Name day
A name day is the Westerosi equivalent to a birthday. The day a child is born, he or she is also given a name that day, so a person's age is counted with their name day as the start.[1] The only exception is free folk births, as they consider it bad luck to name their children before the age of two.[2]
In the Faith of the Seven, newborns are named in a sept and anointed with the seven oils.[1] Newborn children among the ironborn may be drowned on their name day.[3]
A person celebrating their name day may receive gifts from friends and family, and a feast may be held for them.[4][5][6] A tourney may be held to celebrate a prince or king or noble's name day.[7][8][6][9][10]
In Westeros, a person reaches their age of majority on their sixteenth name day, after which they are considered "a man grown" or "a woman grown".[11][12]
There are expressions such as "naked as his/her name day"[13][14] and "wearing their name day suits"[3] or "in her name day gown".[15] The latter two phrases are the equivalent of the real-world expression "birthday suit", meaning wearing no clothes at all.[16]
There is a song called "The Name Day Boy".[17]
Contents
Recent Events
A Game of Thrones
On her fourteenth name day, Daenerys Targaryen realizes she is pregnant by her husband, Khal Drogo.[18]
A Clash of Kings
Sansa Stark claims that it is bad luck to kill a man on your name day, to prevent King Joffrey Baratheon from executing Ser Dontos Hollard at the tourney for his thirteenth name day. She believes she made up the custom, and is surprised to hear the Kingsguard Sandor Clegane support the claim.[6]
Quotes
I'll be fifteen on my name day. Almost a man grown.[19]
—Jon Snow, to Benjen Stark
—Tyrion Lannister, to Chiggen
What a man sows on his name day, he reaps throughout the year.[6]
I'd have them all put to death, only it's my name day.[6]
—King Joffrey Baratheon
I am not the frightened girl you met in Pentos. I have counted only fifteen name days, true... but I am as old as the crones in the dosh khaleen and as young as my dragons, Jorah.[20]
See also
- Customs, for additional information on customs and traditions of Westeros.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 7, Arya I.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 46, Samwell III.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 51, Catelyn VII.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 41, Jon V.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 67, Sansa VI.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 2, Sansa I.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 18, Catelyn IV.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 25, Eddard V.
- ↑ The Hedge Knight.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II.
- ↑ So Spake Martin: Age of Sexual Relations (October 5, 1999)
- ↑ So Spake Martin: Age of Majority (November 4, 1999)
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 26, Jon III.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 29, Arya V.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 24, Bran II.
- ↑ "Birthday suit." Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 43, Arya VIII.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 23, Daenerys III.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 19, Jon III.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 27, Daenerys II.