Should Unnamed Characters Be Given A Name?

Should Unnamed Characters Be Given A Name?

  • Yes!

    Votes: 1 25.0%

  • No Way!

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Possibly

    Votes: 2 50.0%

  • I have no idea!

    Votes: 1 25.0%
  • Total voters
    4
jasmine tarkheena

jasmine tarkheena

Active member
There are quite a few characters in the books that are not named. Though it shouldn't surprise us that a movie or series adaptation would want to give some of these unnamed characters. Here's some that I could think of from each book-

MN- Possibly Mavis for Jadis's sister and Albert or Paul for Digory's father. Even if Jadis's sister doesn't make an appearance, Jadis could still refer to her by name.

LWW- The Walden named the Pevensie's mother Helen, so I don't think a new adaption will use it again. A couple of I could think of is Violet or Mary. For the Pevensies father, Professor Kenneth Pevensie.

HHB- Perhaps Lilia for King Lune's wife and Cor and Corin's mother. She would probably have a very brief role, possibly seeing her reaction when baby Cor gets stolen. Maybe even for the Tisroc, Eliam. Possibly Asyna for Aravi's stepmother. Also, Apollo for Hwin's husband and Scarlet for Bree's wife, given that Bree and Hwin don't marry each other.

PC- Possibly a name for Caspian's nurse. One I could think of is Mildred.

VDT- Walden named Ramandu's daughter Liliandil. It's not likely a new adaptation will use that again. One I could possibly think of is Seren (it's Welsh for "star").

SC- I have a feeling they'll want to give the Green Lady of name. Possibly Esmeraldine, which is the meaning of "emerald" given that she wears green.

LB- This is a tough one. I could think of names for Emeth's six brothers: Belshazzar, Amir, Kian, Omer, Sardar, and and Rahman.

Do you think unnamed characters should be give a name in film or series? If so, what names would you suggest?
 
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Since you're not claiming to be canon, go for it! Give names!

In the Dawn Treader movie, it was perfectly logical to give a name to Ramandu's daughter, once it was decided to include her in the on-camera action. I just wish that they HADN'T so blatantly tried to make her name sound Tolkien-ish.
 
If Lewis didn't give the characters names, I would incline against it unless it's really essential for the story. The names should fit the pattern Lewis has already created, though. For example, Bree and Hwin are horsey sounds, and so their spouses should also have horsey names. Caspian's nurse should have a Telmarine-sounding name, so I would incline against an established our-world name like Mildred, same for Mavis for Jadis's sister. Digory is a fairly unusual name, so perhaps his father also has a distinctive name, like Balthazar or Ebenezer, but something that is plausible for someone born in mid-19th century England.
 
Copperfox said:
In the Dawn Treader movie, it was perfectly logical to give a name to Ramandu's daughter, once it was decided to include her in the on-camera action. I just wish that they HADN'T so blatantly tried to make her name sound Tolkien-ish.
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Right. I've actually thought of "Seren" for her (it's Welsh for "Star").
Peepiceek said:
For example, Bree and Hwin are horsey sounds, and so their spouses should also have horsey names.
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Right. I'm not sure if there's any other horsey sound names that I could think of, though.
Peepiceek said:
Caspian's nurse should have a Telmarine-sounding name
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Right. The only female Telmarines named are Prunaprismia and Gwendolen. So the nurse would have to have a Telmarine sounding name.
Peepiceek said:
, so I would incline against an established our-world name like Mildred, same for Mavis for Jadis's sister.
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Oh yeah. Then possibly Sorloa or Bramanda or Bramandina, in reference to the other cities that she conquered, Solorois and Bramedan.
Peepiceek said:
Digory is a fairly unusual name, so perhaps his father also has a distinctive name, like Balthazar or Ebenezer, but something that is plausible for someone born in mid-19th century England.
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Ebenezer actually might make sense. In the Timeline, MN indicates that it takes place during late Victorian period. Ebenezer is actually the name of the main character in Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol, which takes place during Victorian London.
 
I would be sparing with old Anglo-Saxon names like Mildred and old French names like Genevieve. Clearly Lewis generated those names by using the languages of similar cultures on Earth but did not directly assimilate any of them...with the exception of "Aslan" of course... Try these on for size and see what you think: Londi, Kharsis, Zhadoum, Boudu, Mindo, Jhakarn, Banglore, and Langpari?
 
