Noble Family Mottos/Sayings/Words

[Colt Ward]

One of the early scenes in GoT is a young Bran being forced to learn important Houses' words/mottos . . .

 . . . and like the Middle Ages roots was to put the polish on someone like Bran (using his description of course) who established himself with power & title.  For example, William established the motto 'dieu et mon droit' for England (and eventually UK) probably for a variety of reasons and his successors kept it for many of those same reasons.  The House of Romania uses Latin for 'Nihil Sine Deo' which is 'Nothing Without God.'  Historically they seem to be used in either the language of government/diplomacy (French) or to use the language of the Church/Education (Latin) the practice does not seem widespread until the 17th Century.

With the end of the 2SW and rise of neofeudalism in the Houses focused mostly among the Mechwarrior class, they adopted a lot of the old traditions . . . land with the house/manor and service duty with their weapons & training.  Would this practice possibly be adopted in a House?  More in one than others?  Actively discouraged?  What language?

For instance, the Federated Suns is commonly given the Brit/French culture- particularly the romanticized late Medieval & following Renaissance periods.  Would they use lofty sounding French phrases?  Something like 'L'honneur est la force' which means 'Honor is Strength'?

[Pat Payne]

I had a few that I'd posted a few years ago:

While not at all canonical, here are two I could see as being used for two of the Successor States:

Free Worlds League: "Alis aquilae (on an eagle's wings)" -- Riffing on the Marik emblem
Draconis Combine: "Fukoku kyōhei" (富国強兵, "Enrich the state, strengthen the military") -- this one sounds right both as it was the motto for the Tokugawa Shogunate, and because this sounds plausibly like Kurita's policy in a nutshell

And a couple others:

Interstellar Expeditions: "Astra inclinant, sed non obligant (The stars incline us, they do not bind us)"

Mercenaries in general: "****** gladio et sale (With sword and salt)" -- This was the motto of a well-paid Roman legionary, as salt was the common pay for a Roman soldier. (Edit In... OK, so the Latin word for "with" triggers the auto censor...  [face palm])

[Tai Dai Cultist]

HBS's BattleTech game has the family mottoes for the Great Houses.  Canonicity may be dubious though, given the platform.

[Colt Ward]

House Arano book has them, good catch- I forgot them.

For example, Arano's is "Without foresight or vision, the people will be lost."
Decimis- "Rise above the mountains and excel."
Karosas- "There Is No Greater Wealth Than Knowledge"
Gallas- "Met Volle Zeilen" -Dutch for 'With Full Sails'?
Parata- "Friends and enemies die, the land remains."
Madeira- "Behold Our Splendor."
Espinosa-  "Forever Vigilant."

Would the Draconis Combine have mottos for nobility?  I just wondered if it fit in with bushido properly.

[Pat Payne]

House Arano book has them, good catch- I forgot them.

For example, Arano's is "Without foresight or vision, the people will be lost."
Decimis- "Rise above the mountains and excel."
Karosas- "There Is No Greater Wealth Than Knowledge"
Gallas- "Met Volle Zeilen" -Dutch for 'With Full Sails'?
Parata- "Friends and enemies die, the land remains."
Madeira- "Behold Our Splendor."
Espinosa-  "Forever Vigilant."

Would the Draconis Combine have mottos for nobility?  I just wondered if it fit in with bushido properly.

Maybe not mottoes, as that doesn't seem to be a particularly feudal Japanese thing. Pretty sure Mon/Kamon are going to be prevalent though.

[abou]

If the 3025 CapCon motto is not a verbatim quote of the Black Knight from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, there is no justice in this world.

[Robroy]

"Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc!" “We gladly feast upon those who would subdue us.” -Addams Family

This was always one of my favorites.

[Colt Ward]

Hmm, but what would be the proper planet for the Addams Family to have settled with their mech as neo-feudalists.

[Pat Payne]

Hmm, but what would be the proper planet for the Addams Family to have settled with their mech as neo-feudalists.

Dunkelwalderduenklerfluessenschattenwelt/Bob?

[Xiwo Xerase]

Hmm, but what would be the proper planet for the Addams Family to have settled with their mech as neo-feudalists.

Belladonna, in the FedSuns.

Back on topic, I would expect noble houses to use mottos with Latin, Greek, their current language, or their (adopted?) ancestral language.  For example, I wouldn't be surprised if the original noble houses on Skye and Donegal used Gaelic for their mottos.

I would still expect to see mottos in the Draconis Combine but they'd be more like creeds than something to hang under a coat of arms (or, for the Combine, mons).

Would House Cameron's motto be "The Inner Sphere is not enough."?

