The Rule of Names (1964) is a short story by Ursula K. Le Guin, first published in the April 1964 issue of Fantastic, and reprinted in collections such as The Wind's Twelve Quarters. This story and "The Word of Unbinding" help explain the underpinnings of the world of Earthsea, in particular the importance of true names to magic.
The story is set on Sattins Island, a small rural island, and opens with the schoolteacher, Palani, introducing the co...
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The Rule of Names (1964) is a short story by Ursula K. Le Guin, first published in the April 1964 issue of Fantastic, and reprinted in collections such as The Wind's Twelve Quarters. This story and "The Word of Unbinding" help explain the underpinnings of the world of Earthsea, in particular the importance of true names to magic.
The story is set on Sattins Island, a small rural island, and opens with the schoolteacher, Palani, introducing the concept of naming to her pupils: people have one name as children, then are given their adult name at puberty, but this name must be kept private as it can be used by magicians to cast spells on the person. Sattinsmen are very superstitious. They believe that to wish a neighbor "Good Morning" will change the weather for the worse; that dragons are fond of eating Maidens; that two wizards in one town are trouble. Their resident magician is a fat, incompetent man nicknamed "Underhill" because he lives in a cave outside the village.
One day, a...
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