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Posts Tagged ‘Dionysus’

Latin Lovelies and Loathlies — B

Posted in Alternative Names, Baby Names, Druid Names, Heathen Names, Latin Names, Llewellyn's Complete Book of Names, Magical Names, Names, New Age Names, Pagan Names, Pagan-friendly, Unusual Names, Wiccan Names, Witch Names, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 24, 2011 | 1 Comment »


Ever since Roman times, people have been coining names from Latin.

A couple of weeks ago I featured a number of Latin words beginning with “A” which are yet to be used as given names, but which have considerable potential.

There were also those which looked and sounded pretty cool, but had pretty awful meanings.

Here are some interesting options — and some perhaps to steer clear of — from “B”.

  • Babae — an exclamation of joy; “wonderful”
  • Baca — “berry”
  • Bacatus, Bacata — “set with pearls”
  • Baccha — a female worshipper of Bacchus (Dionysus — Bacchae is used as the name of a play by Euripides)
  • Bacchanal — the place where the festival of Bacchus was held
  • Balanus — “acorn” (technically feminine)
  • Beatulus, Beatula — “blessed little one”
  • Bellaria — “dessert (consisting of fruit, nuts, confectionary and sweet wine)”
  • Bellator — “warrior”
  • Bellicus, Bellica — “relating to war,” “warlike”
  • Belliger — “warlike”
  • Beneficus, Benefica — “kind,” “generous”
  • Benevolentia — “good-will,” “friendly disposition”
  • Benevolus, Benevola — “kind,” “well-disposed”
  • Benignus, Benigna — “kind,” “friendly”
  • Beta — “vegetable,” “beet” (also the second letter of the Greek alphabet)
  • Bicornis — “two-horned”; used poetically of the new moon
  • Bombyx — “silk-worm,” “silk”
  • Bonitas — “goodness,” “excellence”
  • Bonus, Bona — “good”
  • Boria — a type of jasper
  • Bractea — “a thin plate of metal,” “gold leaf”
  • Bracteola — ” a thin leaf of gold”
  • Bruma — “winter solstice”
  • Brumalis — “belonging to the winter solstice”
  • Bucina — a type of trumpet, specifically a shepherd’s horn or a military trumpet
  • Bucula — “heifer”
  • Buxus — “box-tree” (techincally feminine)

And the loathlies:

  • Ballista — a piece of military equipment for throwing large stones
  • Barbula — “a little beard”
  • Bardus, Barda — “stupid,” “dull”
  • Baris — “(Egyptian) barge”
  • Baro — “simpleton,” “blockhead”
  • Bilis — “gall,” “bile”
  • Blatta — “cockroach”
  • Blennus — “stupid fellow”
  • Bucaeda — “one who is beaten with the thongs of ox-hide”
  • Bucca — “the cheek,” “bawler,” “parasite”
  • Bucco — “foolish fellow”
  • Buthysia — “a sacrifice of oxen”

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Nook of Names Pick of the Week — Dennis

Posted in Baby Names, Classical Mythology, Llewellyn's Complete Book of Names, Name Rankings, Names, Pagan Names, Pagan-friendly, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on September 28, 2011 | 2 Comments »

Dennis?

Yes, Dennis!

Pause for a moment or two, roll it round the tongue a few times…

It may have been at its most popular in the 1940s and 50s — it reached 16th place in the US in 1949 — but Dennis still starts with that very contemporary syllable d-n, found in so many current favorites:

Aiden (Adan, Aden, Aidan, Ayden), Brandon, Brayden (Braden, Braeden, Braiden, Braydon), Brendan (Brenden), Caden (Caiden, Cayden), Camden, Dane, Daniel, Dante, Danny, Donovan, Hayden, Holden, Jayden (Jaden, Jaiden, Jaydon), Jordan, Kaden (Kaiden, Kayden), Landon (Landen) and Zayden.

They are all in the top 500 boys’ names in the US.

So is Dennis, ranked 391st — but it’s falling fast.

Time, perhaps, to arrest the fall, and resurrect this retro classic?

Dennis has such a lot going for it, it would be a shame for it to be rejected in favor of far more light-weight names — fair-weather friend names, which are going to date far, far more, and far more rapidly, than a name like Dennis. A name with such strong foundations.

Oh, and have I mentioned that Dennis merits the epithet ‘Pagan name’ as much as the best of them?

Dennis arose in the Middle Ages as an Anglo-French form of Dionysius, along with Denis and Denys.

Dionysius was an immensely popular name in the ancient Pagan world, honoring — as it does — one of the ancient world’s favorite Gods:  Dionysus. Dionysius simply means ‘of (the God) Dionysus’ — i.e. “belonging” or “dedicated to” Dionysus.

