One of my Goals For The Year (as opposed to a New Years Resolution) was to start studying ASL again. And so I've been doing so, since one of my coworkers signs (and has a Deaf husband) and now one of our clients is also a signing Deaf. But I'm beginning to think that chosing to try and translate Rit into ASL was maybe not the easiest thing I ever did. Fun...but not exactly conversational ASL.

I mean. Face it, there IS no sign for 'Pan' or 'Pryderi' or 'Persephone'. Heck, there's not really a sign for 'god' as a pagan would use it. Do I co-opt the ASL sign for 'GOD' (of the Christian variety)? Do I use the sign that cognates to 'IDOL'(more 'American Idol' than 'thing you bow down to')? Do I brazenly try and figure out a sign on my own?

There isn't a sign (that I've found) for 'GODDESS', but I suppose 'MOTHER'+'GOD' might work...except that sort of puts goddesses like Athena and Artemis out of the loop, and I don't think I have the nerve to call certain goddesses 'Mom', honestly. 'GOD'+'FEMALE'? Fingerspelling seems...silly, honestly. I did come up with 'GOD'+'HORN' and that doesn't look /too/ out of place. Lugh, on the other hand... 'GOD'+'SPEAR'? 'GOD'+'SHINE'?

I have found words for "SHEKINAH" (and boy is that convoluted) and "POLYTHEISM" (It looks like 'TEACHING' + 'WHAT?' + + 'MANY'. *headscratch here*. No sign for 'PAGAN'... either pagan or Pagan. There is a word for 'WITCH' though *chortle*.

Any other ASL signers out there with opinions, comments, suggestions?

Tags: asl, lugh, pagan, shrine