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Sally's pups received their first set of names -- their baby names -- as they neared 5 weeks of age. Of course when the pups go to their forever homes, their new families will probably choose another name for the pup, one suited to their new life. But in their official Coton de Tulear Club of America (CTCA) registered name, they'll always retain a part of their baby names, a reminder (to us) of their litter and the good times they had during this crucial stage of puppyhood development. We named the pups after significant characters in the history of Madagascar. Men and women whose lives resonated not only on the Great Red Isle, but often elsewhere too. So follow their stories. And while you're at it, see what the pup's blocks spell out in sequence... |
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The name of the first-born member of this litter is "BETY." That's the correct spelling, by the way. |
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Bety is named after Princess Bety, the daughter of a Malagasy King, Ratsimilaho who ruled the Island of Nosy Boraha (later known as Isle Ste. Marie, a pirate stronghold off the Northeast coast of Madagascar). Bety fell in love with a French Corporal, Jean-Onesinne Filet. They married with King Ratsimilaho's blessing. The King who was himself half pirate by birth and his daughter, Bety,were largely responsible for uniting the Pirates and their wives and their "mulatto" offspring (known as "Zana-Malata"). After her father died, Princess Bety ruled Nosy Boraha. Unfortunately, she ceded the island to her husband and thus to France -- a fateful move that gave the French a toehold on land within sight the Island of Madagascar. That harm was not undone for more than two centuries. In 1973 it was my (RJR) good fortune to spend time on Isle Ste Marie. I pitched my tent in a picturesque, coconut palm and orchid-festooned tropical cove known as "Bety's Place" and explored the island both in search of its wildlife and for remnants of its notorious pirate past. One Zana-Malata woman I interviewed and photographed looked and boldly acted remarkably like a hardened pirate! Okay, now that you see how this process works, click below to see the rest of this fascinating and fun litter. |