References - Names (A-M)




Abel
[Fei's first incarnation.]


(Hebrew) -- "Breath, evanescence". In the Bible, Abel was the favored child of Adam and Eve, a shepherd, and murdered by his brother Cain. In the game, Cain kills Abel for resisting the 'new religion.'





Abraham
[Jesiah's father. Only in Perfect Works.]


Abraham is a patriarch of the Old Testament. Best known is the story in which God orders him to sacrifice his only son to test his loyalty. In the game, Abraham Blanche is Jesiah's father.





Adoriel
[Founder of the Nisan Sect. Only in Perfect Works.]


In angelic lore, Adriel is sometimes an angel of death, or identified as the angel that will destroy humankind in the apocalypse. An angel with a similar name (Adrael) serves as a guardian, and his name means, "My help is God." In the game, Adoriel is the person who founded the Nisan sect in Episode IV. Adoriel might also be romanized as 'Adriel.'





Agnes
[Head nun in Nisan Cathedral.]


Agnes is a Catholic martyr and saint - see the full description for more details. In the game, Agnes is the oldest sister in the Nisan cathedral.





Alice/Aruru
[Girl about to be married in Lahan.]


Aruru (Alice's name in the Japanese version) is one of the goddesses of Creation in Babylonian mythology. And "Alice" of course, has a connotation I'm sure most of us remember - Alice in Wonderland.





Asherah [Ashera]
[Sophia's mother (only in Perfect Works).]

Asherah was an Israelite goddess, her existence supposedly responsible for luring believers away from god. Asherah is also 'asherim,' referring to man-made objects used as idols. According to the Perfect Works, Ashera was Sophia's mother, and a member of the Nisan sect in Nimrod. That religion fell into disfavor with Nimrod's king, and moved to Nisan in the conflicts that followed.





Balthasar/Belshazzar
[One of the three sages of Shevat.]

Belshazzar, from the neo-Babylonian era. He was the son of Nabonidus (ruled 555 - 539 BC) and grandson - supposedly - to Nebuchadrezzar. When his father went into exile, he was given the throne and most of the army. The country suffered major famine and setbacks later in his rule, and he was killed when Babylon fell to the Persians in 539.

This doesn't sound much like "Ol' Man Bal" from the game, but then, we know absolutely nothing of his history. He served Queen Zephyr earlier in his life, and returns to serve later in the game.

Balthasar was also one of the three wise men who were at the birth of Jesus.





Cain
[Emperor of Solaris.]

(Hebrew) -- "Possessed". In the Bible, Cain is one of the sons of Adam and Eve. He committed the first murder, killing his brother, Abel. In the game, Cain was the first human to be born after the Mother, and he spawned the Gazel Ministry. Later, he was responsible for the death of Abel and Elly.





Carlin (Kahran)
[Ramsus's first name.]

"She was the spirit of the eve of Samhain (Halloween), the night the year turned to winter, and the ghosts of the dead roamed the world of the living." (Quoted from Encyclopedia Mythica.) "Carlin" is the romanization given in the Perfect Works, despite the fact that the Katakana (ka-ra-n) looks more like the English translation. Go figure.





Cherubim (Kelvena)
[One of the four Elements of Solaris.]

Originally, cherubim were beasts in Assyrian mythology, and later they developed into an angelic order - they were given the task of guarding the Tree of Life. They're said to be patrons of knowledge - "As angels of light, glory, and keepers of the celestial records, the cherubim excel in knowledge."(A Dictionary of Angels.) There is also a more conventional reference, obtained from a book of baby names: (Variation of Kelda and/or Kelvin, Old Norse, Gaelic) "A spring", a child as refreshing as a clear mountain stream; "From the narrow river".

In the game, Kelvena ("Kerubina" in the katakana spelling) is the Element of water, aligned with the Solarian Intelligence Bureau. Her attitude leads me to believe that she represents the same thing her name does - that she is a keeper of knowledge and wisdom.





Deus
[The false god at the last battle.]

Latin for "god". One can see it most commonly in the term "Deus Ex Machina", meaning "God from the Machine" - an element of ancient Greek plays.





Dominations (Dominia)
[One of the four Elements of Solaris.]

Also known as Dominions, Lords, Lordships, Principalities, or Powers. "Says Dionysius: 'they regulate angels' duties and are perpetually aspiring to true lordship; through them the majesty of God is manifested.'" (A Dictionary of Angels.) The Dominations are angels of control, and appropriately named.

In the game, Dominia is very overbearing and controlling - she leads the Elements into battle and diciplines them when the stray out of line (Elly, anyone?). With such a forceful personality, it isn't a stretch to imagine that she fits this reference quite well. Dominations also usually rank below the other three (Cherubim, Thrones, Seraphim) in the second triad, and that may be reflected in Dominia's heritage as a Lamb.





