Name Origins

[alicelights]

A lot of Kaori Yuki's characters have names out of myths, history and the bible (particually Cain and AS).

Somtimes the origin is abvious, other times it's fun just to take a guess.

Venture a guess no matter how unlikely it seems - most things make good discussion material; after all. I'm pretty I will be told that I am reading too much into everything. Again, I'd like to point out this is for fun.

I'll start off. Please add some of your own, everybody!  

[alicelights]

Cain's full name is supposed to be 'Cain Christopher Hargreaves'.
I wondered if Kaori choose that name because of the 'Christ' at the start. Which would link to the series is later called 'God Child'.

Before Louis Carole published his 'Alice In Wonderland' he told them as a series of stories to a little girl called Alice liddell. When she grew up and married she became 'Alice Hargreaves'. Maybe thats where Yuki got his surname?  

[alicelights]

Jezebel Disraeli is an odd name.
Almost seems too odd to be completley english. My guess is she got the name from the British Victorian (Conservative party or 'the wigs' are they were called) Prime Minister; Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881). Whose name linked to the fact that he was from Israel. The D acting as an 'of'. So his name bascially means 'Benjamin from Israel'.

He was also pretty when he was young. Oh and nearing the end of his life, Benjamin became Earl (or 'count') of Beaconfield (bit of irony there)

Mr Disraeli was trying for Prime Minister. The leader of the opposing liberal Leader William Gladstone. Now, I think I remember there was a man called Gladstone in one of the later Cain books- the character also had a position of high power, I'm sure.  

[alicelights]

In 'Neiji' there are a line of dolls called 'Norma-Jeane'.

'Norma-Jeane' Mortensen was the name of the woman who would later change her name to Marilyn Monroe (she seems to have been given the title of 'perfect' woman). Although the dolls looks nothing like her but the name just jumped out at me-  

[alicelights]

According of Kaori Yuki, she choose the name 'Sara' because it sounded foreign.

I hadn't heard that name untill I read Frances Hodgeson Burnett's 'A Little Princess', where the main character (a little girl) is called Sara Crewe.

If the name isn't Japanese, it might well be English, and as we already know Yuki-san likes Victorian things-  

[Sai-kun]

Oooooh...new topic :3 a good one too.

Do you want to hear my theory on Cain and Jezebel? Ive built my academic career around English and English lit, so uh...I very well could be reading too much into it, but it is really too intriguing a comparison.

There a potential spoilers in here, they arent huge, as very few if anything I mention says anything explicit about the plot, but just be warned.

Cain, obviously the biblical Cain. one of the first to be born outside of the sanctuary of Eden, thus the first of the men to have been born into sin (Alexis and Augusta's incestuous relationship).
Side Note: being born into sin is a prevelant theme in Angel Sanctuary.

God refused Cain's offering of grain to Abel's blood offering of a lamb.
There's a whole lot of mumbo jumbo about Cain's offering being inferior to God. Anyone more familiar with the Christian religion, please clear this up as this just baffles me and makes no coherant sense and makes God look like an a**.

Because of this, Cain committed a mortal sin and killed Abel in a fit of jealous rage. God condemned Cain to never be able to till the land again and to wander for the rest of his life, fugitive. Cain was branded with a mark and God decreed that anyone who killed Cain would also suffer greatly.
Personally, I believe this is to keep Cain from ending his suffering rather than any mercy showed towards him.

I think Cain Hargreaves represents the biblical Cain, and Jezebel d'Israeli to be Abel.

Here are some of the parallels.
Cain, is driven from the side of his father, Alexis who can both be seen as representing Adam or God himself. In both roles, he's a creator/originator figure.
Cain is made to suffer under God's "love" both as a child and as a grown up who is haunted by the memory of his father, then literally when his father turns up alive after many years of being presumed dead and founds the Delilah organization.
Cain is also the "cursed" child, having the gold-green eyes that are a tell-tale sign of his sinful and bastardized birth. It is also said that Cain brings down suffering to everybody around him, a direct corrolation with the Biblical Cain's fugitive status where no one may help him.

