A farmer in Eyjafjörður fjord in North Iceland is not allowed to name her horse Mósan, according to a ruling by the Horse Naming Commission, a body which must approve all horse names before they can be entered into databases of thoroughbred Icelandic horses.
Horse naming commission
The rulings of the Icelandic Naming Commission, which has to approve all (human) names regularly make it into the news, but this is the first time decisions by the horse naming commission cause controversy.
Read more: Naming committee stops parents from naming daughter after goddess of the underworld
Guðrún Hrafnsdóttir, who is a horse farmer at Skeggsstaðir farm, near the village Dalvík in North Iceland, had named a three winter old mare Mósan. But before she could enter the horse into a registry of thoroughbred Icelandic horses, she had to have the name approved by the naming commission. The commission, which consists of two members, rejected the name, arguing a given name could not have a definite article. Mósa, without an -n could therefore work as a name, but not Mósan.
Rules which don't make sense
Guðrún the local news site Vísir that she had sent a letter to the ministry of the interior requesting a further explanation. The letter was received by the ministry five months ago, and has not yet been answered.
Guðrún told Vísir she didn't understand the reasoning, as there are numerous colts and stallions who have names which end with a definite article, causing her to wonder wether different rules applied to male and female horses. But I also know there is a mare called Féttan [Flétta with a definite article], for example. The rules appear to be applied in all kinds of manner.
A farmer in Eyjafjörður fjord in North Iceland is not allowed to name her horse Mósan, according to a ruling by the Horse Naming Commission, a body which must approve all horse names before they can be entered into databases of thoroughbred Icelandic horses.
Horse naming commission
The rulings of the Icelandic Naming Commission, which has to approve all (human) names regularly make it into the news, but this is the first time decisions by the horse naming commission cause controversy.
Read more: Naming committee stops parents from naming daughter after goddess of the underworld
Guðrún Hrafnsdóttir, who is a horse farmer at Skeggsstaðir farm, near the village Dalvík in North Iceland, had named a three winter old mare Mósan. But before she could enter the horse into a registry of thoroughbred Icelandic horses, she had to have the name approved by the naming commission. The commission, which consists of two members, rejected the name, arguing a given name could not have a definite article. Mósa, without an -n could therefore work as a name, but not Mósan.
Rules which don't make sense
Guðrún the local news site Vísir that she had sent a letter to the ministry of the interior requesting a further explanation. The letter was received by the ministry five months ago, and has not yet been answered.
Guðrún told Vísir she didn't understand the reasoning, as there are numerous colts and stallions who have names which end with a definite article, causing her to wonder wether different rules applied to male and female horses. But I also know there is a mare called Féttan [Flétta with a definite article], for example. The rules appear to be applied in all kinds of manner.