[Colt Ward]

Marik motto in . . . Hungarian?  The Lyran motto would have to be in German, and I would expect it to be for most nobility that follows Tharkad and the dominant culture.  But like you said, I expect the Isle to use Gaelic for the same sort of political reasons William used French.

[Ogra_Chief]

Most modern nation states and their provincial charges, as well as cities, have mottos; thus likely carried to the stars as well. So I can see that being carried upward and outward if you will. Plus, if all the cool kids are doing it...

[Colt Ward]

Oh yeah, cities do but I do not know any families that have mottos.  It sort of fits with a feudal family also being a political entity- the equivalent of a city, county (where did that word come from?), state or even planetary government.

[Ogra_Chief]

Family heraldry is not that far removed, I'm sure in 20th century more than a few (US) immigrant families could have produced papers of birth from the old country. Which no doubt incorporated either noble and papacy heraldry. What is heraldry but a flag of this is, my domain, the land of my birth.

Heraldries might well still be of some importance if not for the collapse of dynastic kingdoms in the early 21st century. At least imo. I could easily see the system arising a new in defense of lord and planet, much as it did in the beginning.

[ClarkeMarek]

Marik motto in . . . Hungarian?  The Lyran motto would have to be in German, and I would expect it to be for most nobility that follows Tharkad and the dominant culture.  But like you said, I expect the Isle to use Gaelic for the same sort of political reasons William used French.

Probably a Slavic language, like Czech, Polish, Serbo-Croatian, or Macedonian, as that's where the Marik name originated from.  Hungarian's a whole nother language class entirely.


EDIT: Since it's gonna get brought up:

http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/1/Marik

https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=marik

[glitterboy2098]

"Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc!" “We gladly feast upon those who would subdue us.” -Addams Family

This was always one of my favorites.

sounds like something House Amaris would have.

[Mendrugo]

Hmm, but what would be the proper planet for the Addams Family to have settled with their mech as neo-feudalists.

Sighisoara (historical birthplace of Vlad Dracula)

The best tagline I ever saw for the Capellans was from their introduction into MWDA:  "Eight Centuries of Hatred"

[Colt Ward]

Probably a Slavic language, like Czech, Polish, Serbo-Croatian, or Macedonian, as that's where the Marik name originated from.  Hungarian's a whole nother language class entirely.


EDIT: Since it's gonna get brought up:

http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/1/Marik

https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=marik

Yeah, I just want to say it was attributed further south for where the Mariks came from.  I want to say it came up with using certain historical buildings for 3D terrain.

[Phalanx]

Sighisoara (historical birthplace of Vlad Dracula)

The best tagline I ever saw for the Capellans was from their introduction into MWDA:  "Eight Centuries of Hatred"

So interestingly enough, The Dracula name comes from the Order he was inducted into, the Order of the Dragon. So you have a planet named after the birthplace of the historical Vlad Dracul(Dracula), which is located in the Draconis Combine.
Now THAT sounds like a Halloween-appropriate Touring the Stars.

The House mottos from the HBS Battletech game are:

Davion - "By Freedom's Sword"
Kurita - "Honor the Dragon"
Liao - "One Vision"
Marik - "We Stand United"
Steiner - "Indomitable Will"

[Daryk]

"We stand united" is just begging for "And we sit otherwise..."  :D

[DOC_Agren]

Steiner - "Indomitable Will"

Really I thought ours would be "Inmovable Walls of Steel"  or the more practical "Show us the MONEY"   ;D

[Colt Ward]

Us?  ME!  Elsies do not share . . .

[GermanSumo]

lets see:

Davion: "I like Chinese" (Monty Python Song)
Liao: "Im going slightly mad" (Queen)
Marik: "The roof is on fire" ("Fire, Water, Burn" Bloodhouse Gang)
Steiner: "I like big Butts and i cannot lie" (various Interprets)
Rasalhague: "Pretty fly (for a white guy)" (The Offspring)
Kurita: "My Samurai" (Shanadoo)
St Yves: "I need a Hero" (Bonnie Tyler)
Outworlds Alliance: "The Safety Dance" (Men without Hats"
ComStar: "Telephone" (Lady Gaga)
Word of Blake: "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!" (Vengaboys)
Star League: "Anything you can do (I can do better than you)" (various Interprets)
Taurus Concordat: "Cotton Eye Joe" (Rednex)
Magistracy of Canopus: "Candy Shop" (50Cent)

[Phalanx]

Magistracy of Canopus: "Candy Shop" (50Cent)

I imagine Kossandra Centrella was a fan of Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and (perhaps) Nicki Minaj.

