The following poem leapt from my head after I started to think about the fact that one of the imp/buddha’s real life names is Chung. Now, this, I think, is a rather lovely name to have as a noder; coming in to life with your first ching already in place. (This is assuming the archaic past participle of ching, as in I was chung by Chras4, rather than the more modern ching, he/she chinged, he/she was chinged.)
But then I started to wonder about these second generation noders. Several of them have already come and gone. SEF, evilrooster and easter bunny. Borgo and borgette. Factgirl, fwhrdl, hellcat and jellyface. And me and imp/buddha. I suspect there are several others out there that I don’t know about. I, for one, would vote that Chiisuta’s mom would make most excellent noder,or my mother or sister, for that matter].
So how do we differentiate the difference between a noder name that a noder chose themselves, versus a name given by their parent? Imp/buddha Grundy-Chung would include her birth name, her noder parent name, and a non-noder patronymic, in this case.
Once she is old enough to decide, I’m sure she would rather pick her own name than use one invented by me, so then she will have three names. New name, nee imp/buddha grundy-chung.
Borgo on the other hand, has simply created a feminine version of his own name, for borgette. This won’t work for me, as the original grundoon was of indeterminate sex, and it’s damn hard to feminize. Grundoonette? Ugh.
So here’s my proposal. Second generation noders keep their original nick until they are old enough to object, just like we do with birth names. Once they have reached the age of consent, they may shed the previous name, but can use their parental noder name as a surname, and their original name as a middle name. Thus you have: Alfred nateson. Carrie dem bones. Tinypoo Hellcat Factgirl. Furthermore, I suggest that girlnoders be names with their matronymic, boys with patronymic, thus you have curlygirl Hellcat factgirl, but monstah jellyface fwhrdl.
So after thinking of this font of useless information, the following poem emerged. With abject apologies to t.s. eliot.
The Naming of Noders is a difficult matter,
It isn't just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a
noder has
THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there's the name that the family use daily,
Such as
grundy,
imp/buddha,
Chiisuta or
James,
Such as
ideath or
radlab0,
Chras4 or
ailie --
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the
gentlemen, some for the
dames:
Such as
sparkleface,
factgirl,
karma_debt,
Peter--
But all of them sensible everyday names.
But I tell you, a noder needs a name that's particular,
A name that's peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can she keep up her writing spectacular,
Or spread out her
nodeshells, or cherish her pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as
gwenllian,
Quizro, or
Segnbora-t,
Such as
arcanamundi, or else
princess_loulou-
They're names that can raise Cain and always go free.
But above and beyond there's still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover--
THE NODER HERSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a noder in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
Her mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of her name:
Her
ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name.
for nocte, and siouxsie, knifegirl, graceness, and all the other noders who have welcomed me back. y'all rock, ninjas.