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ArchivesRe: Question- meaning behind word element "elf" in many Germanic names?
in reply to a message by thegriffon
Of course other themes drop out of use once they acquire negative meanings in prosaic language, so it's a mystery why "elf" persisted onomastically in an era when they were viewed so negatively.
It could possibly have had to do with superstition. Perhaps in some (if not all) Germanic tribes, there was the belief that if you incorporated the name of something negative (in this case, elves) into the name of your child - thereby "honouring" that negative thing in some way - your child would be protected from coming into contact with said negative thing, at least for the duration of their childhood (if not for their entire life). An onomastic vaccine of sorts, if you will.
If not that, then the use of given names containing "elf" might have persisted out of respect for the ancestors who had borne such names, as Germanic tribes greatly valued their ancestors, if I recall correctly. Just like people in many cultures today like to honour their immediate family members, the Germanic peoples did the same but also looked further than that, i.e. went further back in their families for names. Obviously, they had no genealogical records at their disposal: they had had to rely on the information that was passed on orally over the generations.
I suppose we will probably never know for certain, but I just thought I should put these possibilities out there. :)
"How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on... when in your heart you begin to understand... there is no going back? There are some things that time cannot mend... some hurts that go too deep... that have taken hold." ~ Frodo Baggins
It could possibly have had to do with superstition. Perhaps in some (if not all) Germanic tribes, there was the belief that if you incorporated the name of something negative (in this case, elves) into the name of your child - thereby "honouring" that negative thing in some way - your child would be protected from coming into contact with said negative thing, at least for the duration of their childhood (if not for their entire life). An onomastic vaccine of sorts, if you will.
If not that, then the use of given names containing "elf" might have persisted out of respect for the ancestors who had borne such names, as Germanic tribes greatly valued their ancestors, if I recall correctly. Just like people in many cultures today like to honour their immediate family members, the Germanic peoples did the same but also looked further than that, i.e. went further back in their families for names. Obviously, they had no genealogical records at their disposal: they had had to rely on the information that was passed on orally over the generations.
I suppose we will probably never know for certain, but I just thought I should put these possibilities out there. :)
"How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on... when in your heart you begin to understand... there is no going back? There are some things that time cannot mend... some hurts that go too deep... that have taken hold." ~ Frodo Baggins
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