Contentious doll names - gods and so on.

I'm with the people who say that using a "bad" name like Caligula is, often, more meant to evoke a personality type than to revere the original character. A great example used in this thread IMHO was Cain-- there are tons of fictional characters named Cain, and I don't think any of them are meant to honour the Cain in the bible so much as give the character an outlaw flavour. And I think the majority of people (unless they live in particularly conservative Christian areas) think immediately that it's that, instead of thinking that it's meant to honour the original Cain.

Someone using Hitler's name might mean a similar thing. And that's probably what I'd assume off the bat of them-- that they just wanted to indicate that this doll's character was amoral and possibly racist. He could be the villain of their character story. There's no reason to assume that the owner meant offence with it. But some people are going to have a knee-jerk reaction to Hitler because he was too recent and too famous, etc.

My friend got upset because her mom nicknames her cat "Satan", and she's a perfectly sweet cat, so to indicate that she's as bad as that is upsetting. But I think that a doll named Satan by its owner would not be quite the same. Because the point of a doll is to be a character, possibly a villain or someone you are meant to disapprove of even if you also love them... A cat, on the other hand, isn't someone you're deliberately trying to give a personality to. So I think it's interesting to think about the difference.

 

Well, my Izanami-chan and some of my other characters are named after Shinto gods, although they actually ARE supposed to be reincarnations of my take on those gods (using a good amount of artistic liberty)... But I don't see why anyone would be offended. In fact, in Japan it's quite normal to use Shinto gods that way, as long as you aren't being disrespectful to the religion; this just seems to be a very foreign concept to monotheists...

 

I'm of the opinion that, a name is simply a word used to identify something faster (heck, I named my laptop and mp3 player). Some names may have power if we give them power and some names have cultural taboos or significance tied to them. If you feel that Lucifer or Jesus or Hera (you get the idea) is a good name for your doll or your kid or your cat, that's all on you. Other people might get offended, sure. But, in the end, they can't really do much about it.

Now, picking a name just to be a twerp is something I don't get. Why would anybody do that? Then, everyone will know your doll as the one with the unfortunate name. I don't understand that kind of thinking at all.

On a personal level, I haven't yet had the urge to name my children anything that would have those connotations. While names like Sophia and Luna may have religious significance for me, they aren't taboo and don't have any sort of social stigma. If I did get the urge to name a kid or doll after the morning star or the fallen angel, I might simply use a variation like "Lucetious" or a lesser known cultural equivalent like "Zorya". Both are still divine names, but they're less well-known and have no baggage really attached to them in most groups.

 

In Revelations 4:10, the contents of Heaven are discribed.
And supposedly, there are 4 beasts that praise god for all eternity up in heaven. A Lion, a Cow, A creature with the face of a man, and an Eagle. All of them covered with eyes, and each having 6 wings. I'm going to mod a doll into looking like the winged Lion ^^ His name will be Jalil. Its Arabic and means 'revered' or 'exalted'.
Though his name doesnt have much to do with a god, his form does ^^

 

I figured as long as a doll's name suits him and you're comfortable calling him that then everything's cool. ^-^
Personally I'm fond of godly/mythological names. Like Enyo (greek goddess of horror) and Mabon (Celtic god.)

 

I think anytime you take something sacred from someone's culture/faith and mock it, then you're asking for trouble. But if you use the name and use it in a respectful or positive way, then it should be alright.

 

The weird thing a lot names in in society are after religious beings. Like the name Micheal comes from the archangel, same with Gabriel, and lots of other names. I don't see a problem with it.

 

Who are you naming the doll for? Yourself of course so name it anything that appeals to you, you can't spend your whole life walking on eggshells incase you offend a total stranger because no matter how inoffensive you try to be you will always offend someone. We buy dolls for ourselves and so we call them what we want, how is any name contentious?

If the first thing that comes to mind when you name, dress, mod your doll is "What will people think?" maybe you have just picked a very expensive medium to use to attract attention to yourself. Maybe attention, good or bad is what you wanted more than the doll? I'm using "you" in the general here.

It just puzzles me that there are so many threads on here with people asking what they can and can't do with THEIR dolls... do what you want within the law. It's only when posting things on forums that you need to heed other people's sensibilities and try to avoid offense, and surely there is a LOT more to having a doll than just posting on forums?

 

My boyfriend and I have characters (that may or may not become dolls.. I want to, but I can only do what my budget allows) named after gods... more to pay homage to the gods than anything. I don't see anything wrong with that.

