Project Eden's Garden: Character Names Explained
After my first post on the animal symbolism in P:EG, I've been wanting to make a follow-up analysis based on character names. Anyone who's ever written anything even remotely creative has Google'd 'name that means *insert something vaguely representing character here'. That's a rule of the universe, you cannot change my mind, we've all done it, and we will continue to do it.
Of course, this isn't always the case. Sometimes we name characters based on people we know, or just because we've always liked the names. I'm still fairly confident that some good ol' fashioned 'Behind the Name' and 'Nameberry' scouring might have occurred.
So, let's see what the names of our cast actually mean!
Damon Maitsu:
'Damon' is a name of Greek origin meaning 'one who tames', or 'one who subdues', originating from the word 'dama' (of the same meaning). The legend of 'Damon and Pythias' holds a moral of true friendship, where (TL;DR) Pythias and Damon's friendship astonishes the tyrant of Syracuse, saving them both.
What's more interesting about this name, is that it's one letter away from the word 'demon'. In the Bible (yes, we're going back to there, and this won't be the first time), the word 'daimon' is used once, meaning 'demon'.
'Maitsu' is a little bit tricky to pin down. It doesn't seem to be a common name at all. It's listed on 'NamesLook' under the meaning 'Emotional, Systematic Mind, Serious' which seems promising at first, but it's a numerology website - the meaning is based on numerology rather than the name itself. So, I threw it into Google translate at it came back as 'Mights' (a lot of Western words sound similar to their Japanese counterparts because it's literally the word written in Japanese characters (Katakana, in most cases)).
'Howtopronounce' described it as a feminine forename, which... I feel kinda doubt, given it's the only place mentioning it.
Breaking the name up yielded far more topical results, however.
'Ma' - devil - 魔
'Itsu' - five, when, comfortable, one(?)
'Itsu' will require a little more digging (this has devolved into a conspiracy board, huh?). We can pretty confidently rule out 'when'. While that's arguably the most common use of 'itsu', it doesn't make too much sense as far as naming conventions go. I read somewhere that 'itsu' can mean 'to freeze', but I haven't seen anything else to back it up (I think the person might have been mistaken).
'Comfortable' seems a little odd, though not implausible. What's much more interesting is the possibility of 'itsu' referring to a number. The name 'Itsuki' can mean a lot of things. Two of these apparent meanings caught my eye: 'five trees' (as a surname), and 'that one moon'.
Numbers. The word moon is 'tsuki', but tree is 'ki'. Itsu-ki - five trees. Ma-itsu - five devils or the (singular) devil. 'Five' seems more likely (because this is all very complicated to my brain, and for the life of me I can't find a reliable source saying 'itsu' can sometimes mean 'one', if anybody knows what's up please clue me in! I'm pretty sure that 'tsu' can mean 'one', so maybe that's what they meant?)
As far as I can tell, the kanji for character names haven't been released (if it has then I am truly Boo-Boo the fool), but this would make Damon's name look a little like this (I'm not fluent in Japanese, so don't take my word on this, I'm mostly winging it here)...
Damon - デイモン (katakana)
Maitsu - まいつ (hiragana) - 魔五 (kanji)
SO, in conclusion, Damon has some pretty strong demonic roots behind his name. This ties into his overall snake motif, and could potentially (don't mind the tin foil hat here) be hinting towards Damon being involved in the killing game..? 'Mara' (Ma-ra) is the enforcer, so following my bizarre name logic here, she would also be a 'devil'. Maybe Damon is actually associated with Tozu and co. but doesn't remember it (a snake in the grass, if you will).
Eva Tsunaka:
'Eva' is of Hebrew origin and means 'life'. It is also (to nobody's surprise) deeply Biblically relevant. It's a variation of 'Eve', as in, the first woman.
'Tsunaka' was easier to track down than 'Maitsu', but it still seems uncommon. According to a website called 'Japanese Names', it's made up of the kanji for 'harbour' (or 'ferry') and 'inside' which... isn't super enlightening? I could jump through hoops to make a Noah's Ark parallel, but that seems like a reach.
Putting the two meanings together we get something along the lines of 'inside the harbour'. The word 'harbour' (as a noun) describes a place where boats moor. As a verb, the word could be used to describe someone protecting something; to harbour a runaway, or to harbour a victim. In that sense, Tsunaka seems like an almost angelic name, promising protection to others.
Wolfgang Akire:
'Wolfgang' is a German name derived from the words 'Wulf' (meaning - wait for it - 'Wolf') and 'Gang' (meaning 'path'). Therefore, 'Wolfgang' is often interpreted as 'travelling wolf'. It's probably best known as being Mozart's first name, but I personally think it was chosen for the irony factor - having a guy named 'Wolfgang' be represented by a sheep is a perfect irony.
This name could also be interpreted as 'one who has the ways of the wolf' (someone who follows the path of a wolf).
'Akire' consists of the kanji for 'reveal' (諒) and 'clever' (怜)... Or, 'truth' and 'wise'. This makes a lot of sense, given the whole 'lawyer with the moral high ground thing he has going on. It almost seems like a play on the typical Danganronpa protagonist, a little tongue-in-cheek about revealing the truth.
