Nominative Determinism: Clues in Plain Sight

[CrypticWeirwood]

In real life, the notion that names lead their bearer to become the thing they’re named for is known as nominative determinism. However, in a work of fiction these are never accidents but willful manœuvrings by the author. For example, all six wolf-cubs are given names each prophesising their respective guardian’s destiny in the broader tale: Ghost, Grey Wind, Lady, Summer, Nymeria, and Shaggydog.

From far Carcosa to Dagon Greyjoy and Beren Stark, George Martin is well known for his call-outs and homages to other works. The man who gave Aegon the Conqueror both an Aenys and an Orys as close kin is also not afraid to hide meaningful names in plain sight: sometimes via puns or bad jokes (Wun Weg Wun Dar Wun), other times more subtly. Many names in A Song of Ice and Fire are dead giveaways once you cotton to their hidden connections, even in hindsight. Here are a few that spring quickly to mind:

• Weirwood: From Old English were meaning man (think werewolf), so a man-tree.
• Roose Bolton: A ruse is a trick, and he bolted the first chance he got.
• Stannis: From Latin for tin, our own ice-cold Tin Man lacks a heart, so he’s off to see the Wizard(ress) for her Burning Heart of R’hllor.
• Benjen Stark: The benjamin is the baby of the family in many cultures.
• Cersei: Circe was Homer’s witch who turned some men into pigs and spurred others into rut.
• Lancel Lannister: Cercei’s favorite cousin, secretly known to lance a lot in her company.
• Tyrion: Tyrian purple was associated with and reserved for royalty who would wrap themselves in it, while royalty is wrapped up in Tyrion’s origin, life in King’s Landing, and perhaps ultimate destiny.
• Brandan Stark and Brynden Rivers: Bran under various spellings means raven in various Celtic tongues, and both our brannish greenseers use ravens to fetch and carry thought and memory, just like Odin’s ravens.
• Old Nan: Nan often means grandma in various English dialects.
• Viserys: Someone whose name makes one think of viscera is unlikely to end well.
• Jon Connington: A cunning name for someone with a secret identity, especially for a gay man who isn’t into c——— er, unwritable four-letter words.
• House Stark: Means strong in Old and Middle English and modern German, with links to winter in Bilbo’s verse “The old that is strong does not wither, / Deep roots are not reached by the frost.” House Stark is strong against the frost of winter, and the current Lord Stark is hidden from the killing frost amongst old roots deep and strong.
• House Arryn: With “As High As Honor” for their words and the falcon their sigil, the Arryns are the purest line of Andal nobility and once Kings of Vale and Mountain; in Tolkein’s Sindarin, ar- means “high, noble, royal”.
• Castamere: Sided with the Blackfyres in first rebellion, clearly Tolkien’s Castamir the Usurper, a rebel.
• Dareon: An untrustworthy bard of the Night’s Watch, a call-out to Tolkien’s Daeron of Doriath, the harpist who was smitten with Lúthien.
• Gendry: A distorted version of gentry, for his hidden link to the monarchy.
• Illyrio: I can’t quite pin this one down, but one thing to know is that the Illyrian Movement was an attempt to found a nation-state.

What other names can be said to be instances of nominative determinism or secret links to something more than they initially appear?

Perhaps some are ironic. For example, I really don’t think Victarion Greyjoy will have a victorious happy ending, but rather one ending in grey the colour of death, like Robb’s direwolf presaged.

[H.P.]

"Sansa sig" means "gather one's composure" in Swedish. And sure Sansa is good at gathering composure?

[Mithras]

Perhaps some are ironic. For example, I really don’t think Victarion Greyjoy will have a victorious happy ending, but rather one ending in grey the colour of death, like Robb’s direwolf presaged.

A corpse stood at the prow of a ship, eyes bright in his dead face, grey lips smiling sadly (=Greyjoy).

[Ibbison from Ibben]

I'll play.

Frey, as many have pointed out before, is associated with Frey/Freyr, the Norse god connected to fertility.

Oakhearts and Reeds - In the fable of the Oak and the Reed, the oak brags about his strength and calls the reed weak. A storm comes along and blows down the rigid oak while the supple reed bends before the wind and survives.

Aerys Oakheart is a great knight, but is rotten at the core and is easily chopped down by an axeman. (Also note similarity of Aerys to Ares, Greek god of war.) The Reeds, although not imposing, have been surviving for a long time.

[Ramsay's Penguins]

I'll play.

Frey, as many have pointed out before, is associated with Frey/Freyr, the Norse god connected to fertility.

Oakhearts and Reeds - In the fable of the Oak and the Reed, the oak brags about his strength and calls the reed weak. A storm comes along and blows down the rigid oak while the supple reed bends before the wind and survives.

Aerys Oakheart is a great knight, but is rotten at the core and is easily chopped down by an axeman. (Also note similarity of Aerys to Ares, Greek god of war.) The Reeds, although not imposing, have been surviving for a long time.

Usually I'm not like this, but it's Arys, not Aerys, which is a little further from Ares. It's pronounced a-Riss for Arys and ay-rys for Aerys right?

Frey=Fray, like the Red Wedding.

Alys means noble and Theon godly. Alysanne being a common name for noblewomen and Theon as a sacrifice or something?