ARCHIVE https://www.somniaforum.net/thread/does-the-city-have-a-name Apr 18, 2006
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Does the City Have a Name?

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CH
Charlotte_K
Thread Starter
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Posted: #1

This week I've been focusing on something basic: what do the inhabitants call this place?

It's harder to find out than you'd think. The robed figures in the central district mostly ignore questions. The market vendors will answer but seem confused by the question - like asking someone what they call "here."

But I've had some success with the people who tend the smaller shrines and temples. They're more willing to talk, maybe because fewer dreamers visit them.

What I've Learned

The city has several names, depending on context and period:

  • In formal/religious contexts: something that sounds like "Eth-el" or "Ae-thel"
  • In casual speech: often just "the city" (but in their language, which I can't reproduce)
  • The coastal district specifically has its own name: something like "the place where the sea speaks"

The mountain behind the city also has a name. The library-cathedral is called something like "the house of knowing." The spiral fountain has a name that my mind can't hold - I know I've heard it, but it slips away when I wake.

"Ethel"

I'm going to propose we start calling the city "Ethel," based on the most common formal name I've heard. It's easy to say, easy to remember, and it's better than "the city."

Does anyone object? Or have alternative suggestions based on their own conversations with inhabitants?

10 Replies
AN
Anastasia_M
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Posted: #2

This is wonderful work, Charlotte. "Ethel" feels right to me - I've heard something similar in my own dreams, though I couldn't have articulated it.

The library-cathedral being "the house of knowing" is interesting. It suggests the inhabitants see it as a place of learning, which matches my intuition about its function.

HA
Harlan_S
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Posted: #3

Ethel. Yes. That's the name. I feel like I've always known it but couldn't quite remember.

NI
night_wanderer
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Posted: #4

The sea has a name too, doesn't it? In my dreams it's called something - not just "the sea" but a proper name. I can almost hear it when I'm falling asleep. Something about folding, or layers.

CH
Charlotte_K
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Posted: #5

I've heard references to "the Folded Ocean" - is that what you're thinking of? It's mentioned in connection with distant lands and traders who come from "across."

NI
night_wanderer
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Posted: #6

That's it! The Folded Ocean. Thank you - that's been nagging at me for weeks.

NO
Noel
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Posted: #7

Ethel it is. I'll update the forum description.

Charlotte, would you be willing to compile your ethnographic findings into a master thread? A glossary of terms, names, and cultural observations? It would help new members get oriented.

CH
Charlotte_K
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Posted: #8

Absolutely. Give me a week to organize my notes.

MA
Marcus_D
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Posted: #9

Did anyone else feel something when they read "Ethel"? Not just recognition, but... I don't know how to describe it. Like the word itself has weight.

AN
Anastasia_M
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Posted: #10

Names have power. In dream logic, knowing something's true name gives you a connection to it. By learning Ethel's name and using it consistently, we may be strengthening our relationship to the city itself.

This is another reason Charlotte's work is so important. The names we learn, the terminology we adopt - it's not just documentation, it's engagement.

OS
Oscar_V
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Posted: #11

I dreamed of Ethel last night - consciously thinking the name as I entered. The dream was clearer than usual. More stable. Lasted longer.

Could be coincidence. But I'm going to keep experimenting.

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