I need some ideas for fantasy titles.

MormonMobster · Mar 27, 2011

So I'm writing a story about a sort of fantasy reverse-Norman conquest of South Italy, and I've got a bit of one of the cultures down, but I'm lost on some of the details.

Specifically, I want a Pope-analogue, but I don't want to use the term "Pope". The term has to be recognizable as the title of a religious supreme leader, and preferably one that brings to mind "Pope" (I'm looking up religious titles on Wikipedia right now, but I'm just wondering if anybody has made up titles that sound just as good as the real-life titles).

Additionally, I'm not sure how to make titles like Count and Duke more interesting; the main culture in my story (is there an ancronym on these forums for manuscript or story?) has a vaguely Spanish language, but more of a Norman culture, so what would be good, Spanish fantasy-inspired versions of Count and Duke? I don't mean things like Don and so forth, but those could work as well.

AlexPiper · Mar 27, 2011

If you just want to change the titles to be different, keep in mind that making your readers learn a bunch of new terminology right out of the gate is going to make it harder for them to really get into your book.

Beyond that, I'd say to look at what you want the title to /mean/ and go from there. For instance, the pope is sometimes called the 'holy father,' so you could go with something like 'Highfather' or a similar term, even trying to translate it into Spanish if you needed. What you want isn't just a term that sounds neat, but one that evokes the necessary meaning for the reader.

MormonMobster · Mar 27, 2011

AlexPiper said:
If you just want to change the titles to be different, keep in mind that making your readers learn a bunch of new terminology right out of the gate is going to make it harder for them to really get into your book.

Beyond that, I'd say to look at what you want the title to /mean/ and go from there. For instance, the pope is sometimes called the 'holy father,' so you could go with something like 'Highfather' or a similar term, even trying to translate it into Spanish if you needed. What you want isn't just a term that sounds neat, but one that evokes the necessary meaning for the reader.

Well yes, that's what I'm going for. Recognizable, self-describing titles that still give you a sense of what they are, but are not the overused "Count, Duke, Baron, Pope" and etc.

Going for "Highfather" sounds like a good idea, but it somehow doesn't sound as impressive in Spanish as in English. Perhaps I should go for modified Spanish names and just English (though still following the rules I set out in the above paragraph) titles?

Liosse de Velishaf · Mar 27, 2011

MormonMobster said:
Well yes, that's what I'm going for. Recognizable, self-describing titles that still give you a sense of what they are, but are not the overused "Count, Duke, Baron, Pope" and etc.

Going for "Highfather" sounds like a good idea, but it somehow doesn't sound as impressive in Spanish as in English. Perhaps I should go for modified Spanish names and just English (though still following the rules I set out in the above paragraph) titles?

"Patriarch" and "pontifex" are commonly used Pope analogues.

Not sure on "Duke" or "Count".

Xelebes · Mar 27, 2011

Alwizard. :|

Mr Flibble · Mar 27, 2011

Chief Priest, High Priest, Pontiff, El Jefe.

For count/duke you could have Duc (although after Pratchett that makes me giggle) Marquis, Hidalgo, Dominus

Or tbh whatever takes your fancy as long as you show what the title means in some practical aspect. They could call him Your High Lord Rubber Ducky, but if he calls the shots, he's in charge.

Mark W. · Mar 27, 2011

Pope

Pontifex Maxiumus
His Holiness

Count / Duke

Marquis
Knight

Liosse de Velishaf · Mar 28, 2011

Marquis is a specific rank different from Duke, but depending on how your country is structured, it could work.

AceTachyon · Mar 28, 2011

MormonMobster said:
Additionally, I'm not sure how to make titles like Count and Duke more interesting; the main culture in my story (is there an ancronym on these forums for manuscript or story?) has a vaguely Spanish language, but more of a Norman culture, so what would be good, Spanish fantasy-inspired versions of Count and Duke? I don't mean things like Don and so forth, but those could work as well.

Wikipedia as a good starting point for Spanish nobility titles.

Also here.

Euan H. · Mar 29, 2011

Go back to the root of the title and derive your own version. 'Pope' comes Latin 'Papa', so I'd just use that. 'Duke' from 'Dux' 'Leader'; 'Count' from 'Comitem' 'Companion'. And so on. You might have to do some research on the language the Normans spoke (old French or Scandinavian or whatever), but I think you'd end up with something more consistent and real-sounding than picking names from a hat.

Alessandra Kelley · Mar 29, 2011

The pope was originally considered the highest ranking bishop, which in Latin is episcopus, so maybe you could use that terminology as well.

MisterFuzzles · Mar 30, 2011

Also Primate is a generic term for the various heads of the Christian denominations.

Mishell · Mar 30, 2011

MisterFuzzles said:
Also Primate is a generic term for the various heads of the Christian denominations.

