Help please, what does this say?

[lynn cates]

natos

Hello Chris. So it's a nu, not a gamma.

I wonder if "natos" is like the Latin "natus"--born?

Cheers.
LC

[lynn cates]

born Robert S

Hello Chris. By Jove! What about "born Robert S"?

What a pedantic chap!

Cheers.
LC

[ChrisGeorge]

Hello Chris. So it's a nu, not a gamma.

I wonder if "natos" is like the Latin "natus"--born?

Cheers.
LC

Hello Chris. By Jove! What about "born Robert S"?

What a pedantic chap!

Cheers.
LC

Let's see if Dino agrees with that assessment.

Chris

[Bob Hinton]

Decipher

Underneath the 'Roslyn' section of the signature appears some other smaller writing that appears to form part of the signature.

Can anyone decipher what it actually says or have an explanation for why it appears there?
Is it Greek?

[

Thanks for any help or information on what it is.

There is a left point curly bracket. What is it pointing to?

[lynn cates]

Greek script; Latin thought

Hello Chris. I believe the Greek for "born" is something like "genetos." Perhaps he is thinking in Latin; writing in Greek script. After all, the Latin "u" would transliterate the Greek omicron.

Robert would also be completely different in Greek. So the Greek script, Latin thought would be even MORE pedantic.

Cheers.
LC

[lynn cates]

conjecture

Hello Bob. If my conjecture is correct, he is indicating--in his own curious way--that his real name is Robert Stephenson. So he would be using the brace to introduce a bracketed remark. (Oh, yes. For the record, I was born Robert Stephenson--and I know BOTH Greek and Latin.)

Sheesh!

Cheers.
LC

[Chris]

There is a left point curly bracket. What is it pointing to?

I think that is just part of the printed form - bracketing together the names of the bride and groom.

[Debra A]

There is a left point curly bracket. What is it pointing to?

Bob,
the left curly bracket is pointing towards the words 'this marriage solemnized by us'

[Debra A]

I have enlisted the help of a friend who was brought up in the Greek community of Baltimore. Dino got back to me with the following information:

"the first word is natos - perhaps short for thanatos - death. i'll work on it and get back you on it."

Chris

Many thanks for your input on this, Chris, Lynn...and Dino.

[Monty]

Why is 'Sudden Death' in my mind?

I dont see the Greek connection.

Monty

[Sam Flynn]

The first word appears to be "γατος" - "gatos" - the Greek for cat.

[Sam Flynn]

The first word appears to be "γατος" - "gatos" - the Greek for cat.

Is it made up of three parts? I ask, because the loop on the stem of the "y" in "Roslyn" intrudes into the Greek letters.

γατος ("gatos" - cat) ... Ρωβ (Rob? Rov? Rop?) ... επες ("epes" - words)

[Debra A]

I'm not sure about three parts, Sam, but the loop of the y certainly does seem to intrude into what's written below.

[Debra A]

The character at the beginning of the second word, that is being interpreted as Rho, can anyone else see a solid arrowhead attached to the left of it?

[Sam Flynn]

I'm not sure about three parts, Sam, but the loop of the y certainly does seem to intrude into what's written below.

I recognised two Greek roots at either end ("cat" and "words")... it's the bit in the middle that doesn't seem to add up, Debs!

It might just be a load of "mystic bollocks", of course. It strikes me that there was a fad to make up incantations/inscriptions in apparently "ancient tongues" amongst some occultists of that era, and later. One thinks of Lovecraft, Crowley and (amongst fiction writers) Dennis Wheatley in this context.

This was picked up by Robert Sloman and Barry Letts, scriptwriters for Dr Who in the 1970s. During one classic story, The Daemons, they had The Master officiating at a Black Mass to summon the daemon Azal. To chants from his coven, The Master intoned a hellish spell which culminated in the chilling and exultant "Malelt tilad Ahyram!" as the daemon appeared. Happily, this "mystic bollocks" was only "Mary had a little lamb", recited backwards