[Kidd]

lets see:

Davion: "I like Chinese" (Monty Python Song)
Liao: "Im going slightly mad" (Queen)
Marik: "The roof is on fire" ("Fire, Water, Burn" Bloodhouse Gang)
Steiner: "I like big Butts and i cannot lie" (various Interprets)
Rasalhague: "Pretty fly (for a white guy)" (The Offspring)
Kurita: "My Samurai" (Shanadoo)
St Yves: "I need a Hero" (Bonnie Tyler)
Outworlds Alliance: "The Safety Dance" (Men without Hats"
ComStar: "Telephone" (Lady Gaga)
Word of Blake: "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!" (Vengaboys)
Star League: "Anything you can do (I can do better than you)" (various Interprets)
Taurus Concordat: "Cotton Eye Joe" (Rednex)
Magistracy of Canopus: "Candy Shop" (50Cent)

Songs is really something else

Word of Blake: Sadeness - Enigma
Canopus: My Humps - Black Eyed Peas

Concordat is spot on :D

[Robroy]

For the Taurus Concordat I was thinking Wild and Free by Rednex might work also.

[truetanker]

Would the Draconis Combine have mottos for nobility?  I just wondered if it fit in with bushido properly.

   酔生夢死

“Drunken life, dreamy death.”

TT

[Intermittent_Coherence]

Really I thought ours would be "Inmovable Walls of Steel"  or the more practical "Show us the MONEY"   ;D

I thought it was "Bigger, Heavier, Better" myself.

lets see:

Davion: "I like Chinese" (Monty Python Song)
Liao: "Im going slightly mad" (Queen)
Marik: "The roof is on fire" ("Fire, Water, Burn" Bloodhouse Gang)
Steiner: "I like big Butts and i cannot lie" (various Interprets)
Rasalhague: "Pretty fly (for a white guy)" (The Offspring)
Kurita: "My Samurai" (Shanadoo)
St Yves: "I need a Hero" (Bonnie Tyler)
Outworlds Alliance: "The Safety Dance" (Men without Hats"
ComStar: "Telephone" (Lady Gaga)
Word of Blake: "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!" (Vengaboys)
Star League: "Anything you can do (I can do better than you)" (various Interprets)
Taurus Concordat: "Cotton Eye Joe" (Rednex)
Magistracy of Canopus: "Candy Shop" (50Cent)

I thought the Outworlds Alliance would have "Amish Paradise" by Weird Al.

[RolandHTG]

House Davion "Pro Omnia Patria"

[abou]

House Davion "Pro Omnia Patria"

Ouch... sorry, man, but that isn't real Latin. You basically wrote, "All the things fatherland for."

[Colt Ward]

More of a Capellan sentiment anyway . . .

Since they are France in Space, might be better to do something like- "Liberté, égalité, fraternité"

[RolandHTG]

huh, that's how it was written on the Churchill Family coat of Arms

[Arkansas Warrior]

I’m slightly late to the party, but I could see the Mariks using Greek.  The FWL has always had a bit of a Byzantine feel, and whether their origins were Armenian, Slavic, Anatolian, Arab, etc, Greek was always the language of court.  Not to say that the FWL Government uses Greek, but that it might have certain significance as a language of nobility and power to a family of Balkan origins l, even if they used something else in day to day conversation at home.  Even a millennium on, for Mariks trying to portray their family’s glorious past, going back to Greek makes a certain sense.  It’s right up there with Latin as *the* language of learning and culture for European societies, and for a state/family that draws heavily on Eastern/Southern Europe it makes more sense (whereas the more Western Davions and Steiners pretty much only have Latin as the “language of learning and culture”).  Or maybe they’d go Old Church Slavonic, just for the hell of it.


For Davion, I would probably go with French.  English certainly seems to be more widespread as an everyday language, but that just furthers the parallels to medieval England, where the monarchs were imports from France and still spoke more French than English (once they learned any English at all).  Then again, I always did prefer the depiction of the FedSuns as “Space Angevin Empire” (when the “French Monarchs, English peasants” thing was at its height) to the “Space America” stereotype, so YMMV.  I guess Latin would work too, but feels a bit bland and cookie-cutter.


For Steiner, I’d probably use German.  It’s simple, but it fits.  There isn’t enough of a tradition of high German culture for me to suggest going all the way back to Old High German or something.  At least, AFAIK, German history was never my strong suit.  Latin would be appropriate as well.


For Liao, I’d suggest whatever the Chinese equivalent of Received Pronunciation is.  Some accent (and/or dialect) that’s seen as posh, perhaps a bit archaic, etc.  Enough to put some separation between them and the average citizen speaking Chinese on the streets, but not enough to make them seem in any way foreign.  Though I guess Russian might be acceptable too.  Or some sort of Sino-Russian hybrid language?