Indeed, a strong case could be made that the most popular of the 20 saints of the name — the 3rd Century St Denis of Paris — really represents a Christianized version of the God. Tellingly, Denis is invoked against frenzy and possession – both things strongly associated with Dionysus.

Dionysus is one of the most interesting and intriguing of the Olympian Gods  — and unquestionably one of the most important Gods of Greece and Rome (where he was usually known as Bacchus).

Most people know he is God of wine and the vine, son of Zeus by the mortal Semele, but in a way these are secondary to his true significance.

Wine, is still considered a “social lubricant,” well-known for releasing inhibitions and stripping away “civilized” behavior, and this is what Dionysus truly represents – what lies beneath the skin, when that man-made veneer is removed: the wild, the untamed, the raw vitality of nature.

It is no coincidence that his close companion is Pan.

Dionysus joined the Olympian Gods quite late — usurping the place of Hestia. Memory of his arrival in the Greek pantheon was preserved in the myths about him.

Exactly where he truly originated is not known for certain, but there is a strong case to be made for Thrace.

As for the meaning of his name, it is something that has puzzled etymologists for centuries, and numerous theories abound.

Generally, the prefix Dio- means “of Zeus,” which, superficially, would seem to make sense, as Dionysus was regarded as Zeus’ son by the Greeks.

However, it is more likely that it derives directly from the Proto-Indo-European *deyw-o-, from which Zeus and Diana also derive, as well as the Latin deus “a God” — and numerous other cognates across the Indo-European languages. So, in Dionysus’ case, Dio- most likely means simply “God.”

The -nysus is even more controversial. The Greeks believed it derived from Nysa — a legendary mountain, said to have been the God’s birthplace. One ancient writer said it meant “tree,” but there is no evidence for this, and the etymology of ancient Greeks has to be taken with a very big pinch of salt.

The clue to follow may be the Thracian connections. Sadly, not enough is known about Thracian to state anything with any certainty, but from what we do know, a very tempting possibility lies in the Thracian: *nest “roaring” and “rumbling.”

One of Dionysus’ main epithets in Greek was Bromius from Gr: bremô “to roar.”

Might he be truly the “roaring God” through and through?

Dennis itself shortens comfortably to Den and Denny, and although there are plenty of historic and fictional bearers, including two medieval Portuguese kings, the classic British cartoon character Dennis the Menace, Dennis the Peasant in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and the nefarious “Dirty Den” of BBC’s Eastenders, it is such a strong name on its own that it has — and can — weather the lot.

There’s also no technical reason why it couldn’t be given a completely fresh lease of life as a girl’s name; in the Middle Ages, the feminine Dionysia and its many vernacular forms was also very popular, and they included Dennis and Denis, as well as Denise, the favored feminine form in the twentieth century.

So, whether you’re looking for a girl’s or boy’s name, why not give Dennis a thought?

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Should you use the name of a God or Goddess?

Posted in Alternative Names, Alternative Spirituality, Ancient Paganism, Baby Names, Ceremonial Magick, Classical Mythology, Druid Names, Druidry, Heathen Names, Heathenism, Llewellyn's Complete Book of Names, Magical Names, Names, Nature, New Age Names, Pagan Names, Pagan-friendly, Paganism, Shamanism, Wicca, Wiccan Names, Witch Names, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 27, 2011 | 4 Comments »

This 6th Century BCE dinos (wine-mixing bowl) by Sophilos shows a procession of Greek Gods attending the wedding of Peleus and Thetis

There seems to be a bit of a controversy in Pagan circles about the use of the names of Gods and Goddesses, either for children, or as a new name for oneself.

There are those who argue that it is inappropriate. Even hubristic.

But as with most aspects of Paganism, much of the answer to this question comes down to your own personal beliefs, and how you view the Divine.

And this, of course, will play a big part in whether you think it is acceptable or not to use a God or Goddess’s name.

If you are a polytheist — if you consider the Gods to be distinct, individual entities, completely separate from mortal life — perhaps you might agree that using their names is inappropriate.

In which case, you should, of course, avoid, or choose names which contain a deity’s name, or carry the meaning ‘belonging to such-and-such’, rather than the deity’s name itself.

But if you are a pantheist — if you believe that the Divine is in all things, making us all essentially ‘divine beings’ — then choosing the name of a God or Goddess might be seen as not just acceptable, but suitable and respectful.

Using the actual names of Gods and Goddesses is not a new phenomenon.

Several names from ancient Paganism have long become established as given names in the English-speaking world. These include  Aurora, Branwen, Bridget, Diana, Felicity, Flora, Freya, Irene, Iris, Lilith, Luna, Maia, Phoebe, Rhiannon, Sophia and Victoria.

