Candlekeep Forum
Candlekeep Forum
Home | Profile | Register | Active Topics | Active Polls | Members | Private Messages | Search | FAQ
Username:
Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

 All Forums
 Realmslore
 Sages of Realmslore
 Meaning of the name Lolth?
 New Topic  New Poll New Poll
 Reply to Topic
 Printer Friendly
Author Previous Topic Topic Next Topic  

varyar
Learned Scribe

137 Posts

Posted - 24 Nov 2024 :  19:53:45  Show Profile  Visit varyar's Homepage Send varyar a Private Message  Reply with Quote  Delete Topic
Hey all. I'm curious if any books, be they FR or Greyhawk or generic, ever said what the name Lolth means. (Or Araushnee, for that matter!)

Out Now on the DMs Guild:

Cormanthor: The First Flowering:
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/502169/Cormanthor-The-First-Flowering

Leira the Mistshadow:
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/493852/Leira-the-Mistshadow

Vandria Gilmadrith, Lady of Grief:
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/481871/Vandria-Gilmadrith-Lady-of-Grief

Kentinal
Great Reader

4689 Posts

Posted - 24 Nov 2024 :  20:51:09  Show Profile Send Kentinal a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I have not seen anything, however that might be because the name does not have a meaning. I do understand that many names do have meaning. I do not believe all names have a meaning. In fact I have met people who's family name was what was written down (Invented) at Ellis Island immigrant station.

"Small beings can have small wisdom," the dragon said. "And small wise beings are better than small fools. Listen: Wisdom is caring for afterwards."
"Caring for afterwards ...? Ker repeated this without understanding.
"After action, afterwards," the dragon said. "Choose the afterwards first, then the action. Fools choose action first."
"Judgement" copyright 2003 by Elizabeth Moon
Go to Top of Page

varyar
Learned Scribe

137 Posts

Posted - 24 Nov 2024 :  21:02:56  Show Profile  Visit varyar's Homepage Send varyar a Private Message  Reply with Quote
That's most likely the case here, but I was curious and thought I'd see if anybody knew :)

Out Now on the DMs Guild:

Cormanthor: The First Flowering:
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/502169/Cormanthor-The-First-Flowering

Leira the Mistshadow:
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/493852/Leira-the-Mistshadow

Vandria Gilmadrith, Lady of Grief:
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/481871/Vandria-Gilmadrith-Lady-of-Grief
Go to Top of Page

Lord Karsus
Great Reader

USA
3743 Posts

Posted - 27 Nov 2024 :  19:43:45  Show Profile Send Lord Karsus a Private Message  Reply with Quote
-Given that it's not her "original" name (retroactive though), that's actually an interesting thing to think about. Why did she choose "Lolth" for her new name.

(A Tri-Partite Arcanist Who Has Forgotten More Than Most Will Ever Know)

Elves of Faerűn
Vol I- The Elves of Faerűn
Vol. III- Spells of the Elves
Vol. VI- Mechanical Compendium
Go to Top of Page

varyar
Learned Scribe

137 Posts

Posted - 27 Nov 2024 :  22:09:49  Show Profile  Visit varyar's Homepage Send varyar a Private Message  Reply with Quote
In my headcanon (as of yesterday), "Lolth" means "Mistress" in an archaic Abyssal dialect.

Out Now on the DMs Guild:

Cormanthor: The First Flowering:
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/502169/Cormanthor-The-First-Flowering

Leira the Mistshadow:
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/493852/Leira-the-Mistshadow

Vandria Gilmadrith, Lady of Grief:
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/481871/Vandria-Gilmadrith-Lady-of-Grief
Go to Top of Page

The Sage
Procrastinator Most High

Australia
31788 Posts

Posted - 27 Nov 2024 :  23:22:09  Show Profile Send The Sage a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I once tinkered with two possibilities for the origin of her name.

The first suggested it was actually a more “modern” [and poor] translation of her forgotten original name of Lilith - suggesting that it would then incorporate some of the themes associated with that name from Mesopotamian mythology into my version of Lolth in the Realms.

The other… is actually more of a thought experiment than actual lore I’ve established beyond a few notes in a notebook. Loosely, Lolth is a later rendering of what some in ancient times would call “lost” … suggesting Lolth’s origins are forgotten and that she may be a “lost” deity from another dead material plane/reality. Thus, the Lost deity became Lolth after later mistaken translations and curious pronunciations in various demihuman dialects. Lost to Lolth, for example.

Candlekeep Forums Moderator

Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com
-- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct

Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)

"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood

Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage

Edited by - The Sage on 27 Nov 2024 23:28:54
Go to Top of Page
  Previous Topic Topic Next Topic  
 New Topic  New Poll New Poll
 Reply to Topic
 Printer Friendly
Jump To:
Candlekeep Forum © 1999-2024 Candlekeep.com Go To Top Of Page
Snitz Forums 2000