Question about Trytan...

I  can't find anything anywhere that defines what "Trytan" means.

Anyone have a clue as to what the Rush sound-a-like band's name meant ?

Besides the band and a TNA wrestler that used it as his ring name for a while, the only seemingly legitimate reference I could find to it was here: http://www.funtrivia.com/en/subtopics/Uncommon-words-314466.html

Quote :

Now it's the name of a film and a command in the computer language BASIC, but what was a tron originally?
A public weighing machine. A tron was a pair of scales, a balance or other type of public weighing-machine set up in a town's market-place for weighing produce. Its post could also be used as a pillory for punishing law-breakers. By extension, the word was also sometimes used for the place where the machine was set up. The word tron was derived from the Greek word(s) trutane/trytans (a balance/scales) via firstly the Latin word trutina and then the old French word trone.

However, I could not find any Greek/Latin dictionary sites that would confirm that, although this page, which is a digitized copy of the book The Life of the Ancient Greeks: With Special Reference to Athens (1902), seems to agree: https://archive.org/stream/lifeancientgree00guligoog/lifeancientgree00guligoog_djvu.txt

Quote :

Familiar objects in the market-place were the scaIe8,or bal-
ance (called trra6ii6i). This consisted of a beam iXvyov), from

the ends of which hung the scale-pans (raXavra;

s-Aoimyyc), suspended by chains. The beam might
be held in the hand by means of a ring in the centre ; or, when
heavy ari;icles were to be weighed, it might turn on a piTOt
permanently fixed. This kind was called trytanS

(bd: copied verbatim)

BearDad wrote:

...but what was a tron originally?

I the computer world Tron is/was a tracer program executed by the line command "tron" which is short for "tracer on".  Likewise, to end the tracer program, one used the line command "troff" or "tracer off".

Xid wrote:

BearDad wrote:

...but what was a tron originally?

I the computer world Tron is/was a tracer program executed by the line command "tron" which is short for "tracer on".  Likewise, to end the tracer program, one used the line command "troff" or "tracer off".

I didn't mention that because he wanted to know where Trytan came from and that was one result I found. However, you are correct, and it points out the unreliability of the site I found. Obviously whoever wrote that had no clue about TR/ON and TR/OFF, and that it was more likely named after one of the movie's main characters, a security program in a computer world!  

However, it is still very possible that the name Trytan is in reference to a balance or scale, as both site A and site B seems to indicate. It is also possible that it is simply a different spelling of Triton, the son of Poseidon.


Then again, it may have been one of those random "grab something out of the air" choices for the band.  

Very cool stuff ! Thank you so much for the info. I do find it very interesting and wonder who came up with their name and why. I've read some old articles in HM and none, so far, deal with their name.

I do like the interesting etymology from the 2 sources you present though. The idea of scales, balance and weights make more sense than the son of Poseidon for sure  

Guilty/Forgiven wrote:

Very cool stuff ! Thank you so much for the info. I do find it very interesting and wonder who came up with their name and why. I've read some old articles in HM and none, so far, deal with their name.

I do like the interesting etymology from the 2 sources you present though. The idea of scales, balance and weights make more sense than the son of Poseidon for sure  

What!?     You mean you don't buy my theory that the band Trytan were actually Greek mythologists in disguise!? After all, they sing about Rip Van Winkle and giants ("Waking the Giant" from Sylentigeri), so they clearly believe in myths!  

From my casual search, it's also a furniture line... but that doesn't sound very metal.

"Hello Chicago! We! Are! Flexsteel Lane Ashley!

I remember reading in Heavens Metal way back when that Trytan is an acronym for To Reach Youth Thru Almighty Nazarene

I'll buy that.

Mac wrote:

I remember reading in Heavens Metal way back when that Trytan is an acronym for To Reach Youth Thru Almighty Nazarene

THAT is very interesting !
I will need to research that and figure out which issue it was... thanks for the tip !!

I know Stryper came out with their name 1st, then added the acronym later... but it makes sense that the boyz in Trytan could've come up with the cool name with the intention of an acronym.

Mac wrote:

I remember reading in Heavens Metal way back when that Trytan is an acronym for To Reach Youth Thru Almighty Nazarene

Found it !  HM Vol.2 Issue 2 page 4:
"Trytan's name stands for To Reach Youths Through the Almighty Nazarene..."

Who knew it was THAT simple   

Thanx Mac !!

Simple!? I never would have thought of that acronym. In fact, I never even considered an acronym.

So, what do you suppose SAINT stands for?  

Sounding Awesome Is Natural, Thanks!

Bride stand for Be Ready If Death Enters