Forties File Friday - What's in a name? - John

Eternity is in a name. Some cultures believe that as long as someone remembers a name the person is immortal. He has not passed onto the world of the dead until his name has been forgotten. That is why verbal histories are so important to many native cultures. It keeps the ancestors mortal.

I am a John and Johnny is a John. I am not sure exactly how many in the line of John’s am anywhere from the 9^th. to the 3^rd. I am not exactly sure. Mum could fill me in on this one. Johnny is the 10^th. or the 4^th. Of First name John’s with diverse second names. Denny is the second Denny in a sense that we named him after my Uncle Denny. Who was always kind and gracious, strong in the physical sense but gentle in his demure and communication. He was also very honest and sincere. I really liked Denny and thought that I would want those qualities in a son.

Our boys are bi-racial and have unique second names that are also bi-lingual. Johnny is Claude named after his Great Grandfather Stonehouse another man whom I wish had lived long enough to mentor my boys. I have great respect and love for Grandpa Stonehouse too. Johnny also has 3 pass-ports and in his American and English Passport his name is John Claude Gathright but in his Japanese it is JOHN KURODO GATHRIGHT and the Japanese Characters of his name are written 蔵人 which translates into the keeper of treasure. His Grandparents in Japan call him Kurodo as well as Johnny.

Denny’s name is also bi-cultural and bi-lingual..He too has 3 passports His middle name is Kyle which means one of strength and courage in Nordic. In Japanese it is KAIRU 梅流　which means to cross the oceans.

Hiroko’s Maiden name is beautiful ! It is Takami. 鷹見　It means the watcher of Hawks. Her family were the Keepers of the Shogun’s Hawks and they were given this name as a great honor in a period of Japan when most people did not have a second name.

Her family have a great history. Once when we were talking about genealogy her father said, “Oh, we have our genealogy written in our Treasure House KURA..the same Character as Johnny’s name. He brought out moth eaten scrolls on silk that had the history of his family back 17 generations. He also had the gift, proof and the permission from the shogun to have a second name. He had the Deed from the Shugun that gave his family land as far as the Hawk Flies… for their posterity.

Her family is immortal because they own their own cemetery and they have donated land to build things like a dam, park and other community projects. They still have a beautiful ancestral home in the mountains that looks over a lake and hills. Hiroko married me so will not ever be buried with her ancestors but we have often talked about what we will do with our ashes when the time comes.

We will leave some with our boys and the rest we will scatter in the forest and in the ocean. We hope that they will sprinkle a little in Victoria, where we met! Then sprinkle some in the forest at the TreeHouse and we will ask the boys to sprinkle some in the ocean. Then we will hope that our name is remembered for good and kindness through all the generation of our prosperity. Johnny is the keeper of Treasure and we hope that our examples and lives will be treasures to pass on. Denny is the one who crosses oceans and we hope that no matter where or how far apart our boy’s families are he will bridge the generations to come. Hiroko and I will fly like a Hawk on angel wings to help and comfort others once we are no longer bound to this earth.