Clarifying the Toa [Worldbuilding][Pitch?]

Finished my marathon of the brainstorm episodes.
So, an issue I found heavily discussed near the end of the podcast was the Tahu title/persona discussion.

Here is the way I understood it:
Toa names are names and titles at the same time. It is a title in the sense that it is passed down and matoran inherit the title. They are names because they refer to specific personalities within the Toa. Tahu has a specific personality.

Now some issues in the video.
Dalai Lama Is a title, the person itself has a name ranging from their original name, to being the incarnation of a guy who named himself Gendun Drup. the title is often used to also describe a specific Bodhisattva. The title means “Master Guru”.
The current Dalai Lama is named Tenzin Gyatso.
Wiki searched.

The difference between Dalai Lama’s incarnations and the Toa’s incarnations is that, Dalai Lamas are assumed to be born for the role with their previous memories. In olden times, they called their old students by first name, knew things only the previous person knew, and so on. Meaning they were the same person, in a different body.

However Toa are different. Narmoto is not born with the memories of Tahu, was not born as Tahu. Narmoto was chosen, by an elemental God to become Tahu. Tahu is a title, like Thor, like Dalai Lama. Unlike Thor however, Tahu come with the memories of the previous Tahu. Unlike the Dalai Lama, matorans are not born as Tahu.

Let me put a thought experiment:
Take the Dalai Lama reincarnation as an example. Narmoto is born as Tahu, if he followed Dalai Lama rules, then He would know his previous names in his past lives, he would recognize thing that happened in certain places, like once this cliff used to be half of a mountain, or this ravine was where this creature got smacked down. Second he would live his life as Tahu. He would have knowledge beyond years, and would already know elemental spirits exist, would have fighting experience unequaled by others and could have a perfected training to beef his muscles and combat prowess. Will know of secret locations and will understand why the village is frozen time and what to do.

We all know this is not the Tahu we have.

Take the Thor example. Tahu is a title. Then Narmoto has the choice whether to use it or not. He can also feel that he does not like the title and adopt a new one, try to change how people call him or hide the fact that he is a Tahu. He can say, my title is Vakama, and he could chose to act and use his powers in such a way that differentiates him from Tahu. Maybe use a great axe instead of a sword. Learn to channel Fire without the sword, so on.

So we need a reason to explain why he calls himself Tahu and not something else.

We know Toa Powers are given by the elemental Gods.
We know matoran who will become Toa, do not know they will become Toa.
However, all previous Toa call themselves by their respective Toa names.
Each individual Toa has a distinct personality
Toa have the memories of previous incarnations, in a limited way.

So, why did I conclude Tahu, and all the other Toa names, are both a title and a name? Well, Tahu is referring a title, because it is passed down, inherited by specific people who are chosen. However, as soon as they inherit the title, they gain memories of previous title inheritors. So why do they not call themselves, Tahu Narmoto? The answer is simple, because Tahu is also a name. Matoran who inherit the Toa names, become the Toa they are named after. Like mixing paint of the same color.

You have Year old white paint. and recently bought white paint. When you mix them, it is still white paint, but it is no longer recently bought white paint. You cannot also say it is year old paint. Then say to that mixture you add a decade old white paint, lets assume paint remains the same through eternity. Then it is neither recently bough paint, nor is it year old paint, but it also not year old paint. It is a mix of all three. Keep adding differently aged paint to the mix and you get a toa. Tahu is still tahu, red paint in this case, but that red paint is not Narmoto, recently bought paint, nor is he any other matoran who became Tahu before. It is its own person.

That is why all Tahu identify as Tahu, because they all are the same Tahu, they are not Narmoto, they are not Lhikan. They are the Tahu.

I mentioned this before, in Youtube comments. Toas are a little like walking tragedies. They were normal matoran, living their lives. However that changed when the elemental Gods picked them and made them Toas, usually without their consent. Be it saying: You are Tahu" or “You will wield the power of Tahu” its just placing a cover over what happens to the person. In this case, Narmoto died in a sense. he no longer is recently bough paint. He is a mixture of several red paints, who have lived different amount of times. He is now Tahu. He can never return to be Narmoto, that powerless guy who lived in front of Bob and liked the girl next door. Once you mixt the paint yo cannot separate the paint.

