#and i know coriolanus is a reference to shakespeare but he still was a roman general so....

[fromevertonow]

Suzanne Collins is one of the few contemporary writers who realizes the importance of names in her stories and the significance they bear. They add so many layers to the story, additional meanings that otherwise would not have existed.

The original trilogy:

Katniss: named after a plant of which you can eat the roots. Her father taught her where to find it and told her that “as long as you can find yourself, you’ll survive” (quote may be a little bit off, but it’s from one of the early chapters in THG). Additionally, the leaves are in the shape of an arrowhead, referencing her skills with the bow which her father also taught her how to use.

Peeta: literally bread lmao. But bread is one of the basic nutritions humans need, a little bit goes a long way to keep you alive. Peeta’s presence in Katniss’s life also kept her alive, literally and figuratively—the burned bread he threw her in the flashback and their complicated relationship.

Primrose: a plant with medicinal purposes, even more significant in light of her work as a medic in Mockingjay.

Gale: literally means “strong wind” and considering that in every encounter with Katniss he’s caused some reaction, he pulls her into directions she maybe initially doesn’t want to go in. Additionally, his name also represents his determination and steadfastness in his beliefs.

TBOSAS

Lucy Gray: named after William Wordsworth’s poem “Lucy Gray” which is about the titular character of the poem who got lost during a blizzard. She literally got lost in snow. Rachel Zegler sang this poem in two parts on the original soundtrack of the movie. When Snow asked who the girl in the song is, Lucy answers that she’s a mystery, just like her.

Snow: aside from the obvious snow references, I think his name is most significant in relation to Lucy and the poem. The only one who knows what caused her disappearance is Snow. He is the reason that Lucy is gone. But her traces in the snow are still visible. He will always remember her because the memory of Lucy has manifested itself in every part of his life.

Coriolanus: named after the Roman general (and also the titular character of Shakespeare’s play), Coriolanus wanted to attack Rome and become its ruler. He was scorned and celebrated by the people, only to be later exiled from the city by them. In TBOSAS, Coriolanus is the star pupil at the Capitol’s academy but sent into exile to the districts after he won the Games with Lucy through cheating.

Volumnia: Coriolanus mother who played a part in his ascent to power. In TBOSAS, she almost serves like a mentor to Coriolanus, teaching him how to think in terms of power.

(Edit) Sejanus: a roman soldier who was betrayed by the roman emperor Tiberius, just like the future president betrayed him.

(Edit) Plinth: got this info from here, but it was too good not to include here. A plinth is a base for a statue or vase to stand on. After Sejanus’s death, all of the Plinth fortune was given to Snow for being such a good to friend him. It was this money that skyrocketed the Snow family from poverty to filthy rich. The Plinth money was the foundation upon which Snow built his power.

There are so many other names that have historical (mostly Roman and Greek) connotations—Plutarch, Seneca, Cinna—but also regular names like Trinket and Beetee bear meanings that represent the character beautifully.

Names are important. For any lover of literature or (aspiring) writers, please look closely at them. They can shape your story into something unique.

Feel free to correct me if I’ve said something wrong. I know there are many names missing, but I can only add so many examples ✊🏻😔

#tbosas #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #the hunger games #thg #katniss everdeen #peeta mellark #gale hawthorne #lucy gray baird #coriolanus snow #suzanne collins #literature

[insurepiner]

Collatinus roman mythology

Or, at least, that is how the Roman sources present it. After doing this, she killed herself as a means of preserving some sort of dignity. Lucretia, humiliated at herself for giving into Sextus, summoned her family and revealed what had happened. At this dreadful prospect her resolute modesty was overcome, as if with force, by his victorious lust and Tarquinius departed, exulting in his conquest of a woman’s honour. When he found her obdurate and not to be moved even by fear of death, he went farther and threatened her with disgrace, saying that when she was dead he would kill his slave and lay him naked by her side, that she might be said to have been put to death in adultery with a man of base condition. Then Tarquinius began to declare his love, to plead, to mingle threats with prayers, to bring every resource to bear upon her woman’s heart. No help was in sight, but only imminent death. Utter a sound, and you die!” In affright the woman started out of her sleep. Holding the woman down with his left hand on her breast, he said, “Be still, Lucretia! I am Sextus Tarquinius. Burning with passion, he waited till it seemed to him that all about him was secure and everybody fast asleep then, drawing his sword, he came to the sleeping Lucretia. Being kindly welcomed, for no one suspected his purpose, he was brought after dinner to a guest-chamber. Sextus Tarquinius, without letting Collatinus know, took a single attendant and went to Collatia. The legend itself tells the story of how the Roman Republic came to be born and why the last king, Tarquinius Superbus, and his kin were forced out. Of Collatine’s fair love, Lucrece the chaste. Which, in pale embers hid, lurks to aspire,Īnd girdle with embracing flames the waist From Shakespeare’s The Rape of Lucrece (4-7):Īnd to Collatium bears the lightless fire 136, for further references from Chaucer onward). Wiseman, The Myths of Rome (Exeter, 2004), p. As with the tale of Coriolanus, William Shakespeare was even moved to retell the story of Lucretia in 1594 as a poem (T.P. The myth known as the Rape of Lucretia, one of the foundational stories of the Roman Republic, is one of the most famous episodes from early Rome.

