Ancient Name

Someone had this to say about Ancient Names: "Our forebearers carved 'miracles' into obsidian rock, yet future bearers looked upon them and saw 'strength.'" The miracles of the past become the motivations of the present. The limitations of the past become the breakthroughs of today.

—Pacal

An Ancient Name (or tocaitl) is a title borne by certain members of the six tribes of Natlan, as well as a special obsidian stone representative of the title.

Each Ancient Name is typically associated with a desirable attribute, such as "resilience" or "leader," which the chosen recipient will embody. An Ancient Name is also associated with the heroic deeds of all its previous bearers, and thus, the passing down of Ancient Names is a way of preserving the tribe's history and culture.^[1]

Receipt

Typically, each tribe's Wayob is responsible for granting Ancient Names to worthy tribe members. According to Xilonen, the recipient must have "done something in their lifetime that exemplifies the 'spirit' of the Name."^[2] The recipient may not understand exactly why they were selected, but most will strive to live up to their title. While it is the Wayob who select the recipients of these Ancient Names from among their corresponding tribes, an Ancient Name is not typically restricted to any one tribe, apart from those of the Heroes of Natlan, or those associated with a particular tribe's individual culture or tradition.^[3]

Alternatively, the Pyro Archon can commission a new Ancient Name for an individual that they deem to merit one, although several strict conditions must be met. An extremely skilled smith, a trained Name Engraver, is chosen for the work, but forging the Ancient Name will ultimately cost them part of their lifespan.^[4][5] According to Xilonen, the forging technique itself is not difficult, but gathering information about the intended recipient's life must be done rigorously and meticulously. She states that if any falsehoods are included, the Ancient Name would turn out "seriously defective" and could "potentially lead to cognitive issues for the current bearer."^[2]

Typically, only memories and experiences of Natlanese people are recorded by the Night Kingdom and can thus be acknowledged by the Wayob to be used as the basis for an Ancient Name. Because of this, only people from Natlan have historically received Ancient Names. However, in recognition of the Traveler's deeds of rescuing Kachina and helping repel the Abyss, Mavuika promises one for them, leaving to Xilonen the problem of determining how to accomplish this without the requisite memories.^[6] After Yohualtecuhtin, Lord of the Night, is awakened, she offers them a solution by creating the Pilgrim's Chronicle, which will record the Traveler's past and future deeds in Natlan, in lieu of the Night Kingdom.^[5] After the Abyss invasion of Natlan, Xilonen presented the Traveler with the Obsidian Ancient Name stone, inscribed with the Ancient Name chosen for them by the Lord of the Night: TMN ("TMN," Tumaini).^[7]

The receipt of an Ancient Name is considered a special honor. Their deeds under the Ancient Name become part of its legacy and become a source of inspiration for later bearers. However, an Ancient Name can be lost if it is not passed on, causing the deeds of its past bearers to be forgotten. This may happen if the Name bearer dies in the Night Warden Wars without anyone in their group returning victorious. Mavuika states that Tenoch lost his Ancient Name while still alive, likely due to his status as an exile. The forging of new Ancient Names has allowed Natlan, over time, to replace the loss of Ancient Names by their bearers' deaths in the Night Warden Wars.^[1][4][8]

An Ancient Name can also be crafted to record a deserving individual's detailed life story after they've passed away. It is then up to the Wayob to bestow it to the first worthy recipient.^[9] It is not clear if the Pyro Archon commissions these Names or if a Name Engraver requires the Archon's permission to do so. It is also unclear if this is actually the impetus for how most Ancient Names are created.

Privileges and Responsibilities

Prior to the end of the Night Warden Wars, Ancient Name bearers were required to participate in the Pilgrimage of the Return of the Sacred Flame. They were typically expected to lead a team in the first phase, and the leader's strength was commonly seen as being the principal factor in the team's success. While it was permitted for a team to have more than one bearer, this was rare in practice as some felt that doing so can give the perception of cowardice.^[1] Bearers could become medically prohibited from participating in the Pilgrimage at all, usually from lingering or serious injuries, such as in the cases of Atea^[10] and Chanca.^[11]

The bearers that won the Pilgrimage were usually required to fight in the Night Warden Wars against the Abyss, although the Pyro Archon could release someone from this obligation. Vichama was once exempted at the request of his team after winning a spot and then suffering an unfortunate battle injury before being sent.^[12] When not exempted, bearers could continue to participate in the Pilgrimage and be sent to the Night Warden Wars for as long as they felt capable doing so. The most famous bearer of "Uthabiti" had fought in twenty-seven Night Warden Wars by the time he was over sixty years old, though this is considered exceptional.^[1]

