I Have Many Names: Difference between revisions

* Luffy in [[The Will of the D]] when {{spoiler|thanks to the water logia type fruit provided by a time traveling Gold Roger he is able to claim sovereignty over the sea}}

{{quote|"I have many names and I have no name, for they drift away with the currents."}}

 

 

== Films -- Live Action ==

{{quote|'''Kevin Lomax:''' What are you?

'''John Milton:''' Oh, I have so many names!

'''Satan:''' [[Faux Affably Evil|[nostalgic]]] I do miss the old names. }}

* In ''[[Ghostbusters]]'', the [[Big Bad]] Sumerian deity Gozer was also known as "The Traveler", "The Destructor", "Volguus Zildrohar" and "Gozer the Gozerian".

* In ''[[Pan's Labyrinth]]'', the faun tells us that he has had many names, "names that only the trees and the mountains can remember," but he doesn't tell us any of them. The film's English title implies that "Pan" is one of them, though the original Spanish title, ''El Laberinto del Fauno'', would be more accurately be translated "The Faun's Labyrinth". Guillermo del Toro has stated that Pan would have been far too dangerous and fickle for the role.

* [http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=RFHlJ2voJHY David Ryder] from the [[So Bad It's Good]] film ''[[Space Mutiny]]'' had many cheesy names bestowed upon him by [[Mystery Science Theater 3000|Mike and the 'Bots]]. "Flint Ironstag!" "Bolt Vanderhuge!" ... "[[Odd Name Out|Bob Johnson! Wait...]]"

** ''The Dark Tower'' reveals Walter Paddick is his real name.

** The trope is actually stated near-verbatim by Tom Cullen in [[The Stand]], when he's in his trance. "He has many names..."

** There are even Elven terms for the various types of names according to originator and function. The general extra epithet was called the ''epessë'', the after-name. It was usually an honorary title or nickname, sometimes chosen by the Elf personally.)

** Gandalf from ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'': "Many are my names in many countries: Mithrandir among the Elves, Tharkun to the Dwarves; Olórin I was in my youth in the West that is forgotten, in the South Incanus, in the North Gandalf, [[Mordor|to the east I go not.]]" Additionally don't forget Gandalf Greyhame, Gandalf the Grey, The Grey Pilgrim (a translation of Mithrandir), The White Rider and Gandalf the White. Also Greybeard, Stormcrow and Lathspell (Ill-news) as insults (although "Stormcrow" is [[Appropriated Appellation|later used by Gandalf himself]]).

** Tom Bombadil is called "Forn" by the dwarves, also known by the Men as Orald. And by the Elves as Iarwain Ben-Adar ("the eldest and fatherless").

** Sauron has many, many names (and titles), the most amusing of which is probably The Nameless One. Depending on how you count, he can easily beat even Aragorn and Gandalf.

** Also, Saruman/Curunir/Curumo, Saruman the White, Saruman of Many Colors, the White Wizard, nicknamed Sharkey.

** Even Frodo and Sam got elvish nicknames in the drafts (which translate as Endurance Beyond Hope and Hope Unquenchable).

** It is mentioned in ''Thud!'' and possibly ''[[Discworld/The Fifth Elephant|The Fifth Elephant]]'' that a vampire, having plenty of free time because of their long life, tends to spend much of it making up the longest possible names. In ''[[Discworld/Thud|Thud]]'', we're introduced to a new vampire on the Watch, and her name is told to Vimes as, "Salacia...the names go on for a few pages, but they end in 'von Humpding'."

** Or Moist von Lipwig, conman extraordinaire. He was hanged under the name Albert Spangler, but he used lots of others, including (apparently) "Ethel Snake".

** Commander Vimes of the City Watch has had a few names over the books. "The Butcher," for example. Also "Old Stoneface", which was also a nickname of his famous ancestor. And in ''Night Watch'' he {{spoiler|went by the name of John Keel}}. Also, after having a few honors bestowed upon him (under protest), his proper full name and title is "His Grace, the Duke of Ankh, Commander Sir Samuel Vimes." Though he absolutely hates being called "Your Grace," and allows "Sir" only if the person speaking to him insists on being formal. Those who have his trust and respect (a short list) call him simply "Mr. Vimes." Among the dwarfs, he's also known as "Blackboard Monitor Vimes." And to people like Sybil (his wife), and Colon, who have known him longer than anyone else alive and entering times of crisis, call him "Sam".

* Paul Atreides from ''[[Dune]]'' has been called "Muad'Dib", "Usul", "the Emperor", "Kwisatz Haderach", "Mahdi", and "{{spoiler|the Preacher}}".

* Unsurprisingly in a work steeped in myth, lore, and legend, [[The Chosen One|Rand al'Thor]] suffers from this in ''[[The Wheel of Time]]'': he is known as the Dragon Reborn, He Who Comes with the Dawn, the Car'a'carn, and the Coramoor, not to mention all the lands he has become king or lord of, and he's also the reincarnation of Lews Therin Telamon who has ''own'' set of lengthy titles: Lord of the Morning (which may overlap with another title - prince of the dawn), the Dragon, Kinslayer, Ruler of the Nine Rods of Dominion, Wearer of the Ring of Tamyrlin...

** Also, the Dark One, who is known by a different name virtually everywhere, and the Forsaken, who all have at least two names- their birth names, of which we only know a few, and the ones the Dark One gave them, plus all of the aliases they have taken, and the rebirths. For example, we have Elan Morin/Ishamael/Moridin/Ba'alzamon/Betrayer Of Hope/Nae'blis, Mieren/Lanfear/Silvie/Selene/Keille and (True Name Unknown)/Balthamel/Aran'gar/Halima.

* Parodied, like many other tropes, in David Eddings' ''[[Malloreon]]'', in the form of another [[Overly Long Gag]]:

{{quote|King Belgarion of Riva, Overlord of the West, Lord of the Western Sea, Godslayer, and general all-around hero, had an extended argument with his co-ruler, Queen Ce'Nedra of Riva, Imperial Princess of the Tolnedran Empire and Jewel of the House of Borune. The subject of their discussion hinged on the question of just who should have the privilege of carrying Crown Prince Geran, Heir to the Throne of Riva, hereditary Keeper of the Orb, and, until recently, the Child of Dark.}}

* In [[Robert A. Heinlein]]'s novel ''[[Glory Road (novel)|Glory Road]]'', the female lead actually uses this phrase when she tells narrator/main character Oscar Gordon:

{{quote|"I Have Many Names... Would you like to call me 'Etarre'? ... Or it could be 'Esther' just as closely. Or 'Aster.' Or even 'Estrellita.'"}}

** ''[[Time Enough for Love]]'' opens with a nearly page-long list of ''some'' of the names Woodrow Wilson Smith has used in his life.

* Sam, the protagonist of [[Roger Zelazny]]'s ''[[Lord of Light]]'', lists some of his many names in the opening of the book. Of course, he is the self-styled Buddha of his world, and the Buddha also had many names. It's never revealed whether Sam is also his original given name, or just something English-sounding that he fashioned from the title Mahasamatman (which literally means, at least as it is presented in the novel, "Great-Souled Sam".