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Truth Be Told  by Virtuella 4 Review(s)
Linda HoylandReviewed Chapter: 10 on 12/7/2009
This is an outstanding story,one of the best WIPS arround at present.I eagerly await each chapter.

I have a friend who called her daughter, Tegan and she is married to a Welshman,so whoever thinks it is not a real name is mistaken.

I think you use better names than some professional authors.I've just finished a book with a villain called, Fax!

Author Reply: Thank you, Linda, I'm glad you're enjoying this story.

PS: Fax? Curioser and curioser.

MorthoronReviewed Chapter: 10 on 12/2/2009
Personally, I think the Welsh naming convention is appropriate in a historic sense to represent the animosity between an Anglo-Saxon usurper and the displaced folk forced to live on hard-scrabble and stony ground. To say the Dunlender's Welsh names conflict with Sindarin is rather a stretch, considering Sindarin was 'influenced' by Welsh, and more likely the Middle-Welsh dialect reflected in the Mabinogi. It is a derivation, not a copy; therefore, concerns over the convention are much ado about nothing.

Virtuella's use of modern Welsh names for Dunlenders parallels Tolkien's use of modern English names as translations for the original Westron for the Hobbits (Tom, Bill, Bob, etc.) or even more outlandish variants, like Italian/Latinate (Gerontius, Belladonna, Mirabella, Donnamira, Esmerelda, Ferdinand), Frankish/Norman (Odo, Otho, Otto and Fredegar), and even Welsh (Meriadoc, Gorbadoc, Gormodoc).

Virtuella is using a modern language variation to both reflect a translation of an ancient tongue which Tolkien did not expand upon, as well as giving Dunland/Rohan hatred an historical perspective. I applaud her choice.


Author Reply: Dear Morth,
thanks for your advice. I remain uncertain about what to do now, but what you say makes a lot of sense to me.

AlmaenesReviewed Chapter: 10 on 11/27/2009
I have followed your story with interest, although I have found it a bit too didactic for my taste at times.

But, can you please stop using modern Welsh names and words for the Dunlendings?

I can see what you are trying to do: Germanic invaders, indigenous people retreating into the hills, but there are two things which make me feel uneasy about this:

1. Tolkien modelled Sindarin on the Welsh language and their names on Welsh names. (He knew what he was doing, too. It's brilliant.) It does not sit well if the Dunlendings now get Welsh names.

2. You are not using modern English/Germanic names for the 'strawheads' are you ... no Alfred, Sven, Bent, Wolfgang, Heidrun or Solveig here ... so why do it for the other side? If you have to use real names, should you not go for Old Welsh or even Brythonic names, to keep in sync?

Almaenes.

P.S. Tegan is just the Welsh word for 'toy', by the way, and not a name.


Author Reply: I'm sorry you find the story not to your taste. As for the names, this was suggested by an erudite friend of mine. I know very little about the matter, but will investigate further. Thanks for pointing this out.

LarnerReviewed Chapter: 10 on 11/21/2009
Ah--bless the four of them--the old woman who sees but another woman's son, Deoric for being willing to put aside the prejudices of his people, Eowyn in her birth pangs, and the newborn child, son of the Lady of the Shield-arm and the Prince of Ithilien!

Wonderful puzzle he's managed to solve!

Author Reply: Sorry, dear, you've lost me there, what puzzle?

Thanks for the blessings, I think the characters will need them. ;-)

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