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The way I’ve been looking at it is that the first Tahu was not actually a Matoran, but just a pure manifestation of the element of fire, and called Tahu. Then whenever the power was needed again, Ikir flows pure elemental energy into a Matoran and they are transformed into that same manifestation of fire. They aren’t taking a title. They are actually becoming the Tahu, who is the personification of Ikir’s power. Each Matoran is just a new conduit for that power to manifest in.

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Not sure if the memories part is canonized, but I think they inherit the memories of previous Toa. Plus they still have their own memories. They way you said it it sounds like they become a different person with similar personalities, and no memories of who they were before. So narmoto would just become Tahu, not remembering Narmoto’s life. So for all intent and purposes, Narmoto died and Tahu came through, I mean crash landed, spaceship called Narmoto.As the process is irreversible.

If the previous Tahu’s memories, is a thing, then is the person still Narmoto, personification of Ikir’s power? Your idea is interesting sounds like the Herald title from Marvel. Like, Silver surfer herald of Galactus or The Air Walker Herald of Galactus, and so on.

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They still would have their Matoran memories. Only their bodies take on the new form. So they won’t gain past Tahu memories, which I don’t think was ever mentioned in canon.

I think I’ve found the perfect analogy that proves Jon’s argument that a name cannot be a title is wrong: the title Caesar in Ancient Rome.

Seems legit, as I was just assuming the past memories thing.
If that is the case then, they can work like Heralds or Thor positions do.

I am curios though, will they still want to be called y their Toa names? They basically, become Narmoto wielding the power of Tahu. So it becomes a title.

I think they are called the Caesar when it is a title and Caesar when it is name. It is still a little confusing. Specially when you are searching and you get an alcoholic drink.

Caesar is a title meaning emperor that has been given to the rulers of Rome, but it is also derived from the last name of the first Caesar. There were more than one Caesars that do not own the last name, “Caesar”, that way, the first ever Toa could have their real name be Tahu, but Lhikan and Narmotto could have different names, but are given names as titles. In a show, all you need to say is something like, “Tahu was a hero of fire that was so loved by the Matoran, his name was passed into the next Tahu. And now the name has come to you, Narmotto.”

With my view of it, they aren’t simply weilding the power like a tool. Instead, they are actually becoming it. Their normal Matoran body is changed out for the upgraded body. But since their consciousness is being transferred into this new vessel, they retain their old Matoran selves within it. So with the new form that their Matoran selves have taken, they take on the name of the new form.

Basically it’s like the Tohunga becoming Matoran with a ceremony. The name is changed to go with a powered up form. (that may have been the respelling of specific Matoran names and not the Tohunga change, but the same applies)

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Interesting.
It is a really interesting topic. That of using names as titles. In fact, Augustus is another one. Now, back to the example.

Using Tahu as both a title derived from a name is not a bad thing. The problem is that the title choice is also a name. Caesar, was not only a title but a name granted to the successor of the emperor. In fact the first to use the name as a title, Octavius, changed his name. Then adopted his successor and changed his successor’s name to have Caesar on it. The people who followed did the same. To the point where in a dark period of time, several people named their successors Caesar to gain some recognition or another.

i am sure you know most of this. The point I want to make is that, this was a tradition, and some emperors chose not to use the name, Like a title, they can decide to name themselves whatever they please. I am just wondering why are they taking the Toa names, specially when it has such negative connotations in specific areas. During Caesar tradition times it was considered beneficial and advantageous. Here, it just bring the prejudice of some tribes, specially when relating to the masks and how they robbed them of their powers. Unless of course that part of history was forgotten. However, the recent podcast discussion, it seems the idea is that different tribes shun Toa, while some worship them.

I understand the new form. However, the new name does not sound necessary. If it was only changing the body it would be a title. Like becoming a cyborg, or gaining the power cosmic (they have body changes too). Yet, you are also stating that they become the power they gain. In other words they stop being their previous personalities? Otherwise what is the difference in them just gaining powers? If he becomes Tahu with Narmoto’s memories. Then he stopped being Narmoto, like intended.

The conclusion is still the same though. Walking tragedy. Stopped being the person you were, with no say in the matter. It is still a title, in the sense that it is passed from one matoran to the other though, and in the sense that it can be granted only by a specific entity. Like the monarch as the only one allowed to grant knighthood. Either way, the main idea is still the same as what I was thinking. I said it was both a title and a name, because I have no words to precisely describe the situation.