#Collatinus roman mythology

[everlvrks]

naming in songbirds and snakes

authors note: it is 1 am and this is unbataed, apologies for any spelling or grammar errors.

the hunger games is known for its outrageous, futuristic names; one of my favorite pieces of the series. this post does a beautiful job analyzing the names that appear in the original trilogy and categorizing them into 4 different categories. but that post is a little old and we’ve just recently got a lot more content (and names) to pick apart and analyze.

researching these names reminds me how everything suzanne includes in her novels is intentional. she doesn’t pick random names because they sound good but because they mean something. i think that’s important to remember while reading this series. it’s definitely something i will keep in mind during my next reread of the trilogy.

i didn’t cover every name in tbosas. if there’s a name you have thoughts about, reblog and let me know.

potential tbosas spoilers and long post under the cut

names will be divided into capitol and tribute (district) names  

capitol

capitol names take many influences from ancient roman and greek names, but they also tell the story of the character. i will only be discussing major characters, not all will be mentioned.

coriolanus: snow’s first name largely has to do with his story. from the play coriolanus by shakespeare, meaning “conqueror of corioli,” a heroic roman solider, caius marcius, gains his name from a victory at corioli. when he leads the attack on corioli, it does not go well. but he keeps fighting and returns to rome victorious. he brings glory to rome and his mother volumnia. basically summing up his whole story. he tries to lead an ‘attack’ (him trying to win the games) but that fails. he’s reduced to a peacekeeper but he still doesn’t stop trying to be something greater. he wins in the end. he goes back to the capitol, attends university and is mentored dr. gaul.

which brings me to...

dr. volumnia gaul: dr. gaul’s name has two parts. one representing her relationship with snow. the other representing her relationship with panem. volumnia is the mother of caius marcus in shakespeare’s play, coriolanus. volumnia, in the play, uses caius as a means of securing personal prestige aka using snow’s ideas in her games. she wants her games to be better, the best. and she uses snow for that. gaul was also a roman province that embarrassed rome (read: gual’s games not being popular, things going wrong, etc.). but unlike gual, dr. gual was not stop/conquered by panem/rome.

sejanus plinth: sejanus was a close friend and ally of roman emperor tiberius who worked to improve conditions for the empire. he was also strangled to death. sejanus plinth was unable to change anything before his death by hanging. a plinth can be looked at in two different ways. @hutchhitched described it as a platform—a place someone can take a stand and deliver a message. it can also be looked at as a means for climbing. social climbing, if you will. the main ambition of the plinths.

strabo plinth: a wealthy philosopher who allied with the romans and was granted roman citizenship as a reward. seems familiar? plinth: see sejanus.

crassus snow: crassus was a roman general who played a key role in the transformation of the roman republic into the roman empire. just like his namesake, crassus snow was known for his military experience and wrote the proposal for the hunger games, successfully transforming panem into what we know today.

tributes

typically, tributes have names that reflect the industry of their district. there are a few exceptions to this; including sabine, ginnee, jessup and lucy gray baird.

district one

one of the wealthier districts in panem, district one is responsible for producing luxury items, such as jewelry, for the capitol.

male tribute: facet, literally meaning “one side of something many-sided, especially of a cut gem” suggest gemstone that is placed into jewelry but he is merely a part of the captiols larger plan.

female tribute: velvereen, derived from velveteen, meaning “a cotton fabric with a pile resembling velvet.”

district two

another wealthy district, district two is the home of the nation’s quarries and masonry workers. also recruits and trains peacekeepers and produces weapons for their use.

male tribute: marcus, derived from malleus, latin meaning “hammer.” the main tool of a masonry worker.

female tribute: sabyn, derived from sabine, italic tribe located near the tiber river. captured and raped by the romans. parallel to her current situation of being captured by the capitol.

district three

one of the poorer districrs. responsible for technology, district theee manufactures televisions, computers and other electronics. citizens of this district are very adept at engineering.

male tribute: circ, derived from circuit, something which an electric current can flow; used in electronics.

female tribute: teslee, possibly derived from tesla, an inventor and engineer.

district four

it’s major industry is fishing, trains citizens at a young age for their industry.

male tribute: mizzen, literally a part of a ships mast aka ships used for fishing.

female tribute: coral, do i have to explain this one? marine invertebrates that live in the ocean.

district five

it’s main industry is power and electricity.

male tribute: hy, possibly derived from hydroelectric, alluding to the hydroelectric dam that produces power for panem.

female tribute: sol, derived from solis, latin for sun. another producer of power.

district six

responsible for transportation.

male tribute: otto, variation of auto derived from automobile. a form of transportation

female tribute: ginnee, meaning “pure” a reminder that these are innocent children.

district seven

main industry is lumber

male tribute: treech, possibly a styilization of tree, the source of lumber

female tribute: lamina, the blade of a leaf, something trees have ;)

district eight

the textile makers

male tribute: bobbin, a spindle which thread is wound. typically found on sewing machines

female tribute: wovey, possibly derived from woven because textiles are, woven.

district nine

responsible for grain production

male tribute: panlo, derived from pan, meaning bread in spanish. bread is made from grain.

female tribute: sheaf, literally meaning “a bundle of grain stalks.”

district ten

the cattle ranchers of panem

male tribute: tanner, from the verb to tan, meaning “convert animal skin into leather”

female tribute: brandy, a brand is “an identifying mark burned on livestock”

district eleven

agriculture!

male tribute: reaper, to reap, meaning “to cut or gather a crop or harvest”

female tribute: dill, an herb. that you grow

district twelve

the coal miners

male tribute: jessup, derived from hebrew “yosef.” interestingly this is only the second name derived from hebrew within thg. second to johanna. could also be a reference to jessup, nevada; a mining area.

female tribute: lucy grey baird, she explains her own name. baird meaning poet or minstrel.

#tbosas spoilers #tbosas #tbosas meta #meta #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #ballad spoilers #ballad of songbirds and snakes #my meta