I would advise against describing anyone as a Primate in the story though as some goofballs of us will see an orangutan Every. Single. Time.

sheilas_world · Apr 1, 2011

I like "Pontifex" for Pope, and "Comitem" for Count, the words sound just different enough, but not distracting. I think most readers will understand what your titles mean from how you describe the characters and by how other characters react to them.

Oh, and "Dominus" would be good for Duke.

Centarch · Apr 1, 2011

Make up a con-lang, perhaps, and use translations of their titles. Combine terms, maybe? Archpriest? I do that a lot when world-building. The main character of my novel WIP is a pope-like figure, and I've named him the "Priest King". One of his compatriots holds the rank of Archmage, a combination of a religious and military title.

You could use abstract, colorful terms, too. A leader of a church could be called God's Voice, or the Conduit (to Heaven). Hierarch. Archprophet.

MattW · Apr 2, 2011

Patriarch, Prelate, Pontiff, Episcopus, etc all work and resonate with the hierarchy you are trying to duplicate.

Or you can go with desciptors - High Priest, Adjudicator, Grand Disciple, etc.

I've been down the same road in a few stories and not found satisfying answers yet...

Centarch · Apr 2, 2011

MattW said:
Patriarch, Prelate, Pontiff, Episcopus, etc all work and resonate with the hierarchy you are trying to duplicate.

Or you can go with desciptors - High Priest, Adjudicator, Grand Disciple, etc.

I've been down the same road in a few stories and not found satisfying answers yet...

Adjudicator, I like that. Reminds me of Gene Wolfe's work a bit.

Euan H. · Apr 2, 2011

Centarch said:
You could use abstract, colorful terms, too. A leader of a church could be called God's Voice, or the Conduit (to Heaven). Hierarch. Archprophet.

I've sold three short stories in a setting where the head priest of a cult is called The Voice of [God's Name], and the high-level enforcers are called The Hands of [God's name]. So I know from experience that those kind of titles work . . .

n3onkn1ght · Apr 2, 2011

MormonMobster said:
I'm not sure how to make titles like Count and Duke more interesting

The main consideration to keep in mind is just what a Duke or a Count is. Under a peerage system, they're in charge of a specific allotment of land, in descending order of importance: Duke, Marquess, Earl (the English equivalent of a Count, later known as a 'Shire Reeve' or 'Sheriff'), Viscount, and Baron.

So, whatever you're going to name your dukedoms, marches, earldoms, counties, shires, or baronies, the title of their ruler should reflect that.

Are they called 'provinces'? Provincial.

Are they called 'farthings'? Farthener.

Are they called 'reaches'? Master of the Northern Reach (because Reachmaster just sounds dirty)

If you're making up your own language, you could even do something like the following: name the region something like Baliopasan Caleonta (where 'Baliopasan' is the specific area and 'Caleonta' means 'province'), and then name the peer Caleontaven (where *taven is an agent noun) Just include references to the pope-figure talking about different provinces, and your readers should be able to grasp that Caleonta means 'province' from its repeated usage, and that a man named a Caleontaven is in charge of them.

BunnyMaz · Apr 2, 2011

heirophant?

MisterFuzzles · Apr 3, 2011

n3onkn1ght said:
The main consideration to keep in mind is just what a Duke or a Count is. Under a peerage system, they're in charge of a specific allotment of land, in descending order of importance: Duke, Marquess, Earl (the English equivalent of a Count, later known as a 'Shire Reeve' or 'Sheriff'), Viscount, and Baron.

So, whatever you're going to name your dukedoms, marches, earldoms, counties, shires, or baronies, the title of their ruler should reflect that.

Are they called 'provinces'? Provincial.

Are they called 'farthings'? Farthener.

Are they called 'reaches'? Master of the Northern Reach (because Reachmaster just sounds dirty)

If you're making up your own language, you could even do something like the following: name the region something like Baliopasan Caleonta (where 'Baliopasan' is the specific area and 'Caleonta' means 'province'), and then name the peer Caleontaven (where *taven is an agent noun) Just include references to the pope-figure talking about different provinces, and your readers should be able to grasp that Caleonta means 'province' from its repeated usage, and that a man named a Caleontaven is in charge of them.

QFT.

I need some ideas for fantasy titles.

MormonMobster

AlexPiper

Wayward Wordsmith

MormonMobster

Liosse de Velishaf

Xelebes

Delerium ex Ennui

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

Mark W.

Liosse de Velishaf

AceTachyon

Odd person

Euan H.

Unspeakable

Alessandra Kelley

Sophipygian

MisterFuzzles

ah divvint nah liek

Mishell

That Clarion chick!

sheilas_world

digging in my word garden

Centarch

New kid, be gentle!

MattW

Company Man

Centarch

New kid, be gentle!

Euan H.

Unspeakable

n3onkn1ght

BunnyMaz

Ruining your porn since 1984

MisterFuzzles

ah divvint nah liek