Jezebel, despite being a villain character in Count Cain, I think is the Abel figure.
His sacrifice/offering to God are definitly in blood as he kills humans mercilessly and morbidly. He is also a shepherd figure, he has a close relationship with animals, particularly a lamb in his child hood named, I kid you not, Snack or Snark...I personally think Snack is a cruel cruel irony. People who have read the Misericorde arc will know what I mean.
His purpose in Alexis' ("God") life is nullified by Cain's birth, thus metaphorically "killing" him. Alexis tosses Jezebel since he is no longer useful to him.
Also, Jezebel loves Alexis, regardless of what horrible things Alexis did to him as a child and as a grown up serving under him. And in a perverse way, Alexis "loves" Jezebel in a way he cannot with Cain since Jezebel always accompanies Alexis.
Jezebel has to feel the full brunt of Alexis' direct attentions which are often bloody and sadistic.
Someone on this forum has also said that you can also spell Jezebel "JezABEL"
I think this is where Kaori Yuki gleefully toys with blasphemy, calling God cruel, bloody and sadistically malicious.

At times, Cain and Jezebel switch roles with Jezebel enacting the jealous rage towards Cain instead of vice versa.
Lines between good and evil are always blurred with Kaori Yuki and despite Christian fundamentalist teachings, I think good evil are very subjective and even interchangeable in the Bible.  

[Sai-kun]

alicelights

According of Kaori Yuki, she choose the name 'Sara' because it sounded foreign.

I hadn't heard that name untill I read Frances Hodgeson Burnett's 'A Little Princess', where the main character (a little girl) is called Sara Crewe.

If the name isn't Japanese, it might well be English, and as we already know Yuki-san likes Victorian things-

Sara and Setsuna are half British half Japanese, hence their light colored hair and eyes, and also why people readily recognize them as brother and sister.

Sara lives with their British mother, divorced from the Japanese side of their family, thus Kaori Yuki probably wanted to choose that "foreign" name...just my two cents :3  

[Sai-kun]

alicelights

Cain's full name is supposed to be 'Cain Christopher Hargreaves'.
I wondered if Kaori choose that name because of the 'Christ' at the start. Which would link to the series is later called 'God Child'.

Before Louis Carole published his 'Alice In Wonderland' he told them as a series of stories to a little girl called Alice liddell. When she grew up and married she became 'Alice Hargreaves'. Maybe thats where Yuki got his surname?

That's a good point, I wouldnt be surprised if that were the reason.
Alexis = god
God's child = Christ = Cain.

Cain is very much the messiah figure, huh?  

[alicelights]

Sai-kun

alicelights

According of Kaori Yuki, she choose the name 'Sara' because it sounded foreign.

I hadn't heard that name untill I read Frances Hodgeson Burnett's 'A Little Princess', where the main character (a little girl) is called Sara Crewe.

If the name isn't Japanese, it might well be English, and as we already know Yuki-san likes Victorian things-

Sara and Setsuna are half British half Japanese, hence their light colored hair and eyes, and also why people readily recognize them as brother and sister.

Sara lives with their British mother, divorced from the Japanese side of their family, thus Kaori Yuki probably wanted to choose that "foreign" name...just my two cents :3

thats a good point. I completly forgot about their being half-British when I wrote that. Interesting that Setsuna still has a Japanese name. anything in that, I wonder?

just two cents? I'll throw in two pence to go along~  

[alicelights]

Sai-kun

alicelights

Cain's full name is supposed to be 'Cain Christopher Hargreaves'.
I wondered if Kaori choose that name because of the 'Christ' at the start. Which would link to the series is later called 'God Child'.

Before Louis Carole published his 'Alice In Wonderland' he told them as a series of stories to a little girl called Alice liddell. When she grew up and married she became 'Alice Hargreaves'. Maybe thats where Yuki got his surname?

That's a good point, I wouldnt be surprised if that were the reason.
Alexis = god
God's child = Christ = Cain.

Cain is very much the messiah figure, huh?

