weaknesses.
And a lot of people (including myself) thought this was a little bit of an anomaly from what we understand of the world of gods/spirits/people etc. It's just kind of weird.
There are 2 ways to look at this, from what I can see;
Knowing his 'true name', it may be possible to track down other iterations of Solas; his past actions/methods to predict his current/future plans.
Knowing his 'true name' will give them some literal power over him, like how we (irl) might understand the summoning/banishing of demons and the like.
Now.
1 sounds a lot more reasonable than 2, but hear me out.
In Origins, there are codex entries concerning things called 'The Black Vials'
Why is this important, you ask?
Every one of them involves a person being bound by using their 'true name' - and we know this was done because you have to kill the people who were bound (who became revenants).
True names and how they relate to binding individuals is not a new concept.
We know that people can be bound (by their true name).
So I'm just going to say, I am very very-veryveryvery- interested to see what comes of this.
My understanding of these entries is as follow;
these were people who were undead bodies possessed by desire or pride demons - that were then bound by phylacteries (vial of blood to track mages) and probably blood magic. These were entities that are considered 'boss level' enemies to fight - therefore, it makes sense that they were bound/sealed away where nobody could find them instead of killed (mmmm fascinating... wonder where we've heard this one before........)
The Antaam must then believe that 'Solas' and 'Fen'Harel' are new names for a person who once was, someone who's body was taken over by a desire or pride demon - and since Solas means pride - I don't blame them one bit for thinking that. Hell, a good chunk of the fandom theorizes that Solas is actually a pride demon (/spirit of wisdom) who took physical form. So; if they found out who the 'original body-owner' was, they could bind him 'for eternity' because realistically; the Qun 1. doesn't really stand a chance of killing him, and 2. they don't kill their mages, that cut out their tongues and bind them. It kind of fits.
Now, this could all be me with my late night tinfoil hat and corkboard mentality stretching the dots with my need for answers, but I very much like the prospect that we'll learn more about Solas, and what his 'true name' is. Knowing the Dread Wolf and his views on the idea of people being 'bound' especially 'bound for all of eternity'.
Please let this come up in DA:D, please.
Sorry for the long post and grammar/spelling errors.
