ANAPEL

Spirit stone of recycled baby names

What's in a name? Quite a lot, according to the Koryak people of Siberia. From ancient times their traditional beliefs have included reincarnation. When a child is born, the Koryak supreme deity dispatches a deceased soul into the body of the infant.

Luckily, the father can consult the ANAPEL — the 'Little Grandmother'. The name refers to a simple stone which dad dangles on a piece of string while speaking aloud the names of dead relatives. When the stone begins to spin, he knows he has uttered the name of the returned soul. And then — hopefully — it's congratulations all round.

Many books erroneously claim that ANAPEL is a Goddess of Childbirth. This appears to be an error due to over-simplification. We have consulted what appears to be the original research by Waldemar Jochelson (and also Maria Czaplicka). No goddess involved. Just a stone on a piece of string. (However, to avoid rocking the New Age boat too much, we have listed ANAPEL as a spirit on our database.)

We think the ANAPEL system is a charming — if slightly nerve-wracking — way for parents to choose a suitable moniker for their children. You are welcome to try it — let us know how you get on.