|
Greetings,
Here's the information we found on your proposed Norse byname "Ravenhammer."
This letter only discusses the Norse words for "raven" and "hammer." Some people in the SCA translate their names into English, but we will stick to Norse.
You asked if "Ravenhammer" could be justified as being similar to "Bloodax" and "Thornfoot." Unfortunately, this can't be done because the elements "Raven" and "hammer" are unrelated in meaning. "Bloodax" could be "bloody ax" and "Thornfoot" could be "thorny foot." "Ravenhammer" couldn't be "raveny hammer," so it doesn't fit this pattern. Since "raven" and "hammer" describe different aspects of your persona (black hair and smithing), the two elements shouldn't be used in a way that makes them appear connected.
However, there are many other possibilities. We found the following words which might be useful to you:
hrafn raven
hamarr hammer
svartr dark
kol coal (used to describe hair or complexion)
smi{dh}r smith
({dh} represents the letter "edh" in the last word. It is pronounced like the "th" in "this.")
It would be possible to combine these into possible to combine these into any number of bynames. Bynames could be placed before the given names (Svart-Thorfinnr) or after it. After the name, bynames could be used with the article (Thorfinnr inn Svarti) or, more rarely, without it (Thorfinnr Svartr). All these forms mean the same thing: "Thornfinnr the Dark (-haired or -complexioned)."
There are many ways to combine these to form a name. The most likely name with your meaning would be "Thorfinnr inn Svartsmi{dh}r," meaning "Thorfinn the dark smith." In thousands of Norse names that we've looked at, we haven't seen a single example of a person who has two different descriptive names, but it's not beyond the realm of possibility that you could have a name like "Hrafna-Thorfinn inn Hamarr," meaning "Raven-Thorfinn the Hammer."
If you're attached to the word "ravenhammer" and don't care about what it actually means, there is a way to use it. "hamarr" was a word for "a hammer-shaped crag, a crag standing out like an anvil." It's common in place names throughout Iceland and Norway. "Hrafn" is also found in placenames in the same area. Thus, it would be possible to create a place-name "Hrafnahamarr," or "raven's crag." You could be "Thorfinnr at Hrafnahamri," which means "Thorfinn at Raven's Crag." You could also use the name "Thorfinnr Hrafnahamaringr," which translates roughly as "Thorfinn Ravencragger."
The vast majority of Norse names include a patronymic ending in "-son." It was exceedingly rare for a Norseman of any status not to have a patronymic name, and we strongly suggest that you add a patronymic to whatever descriptive name you choose.
Talan Gwynek, Arval D'Espas Nord, Tangwystl verch Morgant Glasvryn, and Willem Gerritsz contributed to this letter.
We hope this has been helpful, and that we can continue to assist you.
In service,
Alan Fairfax
Academy of S. Gabriel