Dancing with Memory

I remember.

I remember sunlight on the golden hair of my sister as she rode into the stable, where I was mucking stalls.

I remember running through the forest, bow in hand, seeking signs of fresh game.

I remember setting a long table for a meal, with other children, our movements smooth with long practice, the older children directing the younger.  At that time, I was one of the younger.

I remember an inn or tavern to the southwest, two or three days journey.  The food is rich, creamy… somewhere between a soup and a gravy, almost like a pot-pie… heavy with a barley-like grain and other vegetables as well as thick chunks of a venison-like meat, served in a trough formed by partially hollowing a loaf of bread.  It was eaten with carved wooden spoons, small and curved into shapes reminiscent of the shells of the common mussel (Mytilus edulis).  I find myself drawn to food that reminds me of it, still.

I remember dancing with a rippling blade of sky-blue metal, like a mountain lake reflecting a clear sky in summer.  The blade felt warm and alive in my hands as I moved, our motions flowing together with the deep inner Song of the land.  We did not move to some fixed pattern, but in constant relation to the world around us, physical and nonphysical, what is and what may be.  It is a skill I am trying to relearn.

I remember wearing a coat of chain mail armor, with rings as small and fine as a fish’s scales.  Looking out from the breast of the mail is the image of a stag’s head, somehow set in three dimensions within the metal like a hologram.  It seems to face the viewer no matter what angle they view it from, the stag’s eyes almost staring through you.

I remember a boy, wounded and delirious with fever in the rare moments he regained consciousness.  His horse had led me to him, and I remember carefully gathering him up and taking him back home with me, entrusting him to my father and elder sister for medical care.  I remember pacing around, nervous as a new father, waiting for news of his condition.

I remember a narrow stone bridge over a large underground lake or river.  The cavern was immense, and not entirely natural… along with the bridge itself, excavation had been done into it, making branching shafts that honeycombed the walls of the cavern.

I remember these things, and others which are not my story alone to tell.

I remember Alorya.

An Aloryan Glossary

This entry is a catalog of words and phrases which have been remembered by those who remember being elves on a world we refer to as Alorya.  Wherever possible I have credited the person who first remembered the word, and I have done my best to provide pronunciations for most of them and commentary wherever relevant.  It will be updated as more is remembered, and if anyone has any additions, comments or corrections to make to the words or phrases listed here, please let me know.  Especially if I’ve gotten pronunciations or attributions incorrect.

