How Mooneschadowe Got Its Name
Notes from HE Burke and HL Estrill
Back in the beginning of the group we were looking at all kinds of
names. Moonshadow (from the Cat Stevens song) was one of several
that we considered, we also liked the look of a eclipsed sun a lot (I
do not remember which came first the design or the name). At one
point we were considering Moonshadow, Land of the Crying
Wind. Rhiannon is right to point out that it was a different time
and “I made it up” was an acceptable justification for a name. We
finally decided to go with Moonshadow as the name of the group. We
submitted it in the modern spelling and were rejected. The official
reason was that it conflicted with the song title which was
copyrighted. I won’t go into the appeal process we went through,
suffice to say we were college students with time on our hands and a
large library at our finger tips. We shot down that argument and
several others until the real reason came out. There was a household
in Stargate with that name that was close to the Star Principal and
we were not going to win on the merits. So Amra (Mike Baker) and I
went to the library and started translating moonshadow into every
language we could think of. The group liked the Mona Sceaduwa best
of the alternatives. We went back and submitted that name and it
passed. Later the shire modified the spelling as has been documented.
Burke (2006)
Just to be incredibly heraldic,
“Mona Sceaduw” was registered in January 1981.
“Mooneschadowe” was registered in June 1984.
“Namron” was registered in February 1980.
“Elfsea” was registered in December 1982.
“Stargate” was registered in June 1973.
In fact, here is the total documentation for the name change:
Moone = 14-17th c.
Schadowe = 14-16th c.
(See Compact OED, pp. 1845, 2760)
And the reason for the name change at that time: even when first
registered as “Mona Sceaduw”, “Moon Shadow” was what was really desired.
But there was some household down in southern Ansteorra known as
“Moonshadow”. So they had first claim on the name. But the household
faded away and someone said “do a name change”, so we did.
And to complete matters, here’s the documentation for “Mona Sceaduw”
Of <mona> “moon”, of <sceaduw> “shadowe” (OED)
Shire in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Name is chosen to reflect the fact that
eclipeses passed over the area during the Middle Ages and reflect some
significance to the shire.
And then to get into the time when rocks were soft (ie, this was NOT
registered, but it’s what was sent to the CoH):
<Mo<~>na Sceadu(w), AKA Lands of the Crying Winds>
Mo<~>na – Old English “moon”
Sceaduw – Old English “shadow”
See also Appendix A for special reasons. [the short form – 1) two total
eclipses happened over the Stillwater area on 13 April 804 & 28 April
1557 (April being when we first formed); and 2) the plant nightshade was
also known as “moonshade” & that plant commonly occurs in this area.
Plus the OED also listed the term “moonman”, indicative of one whose
trade is conducted at night. College students…you get the idea…]
There it is.
Estrill