Contentious doll names - gods and so on.

Nah, I get you LadyKate. I'm the same way. ^_^ What's fun is when the name I settle on has a meaning that actually works for the concept!

I would not name a doll Satan or Lucifer, as much as the latter pains me. Lucifer is a pretty name with a pretty literal meaning and it would be wonderful for a bright ethereal type of doll. I'd get around it by either using a variant, like Lucy, or a name that echos the way it sounds. Like....Luc Ingatious Furrh. Hm now I have an urge to make a lawyer type doll with that name, lol. XD

You are just beyond awesome. Seriously. Like, I haven't met another person outside a history class I took in university that actually knows what Caligula means! XD

 

Actually, I don't think there are any religions that are at least mildly known about that can be considered "dead". I know there's a pretty big Hellenistic revival movement, and Ancient Egyptian religion has also been a pretty big point of interest since the beginning of last century. So theoretically, using any religious figures could be stepping on SOMEONE's toes (even if you happen to belong to that same religion). This is where the tasteful execution and the hope in the other person's ability to see the attempt at appreciation would come in.

And, I'm gonna be honest. I use my dolls/characters in a tasteful fashion, however, I won't deny that there is definitely an element to what I intend to do that WILL be considered offensive by a fringe group of fanatics. And quite frankly, they can be offended ALL they want, since they can't seem to spare the courtesy to other people. I won't even bother to try and take their opinion into consideration, because I honestly, truthfully don't care. I wish I could say I was a better person than this, but I just can't.

And I think this point IS kind of legitimate as well. Some people might just not care if they offend someone they don't know and will never meet, and so they'll happily continue to go calling their dolls Lucifer, or Adolf, or whatever. And as long as they're not doing anything illegal with that doll, I don't care either (though I may not necessarily uh, care for their outlook on life and/or doll-collecting).

Just a tiny bit more OT, but in many other (much older) religions where demons were present, gods and demons are frequently nearly synonymous. The original Greek meaning of the word "daemon" is simply "spirit", a benevolent yet very powerful entity. For example, the Oneiroi - Ancient Greek gods of dreams (like Morpheus, Phobetor and Phantasus) are interchangeably called dream daemons because that's simply what they are - powerful spirits/gods. So, I just choose to see it as a compliment, and an extra sweet one because it's quite beautifully ironic. ^^

 

Lelite you are on point! Well done.

I agree as well, I think everyone should feel absolutely free to name their doll what ever they want, and for their own personal reasons. It's quite impossible to go through this life not offending someone, or group. Be true to you, and your own beliefs, and or imagination, I mean what else can you do, you know?

 

Thank you! Though that's a tad sad. XD My hubby's got a classics degree so he knows too (and I love bugging him for name ideas!!), I have to admit that I learned it from the Malcolm Mcdowell film of the same name. XD

 

Love the way you look at it. ^_^ It's certainly more optimistic.

 

I don't care about the history behing a name or about the previous bearers of the name... I choose the names I like for my dolls regardless of their meaning -not the one literal, but the impressions it can bring. And if there's somebody who finds it disrespectful, it's their problem, not mine. My only problem is to actually find a name that suits the doll UXD

 

I'm Catholic, and we're pretty well-known for naming our kids, towns, hospitals and schools after holy men and women, and angels. It's a sign of honor, not disrespect.

There are, however, some names I avoid because they belong to some pretty awful people I've met. I won't name my dolls after jerks. ;p

 

I probably wouldn't name my doll after a god, simpy for the reason that the name would always bring the god in question to mind. It might confuse me more than anyone else. And at least at this point I'm not planning on any god characters for my dolls.
I have Fear, Winter, Wind and Anger though XD They're exactly what their names say.

 

I am not offended at what other people call their dolls but for me I would try and steer away from anything that would offend someone else, I like my dolls to bring me and the company I am in happiness!

 

I wouldn't name a doll after the Twilight franchise, but, that's just me. Nor would I jump on any fad-naming trend, like fruit, just because i think it'd come back to bug me down the road.

Names are names. A name you love, I guarantee you can find someone that hates it. I think that whatever you want to name your doll, name your doll, doesn't matter what other people think because, at the end of the day, your doll, not theirs.

 

Both of the dolls I will have (the one on order now and the one I will order soon) are modeled after real people... I guess to some people it might be odd if I use their real names but if that's who they're supposed to represent, then it's fine. Also, like norizay said, it's my doll and not anybody else's. XD

 

What's in a name? Would a doll by any other not still be made of resin?

All mangled Shakespeare quotes aside though, if a name fits my doll, that's the name it's going to have. What's the point in spending so much money on something if you're going to settle for 'the second choice' in names, just because it also belongs to some kind of deity?

 

A name is a name, it is your doll and though people may have to read about it, they all have back buttons, or the ability to tell you in person that you'd rather not hear about it, so name them what you want. Naming things after spiritual beings such as gods or heroes, even christian, is a form of flattery as seen by all the jesuses and pauls, and peters. Don't even get me started on maries! Relax, there is a reason you name them that, it is an attractive and important name, it tells you something about them, be tactful and all will be well, use even with Satan or Lucifer (a name which I think is lovely myself, but who's asking?).

