Dear Brother
Aug. 12th, 2016 12:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
adepslanaeI'm reacquainting myself with my books (I haven't read much in the past couple of years, unwisely spending more time writing), discarding some (I don't like throwing books away, but some are either too cheap or in too bad a condition to be resold/gifted) and unearthing others that I completely forgot ever buying.
In the midst of all this, I re-read a footnote to one of Yukio Mishima's short stories, reminding readers that in the V century Japan had 'already' implemented laws against incest to eradicate previous customs, which were very permissive, and how one word, Se, meant both brother and husband in the ancient poetry.
And yeah, I've been imagining the Fëanorians introducing each other with "he's my brother", but using a slightly archaic word that not many people use anymore since then. *grins* Probably toron, which is the oldest word Tolkien devised for 'brother', rather than háno/hanno, which seems to be a more current word (in all Elvish languages). Or onóro/onórë, i.e. brother/sister by blood, which is the cognate of Sindarin gwanur, glossed "kins(wo)man". (There's also otorno which is "(sworn) brother, male associate" (gwador in Sindarin); and the word "muindor" in Noldorin, which literally means 'dear brother', and which is very interesting too, being ultimately derived from the root "tor" too).
Also this kinda reinforced my idea that no notion of incest existed among the elves pre-Aman, and was introduced by the Valar, who seem very keen to regulate who the Eldar sleep with in general (so much for free will).
In the midst of all this, I re-read a footnote to one of Yukio Mishima's short stories, reminding readers that in the V century Japan had 'already' implemented laws against incest to eradicate previous customs, which were very permissive, and how one word, Se, meant both brother and husband in the ancient poetry.
And yeah, I've been imagining the Fëanorians introducing each other with "he's my brother", but using a slightly archaic word that not many people use anymore since then. *grins* Probably toron, which is the oldest word Tolkien devised for 'brother', rather than háno/hanno, which seems to be a more current word (in all Elvish languages). Or onóro/onórë, i.e. brother/sister by blood, which is the cognate of Sindarin gwanur, glossed "kins(wo)man". (There's also otorno which is "(sworn) brother, male associate" (gwador in Sindarin); and the word "muindor" in Noldorin, which literally means 'dear brother', and which is very interesting too, being ultimately derived from the root "tor" too).
Also this kinda reinforced my idea that no notion of incest existed among the elves pre-Aman, and was introduced by the Valar, who seem very keen to regulate who the Eldar sleep with in general (so much for free will).