The Start of a New Adventure!

 

Choosing a name for your business is a big decision, it's the first thing that people see when they come across your store. When I was starting my Etsy shop, I knew that I wanted a name that was both unique and meaningful to me.

As an avid reader and lover of all things literary, I turned to my favorite work of Shakespeare for inspiration. I speak, of course, of Hamlet, a story that has everything - ghosts, murder, revenge, tragic heroes, and doomed love. And yet, buried in the middle of the story, Hamlet sings a merry little song that has always stuck with me.

Why, let the stricken deer go weep,

The hart ungalled play;

For some must watch,

While some must sleep:

So runs the world away.

Within Hamlet's miniature ballad there is the line, "the hart ungalled play." To most readers, this line may seem like a simple reference to a male deer living his best life. But it always struck me as one of Shakespeare’s gentle wordplays. You see, "hart" is also a homophone of "heart," The two words sound and are pronounced the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings. Undoubtedly Shakespeare intended the song as a metaphor for the current events of the play. Hamlet’s treacherous uncle, wracked with guilt (the stricken deer), had just fled the festivities while Hamlet (with an unburdened heart) joyously celebrated a moments victory. It all felt very clever.

The word ungalled was new to me, so I had to look it up. I found that when something is galled, it is enduring bitterness and pain. It invokes imagery of something being worn down by painful irritation over time. In contrast, to be ungalled is to feel lighthearted, free, and able to find those moments of happiness and peace we all search for.

If you have ever felt worn down and disheartened by everything happening in the world today perhaps you can appreciate why I liked that little song so much. For me, "The Ungalled Hart" represents those moments when we find peace. It's a name that inspires me to create beautiful things, seek out simple joys, and share them with others.