 

I have to perform a magical Resurrection on this thread as Angell-Studio just announced it's Baron Samedi doll and I actually find myself uncomfortable. I mean maybe it's just me but IMHO a person naming their doll after a god is fine (it usually means they have some knowledge of the names source or may borrow aspects of the chararcter), but it weirds me out to find a company doing this. Keep in mind this is a god still worshiped in certain parts of the world.

For anyone who is unaware of the deity: Linkies

 

Duskkodesh, I am also uncomfortable with Angell-Studio's Baron Samedi doll. I blinked a bit* when Iplehouse named one of their BIDs Erzulie, but they weren't marketing the doll as a representation of the Loa. Angell-Studio, on the other hand, are outright calling Baron Samedi a Zombie God. It's cultural appropriation in a very icky way ... like somebody said, "Hey! Vampires are all played out, so let's milk some bucks out of Vodun!"

Never mind that Vodun is a living, thriving, (maligned and misrepresented) religion. I hate to see it portrayed as !!!Scary Monsters, Super Creeps!!!, or, in this specific case, !!!SmexySpookyBishieBoy!!! with no attempt at understanding its iconography, its roots, its meaning, its faithful.

This doll bears about as much physical resemblance to traditional iconic representations of Baron Samedi as, say, a Luts Shiwoo does to traditional iconic representations of Jesus Christ.

*Editing to note that I went back to the BID thread and saw my own comment that I liked the idea of chibi Loa/Orixas**, so guess who's on crack today? However, I stand by my discomfort with Baron Samedi.

**Mainly because of altar dolls, which are often baby dolls outfitted in the colors of the Orixas they represent.

 

I'm catholic and a doll being named Lucifer or Jesus is not offensive to me, I can see why it would be to others, but it's not to me, I guess because I'm pretty open minded when it comes to that stuff and other religions.
And while I do not care about what someone else names their doll, I personally could never name my doll after someone I know. I love the name Angel but one of the little girls I babysit for is named Angelina and we call her Angel for short and so I can't ever name a pet or doll Angel now. lol. It'd just be much too weird for me.
Also, I would never name a doll a name that belonged to someone I disliked or were a jerk.
However, my dollies names have come from them. I look at them and get a feeling on a name and that becomes their name. For example: My tongtong: She was the third doll I ordered but the first one I actually got in the mail. I took one look at her pictures and the name 'Yunae' popped into my head. I never heard that name before in my life and I'm not even sure it's a real name...but it was her name and it fits her perfectly.

For Katerina however, her name was supposed to be Katrina but knowing all the damage hurricane Katrina did, I couldn't give her that name. So we settled on Katerina, which I think it's just as good.

Anyway that's just my personal take and like I said, I don't care what someone else names their dolls, because it's their doll and they can do whatever they'd like with him/her.

 

I would have no qualms about people using those names. I'm an atheist, so none of those names mean anything to me. I like some of the greek god names a lot, they sound cool , but the other ones are kinda "meh" sounding. Jesus is not a pretty name, aesthetically, for example (to me, anyway). I also (hypothetically) wouldn't want to use certain names because I wouldn't want people to think I'm religious in some way.

When it comes to that stuff (like people being offended by things that shouldn't really be any concern of their's... like what someone names their dolls), it's their problem, not your's or mine.

 

While I personally would probably not deliberately name a doll after a deity (I'm just superstitious enough to not want to garner any negative attention from said deity even if I do not follow them in a religious fashion) I have absolutely no care in the world what someone else names their doll. It could be named a string of vulgarities and I wouldn't care.

(Actually the phrase "String of Vulgarities" would make for an interesting name itself, lol)

 

Personally, I would not name a doll after any deity, unless I was trying to either honour them through the doll (almost like a representation of them) or because I wished to invoke some sort of charicteristic, quality or personality of theirs into the doll.
Being an animalist and believing that dolls especially have very distinct souls, I feel that dolls names can either be part of that 'unchangeable' soul. Or can be given to the doll by the owner. In my experiences it is usually the former.
An exception I can see myself making to my not giving dolls deity names would be if the doll 'wanted' the name or I felt it was part of its soul.
On the subject of other names, I think that other people's dolls names are their business, not mine.
That is just my personal opinion.

 

I hate to be one of those internet A-holes that feels a compulsive need to correct everybody, but according to the website, Loa are intercessors. Intercessors are not deities or gods. They are links between humanity and God. Loa are equated on the website with Roman Catholic Saints and angels.

A Roman Catholic, I do feel compelled to point out that we do not consider Saints and angels to be deities. Yes, they are worshiped/prayed to, but these prayers call upon them to plead our case to God and support us in times of hardship, they do not constitute the same kind of worship we devote to God.

I make this point because Angell-Studio names many of their sculpts after angels, Gabriel and Lucifer being the most obvious. [Theologically, Lucifer is a special case, because he works against God and therefore can't be called upon as a proper intercessor. Unlike other angels he is sometimes worshiped on his own and his followers DO revere him as a god. (We consider this a VERY unwholesome practice, obviously, repulsive in fact--but it is done by some people who share our pantheon, although not our creed.)] If you're going to get offended on Baron Samedi's behalf, in all fairness you should get just as mad on behalf of Lucifer and Gabriel.

I'm not mad on behalf of any intercessors A-S pulls names from, because I understand that it's just people from another religion looking at our names and general concepts and thinking they sound cool. But if you choose to, shouldn't you do it equally?

No offense meant--I'm just saying, research and fairness are important.