[Icarium81]

I've read all the books upto half of Dust of Dreams, and I've just been wondering if it was ever mentioned how Whisky Jack got his name.

I know Fiddler or one of them started the whole naming scheme with Braventooth (when he bit one of them).

please post your response here, or email me, mason27@live.com

[Salt-Man Z]

One theory is that "Iskar Jarak" is his real name, with Whiskeyjack being a nickname-ified version of it.

[Bauchelain the Evil]

Unprobavble seeing how it's mentioned that it's a 7C moniker and WJ is from Quon

[MTS]

I think Iskar Jarak is just a mangled version of Whiskeyjack's name.

Whiskeyjack and Iskar Jarak are both names derived from birds (both being some sort of crow). Couldn't tell you how that fits his appearance/personality though.

[Bauchelain the Evil]

I think it has something to do with his eyes. Aren't they described as birdlike?

This post has been edited by Bauchelain the Evil: 03 March 2011 - 07:29 PM

[MTS]

I remember them being 'hard and grey', so that could be it. I remember the Moranth call him Bird That Steals too, which fits with the crow references in his name.

[Aptorian]

Isn't this tittle something of a spoiler? Wasn't it a mystery in BH that was only answered in TTH?

[MTS]

We're in the General Book Topics forum Apt, spoilers from all books are allowed.

[Aptorian]

But not in the titles and it has now been editted I see.

[Icarium81]

wow, IM SORRY, but WHERE is the spoiler in asking about his NAME???????? hes called whisky jack from page one of book one....(not literally, but when he shows up he is)
and iskar jarak is his old name.
youve also all seemed to miss the entire point of the OP question as well.
fiddler got his name cause he carried a FIDDLE, Quick Ben got his because of his magic abilities (hes quick), Dead smell is a necromancer... and on and on with almost ALL of the characters...
theres a story behind how they got their names, not just a little thing like his eyes.

[Jade-Green Pig-Hog Swine-Beast]

I think someone got out the wrong side of the bed this morning...

[Aptorian]

Icarium81, on 03 March 2011 - 10:40 AM, said:

wow, IM SORRY, but WHERE is the spoiler in asking about his NAME???????? hes called whisky jack from page one of book one....(not literally, but when he shows up he is)
and iskar jarak is his old name.

Before your title was edited it said something in the lines of Whiskey Jack/Iskar Jarak name question.

The name first shows up in BH and it is a mystery who this guy and the burning bridge is that Boat Finder and his people worship. Especially since it sounds like Iskar Jarak is an old ascendant. It's not before TTH that we get the confirmation that WJ is IJ.

It is asked that when submitting a title you try to avoid putting something that could be viewed as a spoiler in your title.

[MTS]

Icarium81, on 03 March 2011 - 10:40 AM, said:

wow, IM SORRY, but WHERE is the spoiler in asking about his NAME???????? hes called whisky jack from page one of book one....(not literally, but when he shows up he is)
and iskar jarak is his old name.
youve also all seemed to miss the entire point of the OP question as well.
fiddler got his name cause he carried a FIDDLE, Quick Ben got his because of his magic abilities (hes quick), Dead smell is a necromancer... and on and on with almost ALL of the characters...
theres a story behind how they got their names, not just a little thing like his eyes.

Wow, you need to chill buddy. What about Shortnose? That's a name based on appearance. It's noted time and again that his eyes are unusually striking, and it's something that sticks out about his character, thus the name. I think you're reading too much into it.

[Puck]

Wasn't Whiskeyjack named how he was because he stole his sister back from Hood's temple? Named after a canadian kind of magpie? Makes sense. And now pronounce Iskar Jarak aloud and you get something similar to Whiskeyjack. The Anibar just misheard the name and made Iskar Jarak out of Whiskeyjack.

[Salt-Man Z]

"Whiskeyjack" is another name for the "gray jay". Jays are known for stealing eggs out of other birds' nests. WJ and Fiddler once stole WJ's sister Dunsparrow out from Hood's temple. The Moranth call WJ "Bird That Steals".

[miriya]

Semi-unrelated but amusing, Wisakedjak, also Anglicized as Whiskeyjack, is an North American Indian creator-god.

From Wikipedia:

Quote

Wisakedjak (Wìsakedjàk in Algonquin, Wīhsakecāhkw in Cree and Wiisagejaak in Oji-cree) is the Crane Manitou found in northern Algonquian mythology, similar to the trickster god Nanabozho in Ojibwa aadizookaanan (sacred stories) and Inktonme in Assiniboine myth. He is generally portrayed as being responsible for a great flood which destroyed the world originally made by the Creator, as well as the one who created the current world with magic, either on his own or with powers given to him by the Creator for that specific purpose. His name is subject to many variant spellings, including Weesack-kachack, Wisagatcak, Wis-kay-tchach, Wissaketchak, Woesack-ootchacht, and undoubtedly others.

It was sometimes Anglicized as Whiskey Jack, which became an alternate name for the Gray Jay.

[Dutch]

Ok, didn't Boatfinder say that it meant something like "Man of iron/steel" that referring to Whiskeyjacks wearing his armor, when he told Samar Dev?

Edit, I just remembered that Boatfinder called Whiskeyjack "the Iron Prophet" (Wich also could refer to his armor) wich translated into Iskar Jarak as far as I can recall.

This post has been edited by Dutch: 24 April 2011 - 08:40 PM