If at least one member of a combat team returned victorious from the Night Warden Wars, the slain members of the team could be brought back to life via the Ode of Resurrection. However, if an entire team fell, its members could not be revived. The tales of their acts were eventually forgotten, and their Ancient Names lost; hence the phrase, "The victors shall burn bright, while the losers must turn to ash."^[1]

With the Night Warden Wars ended, there is no more need to select warriors to send against the Abyss, so the Pilgrimage has been changed to be simply a competitive event. The requirement that Ancient Name bearers compete has also been removed, as it is no longer a matter of the nation's security at stake.^[13]

Six of the Ancient Names are associated with the Heroes of Natlan. In the present day, six warriors received these Ancient Names prior to their acknowledgement by the Wayob to mark their selection as the modern heroes. For these heroes, truly "connecting" with their Ancient Name will grant them the memories and knowledge of its previous holders.^[4] This was due to the work of the Name Engravers of the time, who made some special modifications to those six Names.^[14] According to Pacal, Ancient Names typically do not confer any special powers — the recipient must contribute to its legacy on their own merit.^[1]

Stone

Each inheritor of an Ancient Name receives a special obsidian stone in the shape of a feather. These Ancient Name stones (sometimes simply referred to as Ancient Names themselves) are crafted by specially commissioned Name Engravers, such as Xilonen (and formerly her mentor, Tlazolli). Glowing characters from the Latin-Based Language of Teyvat appear on both sides of stone, spelling out the Ancient Name in syllabic form (e.g. UMJ ("UMJ," Umoja)). The process of forging an Ancient Name stone also involves engraving it with the deeds of the Name's first bearer, though these engravings do not appear to be visible on the final product.^{[1][4][15][6]} It is implied that an Ancient Name must be "stored" in one such stone, and cannot exist as an entity on its own.^[12]

Bearers regularly carry their stone on their person, though this does not appear to be a necessary condition or requirement.^[1] When Mualani led the rescue of Kachina from the Night Kingdom, she chose not to bring her stone with her.^[16]

Ancient Names and Their Bearers

See also: Category:Ancient Name Bearers

The following Ancient Names (or Ancient Name meanings) are currently known. The warriors who are among the six heroes at the time of the cataclysm or the six corresponding modern heroes are named in bold.

Name	In-game Meaning	Current Bearer	Previous Bearer(s)
BRK ("BRK," Baraka)	Blessing	Xilonen[17]	Sundjatta,[18] Sakkuk,[19] Ixquieh[20][21]
BDI ("BDI," Bidii)	Devotion	Ororon[22]	Sanhaj Kompore,[22]
Kiongozi	Leader[23]	Mavuika[24]	Xbalanque[25]
MLP ("MLP," Malipo)	Turnfire	Kinich[26]	Burkina,[27] Yupanqui[28]
MGZ ("MGZ," Mwongozo)[29]	Guidance	unknown
SJA ("SJA," unknown)[30]	unknown	unknown
TMN ("TMN," Tumaini)	Hope	Traveler	none[31]
Ukumbuko	Memory	Citlali[32][33]	Huitzilin,[34][35] Maghan's Master[36]
UMJ ("UMJ," Umoja)	Unity	Mualani[37]	Tupac,[4] Uenuku[38]
UDG ("UDG," Undugu)	Kinship	Tlazolli[39]
UTBT ("UTBT," Uthabiti)	Resilience	Kachina[1]	See Kachina's Character Story: The Banner of Uthabiti
UWZ ("UWZ," Uwezo)	Power	Iansan[40][41]	Wanjiru,[18] Ahpub[20][42]
VK ("VK," Vuka)	Transcension	Chasca[18]	Menilek,[18] Lianca[43][21]
unknown	Seek	none[44][Note 1]	Vichama[12]

The following individuals are known to be Ancient Name bearers, but which Ancient Names they bear are unknown:

• Current
  • Cauich^[45]
  • Chanca^[11]
  • Kibangu^[46]
  • Kaiulani^[46]
• Former
  • Atea^[47]
  • Mallko^[12]
  • Pisac^[12]
  • Tenoch^[8]
  • Mavuika's father^[48]

Mantras

Every Ancient Name is associated with a certain mantra, which is usually revealed through a dream to the tribe Chiefs by one of the Wayob.^[49]

Heroes of Natlan

Each of the six Ancient Names of the heroes is associated with a known mantra.^[18]

Umoja

"As long as blood still runs through your veins, even the tiniest spark of steel against stone can ignite a flame. Its blaze will become one with the gaze of all Natlan. Even amid everlasting darkness, our bonds remain eternal."

