A river in paradise…
Is what my name translates to, in Arabic. My mother heard the name back in the 80s, after speaking with her family still back in Ramallah (A city in the West Bank of Palestine) and decided it would be perfect for me.
I can’t help but agree, but not for the reasons one would think. Here’s a quote that resonates with me:
“I thought how lovely and how strange a river is. A river is a river, always there, and yet the water flowing through it is never the same water and is never still. It’s always changing and is always on the move. And over time the river itself changes too.”
- Aidan Chambers
Lovely and strange. Always there but never the same. Always changing.
Throughout my life I’ve embraced change in an effort to reach self-actualization. That’s a fancy way of saying I never knew what I wanted or who I was, but I was willing to learn. I think that’s the important part.
The name isn’t just found in Middle Eastern culture, however. According to Wikipedia, Rowan or Rawan (as it would be spelled in Arabic) is a traditionally masculine Irish given name and surname. While I find it amusing, it seems only fitting that I would be given what is thought of as a masculine name. Ever since I can remember I’ve always had a somewhat masculine energy. I’ve never been one for dresses or traditionally feminine qualities. All my life, I have found myself caught in the middle somewhere in between masculine and feminine dispositions.
As claimed by many sources,
“Rowan has also been thought to be inspired by the rowan tree, a small deciduous tree that fruits red berries. The name is strongly associated with the color red”.
Sorbus aucuparia or Mountain Ash, as it’s also commonly known is an ancient tree with red berries and beautiful feather-shaped leaves. I think I like this association best. There’s a plethora of myths and folklore surrounding this tree.
From Ancient Greece:
Hebe, the beautiful young goddess who served ambrosia to the gods, lost her cup to demons and so the gods sent an eagle to recover the cup. During the ensuing battle, each one of the eagle’s feathers and drops of blood that fell to earth produced a Rowan tree. This also explains the Rowan’s red berries and its feather-shaped leaves.
Even cooler still,
The ancient Norse people believed the first woman was created from a Rowan tree, and a Rowan rescued the god Thor from drowning in a river in the Underworld.
The Rowan also features in the ancient wisdom of the Celtic people. Fid na ndruad, its ancient Celtic name, means wizard’s tree.
The Irish planted the Rowan near houses for protection against evil
The Scots believed that felling a Rowan would bring bad luck, and finally
The Welsh planted Rowans in their graveyards to keep evil spirits at bay.
I feel lucky to have a name so steeped in history, and meaning. I’ll hold this meaning close to my heart as I enjoy getting lost in nature. And as I stand surrounded by trees, I’ll probably be wearing red. Because it’s my favorite color.
