Amsel Clan Who's Who


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" AleffendiResident 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."

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."

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 Greatafter Ramesses II, Pharaoh of Egypt, 19th Dynasty, 1279-1213 BC
Nefertarione of the Great Wives of Ramesses II; means "beautiful companion"
Poppychosen for its whimsical sound, mirrors Greta's vibrant, outstanding personality
TitusEmperor 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
Amenhotepafter 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
Clydeas 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
HathorEgyptian 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-khepeshefafter 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"

2 comments:

  1. I like that you did this it unique and gives people a way to keep up with who the mates are.

    ReplyDelete