Grace Madison:
'Grace', to nobody's surprise, shock or horror, means 'grace'.
'Madison' could be taken to mean 'strength', or it could mean 'Matthew's Son' which launches us right back to the Bible. Apparently, the name Madison used to be a pretty unpopular 'boy name' but skyrocketed in popularity for girls after the 80s film 'Splash' was released.
Grace's surname might just be a reference to Madison Moman, a teenage golfing prodigy (fun fact, she has a blog titled 'Live Laugh Golf'... icon behaviour).
Toshiko Kayura:
According to the highly academic Wikipedia, the name Toshiko can be read as -
I'm noticing the word 'child' (子 is the 'ko', as seen in the word 'kodomo'), which adds up with Toshiko being so young. 'Genius child' is very Danganronpa, since that's kinda half the premise, and 'graceful' plays into the flamingo motif. There was a Princess Toshiko, but I can't see anything of immediate interest that links the two. If I had to guess, Toshiko's name encapsulates her childhood genius, implying that it defines her. Her character development might involve her overcoming this idea and redefining her identity.
Kayura is made up of the kanji 香由良, which have a variety of meanings. 香 can be read as fragrance. 由 means reason. I also noticed some cases where this kanji is used to describe a noble lineage of some sort, which could link with Toshiko's princess namesake, but that might not actually work here, just food for thought. 良 means excellent, good or skilled - makes sense with the whole 'child genius' thing.
Since she's a matchmaker, I could see her talent being hereditary and built from tradition. The way she dresses and acts is very proper, suggesting she's carrying the weight of someone's expectations - since she's only fourteen, it seems unlikely that these values were self-encouraged.
Ulysses Wilhelm:
The name Ulysses has an interesting history of usage. At first, I assumed our Ultimate Historian got his name from Ulysses S. Grant, a civil war general... He was also the 18th president of the USA, which I did not know, what a plot twist, I just thought he was the war guy. This could very well be the reference, but 'Ulysses' is apparently the Latin version of 'Odysseus'. Because of its link to The Odyssey 'Ulysses' can mean journey.
Oh, also, it can mean 'wrathful', we'll get into that.
(Huge tangent incoming, you might want to take a water break before this)
So like. I know I said in my first post that owl boy was probably going to die early, and I still kinda stand by that, but... His name means wrath. Biblically that's pretty big, right?
If the Killing Game is the Garden of Eden then what is the mastermind? Satan, right? Or maybe that's wrong. Maybe the mastermind is God. Metaphorical God, but still. Ulysses has a keen memory, not to mention he writes down everything that happens because he struggles to remember non-historical things.
Maybe that's not entirely true, though. Maybe he's trying to hide how knowledgeable (dare I say... omnipotent) he is. Maybe his skills are mostly analytical and his aptitude towards history is just a byproduct of that. Y'know... like how the Ultimate Analyst made an effective Ultimate Fashionista because she could analyse trends.
Okay, so maybe it's not that plot beat again exactly, but it's still pretty interesting.
Ulysses mentioned the classic 'those who do not learn from history' thing, but wasn't that what they were doing in the prologue? They looked at an old case and learned from it. Maybe there's a bigger element in there that they missed.
If Ulysses is wrath, then he could be 'divine wrath', which is basically when God gets angry but because he's pure and loving, it's a necessity and devoid of guilt or relevance or... something? It's wrath but from a high horse. Let's go with that.
What I'm trying to say is that Ulysses is the mastermind and that the killing game is a social experiment designed to end all conflict, idk, something like that.
(Tangent over)
'Wilhelm' is a German name that apparently means 'Will Helmet'. I have no idea what that's supposed to mean, will helmet do what? Is the helmet filled with willpower? In all seriousness, I think it's supposed to be a protection thing (because Ulysses is symbolically God- okay, I'll stop).
It's also a historical name which would match 'Ulysses'.
Desmond Hall:
'Desmond' means gracious protector, which suits him well based on his general 'we'll escape you guys, honest, nothing bad could ever happen' demeanour. However, that's just one website's interpretation, the most common meaning would be 'from south Munster', but that's far less fun.
'Hall' as a surname, interestingly, could mean 'kind' or 'forgiving' which comes "from the belief that Viking thanes were eternally benevolent to those who lived within his hall" (quote is from a website called Select Surnames).
Alternatively, it could stem from someone living in a hall.
Diana Venicia:
Diana, Roman goddess of the moon, hunting, maidens, etc. Princess Diana, of Wales, the people's princess, etc. Lots of famous Dianas to choose from here, but as a general meaning, Diana could mean 'sky', or 'daylight'. Most likely, this name was chosen because the goddess Diana was said to be beautiful.
Or... because of its connotations with the moon. The tarot card 'The Moon' is a card of divine feminity and of secrets.
I swear to Ulysses God this girl is hiding something.
Venicia means 'desire', 'love' and 'happiness'.