Oh, I didn't know that Alexis meant God. Thats interesting, from the Greek?

(by the way, thanks for the great long post above. That was really interesting! I think I agree with you from that you say! I am Atheist/ Agnostic and know very little on religion. It'd be facinating to hear the opinions of somebody who had the background! ... but they might be biased)  

[Sai-kun]

alicelights

Sai-kun

alicelights

Cain's full name is supposed to be 'Cain Christopher Hargreaves'.
I wondered if Kaori choose that name because of the 'Christ' at the start. Which would link to the series is later called 'God Child'.

Before Louis Carole published his 'Alice In Wonderland' he told them as a series of stories to a little girl called Alice liddell. When she grew up and married she became 'Alice Hargreaves'. Maybe thats where Yuki got his surname?

That's a good point, I wouldnt be surprised if that were the reason.
Alexis = god
God's child = Christ = Cain.

Cain is very much the messiah figure, huh?

Oh, I didn't know that Alexis meant God. Thats interesting, from the Greek?

(by the way, thanks for the great long post above. That was really interesting! I think I agree with you from that you say! I am Atheist/ Agnostic and know very little on religion. It'd be facinating to hear the opinions of somebody who had the background! ... but they might be biased)

Oh no, Alexis doesnt literally mean God...its just that he is a God-figure in the manga, he causes all the major events to happen to all the characters ::nods::
But as a side note, Alexis is a Greek name, it means "protector of mankind"...irony right there...
I would also like to hear from someone who has more insight on the bible teachings than I do. I just have an interest in them as literature.

As a side note, in Bloodhound, Suou and the others call themselves Children of Cain, I believe at one point.
Biblically, Cain was said to have sired a race of monstrous creatures called the Children of Cain...  

[dead.moki]

My view is definetly:

Alexis: God
Dr. Jezable: Able
Cain: Cain (obviously)

Of course all of the characters a more developed, twisted characters than their counterparts in the Bible. I wonder if Kaori Yuki is a Christian herself, because she seems to know what she's talking about. I am a Catholic (and attend a Catholic school) but I don't really take the Bible literally (and I don't really agree with all of the Church's teachings, but that's besides the point...) , so my viewpoint is pretty much the same as everyone else's.  

[Sai-kun]

dead.moki

My view is definetly:

Alexis: God
Dr. Jezable: Able
Cain: Cain (obviously)

Of course all of the characters a more developed, twisted characters than their counterparts in the Bible. I wonder if Kaori Yuki is a Christian herself, because she seems to know what she's talking about. I am a Catholic (and attend a Catholic school) but I don't really take the Bible literally (and I don't really agree with all of the Church's teachings, but that's besides the point...) , so my viewpoint is pretty much the same as everyone else's.

I dont know if Kaori Yuki is Christian. I doubt it. A very small percentage of Japanese actually are.
But the Japanese often toy with biblical imagery, a lot of messiah motifs, angels and demons...  

[Rafael the Wind Angel]

i a new member am quite informed to some bible teachings though have always been against some...i dont dislike or like the big g but i am thankfull for things i receive. I have been fascinated by yuki sensei's works and am very interested by her stories... personnaly i like that she speaks that way bout norm relig. knock down some of them a few pegs. though ive read all of AS im still fairly new to yuki sensei's works and am developing my own style of manga art. i am practicing very cus i know that with my hard work i could reach the ability of yuki sensei and someday hope to apprentice under her.. -_-" well even i think that cain was treated unfairly at first but his sin towards his own brother is unforgivable... too much reg talk @_@. well here come my experties of reg to work.. which i will use on my future manga projects..,  

[Kamikaze Pedestrian]

What a fun thread! One of all the good things about Yuki Is the effort she puts on choosing the right names.

I read that "Kurai" really is the japanese pronunciation of the word "cry". snce she cries so much. whee Cute.

Your analyse (how on earth do you spell that?) Of CC names is impressive, but does anyone know where she got Hargreaves from? According to my encyclopedia it's the name of the man who invented the automatic weaving machine. It doesn't feel quite right...