Fairy Naming :*¨¨*:๑۩۩๑:*¨¨*

This morning I decided to take a stroll through the garden and wiggle my toes in the fresh green grass.  A little ways off I spied a wee fairy friend, perched on a mushroom.


What do you think her name is?


Visit my castle to leave your suggestion!

Did you know that the process of "naming" used to be called "saining"?  Saining was an ancient rite of Irish and Scottish origin that was performed on a newborn baby in order to discover its "true name".  For Faeries, it can be done at anytime, and they say that knowing a true name can give one power over an individual.


One variation of this ritual speaks of passing the baby over a flame three times. The purpose of this is both to call upon higher powers to reveal the baby's formal name as well as grant it protective wards from more malicious faeries.


Another version speaks of passing the baby through a hole in a large rock that has been naturally hewn, in order to protect it from being stolen as a changeling child. (Ring any bells with a fairy seeing stone? :)


Other incarnations of the rite tell us that it was used to grant the baby its formal name, welcome it into the community and give it blessings.  Whilst still others say that it was the responsibility of nobles to perform this rite on members of their house or court.


Eventually the process was adopted and christianized and came to be known as modern day baptism.