For Kurita, see what I said about Liao, more or less.  Is there a special form of Japanese spoke by the Emperor and/or Imperial Court?  That.  If there isn’t, invent one.

[abou]

huh, that's how it was written on the Churchill Family coat of Arms

Ah, had to search for it. University of Nevada has it as "Omnia Pro Patria," which makes more sense. Basically it has to do with the case that pro takes.

[Kidd]

Yes, there is court Chinese and court Japanese

Speaking for the former, it is far more word choice than accent. But there is no real English equivalent. No it's not literary Chinese, that is still taught today though I think in little practical use.

Imagine for example, if at court the king did not say "I will eat lunch now" but had to say "The Royal Majesty-self partakes nuncheon forthwith" and nobody else outside of the court ever uses these words... something like that. For obvious reasons it's a dying language. Used to be really popular in palace TV dramas, but those are a dying breed as well, and those few contemporary ones don't use them any more because 99.9% of the audience wouldn't understand what they're saying anyway... and the 0.1% are, er, naturally dwindling as well.

Incidentally there is also an actual, pre-Mandarin court dialect, lost to history. What little is known of it suggests it may be an ancestor of one of the dialects of today. Not Mandarin.

No point using it in Battletech. Can't even imagine how it would be possible.

I believe the case is similar for Japanese.

[nerd]

For Kurita, see what I said about Liao, more or less.  Is there a special form of Japanese spoke by the Emperor and/or Imperial Court?  That.  If there isn’t, invent one.

I'd go for language affect not dissimilar to the the Jewel Voice Broadcast had to the Japanese people. An archaic dialect of their every day language.

[Kidd]

As I understand, even the Jewel Voice Broadcast had been toned down for "commoner" ears.

[killgore444]

Oh yeah, cities do but I do not know any families that have mottos.

My family has one: "Family, Faith, Honor, Duty."

"We stand united" is just begging for "And we sit otherwise..."  :D

:thumbsup: :popcorn:

  Some ideas from me if interested:
  "A fructibus eorum cognoscetis eos." 'By their fruits ye shall know them.'
A good one for any of the intelligence agencies.

  "Veritas Omnia Vincula Vincit" 'Truth Overcomes All Bonds'
 Motto of the ISA [Intelligence Support Activity], US Army

  "Verba volant scripta manent" 'Spoken words fly, written words remain' 
This would be a good motto for that family of historians that house Steiner kept around in the Katrina and Melisa era.

  "Oderint dum metuant." 'Let them hate so long as they fear.' [Caligula]
This would be a good one for either Lio or the MH.

  "Flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo." 'If I can not bend the will of Heaven, I shall move Hell.'
ROM

  "Sic semper tyrannis." 'Thus always to tyrants.'
The Kell family. Also Heimdal.

  "Cognitionem Vincit Omnis" 'Knowledge conquers all'
NAIS

  "hinc itur ad astra" 'from here the way leads to the stars'
Written on the wall of the old astronomical observatory of Vilnius University, Lithuania, and the university's motto. Would also be good for Comstar Exploratory Corp.

  "non bene pro toto libertas venditur auro" 'liberty is not well sold for all the gold'
Rasalhaug.

  "nec spe, nec metu. Nil igitur mors est ad nos." 'Without hope, without fear. Death, therefore, is nothing to us.'
Any rebellion in the CC.

  "Dum spiramus tuebimur" - 'While we breathe, we shall defend' {translation may be off, google translate has it as 'Dum tempus habemus, defendemus'}

  "Ad eundum quo nemo ante iit" - 'To boldly go where no man has gone before'
Yes, this was a real Latin saying.

  "Misericordiae, quae solutae erant a iustitia, adolescit sine misericordia." 'Mercy, detached from justice, grows unmerciful.'
Ereindeti Light Horse

  "A verbis ad verbera" - 'From words to blows'
Waco Rangers

  "Ab alio spectes alteri quod feceris" - 'As you do to another, expect another to do to you'
Hansons Roughriders

  "acta non verba" 'Deeds not Words'
Gray Death Legion

  "corvus oculum corvi non eruit" 'a crow will not pull out the eye of another crow'
SAFE

  "to ne cede malis sed contra audentior ito" 'Yield not to misfortunes, but advance all the more boldly to the contrary'
FedSun
 
Other possibilities [taken from fanfiction];
 "A warrior who doesn't hope for battle has no hope during battle."
 "You can't lose a battel you never fight."
 "Overkill is a concept invented by the enemy."
 "Proper stabbing begins in your thoughts, and ends in their brains. Stab quickly, stab often!"