Jean DeLamer:
Upon first Google (which is all this is, this is for fun, do not take this 10000% seriously, I've probably messed up several times throughout this whole spiel), Jean means 'God is gracious'. He could be named after Jean Lafitte, a French privateer who had a killer stache. If I had to put money on it, I'd go with the latter.
'DeLamer' translates to 'of the sea' which... is easy enough, thanks for that, moving on.
Jett Dawson:
Jett is a type of black stone. To quote 'The Bump's description of this name "Jett is the guy in a leather jacket who’s cool, composed and confident. The name’s intriguing meaning, “black stone,” also gives it an edgy and glamorous allure". Jett is also evocative of something fast, so I think this is a case of 'cool name, cool guy'.
Jett was also the name of Judah's firstborn son in the Bible, but I don't know what to do with that info, so...
Dawson could either mean 'Beloved' or 'Son of David'. I find 'Beloved' far more entertaining, it makes me think of that locket GIF that was everywhere a while back.
Kai Monteago:
Kai is most notorious for meaning 'sea'. I don't know why, but that's been ingrained in my brain for years. I have a sneaking suspicion it's the Disney Channel's fault... did they have a surfer boy named Kai at some point state "My name means sea"?
'Monteago' (not 'Montego', there were a lot of search results for that) can mean 'friendly' or 'charismatic'. 'Charismatic' makes more sense here.
Kai seems an unusual name to have for the character, so if it was chosen in direct reference to something, it could be a setup for an ironic punchline. If Kai is executed, for example, he might 'drown in a sea of his own fans'. Or someone could drown him. Alternatively, water symbolises emotion.
'Mark 'Mayhem' Berskii':
Oh, hi Mark.
This one's a little unorthodox. 'Berskii' isn't a surname that's super searchable. In fact, googling 'Berskii name meaning' shows this character on the front page... after a few 'Berski' explanations. I tried putting it through an anagram decoder, and it sure does have the word 'bikers' in it, but that seems random. Berski apparently means 'Influencer, Freedom Lover, Charisma', which doesn't scream Mark... maybe freedom-loving?
Google translate says it's Malay for Skiing.
Urban dictionary says it means, "God. Berski is all mighty. Typically used as a nickname for the bro-est of the bros. If someone calls you Berski, you should be truly honored."
9/10 doctors can't tell where this name came from.
I am the one doctor who can tell you that 'Mark Berskii' is an anagram for, brace yourself... 'smirkier'.
Another case closed.
So anyway, the Biblical meaning of 'Mark' is 'polite', but it also correlates to 'Mars' from Latin, meaning god of war so...
I dunno, it's all a mess, Mark lives up to the pseudonym 'Mayhem'. He's a cool guy, if anyone has any ideas on his name, let me know!
Wenona:
Wenona is a Native American name meaning 'first born daughter'. I don't have much else to say beyond that. I think it's a very pretty name and I'm interested to see where Wenona goes as a character.
Eloise Taulner:
'Eloise' means 'famous warrior', which is a very literal take on her character, but I respect it. As the Ultimate Fencer she is, straight up, a famous warrior. Some other websites claim it means 'healthy' and 'wide', but I prefer 'famous warrior'.
'Taulner' is another case of 'this isn't quite a name, what do we do'. 'Taul' is Estonian for 'table', according to Google Translate... 'Tau' means 'Yes' in Hmong.
Honestly, I just think she has a neat name all around.
Ingrid Grimwall:
'Ingrid' is a Scandinavian name that means 'fair' and 'beautiful'. This name is derived from 'Ing's Daughter', with 'Ing' being the old name for 'Freyr', the god of summer and a bunch of other things. Something interesting to note: Freyja was depicted as having a chariot pulled by big cats. It's a bit of a stretch, but maybe Ingrid's lions are a super roundabout reference to that.
Maybe every character is a metaphorical god here, who knows, symbolism is wild.
'Grimwall' is a very cool surname, and could be compared to 'Grimwald', meaning 'fierce might'. I don't have much to say here, I feel like Ingrid's name is more vibe based than context-based.
Cassidy Amber:
'Cassidy' means 'clever' and 'curly-haired'. At least, that's what the first search result said. A few search results down, however, gave me this: "Cassidy name meaning is she who entangles men".
Hm. Interesting. Very interesting, since her assigned animal is a spider.
I don't know where this site got that from, but I'm going to roll with it because it's very, very fitting.
'Amber' is also quite interesting. When I think of amber, I think a bug encased in fossilised tree resin. A bug trapped in something... The spider imagery continues. Honestly, this name is super interesting (especially since Cassidy was on my sussy mastermind list... I should probably make a post specifically to theorise on the mastermind, I work it into these way too often).
Conclusion:
So, I started writing this a month or two back, got through Damon, Eve and Wolfgang's analysis, and then shelved it because my brain hurt. I woke up this morning and realised that I should probably finish this post. It was a lot of fun, I felt like I was making some crazy revelations when things made sense... and when they didn't, I just kept telling myself "meh, it's a cool name, it doesn't always have to make sense".
Anyways, if you enjoyed this feel free to comment your thoughts or reblog adding to it. Have a good morning/afternoon/night!
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