Baraka

"Stone engraved and echoing peaks. Converge, disperse, in ashes be reborn. For flames born anew, and the blazing dawn."

Uwezo

"A hero scaled the volcano to seize the sun. Anointed with flames, she shone with the light of a thousand stars. Now, guide me in my first step."

Bidii

"Having foretold his own death, the omniscient man holds a feast in celebration. Let us raise our cups in honor of his heroism and send him off with this final tribute. For, at last, his wish is now fulfilled."

Malipo

"By past fuel, and present flame, life marches ever on. We will answer to the fire for all our deeds."

Vuka

"My life's suffering shall be my epitaph. To remember the pain I endured, and finally, transcended."

Others

Tumaini

When the Traveler fully embodied the aspirations of the people of Natlan as their 'hope', a projection of their Ancient Name appeared and the Lord of the Night acknowledged them with a mantra, unlocking their Nightsoul's Blessing.^[50]

"In the beginning, there was darkness. Until someone set themselves aflame. Only then did the universe know light."

Ukumbuko

"We are like birds, soaring through the horizons of time. I linger in verdant forests, skim across azure waves, soar over fiery magma, gather golden ore, and chase after pink-plumed flower-feathers. When twilight falls, my graffiti adorns the night sky. All that I depict shall be gifts, given to the world of the deceased."^{[32][Note 2]}

Undugu

"The old births the new, as flowers shield the roots. So life ever cycles, until we return to the loam."^{[51][Note 3]}

Uthabiti

"The one that dares stand firm as a mountain, their bones like battlements, and hold the sun's gaze — it is they that shall be given unto eternity. Fear itself should instead fear me, for my body is like a roaring blaze; destined to melt down all that is mean and lowly, then cast it once more as an epitaph."^[52]

Gallery

Trivia

• The feather-like appearance of Ancient Name stones may be a reference to the bird-like designs of Wayob Manifestations.
• According to Xilonen, the usage of an Ancient Name to commit a crime was unheard of, and after Tlazolli was caught doing so, it was unsure how the Children of Echoes would proceed with her punishment.^[39]
• By process of elimination, due to all other members of Xbalanque's party bearing the Ancient Names of the Six Heroes of Natlan, Maghan was likely the first bearer of BDI ("BDI," Bidii), as the representative and founder of Mictlan.
  • It is worth noting that mantra of Bidii relates to an 'omniscient man' foretelling his own death, which aligns with Maghan being a powerful mystic who sacrificed his own life to fertilize the soil of Natlan.

Etymology

• The Nahuatl word tōcāitl means "name," "fame," or "reputation." It is the source of the Spanish term tocayo "person with the same name as one's self."
• The known Ancient Names originate from Swahili language:
  • Baraka "blessing, benediction"
  • Bidii "hard work, diligence"
  • Kiongozi "the leader"
  • Malipo "payment"
  • Mwongozo "guideline"
  • Tumaini "hope"
  • Ukumbuko "memory, recollection"
  • Umoja "unity"
  • Undugu "kinship"
  • Uthabiti "resilience"
  • Uwezo "ability, power"
  • Vuka "cross over"

Notes

Other Languages

Language	Official Name	Literal Meaning
English	Ancient Name	—
Chinese (Simplified)	古名 Gǔmíng	Ancient Name
Chinese (Traditional)	古名 Gǔmíng
Japanese	古名 Komei[53]	Ancient Name
Korean	고대 이름 Godae Ireum	Ancient Name
Spanish	Nombre antiguo	Ancient Name
French	Antique nom	Ancient Name
Russian	Древнее имя Drevneye imya	Ancient Name
Thai	นามโบราณ
Vietnamese	Tên Cổ	Ancient Name
German	Alter Name	Old Name
Indonesian	Marga Kuno	Ancient Surname
Portuguese	Nome Antigo	Ancient Name
Turkish	Kadim Adı
Italian	Nome antico	Ancient Name

Change History

References

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