A movie or series could decide to name the White Witch's dwarf again, like Walden did. I'm not sure if there's any that I could think of, since it probably won't be "Ginnabrik" again.

On second thought about Emeth's six brothers, a movie or series might do something with them, even just a brief appearance. They could end up being in Aslan's country. They don't even have to be referred to by name.
 
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Mrs. Pevensie was only given the name Helen because it was Georgie Henley's mother's name.

I think that would be a fun way to name parents of certain young characters, go with the relevant family members as long as they fit within the names of the cultures within Narnia.

As for Miraz, you think he would have named his son Miraz II with the expectation of him taking over the kingdom?
 
MrBob said:
I think that would be a fun way to name parents of certain young characters, go with the relevant family members as long as they fit within the names of the cultures within Narnia.
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Digory's mother is named Mabel, but his father is not named. He doesn't really make an appearance since he's away in India. Polly's parents aren't even mentioned (other than that she mentioned that they sent her to bed without dinner).

And yes, Walden named Mrs. Pevensies "Helen" because it was Georgie Henley's name. Though they had other ideas such as "Miriam" or "Violet."

Eustace's parents are named Harold and Alberta. It's actually never specified whether Mr. Pevensie and Alberta were brother and sister or if Mrs. Pevensie and Alberta were sisters. Jill's parents aren't even mentioned.

MrBob said:
As for Miraz, you think he would have named his son Miraz II with the expectation of him taking over the kingdom?
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That's true. Miraz's son could be Miraz II.
 
I'm partial to naming the Pevensie parents "Jack" and "Helen" after CS "Jack" Lewis and Helen Joy Davidman as a tribute to the creator of Narnia. Yes, I know, Helen was her name in the Walden series, but I think it still works.
 
It depends on the character for me. If it is something like naming the Pevensie parents or even Ramandu's Daughter, sure. I am not wanting to give a name to the Lady of the Green Kirtle. It doesn't make sense for her character to be called anything other than that because she always demanded absolute obedience. She does not have anyone with whom she she would be on a first name basis. She did not allow anyone to feel like they were her equal.
 
~Lava~ said:
It depends on the character for me. If it is something like naming the Pevensie parents or even Ramandu's Daughter, sure. I am not wanting to give a name to the Lady of the Green Kirtle. It doesn't make sense for her character to be called anything other than that because she always demanded absolute obedience. She does not have anyone with whom she she would be on a first name basis. She did not allow anyone to feel like they were her equal.
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That too could depend. Now, sometimes some one who demands obedience may at least have a surname. Take for example Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars. That has a ring to it, kind of like Emperor Nero or Emperor Domitian.
Now, she could be called say, "Her Royal Highness Emperess Kore, Queen of the Underlands and Lady of the Green Kertle" when being announced by a herald but not used more then that. After all Rilian while enchanted seems to only call her "M' Lady" or "my queen."

(Kore being an alternate name for Persephone from Greek Mythology who was goddess of the underworld and stolen by Hades. Plus "Kore" looks like "Core" as in the Earth's "Kore" )
 
Sven-El said:
That too could depend. Now, sometimes some one who demands obedience may at least have a surname. Take for example Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars. That has a ring to it, kind of like Emperor Nero or Emperor Domitian.
Now, she could be called say, "Her Royal Highness Emperess Kore, Queen of the Underlands and Lady of the Green Kertle" when being announced by a herald but not used more then that. After all Rilian while enchanted seems to only call her "M' Lady" or "my queen."

(Kore being an alternate name for Persephone from Greek Mythology who was goddess of the underworld and stolen by Hades. Plus "Kore" looks like "Core" as in the Earth's "Kore" )
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I feel like if she would allow her subjects to use her name, Lewis would have done it. We know that Jadis allowed it in that very case. Whereas, the Lady of the Green Kirtle is never introduced as such.
 
Sven El, the problem with calling her "Her Royal Highness Emperess Kore, Queen of the Underlands and Lady of the Green Kertle" is we already have a Cor in the series. Shasta, known as Prince and then King Cor of Archenland.
 
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