THE AMSEL CLAN: WHO'S WHO?
CHARACTERS
REMEMBER HIM | ||
| NAME | OCCUPATION | |
| Carter Denwright | Clan Historian | |
| Freyr Amsel | Amsel Clan Chief | |
| Alder Eberly/von Drubich | Eberhard Clan Chief | |
| Stefan Gebhart | Head of Security | |
| Lowner Astley | Housekeeper | |
| McGillun | Asst. Housekeeper | |
| Greta Kaufmann | Designer | |
| Samad "Sam" Aleffendi | Resident Hacker | |
| Kirner Reinbach | Cpt. of the Guard | |
| Quincy Allen | guard | |
NOT HUMAN ENOUGH | ||
| NAME | OCCUPATION | |
| Jake Reinbach | Student | |
| Will Hayden | Student | |
| Mazrin Reinbach | Student | |
| Benton Hayden | Banker/? | |
| Grace Hayden | Homemaker | |
| John Hanover | Opposition Leader | |
| Mazrin Luthard | Interior Designer | |
| Perry Green | guard | |
Members of the Guard Jonah - Michael - Matt - Levi - Deacon (others unnamed) | ||
ETYMOLOGY
Here's some fun trivia about the names I've used in Remember Him and Not Human Enough. Do I think of all of this beforehand? Um…no. As is my usual odd luck, I choose names and then find out later that their meanings are somewhat connected with the story. Some of the associations are much more concrete than others.
CARTER: I chose Carter because of my love of Egyptology. Howard Carter was the archaeologist who discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun. I also used Egyptian names for pets in subsequent chapters (see my notes about the dogs' names below).
FREYR (pronounced FRAYR): the name of a Nordic god of virility and prosperity. He was usually pictured as a fertility god, and was said to "bestow peace and pleasure to mortals."
AMSEL: derivative of the name "Anselm." St. Anselm was Archbishop of Canterbury (AD 1093-1109). Interestingly, his infamous "dilecto dilectori" (love letters) lead some scholars to believe that Anselm was a homosexual. One of his letters begins:
SECUNDUS: from the Latin for "second," referring to the second brother.
ALDER: from the Old Norse "Eald" (old) and "Here" (army), referring to the older, more violent brother.
DRUBICH: a figment of my imagination. There is no town in Germany named Drubich.
LYULF: compound the Old English words for "flame" and "wolf".
ERZABET: Ersébet (also spelled Erzabet or Ershabet) Báthory (1560-1614) was a Hungarian countess who is considered by some to be the first female vampire.
STEFAN GEBHART: from "Stephen" (crowned) because of his bright blond hair; "Geb" (gift) and "Hard" (hard), referring to Stefan's...virility, to put it mildly.
SAMAD ALEFFENDI: Samad is an Arabic name meaning "eternal"; Aleffendi is a derivative of "Al" and "Effendi", which means "the master". As you read into NOT HUMAN ENOUGH, you'll understand this reference.
FREYR (pronounced FRAYR): the name of a Nordic god of virility and prosperity. He was usually pictured as a fertility god, and was said to "bestow peace and pleasure to mortals."
Statuette of the Norse god "Freyr"
Clearly, he was a fertility god.
AMSEL: derivative of the name "Anselm." St. Anselm was Archbishop of Canterbury (AD 1093-1109). Interestingly, his infamous "dilecto dilectori" (love letters) lead some scholars to believe that Anselm was a homosexual. One of his letters begins:
"Greeting from Brother Anselm to his honoured master, best beloved brother and most attached friend, Master Gundulf.
Though I desire to write to thee, soul most beloved of my soul…I know not how best to begin my address. For whatever I know about thee is sweet and joyous to my spirit: whatever I desire for thee is the best which my mind can conceive. For I saw thee such that I loved thee as thou knowest; I hear thee to be such that I yearn after thee…whithersoever thou goest, my love follows thee; and wherever I remain, my longing embraces thee."
Though I desire to write to thee, soul most beloved of my soul…I know not how best to begin my address. For whatever I know about thee is sweet and joyous to my spirit: whatever I desire for thee is the best which my mind can conceive. For I saw thee such that I loved thee as thou knowest; I hear thee to be such that I yearn after thee…whithersoever thou goest, my love follows thee; and wherever I remain, my longing embraces thee."
SECUNDUS: from the Latin for "second," referring to the second brother.
ALDER: from the Old Norse "Eald" (old) and "Here" (army), referring to the older, more violent brother.
DRUBICH: a figment of my imagination. There is no town in Germany named Drubich.
LYULF: compound the Old English words for "flame" and "wolf".
ERZABET: Ersébet (also spelled Erzabet or Ershabet) Báthory (1560-1614) was a Hungarian countess who is considered by some to be the first female vampire.
STEFAN GEBHART: from "Stephen" (crowned) because of his bright blond hair; "Geb" (gift) and "Hard" (hard), referring to Stefan's...virility, to put it mildly.
SAMAD ALEFFENDI: Samad is an Arabic name meaning "eternal"; Aleffendi is a derivative of "Al" and "Effendi", which means "the master". As you read into NOT HUMAN ENOUGH, you'll understand this reference.
THE DOGS
In REMEMBER HIM, I introduce four Great Dane puppies. Here are the bloodlines and some explanation of the names.
1st GENERATION | |
| Ramesses the Great | after Ramesses II, Pharaoh of Egypt, 19th Dynasty, 1279-1213 BC |
| Nefertari | one of the Great Wives of Ramesses II; means "beautiful companion" |
| Poppy | chosen for its whimsical sound, mirrors Greta's vibrant, outstanding personality |
| Titus | Emperor of Rome, AD 79-81, who completed the Colosseum; described by some as short, but very strong, with an authoritative, yet friendly manner. It reminded me a lot of Carter; the choice was also a nod to my study of the History of Classical Art. |
2nd GENERATION | |
| Amenhotep | after the Pharaoh of Egypt, 18th Dynasty, 1526-1506 BC |
| Hatshepsut | after the Pharaoh of Egypt, 18th Dynasty, c. 1479-1458 BC; though she was female, she is regarded as one of the most successful pharaohs |
| Clyde | as ridiculous as it sounds, he was named after a Looney Tunes character, Clyde the Cat; a banal, clumsy-sounding name that Stefan would definitely choose just to annoy his mate |
| Hathor | Egyptian goddess of fertility, music and feminine love; the complete opposite of a name like Clyde; something that Sam would pick to annoy his mate |
3rd GENERATION | |
| Meritamen | after the daughter of Ramesses II and Nefertari; name means "Beloved of Amun" |
| Amun-her-khepeshef | after the first-born son of Ramesses II and Nefertari; was Crown-Prince of Egypt, but pre-deceased his father; name means "Amun is with his strong arm" |
I like that you did this it unique and gives people a way to keep up with who the mates are.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it helps!
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