How do Sylvari get their names?

[hellsqueen.3045]

I was sitting it discord with my friends and one of them asked how the Sylvari get their names and it is one of the times I have never really been able to answer a lore question with a quick search.

Do they get their name from the Dream from the Pale Tree or after they are born from her? Or do they just decide on one at some point?

[Batel.9206]

They awaken knowing their names. It doesn't seem to be from the Dream, or the Pale Tree. Even they can't explain it - they simply know that name is theirs.

One chatterbox seedling, Pherick, talks a bit about it. "No one 'gave' it to me, it's my name. How can someone give you something that's already yours?"

Edited October 2, 2022 by Batel.9206

[TheLadyOfTheRings.9148]

Quote

Sylvari do not "choose" their names, nor are their names explicitly assigned by the Pale Tree or anyone else. Rather, each Sylvari intuitively 'knows' their own name upon awakening from the dream, although the reason for this is never explained, and the Sylvari do not question it.

This can be found on the sylvari wiki page (here: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Sylvari).

Edited October 7, 2022 by TheLadyOfTheRings.9148

[TheLadyOfTheRings.9148]

On 10/2/2022 at 6:30 AM, Batel.9206 said:

"No one 'gave' it to me, it's my name. How can someone give you something that's already yours?"

This is such an interesting thing to think about 🙂 

[TheLadyOfTheRings.9148]

As I was thinking about this, I guess the only sylvari we know of that chose their name was Scarlet (previously Ceara). But I don't know if she chose the name herself or if others called her that and she then embraced it as hers. 

I also wonder if sylvari choose their "titles" (e.g., Laranthir of the Wild, Amaranda the Lonesome) or if the titles are just like the given name: they awaken simply knowing their (full) name. Titles are normally connected to the person's accomplishments or personality etc., so awakening already knowing what those characteristics will be seems a bit odd to me, but hey, sylvari experience things even before awakening, so I guess anything is possible in the Dream 😄 

[Danikat.8537]

Certain creatures just knowing their own name is a fairly common theme in fantasy. Sometimes it's tied to the concept of everything having a 'true name' which is not simply a word used to refer to it but the absolute definition of what it is. Other times it just happens. The main one I think of is the dragons from Dragonriders of Pern - the moment they hatch from their eggs they form a psychic link to a nearby human, introduce themselves and then ask for food (often all in the same thought). Like the sylvari the dragons don't know where their name comes from, they just knew it was their name the same way they knew they were hungry and that person was the right one for them.

Incidentally Aurene did the same thing, the moment she hatched she announced her name and The Commander was able to hear her, which is at least part of the reason they were chosen to be her champion.

(For a real life example some scientists think dolphins choose their own name - they will make up a call and teach it to other dolphins, who then use it to attract their attention. It's relatively recent research and there's some resistance to calling it a name, but it's basically the same idea.)

Considering sylvari get to experience the world within the Dream before they awaken and that includes learning at least one language and a bit about how societies function I assume they know the concept of names and get a sense of what would be a suitable name as their awareness is developing. I was going to say it's surprising more don't change their name later, but I don't think that's been confirmed. No one seemed particularly shocked that Scarlet changed her name, it just helped explain why no one had heard of Scarlet Briar until recently, it's possible other sylvari change their names because they think a new one fits their current identity better and it just doesn't come up.
 

On 10/7/2022 at 8:35 PM, TheLadyOfTheRings.9148 said:

I also wonder if sylvari choose their "titles" (e.g., Laranthir of the Wild, Amaranda the Lonesome) or if the titles are just like the given name: they awaken simply knowing their (full) name. Titles are normally connected to the person's accomplishments or personality etc., so awakening already knowing what those characteristics will be seems a bit odd to me, but hey, sylvari experience things even before awakening, so I guess anything is possible in the Dream 😄 

I suspect it's a bit of both. Some sylvari titles are definitely given by others because it's a job or an honorific like Warden or Valiant and others are like a nickname based on their actions. Either way it could be given to them as soon as they awaken - our characters are called Valiant from the start because they already have a Wyld Hunt when they first awaken. But it also wouldn't surprise me if some sylvari choose their own title based on accomplishments they're proud of, the way norn do.

One of my sylvari is called Alleria Wildrunner and while it's actually a name I re-used from GW1 I found it fit quite well because as soon as she awakened she headed off into the jungle and it was a few months before she came back to the Grove and she's never spent long there.