kid chronicles. family and friends. dusty archives. rowan naa merley martey. click on the image to see a larger version. newborn to six weeks six weeks to three months three to 15 months twenty months to two years two to three years three years to present rowan's name. Rowan Naa Merley Martey is named according to a mix of naming conventions. Her first name, Rowan, was chosen by her parents as her "American" name, and is meant to reflect her heritage of two American-born parents, one with Celtic roots (mom), the other with African ones (dad). "Rowan" is the name of a tree sacred to the ancient Celts and Druids, imbuing strength, protection, and peace. Staves and wands were often made of rowan wood for religious ceremonies and rituals. The rowan tree is a powerful symbol in Celtic tradition and is considered a channel for the magic of the Earth Goddess worshipped by those ancient peoples. In the U.S., the rowan tree is called the mountain ash, and generally grows in the northern NE of the country, particularly abundant in Maine and New Hampshire. Happily, we discovered that not only do rowan trees also grow in Colorado, there's one growing in our yard! Our daughter's second name, Naa Merley, was given to her in the Ghanean tradition. Children in Nii's family are given certain names that are indicators of their place in the family tree. A "keeper of the names" keeps track of all the children born, and tells new parents what their child is to be called. As new parents, we send off the traditional bottle of schnapps and are told our child's name. "Naa" indicates that Rowan is a girl - "Nii" is for boys. This prefix is similar to an honorific, or identifier that she is part of this family / clan. "Merley" is the name our daughter was given as first daughter of a second son. In Ga, the 'R' is silent, so this part of her name is pronounced "MEH-leh". copyright ©2006 | rosa mikeal martey