Song of the Forever Rains by E.J. Mellow
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Icome from a lineage of artists. My grandparents were artists, and my parents are artists. I was taught from a young age the importance of opening the mind, of watching and listening for inspiration, as it often can come from the most unlikely places. The Mousai Series is no exception. It started from two things: the echoing of a cane clicking down a long hallway as I sat in an office working late, and a painting my father did titled Muses, which was inspired by my sisters and me as well as an interpretation of Botticelli’s Primavera. Much like this tangling of inspiring seeds that would later grow into an epic world, many of the names and places in my books have been influenced by names and places in our world. Each was chosen for a reason: the feeling it evokes or its meaning or both. In the Mousai Series, every character’s and place’s name has been crafted or chosen with great care. This is the celebration of a diverse world. Below is an appendix of sorts, providing a background to my naming etymology.
The Mousai:A neologism inspired by the plural word muses.
Bassette:A surname, specifically of Dolion Bassette. Inspired by the word bassett from Old French, which means “someone of humble origins.”
Dolion Bassette (Count of Raveet of the second house of Jabari and also the Thief King):The father of Arabessa, Niya, and Larkyra. Husband of Johanna. Thief King and a member of the Jabari Council. Dolion is a neologism derived from the Greek verb dolioo, meaning “to lure, to deceive.” I chose this for the many masks he must wear and roles he must play, from Jabari to the Thief Kingdom, as well as his most important role: father.
Raveet is influenced by the name Ravneet, which has a few known origins, but I was inspired by the Indian Sanskrit origin, which means “morality like the sun.”
Johanna Bassette:The wife of Dolion and mother of the Mousai. Gifted with very ancient and powerful magic. The name Johanna is connected to many cultures: German, Swedish, Danish, and Hebrew, to name a few. The original meanings of its root names are said to be “gift of God” and “gracious,” much like Johanna’s character.
Mousai + Bassette daughters:I purposefully sought to create names that had tempo and lyricism to them, to connect to their magical gifts of song, dance, and music.
Arabessa Bassette:The eldest sister. Arabessa is a neologism created from the name Bessa, cited in some places to be of Albanian origin, meaning “loyalty.”
Niya Bassette:The middle sister. Inspired by the name Nia (Celtic and Swahili origins), meaning “purpose,” “radiance,” “shine,” and “beauty.”
Larkyra Bassette:The youngest sister. Larkyra is a neologism created from the base word lark, which is a songbird. It is also inspired by the verb lark, which means “to behave mischievously” and “to have fun.”
Zimri D’Enieu:Zimri is a Hebrew name meaning “my praise” or “my music.” D’Enieu is a neologism I created after being inspired by French surnames.
Achak:A Native American name meaning “spirit.” When I learned of this name and meaning, I instantly fell in love and knew it embodied everything Achak was, from their history to how their spirit has lived on in many forms in many realms.
Charlotte: The Bassette sisters’ lady’s maid and loyal caregiver. I wanted to choose a C name for her, connecting her to my mother, Cynthia.
Kaipo (mutati hawk): Kaipo is a Hawaiian name meaning “sweetheart.” I adore this so much and felt it fit perfectly for Larkyra’s dearest companion and friend. A mutati animal in Aadilor myth is one that can change size, from very small to massive. Mutati is a neologism I created inspired by the root word “mutate.”
Hayzar Bruin:Inspired by the Turkish name Hazar. Bruin is an English folk term for “bear,” but I chose it for its audible connection to the word “brute.” So by mixing the meaning of “bear” and “brute,” we essentially get “big brute,” which is certainly how I would categorize Hayzar.
Darius Mekenna:From the Persian name Dariush, meaning “rich and kingly” and “he who holds firm to good.” Both very Darius characteristics. Mekenna is a variant spelling of an Irish and Scottish surname, which I wanted Darius to have because of his Lachlan heritage.
Aadilor:The realm where everything exists. Aadilor is a neologism inspired by the word “lore,” which means “a body of traditions and knowledge passed from person to person by word of mouth.”
Obasi Sea:The only sea in Aadilor. The language of origin for Obasi is Igbo and is said to mean “in honor of the supreme god” or “in honor of God.” I loved this meaning and how Obasi flows off the tongue like water. I saw this sea being named this in honor of the lost gods gifting their people such beauty to sail upon.
Jabari:Aadilor’s capital city. The Swahili name Jabari, meaning “brave [one],” is derived from the Arabic word jabbār, meaning “ruler.”
Esrom:An underwater sanctuary kingdom that can only be located by those who were born there. The name can be traced back to biblical times and in some texts is said to mean “dart of joy.”
Lachlan: The land of Darius’s birth. The name is of Scottish origin, meaning “land of lakes,” which was perfect to name a territory filled with lakes stretching as far as the horizon.
Imell:The main town of Lachlan Lake. A neologism, but it also is a little hidden nod to my father, whose name is Emil.
Yamanu:The realm where all things that want to stay hidden reside. The name is derived from the ancient Egyptian Amon, which means “the hidden one.”