Photo and Commentary ©2023 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, October 17, 2023
Some names are certainly more descriptive than others. Take the names of two women in one of the great love stories of the Bible, Ruth and Naomi. Ruth’s name simply meant friend, something she showed herself to be. And Naomi’s, the mother-in-law in the story, had a name that would discourage from the start any future mother-in-law jokes, pleasantness. If their names really did describe their natures, no wonder they got along so well.
One of the rather large birds from the New World tropics has an equally descriptive name, but perhaps without the benefit of such positive connotations. The Montezuma Oropendola would be hard to miss should you see one. The Spanish name, Oropendola, describes not only its physical attributes but also its behavior. “Oro”, meaning gold, depicts the color of its tail which is highly visible both in flight and while perched. The “pendula” portion simple describes how the male bird will, when courting a female, swing by his feet, moving his tail back and forth like a pendulum. The species name, Montezuma, is, of course, a reference to the Aztec emperor Montezuma II, who ruled from 1502 to 1520 and brought the empire to its height, only to be followed by its demise at the hands of Hernán Cortés.
Does this say something about ourselves when we’re inclined to name our offspring after powerful rulers and individuals in the entertainment limelight rather than after qualities such as friendliness and pleasantness? What we really value has a way of revealing itself in the most subtle and unexpected ways.