WordPronunciationMeaningCommentaryRemembered By
AcheylaAh-kay-lahAn informal greeting used between friends.A shortened form of a longer greeting; the more formal version is "Harani a'kaheyla de'shanuay".Casteylan
AlanorAl-ah-noora personal name, meaning unknownArhuaine
AloryaAh-lore-yahMeans "Land of Songs"The name for either our world or our nation within that world.Arhuaine
AnahnoneArhuaine
AnadraelAh-nah-dray-elGiven name; meaning Unknown.Anadrael
AndrastaiAhn-drah-styGuards (military)Likely to be related to the Tulari word Adrastai.Casteylan
AravelAh-ra-velPlace name, an island, meaning unknown.Casteylan
Areah-reyGold ColorCasteylan
ArhuaineAr-h-wenGiven name meaning or carrying connotations of "Golden light"Arhuaine
Bian za ri!Bee-ahn-zah-ree"Okay, let's go!" or "Let's rock and roll!"Frey/Eyovah
BrynruddBrinn-ruddRedhillNot entirely sure this is Aloryan, may be a non-elven language.
Upon further research this appears to be Welsh and may have been a placeholder name rather than a remembered term.
Casteylan
CankahnfiveMay also be the word for "hand".Arhuaine
CananKahn-ansixArhuaine
CancanKahn-kahntenArhuaine
CanenKahn-ennineArhuaine
CaneshKahn-eshsevenArhuaine
CanlishKahn-lisheightArhuaine
CaskasredCasteylan
Casteylankas-tey-lanPersonal name, possibly meaning "Red Hawk"Arhuaine
CenanKen-antwenty oneArhuaine
CencanKen-canTwenty five?Alternately, may have been "annog" or "cannog".Arhuaine
CenenKen-entwenty fourArhuaine
CeneshKen-eshtwenty twoArhuaine
CenlishKen-lishtwenty threeArhuaine
CeshaiKesh-eyeGoodbye forever.Used when the speaker does not believe they will be returning, or at a sundering of ties meant to be a permanent parting of ways.Casteylan
CeshanKesh-anelevenI am not sure why this is ceshan rather than eshan or c'eshan. If the root cesh is a negation or a reference to a parting/ending, this would not appear to make much sense, unless there are more subtle nuances of speech that would indicate whether the sound is being used as a number or as something else.Arhuaine
CesharKesh-arRoughly "Until we meet again".A temporary farewell with the implication that we part as friends and will meet again. Possibly related linguistically to the Tulari word "ceshtanen", meaning "erased completely", as they appear to share the root "cesh".Casteylan
Ceshcankesh-kanfifteenArhuaine
CeshenKesh-enfourteenArhuaine
CesheshKesh-eshtwelveArhuaine
CeshlishKesh-lishthirteenArhuaine
CevennaKeh-ven-nahSomething like "soul-twin" or "twin flame".Not entirely sure this is Aloryan.Unknown
CiarenSea-ah-renA city, name meaning unknown.Casteylan
ClarashKlah-rahshA musical instrument resembling a harp, small enough to rest on the knee.Casteylan
Cosainko-sane"The Ways" or "The Paths"A network of stones linked in such a way that moving from one to another was possible, even if the stones were on different worlds or (possibly) different dimensions. Different from standard Gating, however.Arhuaine
C'lishanK-lish-ansixteenArhuaine
C'lishcanK-lish-cantwentyArhuaine
C'lishenK-lish-ennineteenArhuaine
C'lisheshK-lish-eshseventeenArhuaine
C'lishlishK-lish-lisheighteenArhuaine
Da'laernDah-lay-urn"Elven dreams"?Not entirely sure this is Aloryan.Jarandhel
DorrdoorA type of wild ponyArhuaine
Elel"Of" or "belonging to".Casteylan
El'KarielEl-kare-ee-el"Star Path of Manipulating Stars...with the mental image of a stellar life and death cycle...how the death of some stars ignites the birth of others elsewhere"?  Arhuaine
EnenfourArhuaine
EndrastaiEn-drah-styRangers (military). Wardens may also be an appropriate translation.Likely to be related to the Tulari word Adrastai.Casteylan
EsheshtwoArhuaine
EshiraEsh-ihr-ahBelovedThis is not a term of endearment which should be used lightly, with casual friends or even lovers. I have lovers whom I have been with for years whom I would not be comfortable referring to with this word. It is more appropriate as a term of affection for one's chosen lifemate(s) in my opinion.Casteylan
Gwai-GwhyRoot word meaning skyArhuaine
GwairochGwhy-rochLiterally, "skyhorse". An animal like a pegasus.Arhuaine
HaildarHail-darGiven or Clan Name; meaning UnknownArhuaine
HaranHar-anHonour, respectAlternately may mean bless/blessing.Casteylan
Harani a'kaheyla de'shanuayHar-an-eye ah-kah-hey-la de-shan-oo-ayI am honoured to greet you and walk beside you on your path.Casteglan
Huinh-wenShadowCasteglan
Ja nevnayJah Nev-nayAn oath, roughly translating to 'velvet sky', most often used when thoroughly exasperated with someone/thing.Possibly a reference to a common godform among elves in the Elenari language group currently known only as "the star goddess"; no proper name has yet been remembered.Unknown
JarandhelJah-ran-dellGiven name; meaning Unknown.Jarandhel
Key-talKay-talEmphatic no; possibly "no way" or "no way in hell"Frey/Eyovah
LairenLair-enSong or possibly Summer; meaning uncertain.Casteylan
LiesinLee-sin or Lee-eh-sinGiven name or title; meaning Unknown.We may be mispronouncing or misremembering this word due to familiarity with the Celtic name/title "Taliesin".Frey/Eyovah
LishlishthreeArhuaine
LlewynLew-enA country, name meaning unknown.Casteylan
Merka-tha lienMer-kah-thah lee-enCalls for reinforcementsFrey/Eyovah
Myhidr???Lover/Companion - this is a term used for only the closest or most beloved ones. It is not quite a soul mate, but close.Unknown
NauwarNow-ahrGiven name; meaning Unknown.Not entirely sure this is Aloryan.Jarandhel
NoinoyDarkness, shadow, absence of light.Does not carry connotations of evil.Casteylan
OniyaOh-nee-yahSongNot entirely sure this is Aloryan.Unknown
RochrokhHorse, or a horse-like riding animalArhuaine
RuachRoo-akhA fermented and spiced berry drink, mildly alcoholic, served warm like mulled wine.Sometimes referred to as "berry beer".Arhuaine
SadretheSah-dree-thaPersonal name, meaning unknownArhuaine
SellaSell-ahOceanNot entirely sure this is Aloryan.Unknown
Shakto -tha lienShak-toe-tha lee-enMake themselves more obvious, step in front. (imperative)Frey/Eyovah
ShenShenForever or InfinityUnknown
Teylantey-lanhawkCasteylan
Tie-zanTie-zahn"(It shall be) as you command" or "affirmative".Frey/Eyovah
TyrianTeer-ee-anGiven name; meaning Unknown.Duo
VooriVore-ayeWolf or wolvesNot entirely sure this is Aloryan.Unknown
Y'YhPrefix meaning "Land of"Casteylan
Y'FinionYh-Finn-ee-ohnA country; meaning unknown.Casteylan
Y'lairenYh-lair-enMeaning unclearAnother name for Alorya?Casteylan
ZaliZah-lee"See" or "Go to" (imperative)Frey/Eyovah
Zian gararth tul. Nan dianZi-an gar-ath tul. Nan dee-anFirst part unclear.  Nan Dian may mean "it is agreed" or "it shall be done".Not entirely sure this is Aloryan.Frey/Eyovah

Awakening (Dragon)

This article was originally posted on December 22, 2006 at http://jarandhel.livejournal.com/

Seven years ago, almost exactly, I had a memory. It involved me as a female dragon. But it wasn’t very long, probably less than a minute, and with very little context. One of the few things I could make out was that I was definitely not alone… and the other person who was there felt familiar. Like a friend I knew in this life, who I knew had his own memories of a past life as a dragon. Eyovah.
Read more“Awakening (Dragon)”