DISCLAIMER: This is a long post. It is explicitly long because normally these associations take split seconds in my mind, but there would be no way to allow a reader to follow without being verbose. To help, I have divided it up into sections, but I hope that it is interesting enough to hold your attention.
Those of you who know me have met Majnun and/or Eloisa before. Those of you who frequent this blog have heard them sing together. However, in a very Stinson-esque turn of events, it took me spending the better part of a decade with these two before I was able to learn their names.
Some background.
History, myth, literature have shown that often, extraordinary blades were given names.
Arthur had Excalibur,
Beowulf had Hrunting,
Charlemagne had Joyeuse,
Cao Cao had 倚天劍 and 青釭劍,
Ichigo had Zangetsu.
(My obsession/ knowledge of blades stems from two different interests in my life, 1. My love of mythology, and 2.
my years of Kendo. Ironically enough, I never got to name my shinai, although there was one that I got really attached to through college where the weight was balanced further up, to really deliver a big oomph on impact... but I digress).
Not saying that I am a great leader of men as those examples above, or that my guitars have accomplished feats of legend, but the idea of naming things has always intrigued me. I must confess, I may not be the most creative in the aspect of coming up with novel names, but I do take pride in building an association with the object being named so that they live up to their namesake. As you will see, these things become near obsession with me.
My first betta fish's name was Odysseus, as he was besting the challenges thrown his way by the sea (Senior year at Syracuse, it was a miracle he lived as long as he did).
My 2nd betta fish's name was Yorrick (as in Y: The Last Man), as he was the only male fish in a tank full of female livebearers
My Jeep is named Turtle, not only for looking like the amphibian, but in homage to Korean Admiral Yi Soon Shin who built the first ironclad naval ship in history called the Turtleship.
My Wii is named Wii-lliam. because.
To note: My mom's cousin once told me she had named the cactus in her bathroom Horatio, because in the bathroom, there are no secrets. She trusted Horatio with all of hers, the way Hamlet did with his. As far as I'm concerned, she wins in naming inanimate objects in light of literary allusions.
Majnun
Majnun is the youngest of my guitars.
I was introduced to the word Majnun not too long ago, when I was brushing up on some Eric Clapton riffs and decided I wanted to hear
one of my favorite songs of all time. The story behind Layla is a famous one. Eric Clapton at the time was in love with George Harrison (of The Beatles)'s wife, Pattie Boyd. The lyrics to this (and another Clapton Classic, Wonderful Tonight) were written for Pattie, expressing his feelings for her. What I did not know when I first was obsessed with the song (2002 ish?), was why the name Layla.
Recently, I was able to learn that the song was essentially a retelling of an Arabic story which was made popular by a Persian poet, Nizami Ganjavi, titled
لیلی و مجنون (Persian, literally translated to The Madman and Layla). It tells the familiar story of star crossed lovers. Quays, so in love with Layla, in his obsession would write poetry of her, to the effect of his tribe calling him possessed (Majnun). When he asked for Layla's hand in Marriage, her father denied it, as Quays' obsession did not make him a desirable groom for his daughter. Layla is then wed off to another, and Quays (Majnun) would wander the desert, still obsessed with his Layla. Layla falls ill and dies(in some tellings, heart ache of never seeing her true love again). Majnun is found dead years later, with his final words scribbled on an unknown woman's grave
I pass by these walls, the walls of Layla
And I kiss this wall and that wall
It’s not Love of the houses that has taken my heart
But of the One who dwells in those houses
Essentially it is a tale of unrequited love and true obsession that had driven a man to madness. Knowing what is widely known of Eric Clapton's relationship with Pattie Boyd, it really is an apt metaphor for his mental state while writing the song. It made me love the song even more. The fact that by referencing a story from ages ago from worlds away (Pre-Internet, mind you) Clapton added another layer to telling his story, and telling the world of his state of mind, SLAYED me with sheer nerd joy.
Majnun was the guitar that stayed with me through college, and despite being the youngest of my guitars, has probably gotten the most playing time. Where I originally thought that it would be a she, I realized that for this loyal steed who survived 4 Syracuse winters and still howls with the fervor that he does, he must be a man possessed. He is Majnun.
Eloisa
Eloisa is my baby.
She is a 50th Anniversary American Deluxe Fender Stratocaster. She was my gig guitar through High School, and she stayed at home while I was in college.
My association with the name Eloisa is from the film, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I have recently watched the movie again and must admit, I am still not a fan. But the lines of Alexander Pope quoted in the film have had a profound effect on me.
- How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!
- The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
- Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
- Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd ...
The lines are from the poem, Eloisa to Abelard. It tells of Eloisa, a bright young student who falls in love with her teacher Abelard and marries him. They keep their love secret for his job's sake, but are caught. Eventually her family castrates Abelard and he is forced to live out his life in the monastery. She is then forced to take a vow of silence. In future correspondence, she finds that he can no longer reciprocate the love she still has for him, as he is now a eunuch who is freed of the contagion of carnal impurity. In this realization she begs to forget, rather than begging for forgiveness.
In this case, playing Eloisa provides me with my spotless mind, even if only for a little while. Also, I hope to be able to wield my Eloisa in the full range of emotion Eloisa goes through in the tale.
TL;DR... and it is 3:44 AM.
Both guitars are named after characters who suffer unrequited love and obsession, and those are attributes I hope to emulate with my guitars' sounds (emotion, and let's face it, to make good music, you have to be a little bit obsessive).
Plus, I think it isnt a bad thing to play with a heavy heart.
Heavy hearts, like heavy clouds in the sky, are best relieved by letting of a little water.
-Christopher Morley