Elly
[Primary female protagonist.]

A version of Eleanore -- (Greek) "Light", a form of Helen; Elli -- Personified Norse goddess of old age. She always defeated Thor (god of thunder - and war, I believe, but I'm not certain) in wrestling matches/games of strength.

In this case, it would allude to Elly's inner strength -- she always overcame those who sought to oppress her or others (Solaris, Krelian, Miang, Deus) with her great spiritual strength.





Elvira
[Margie's mother (only in Perfect Works).]

"Elf-counsel; excelling". (o_O) I think most of us think of a different sort of Elvira - remnant of the 80's, or whatever decade she came from. ^^ In the game, Elvira is Margie's mother, sister of King Edbart IV, and the Mother of Nisan.





Fatima
[Royal family of Aveh.]

The daughter of the Islamic prophet, Mohammed. It is said that her name alone can summon magic.

"[Fatima] is the town was a site of a religious miracle. Three children witnessed The Mother Mary appear in the sky on several occasions. The children witnessed it first but soon the entire town and several other Catholics from far and wide witnessed her appearance. Mary told each of the children a secret, a prophecy of the future. Now I don't quite remember the prophecies very well but I believe the first prophecy was the end of WWI and the second prophecy was the coming of WWII. The third prophecy remained a mystery until finally the the third child as she neared her death, wrote it down and sent it to the Pope. Stories say that when the Pope read it, he cried in fear for what it would fortold. The last Fatima Prophecy was supposed to be read in the year 2000, but some people think that the vision is a fabrication to keep the public from knowing the truth.

"The three children were two boys and a girl which sorta've correlates to Bart, Sigurd, and Margy, with the girl being the youngest. The prophecies became known as the Fatima Secret, which is what the Fatima Jasper is. I really wish I could remember dates and the name of the children or hell, even the location of Fatima but alas I cannot remember. I sorta've remember that the info came from a book called the Truth of the Third Fatima Secret, or something like that. Just go to a book store and check under New Age or Conspiracy Theories, I'm sure the book is their somewhere."





Fei Fong Wong
[Angsty protagonist.]

About Fei's name....... I was really surprised when I first saw his whole name, since if you change just one letter of his name, Wong Fei-Hong is a very popular Chinese fictional action hero (I'm sure there are some dialects that pronounce the name Fei Fong Wong, just like how Mulan's last name in Mandarin is supposed to be Hua, not Fa like in the Disney movie). Wong Fei-Hong is supposedly a great martial artist from the Ching dynasty, where all men wear their hair as a very long pigtail...which I find pretty amusing seeing Fei's hairdo. If you want to check out more on him, watch some of Jet Li's older movies, he's a very popular actor to portray Fei-Hong.





Francis
[Margie's father (only in Perfect Works).]

Francis was a Catholic saint; the order of Franciscan monks was named after (and probably founded by) him. In the game, Francis Fatima was Margie's father, and bishop of the Nisan Church.





Gazel Ministry
[Computerized ministers kept alive in the SOL-9000.]

The names of the Gazel Ministers are equated with the names of the descendants of Cain in Genesis: Enoch, Irad, Mehujael, Methushael, Lamech, Jabal, Jubal, and Tubal-Cain. The last four, who were not named in the Perfect works, died during the Diablos conflict. In the game, these eight are indeed the direct descendants of Cain.





Graf (Grahf)
[Seeker of Power.]

"Lord" -- also from the German language. Scary, ne? I think we all know about Grahf, and his attitude/ambition. ^_^ Though, it could also fit Karellen/Krelian if you think about it! More so, almost!





Harut (Harlute), Marut (Marlute)
[Two of the four pillars of Deus.]

The Dictionary of Angels has entries for angels named Harut and Maroth (= Harlute and Marlute), whose names match those of the two pillars in Xenogears, but the reference to their journey to earth reminded me of the tale of the Watchers in Genesis. In both stories, the angels descended to earth to straighten humanity out, only to fall into evil themselves when they fell in love with human women.

They're angelic beings, even if they're fallen, and that's what I think the core of this reference is. You can stretch it a little more and say they're the dark half, while Metatron and Sandalphon are the light half - like Miang and Elly, respectively.

In the game, Harlute and Marlute were pillars of Deus - Harlute resembled a vortex or a pillar, and contained Deus's attack "Heavenly Annointment". Marlute was a golden crest, and possessed Deus's ability to drain fuel from gears.





Hatsuyuki
[One of Shitan's brothers (only on Clio Saga's website).]

"Winter's or Year's First Snow".





Hawwa
[Miang's last name (only named in Perfect Works).]

In Islamic teachings, "Hawwa" (Miang's last name) is the equivilent of "Eve" in Catholic/Christian teachings.





