ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2571 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2571 ************************************ 22 Aug 2002 From: Josh Mittleman Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked whether is an appropriate given name for a Japanese woman of the warrior class during the Heian period (roughly 794-1185); and whether is an appropriate family name. Here is what we have found. Before we start, we would like to apologize for the time it's taken us to answer your question. You wrote that your daughter found the names and in Will Durant's "Our Oriental Heritage". Unfortunately, his examples of those names aren't very helpful. The Suiko he mentions was a Japanese Empress in the 6th century. We're not sure whether we can accept this citation at face value -- such early histories of many cultures mix mythology with fact -- but even so, there's no particular reason to believe that a 6th century name remained in use for 500 years. We have found no evidence that it did. The most similar name we found used close to the period your daughter wants to re-create is , recorded in the Nanboku period, 1333-1392 [2]. That's somewhat later than the Heian period, but it's a plausible choice. is pronounced \soo-eh-ko\. Durant mentions not as a family name, but as an imperial title [1]. As such, it is not an appropriate part of a historical name and would probably not be acceptable to the SCA College of Arms [3]. If your daughter would like to consider other names, we recommend you get a copy of the pamphlet "Name Construction in Mediaeval Japan". Contact information for the publisher is included in note [2] below. We hope this letter has been useful. Please write us again if any part of it has been unclear or if you have other questions. I was assisted in researching and writing this letter by Aryanhwy merch Catmael, Talan Gwynek, and Solveig Throndardottir. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 22 Aug 2002 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Will Durant, Our Oriental Heritage (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1954), pp. 833-4 and index. About , Durant says: "From that time onward the emperor enjoyed impressive titles. Sometimes he was called Tenshi, or 'Son of Heaven; usually Tenno, or 'Heavenly King"; rarely Mikado or 'August Gateway'." He also mentions a 7th century Emperor Tenchi, but that is probably not the same word. [2] Solveig Throndardottir, _Name Construction in Mediaeval Japan_ (Carlsbad, N. Mex.: The Outlaw Press, 1994; Potboiler Press, 1999 [Box 30171, Columbia, MO 65205]), p.383. [3] The SCA College of Arms' rules forbid the use of any name element that implies noble rank unless that element is also documented in use as part of a personal name without any implication of rank. See rule VI.1.