Shireroth

From now on, the "Lord so-and-so" form of address that's gotten so popular lately is banned in Hyperborea. You may not call Ari "Lord Straylight", you may not call Carol "Lady Lumina's Light", and you certainly may not call me "Lord Hyperborea".

Why? Well, for one thing, it makes us all sound like a bunch of British people in fancy hats. For another, it is displeasing to the ear: I keep wanting to stick an "of" in the middle. And finally, "Lord" is just too pretentious a title. The Lord God is a lord. Lord Asrael from Golden Compass is a lord. Lord Foul from the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant is a lord. Kelvin is lord. Hearing a random count referred to as "Lord so-and-so" sounds to me like title devaluation even beyond the normal level in micronationalism.

An acceptable alternate is [first name] of [subdivision], or even [position] [first name of subdivision]. There was an age when quite a few of us did this. There was Jadie of Goldshire, Scott of Hyperborea, and so on. It was a good tradition. So if you must refer to someone when you are upon this isle, say "Duke Ari of Straylight" or "Carol of Lumina's Light".

Otherwise you get thrown into the volcano. In an enlightened, cultural sort of way, of course.

Scott of Hyperborea wrote:Otherwise you get thrown into the volcano. In an enlightened, cultural sort of way, of course.

I quite agree, though for the reason that Lord has a very specific meaning to me micronational, and it's for Lords of Magic.

Well, for one thing, it makes us all sound like a bunch of British people in fancy hats.

Quite so. We are a meritocracy at our root, no one is Born to the Mango. (Although that sounds like a song title.)

Scott of Hyperborea wrote:and you certainly may not call me "Lord Hyperborea"

How about Lord Kai-Raikoth?

Mwahahaha! (IDEA LIGHT BULB)

Kaiser Loki III wrote:

Well, for one thing, it makes us all sound like a bunch of British people in fancy hats.

Quite so. We are a meritocracy at our root, no one is Born to the Mango. (Although that sounds like a song title.)

I object! British Lords are for the most part chosen based on merit and experience. There are only 90, 91 I think that are still hereditary. All other titles mean nothing anyway, though I'm not too sure on the state of nobility in the UK these days.

Not really. There are a lot of lords in Britain, but there are only around 90 hereditary lords represented in the House of Lords. All other peerages are hereditary as well, including the title of baronet, though that one isn't in the peerage. So, don't confuse the representatives of the hereditary peers in the House of Lords with the entire peerage.

Oroigawa Koreyasu wrote:How about Lord Kai-Raikoth?

LIAM. VOLCANO. NOW.

Do the Hyporboreans have a Volcano god/spirit?

Yes. The Voice of Yaanek is a quem, or spirit, which occasionally speaks to oracles Mount Yaanek. It's not a full-fledged god, but you wouldn't want to get on its bad side unless you're a big fan of ash.

Actually, I should bring that guy back...

A big fan of ash...

What ever happened to the All-Knowing Trash Heap? He might be into ash.