Hyuga
[Shitan's birth name.]

A province, contains Miyazaki.





Id
[Fei's destructive alter ego.]

In Sigmund Freud's theory of personality development, a normal adult's psyche comprises three basic sections: the Ego, Superego, and Id. As opposed to the Ego and Superego, which lie mainly within the conscious mind, the Id is an unconscious system which controlls life and death instincts and seeks immediate gratification; it is impulsive, amoral, and selfish by human moral standards. It was thought to represent the most primitive part of the personality, consisting purely of powerful needs and desires, most of them aggressive or sexual in origin.

This seems pretty straight forward, if you know the character in the game. No need to explain it.





Isaac
[Balthasar's first name.]

Also "Ishak" meaning, "he laughed". Isaac was the son God promised to Abraham. In the game, Balthasar was one of the lords of Shevat, and advisor to Queen Zephyr since the Nisan era.





Isolde [Izolde]
[Rene's daughter (only in Perfect Works).]

Isolde was beloved of Tristan in the Arthurian legends - their affair is considered one of the most tragic. "Isolde" was also the name of the woman who caused Tristan's death. In the game, Izolde is Rene's daughter, and the second Mother of Nisan.





Karellen (Krelian)
[True leader of Solaris.]

This name (the original Japanese name) was derived from the character in "Childhood's End" by Arthur C. Clark. In this book, Karellen is the leader of the race of aliens that appears on earth with the intention of preparing them for taking their place with the Overmind. Krelian is an interesting reflection of this character. (See more in Krelian's shrine.)





Kisarigi
[One of Shitan's brothers (only on Clio Saga's website).]

"Second Month".





Lacan
[Fei's third incarnation.]

There was a French psychoanalyst named Jacques Lacan, a theorist as well as a psychologist. The theory that he's best known for is the concept of the "Death Drive," which is one of Rico's deathblows (^^) but also carries another meaning in psychology. (More coming later. ^_^)

(This information is from Azusa.)





Marguerite
[Current Holy Mother of Nisan.]

The French form of Margret: "A pearl", a rare beauty of milk-white complexion. The name is also a French word for a type of cultivated flower - "daisy". The designer seemed fond of using alternate versions of these names.

In the game, Margie is the current Mother of the Nisan sect. And if you think about it, all her life Margie has been "cultivated" for both her position, and her traditional marriage to Bart. The name is peculiarly fitting.





Maria
[Nikolai Balthasar's daughter.]

Spanish/Italian form of Mary. Mary is a Hebrew name meaning "Bitter," also known as the mother of Jesus, who is revered as the Blessed Virgin. In the game, Maria is one of the main characters, and her hatred for Solaris is almost holy in its intensity.





Mariel
[Bart's mother (only in Perfect Works).]

A form of Mary (see Maria's entry). In the game, Mariel was Bart's mother.





Marut (Marlute)
[One of the four pillars of Deus.]

See: Harut (Harlute)





Metatron
[One of the four pillars of Deus.]

It's hard to define Metatron simply. In mystic texts he ranks highest in the angelic hierarchy, and possesses nearly god-like power. Sometimes he is the supreme angel of death, other times he is the 'Prince of the World,' or 'Angel of the Earth.' Depending on the mythology, he was originally the patriarch Enoch, who was transformed into an angel as a reward for his virtue. Metatron is a member of the order of Seraphim, and his element is fire. In everything I've read he's definitely an angel of virtue, not fallen at all.

In the game, Metatron is the mechanical pillar that bars the way to Deus, possessor of the skill Earthly Annointment - a fire-based attack that is by far the most damaging, in my experience. Whether you draw parallels between this and the mythology (for example, his mechanical construction compared to Enoch as a human angel) is up to you.





Maitreya
[Yggdrasil gear pilot.]

Rather than ramble on, I found a decently concise definition elsewhere. As quoted from the glossary in Genji&Heike (p.476): "A bodhisattva who has promised to leave the Tusita Heaven 5,670,000,000 years after Sajyamuni's death, come to earth, attain Buddhahood under a dragon-flower tree, and preach the Law at three assemblies as Sakyamuni's successor."

In the game, Maitreya was one of Bart's gear pilots, who died during the attack on Gebler's sand ships at the border of Kislev, crushed by the Dora.





Miang
[Ramsus's aide.]

"Lady Meng" -- Chinese. Lady Meng lives just outside the gates of hell and prepares the Broth of Oblivion. All reincarnating souls that exit from hell must drink her broth. It makes them forget their past lives, their existence in Hell, and their speech.

This is a stretch, but it was an interesting suggestion.





Midori
[Shitan's daughter.]

Come on, this is an easy one. ^_^ Not only is this a fairly common name in Japan, but it also means "green". A deep green. And that is, of course, Shitan's favorite color!