In 1959 mr. C.G. Stratman asked these questions in a letter to Mikhail Naimy, author of the book of Mirdad that was published in English 1948. This Dutchman took care of the publications of the School of the golden rosycross at that time. In a letter of october 24, Naimy wrote to Stratman:
You are right in thinking that the names in the Book are not wirthout meanings charateristic of their beares. In concocting them I had a threefold piurpose in mind:
- to have them sonorous and easily pronounced in any language
- to give them a touch of antiquity without identifying wirth any particular era, or race
- to make each name characteristic of its bearer.
Thus,
- MIRDAD is taken from an Arabic root that meas “to return”/ He is the man that comes back again and again. An avatar.
- SHAMADAM is compunded of two englisch words: Sham – Adam, the false man.
- MICAYON is constructed after the jewisch name Mi-kha-il, or Mi-cha-el. Me meaning He Who Is; cha, meaning Like; il, or el, meaning God – He who is Like God; Ayon, being a Poenician deity.
- MICASTER – the star-like.
- ZAMORA – from an Arabic root denoting blowing of a musical instrument.
- BENNOON – The sun of the Noon; noon being the letter of the Arabic alphabeth written in from a cresent with a dot inside. It fits a judge and a logician.
- HIMBAL – suggestive of BAAL, the ido, and idol worship.
- NARONDA – just a sonorous name suggestive of truth, honesty and devotion
- ABIMAR – also chosen for its melodiousness; MAR being suggestive of “marring” or distrust
Warmest greetings and sincerest wishes.
Faithfully
Mikhail Naimy