The names of male divinities used for boys is less common, but there are still some, which have seen varying amounts of use, such as Adonis, Augustus, Dylan, Hercules, Julius, Odin — and Jesus. This last may be principally found in the Spanish community, pronounced ‘he-SOOS’  and used in reference to a Catholic festival, but nevertheless, it’s still the name of a figure considered divine by many, and currently ranking 92nd in the US.

In some religions, such as Hinduism, it has long been considered not just acceptable to use the name of a God or Goddess, but desirable, because it is believed that the child will grow to be like the deity, as well as be protected by them.

And incorporating the name of a divinity within a given name is a tradition as old as writing — take a look at my articles on Sumerian names Part 1 and Part 2 to see some of the earliest.

There’s also the power of the positive. Call it ‘good’, ‘light’, ‘love’, ‘karma’ whatever. It seems common sense to choose names with as much positivity as you can.

And, let’s face it, you can’t get much more positive than the names of the Divine itself!

There are literally tens of thousands of named Gods and Goddesses across the world, and my only caveat when choosing a God or Goddess’ name would be to select one that you not only like the sound of, but also feel an affinity with.

Here is just a small selection from some of the world’s principal mythologies:

Greek: Aphaia, Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athene, Atlas, Bia, Chaos, Coeus, Cratus, Cronos, Demeter, Dionysus, Eos, Epimetheus, Erebus, Gaia, Geras, Hades, Harmonia, Hebe, Hecate, Helius, Hephaestus, Hera, Hermes, Hestia, Hyperion, Iapetus, Iris, Leto, Mnemosyne, Morpheus, Nice, Nyx, Oceanus, Pan, Persephone, Phoebe, Phoebus, Poseidon, Prometheus, Proteus, Rhea, Selene, Tethys, Themis, Tyche, Zephyrus, Zeus

Roman: Abundantia, Aesculapius, Anna Perenna, Apollo, Aurora, Bacchus, Bellona, Bona Dea, Caelus, Carmenta, Ceres, Cloacina, Consus, Cupid, Deverra, Diana, Egeria, Fauna, Felicitas, Flora, Fortuna, Fulgora, Hilaritas, Hora, Janus, Juno, Jupiter, Justitia, Larentina, Liber, Libera, Libertas, Lucina, Luna, Lupercus, Mars, Mater Matuta, Mercury, Minerva, Neptune, Ops, Pax, Pietas, Pluto, Pomona, Priapus, Proserpina, Quirinus, Robigus, Saturn, Silvanus, Sol, Tellus, Terminus, Trivia, Vacuna, Venus, Vertumnus, Vesta, Virbius, Volumna, Voluptas, Vulcan

Egyptian: Aken, Aker, Ammit, Amun, Amunet, Anhur, Anubis, Anuket, Apis, Ash, Aten, Bast, Geb, Ha, Hapi, Hathor, Hedetet, Heka, Heqet, Horus, Huh, Iabet, Iah, Imentet, Isis, Kebechet, Khepri, Khnum, Khonsu, Ma’at, Mafdet, Mehen, Menhit, Meret, Min, Mnevis, Monthu, Neith, Nekhbet, Neper, Nephthys, Nut, Osiris, Pakhet, Ptah, Qebui, Rem, Renenutet, Satet, Seker, Sekhmet, Serket, Seth, Tatenen, Taweret, Tefnut, Tenenet, Thoth, Wadjet, Wosret

Hindu: Aditi, Agni, Arjuna, Aruna, Asura, Bhadra, Bharani, Bhavani, Bhudevi, Brahma, Chamundi, Chandra, Daksha, Danu, Dhumavati, Durga, Ganesha, Garuda, Gayatri, Hanuman, Hari, Indra, Kali, Krishna, Lakshman, Lakshmi, Lalitha, Mahavidya, Matangi, Mitra, Mohini, Nandi, Narada, Narayana, Nataraja, Navadurga, Padmavati, Parasiva, Parvati, Prajapati, Rama, Rati, Rudra, Rukmini, Saraswati, Sati, Shakti, Shatarupa, Shiva, Shree, Sita, Soma, Surya, Tara, Uma, Ushas, Varuna, Vasu, Vayu, Vishnu

Celtic: Abellio, Adsullata, Agrona, Alaunus, Alisanos, Andarta, Andraste, Arausio, Arduinna, Artio, Belatucadros, Belenus, Belisama, Bormana, Bormo, Brigantia, Camulos, Cernunnos, Cissionius, Cocidius, Coventina, Damara, Damona, Epona, Esus, Fagus, Grannus, Icovellauna, Lenus, Leucetios, Lugus, Maponus, Moritasgus, Nantosuelta, Nemausus, Nemetona, Nodens, Ogmios, Robor, Rosmerta, Sabrina, Sirona, Smertrios, Sucellos, Sulis, Tamesis, Taranis, Toutatis, Verbeia, Veteris, Vindonnus.

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