Gai bal manda was the name of the adoption ritual in Mandalorian culture. Translated from Mando'a, the expression meant "name and soul" in Galactic Basic Standard. Comprised of a simple statement of intent, a prospective Mandalorian parent needed only to recite the phrase ni kyr'tayl gai sa'ad—"I know your name as my child"—followed by the name of the individual to be adopted.^[1] The tradition could be conducted on a singular basis, or toward a group, and even in some cases, posthumously.^[2] Adoption via the gai bal manda, and a dedication to the Resol'nare, the six basic tenets of Mandalorian culture, was often considered all it took to make one a Mandalorian.^[1]

Behind the scenesEdit

The custom of gai bal manda was first mentioned and described in the 2006 Star Wars Insider article, The Mandalorians: People and Culture, written by Karen Traviss. Later that year, the adoption custom truly appeared in Star Wars canon for the first time in Traviss' e-novella, Boba Fett: A Practical Man. The gai bal manda later appeared in Traviss' Republic and Imperial Commando series novels True Colors, Order 66, and Imperial Commando: 501st. It was also mentioned in her installments to the multi-author series, Legacy of the Force, entitled Bloodlines, Sacrifice, and Revelation, as well as Drew Karpyshyn's Star Wars: The Old Republic tie-in novel, Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan.

AppearancesEdit

• Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan (Indirect mention only)
• Republic Commando: True Colors
• Order 66: A Republic Commando Novel
• Imperial Commando: 501st
• Boba Fett: A Practical Man (First appearance)
• Bloodlines (Indirect mention only)
• Sacrifice (Mentioned only)
• Revelation (Indirect mention only)

SourcesEdit

• "The Mandalorians: People and Culture"—Star Wars Insider 86 (First mentioned)
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia

Notes and referencesEdit