War Boy names: big vs smol
You know what, what if War Boys were like the Vuvalini in that they have a given name when they are small, but then they get to choose their own warrior, or ‘grown up’ name when they come of age? Just a thought, as I’ve seen people discuss this regarding The Valkyrie and Furiosa, Keeper, etc.
Imagine little War Pups with names like…”Buttons”…growing up to become “Fleshgrinder” or something. A little War Pup with two missing legs called Spokes, but when he chooses his name as ‘big boy’ he becomes “Blood Chariot”…
I just like to think about young, excited boys thinking about naming themselves after incredibly hilarious things to try and outdo each other on the battlefield. Older War Boys have to rein them in a bit.
“No, Zipper, you can’t call yourself Shit Blood Bastard: Ripper of Valhalla.”
“But whyyyyyyy????”
“No.”
“Whuaaaahhhhh!!!!”
“Still no.”
OK but I think there are actually THREE names. I was plotting out a bit for The Mountains Are The Same and ended up with this:
The first name is the name their mother gives them when they’re born and that they keep while they live in the breeders’ quarters. (No way are Warboys nursemaiding when there are women around who are birthing all these kids and can nurse & take care of tiny kiddies.) The names are beautiful and rooted in the myths and oral history the women tell each other. Names like Berai and Damarwulan.
Then when they are strong enough – usually when they’re about six, but the deciding factor is a strength test – the War Boys take them from their mothers and paint them white and tell them to forget their baby names. They call them things like Spot and Howl and Wrench and Sump. The Warboys are not creative with names, they just take the first vague descriptive or association and go with it.
Then when Pups earns their grease and become Warboys, they get to choose their own names. Wrench probably sticks with what he’s got, but Spot becomes The Hammer and Howl becomes Roar and Sump becomes Slit…
(When Furiosa and the Sisters take over, the breeders are finally free to walk around, and they wade into the pups calling their old names, seeking their children under the paint)