 

The only thing that would offend me about using a religious or mythological name would be if people based their characters on the deity being named but didn't do their research.

Like if they wanted to make a character based specifically on Athena and used a variation of her name, but then they made the character a total slut.

As far as using names like Caligula, Hitler or Cain... well, some of the sting has faded from some of the names, like Caligula and so while people may look at you oddly I don't think anyone would really object. However some names are too freshly connected with atrocity to be used still, like Hitler.

 

I would just like to point out, AGAIN, that most of the old religions of the world are still followed, in some way. I'm more offended by people saying "it's a mythological name, no one follows that religion anymore, so it won't offend anyone" than people using the name because it "sounds cool". I personaly know people who worship the Greek, Celtic, and Norse pantheons.

As for names that I would REALLY find offensive--Stalin, Hitler, and such. Mostly because those of my grandfathers family that stayed in the Ukrane did not survive because of Stalin.

 

Names are words.
Words are illusion


I still like Tobey best -woohoo

 

That Buddhist then needs some serious re-thinking and work on his state of mind. I have met a person who was Buddhist and I swear he had really reached his enlightenment, and what I noticed about him was that he never really got upset or offended by ANYthing. Besides, Buddha was not a god; Buddha is a title given to someone who has reached enlightenment. I wouldn't name a doll Buddha because it isn't a name and none of the personalities I give characters would ever measure up, in my mind, but never because it offended me. Small issues and pride are a thing to be gotten rid of for a Buddhist.

I would not name a doll something to purposefully offend someone, because I do not like spreading negativity for my own amusement, but I also would not be offended by something like that.

 

I have a Gabriel but he was named for a character in an Oscar Wilde story which I love. I've never thought of any of my doll names causing offence but mainly because I don't tend to share their names anyway. Most of mine are named after book characters.

 

My all male doll group has names that related to how I relate to them, though I will admit that two of the names are specifically generated because they represent beautiful gay men. One is Erastes and soon I will have Ganymede. I think the vast majority of people will not know that these names represent anything. Those who are in the know will be pleased.

 

I knew a small doll company that named two "sister" dolls - Demerol and Darvon. These are names of pain medications, no religious connotations, but it created a stir. More than a few people were 'offended'. When asked why, they said because people can overdose on these drugs.

???

Okay. They are legal prescription drugs, not street drugs. But their names fit the 'theme' that the doll designer had in mind. I didn't quite understand get the offensiveness.

But personally I think it is your choice anyway; it is your doll.

 

It's your choice what to name your doll, as long it dose not disrespect other peoples culture/religion. I would get peed if someone named their dolls after communist pardon my french asses or terrible historical figures like Hitler.

In any case, I love to name some of my dolls after mythical beings.

 

I'm Pagan, and I don't think much of Jesus of Judeo-Christian religious beliefs, but I would never do anything to be disrespectful to those people. If a name is used in a respectful way and was not chosen with the intention of offense, I'm fine with it. I have some names picked out for future dolls of the gods I worship, and for me it's a way of honoring them. *shrug* You can't please everyone, and someone somewhere is going to be offended by whatever you do/say/choose to name your doll.

 

I feel give the doll a name from mythology, or even religion, would be something that would say that you honor or respect that mythology/religion. I believe that people would have an easier time naming a doll say, Zues or Ra, than to name one Jesus or Moses. Back in the past, Egyptian cultures did not name their children directly after gods. Perhaps off-shoots, or parts of it, but never just "Khons" or "Ra" (but I'm sure there are exceptions, like most things). Just like we would probably feel it near-blasphemous to name our child "God".

Of course, I feel it is easier for us to name a doll say "Ra", due to that fact it to us is now a 'mythological' religion. But three thousand or so years ago, it was real to the ancient Egyptians. Who is to say that, in another three thousand years, the world will undergo a dramatic change, and a new religion is born that over takes Christianity? There may perhaps be a new "God" born to worship, and then people will start naming their children/dolls (ha ha)/and pets "God" with less fear and worry?

I personally don't see a problem with it, regardless, though I would be more hesitant to name a doll after a current religious figure, if only so when I have to tell the name and explain the origins of why I chose it, that I do not accidentally offend someone of that particular religion. This is a very interest debate topic, however.

 

@ Damir: there are thousands of people across the globe that still worship the pre-Christian gods. Those figures are still very current for some of us. /off topic

/on topic: Though I do see what you are saying. People don't really take that into consideration...the old gods are just "myths" to them and therefore it's not offensive.