Playing Along

[galdrin]

Courtesy of shadesong ...

“The problem with Livejournal is that we all think we are so close, but really, we know nothing about each other. Hence, I want you to ask me something you think you should know about me. Something that should be obvious, but you have no idea about. Then post this in your LJ and find out what people don’t know about you.”

So… ask. Something you think you should know, but don’t.

Comments

[tewok.livejournal.com]

Why did you start learning Welsh and how long have you been learning it?

Also, is there something cool about Welsh that English doesn't do?

[galdrin.livejournal.com]

The problem here, of course, is that I never started learning Welsh. It might be interesting to do so - I was fascinated by the language after watching "The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain".

What does Welsh do that English doesn't? It just has a way kewl sound to it - but perhaps english sounds that way to non-english speaking cultures.

[tewok.livejournal.com]

I guess I was taken in by the "ap".

I will change my question to why haven't you started learning Welsh yet?

[galdrin.livejournal.com]

Okay - I get it now. I can see where the confusion lies. So here goes ...

The name Galdrin ap Morgan was created over 30+ years - before there was ever a TH as a matter of fact.

The Galdrin part was a special gift given to me. A very close friend, now long disappeared, created the name for me and it was used as the main character who was the subject of a number of poetic/prose pieces I was writing at the time.

The Morgan part I added because the character needed some kind of last name. At that time, I was very much enamored of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover and Katherine Kurtz's Deryni series. My favorite character in Kurtz's universe was Alaric Anthony Morgan, 7th Duke of Corwyn, Lord General of the Royal Armies of Gwynedd, and friend & adviser to King Brion Haldane and his son King Kelson Haldane. A bit of a rebel in those books, and I was a bit of a unique rebel relative to my own family.

Lastly, the ap part came from some researching around when I stumbled across the fact that ap was Welsh for "son of". At the time I thought that was pretty cool, so I put them all together.

Thus did Galdrin ap Morgan come into being.

Congratulations are in order to you, too. In all that 30 years no one has ever mentioned or queried the ap Morgan part of my persona's full name. You are the only person in all that time to have commented on it - and the first time I think I've revealed exactly where it all came from. Your status, in my eyes at least, has risen immeasurably.

Finally - why haven't I started to learn Welsh yet? I'm not sure that my tongue and the back of my throat can wrap around the language. However, I'm certainly game.

[tewok.livejournal.com]

I feel quite privileged then -- as well as a bit surprised that no one else has asked. Thanks for the explanation of the name.

My status, generally speaking, really had nowhere to get but up. :)

[tewok.livejournal.com]

And you're right. Welsh certainly does sound cool. I know a Welsh harper and it's always pretty nifty to listen to him speak the language.