Magnum opus

  (Snufkin, if you're reading this, the post inspired by you is below this one.)

  As you probably know, I abhor my real name. I often joke about it with my father ('Good thing you didn't name me after a Khanokh Levin character!'), and I shall change my name as soon as I reach the age of 18 (in Israel, until then you have to have your parents' consent, and if you have a legitimite reason and a legitimate name, you can change your name, but you're stuck with it for another seven years). So, a little post about the names I've thought about.

  When I first began seriously considering to change my name (I wanted to do so since I was a child; at first I wanted an American name like 'Michael', then a Japanese name, but I've never given much thought to the matter at the time), I thought of many names: Raki'a (Hebrew for 'Heavens'), Yanshuf (Hebrew for 'Owl'), Shu'al (Hebrew for 'Fox'), &c. None of these preposterous names stuck. I wanted something truly preposterous! (Just kidding. I wanted something unique, and that it have a good meaning in Hebrew and Japanese.)

  Thus came the name 'Shunra'. It's Aramaic for 'cat', and Japanese for 'good spring' (when written as '春良'; this is not exactly standard Japanese). Later on came the name 'Hoshen' (the special talisman the Israelite Priests wore back at the Biblical times), which also meant 'star garden' in Japanese (when written as '星園'; again, not standard Japanese). I liked the dissonance between the (traditionally) impure cat and the sacred Hoshen, and used it as nom de plume for a while.

  Later on I became rather displeased with using Hebrew in my name (as you may remember, I used to be a passionate Israeli patriot), and thought of changing it to something foreign. Thus came the name Shunra Artimus O'Seer (Irish: Siúnrá Ártuiomus Ó Saoir); Artimus because I liked the name (which appeared on Concession as the name of my favourite character there), and O'Seer because I thought the O' (or 'Ó' in Irish) prefix means 'of the' in Irish, and in such a case the name would mean in Irish 'of the free' (when written as 'Ó Saoir'). Also, the name can interpreted in Japanese as 'great knowledge' (when written as '大知'). (Later on I replaced 'Artimus' with 'Felix', which is Latin for 'lucky', and resembles the word 'felis', which, if I remember correctly, means 'feline'.)

  I used the name Shunra Felix O'Seer for a brief while, but ecided to dispose of it, because 'sir' is Hebrew for 'pot', and is usually associated with the pots children use for, ahem, the first two numbers. I also realised that using 'Shunra' as a first name would raise way too many eyebrows (which would be somewhat annoying after a while). Thus, after considering various names, I decided to stick to Alex Shunra O'Hageny (Alex was a name I've liked for a while now, and éagnaí was supposed to be something positive in Irish, a definition I later could not find again in the dictionary). However, after a while I realised that 'Ó' is short for 'Ua', meaning 'grandson', and understood keeping this title is ridiculous. Then I decided to look for various Irish names and words with a good sound and meaning (such as 'Eve/Aoibh', smile, or 'Eulcrann/Úllcrainn', apple tree), and eventually found 'Layce/Léas', light.

  I've considered many middle names (I wanted two, as the nobility does) as well. Shunra was to stay from the beginning; no way in Hell I'm gonna let that one go. This one is a special gesture to my mother, who, unintentionally, instilled the great love of cats in me (long story). After many pondering, I picked the middle name Tybalt (Tuibealt), prince of cats in the Reynard tales and a character in Romeo and Juliet. Keeping 'Shunra Tybalt' as middle names is a choice meant to keep eyebrows down.

  The first name was a tough one. I looked for a myriad of Irish-origin names, but couldn't find one that would appeal to me. I wanted something non-Biblical, with a positive meaning, and with a certain sound, and had a very hard time finding one. Alex (from the Greek 'Alexandros', masculine version of 'Alexandra', a nickname given to Athena, the Greek goddess of war, meaning 'the defender of the men') was out of the question; it bears a strong stigma of Russians (which are often regarded as whores and drunkards who 'don't belong here' because they are presumably not Jewish), and I didn't want that (though I am very proud of my Slavic origins). After a while, I relinquished the hope for an Irish name and chose the name Philipp (from Greek 'Philippos', meaning 'horse-lover', a nickname given to the cavaliers of Alexander the Great, with whom I share a birthday), Irish Filip. My mother was rather satisfied with the final result: Philipp Shunra Tybalt Layce.

  I was as well, until I asked a few friends to call me that, and realised I don't feel very natural with it. I tried pondering a bit more about it, recently recalling the name Alex I'd abandoned. Then I recalled Mozart was named after a certain saint, and discovered the Christian habit of naming children after the saints, whose Feist Day is the same as the child's baptism. So I looked online and found the saint whose Feist Day is the same as my birthday (naturally, I wasn't baptised), and disovered it is Giulio Cesare Russo (whose 'saint name', or whatever it's called, I don't recall). He was a very talented person, who spoke many languages, including Hebrew (which he spoke so well the Jews, whom he was supposed to convert, thought he was a Jew who converted to Catholicism). This was quite nice, but there was one problem: I don't like his name. I tried looking at the next day (like Altermann, I was born on the 9th of Av, a national grieving day, but it says on my papers that I was born on the 10th), but that's Mary Megdalene's Feist Day. Other calendars didn't have anyone with a better name for me.

  Thus, I decided to keep Philipp as my saint name (named after Filippo di Neri, with whom I think I share a birthday; Wikipedia was not entirely clear about wether or not his birthday is the same as mine or a day later). His Feist Day is on May 26th, but I don't really care; I was never baptised, why should I?

  Thus, until further notice, my full name is to be Alexander St. Philipp Shunra Tybalt Layce (Irish: Alasandar N. Filip Siúnrá Tuibealt Léis). I shall use Philipp in Israel; people won't give me dumb stigmata, and I'll have a good laugh thinking they use my 'icky' saint name; and Alex abroad, where it doesn't bear stigmata. Perhaps this will change; I still have a while till my 18th birthday.

  Friends are welcomed to give comments.

  Unum diem...