Thursday, February 16, 2012

Witchitizing Disney Princesses

I've been turning this post about what makes a good Witch's name from The Juggler over and over again in my head (and seriously, The Juggler is my new favorite website). The poster is talking about fictional witches, but I think it struck a cord with me because the qualities he describes is what I want in my daughters names. Lily, although it possesses fine qualities and would be great for someone else's witchlet, is not a proper Witch name in my mind.

But what exactly is a "proper" Witch name? Let's bring out the super fun Witchitizer! What are the rules for Witchetizing a name? Well, it's a bit of a subjective game. I only have three criteria:

1. They would not be a name that you hear everyday, and is often ancient. It's hard to believe, but Samantha was a rarity before it was picked for Bewitched.

2. They are very strong names. You instantly get that Ursula is a person who you do not want to have as an enemy.

3. There is a touch of something shadowy, and that's not really something I can explain. Elphaba wouldn't be the same if she was Eliza. There's got to be some mystery there.

On whom shall I test my Witchitizer? Let's do Disney princesses. I think that could be...interesting.

1. Snow White - Snow White
Snow White is a tough one. It's not exactly a "real" name. I suppose you could invent something like Black Heart, but...meh.

2. Cinderella - Cinderella
The French name for the story is Cendrillon, which has captivated me as a name option ever since. Names that end in -ella yields more results. Rafaella, Lionella, and Norella are all good options.

3. Aurora - Sleeping Beauty
Just switch the -a with an -e and it's Aurore. If you want to stray a bit further, there's Leonora, Eldora, and Devora.

4. Eilonwy - The Black Cauldron
Eilonwy works perfectly fine as a witch's name, even though it's a little bit wispy. There's also Elfrieda, Electra, and Evadne.

5. Ariel - The Little Mermaid
Aradia comes to mind immediately. You can do what Disney did and use Hebrew boys names like Azriel or Nouriel. A particular favorite amongst Neo-Pagans is Galadriel.

6. Belle - Beauty and the Beast
There are plenty of witchy names that have a "bell" sound in it: Belladonna, Mehitabel, Sybella, and Bellicent are just a few of them.

7. Jasmine - Aladdin
Jovana or Jasperine. I'm also tempted to put Jezebel here.

8. Pocahontas - Pocahontas
This is another tough one, sounding witchy and still Native American. This would take some digging, but I found Calfuray and Onatah, and Rayen is only one step away from Raven.

9. Kida - Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Terse names with hard consonants. Almost caveman-like. Tova, Guro, Dara, Kore.

10. Giselle - Enchanted
The name that pops into mind is Griselda. There's also Gitana. Perhaps Gretel could fit in here too, even though it is attached to someone who was attacked by a witch.

11. Tiana - The Princess and the Frog
No, I would not be intimidated by a Tiana. You would have more luck with a Tatiana or Tabitha.

12. Rapunzel - Tangled
If it weren't for the fact that Rapunzel will always be identified with princessness, it would be an option for witches as well. But looking through the realm of very uncommon plant names I came up with Amarantha, Eglantine, and Verbena.

13. Sofia - unnamed television show
I do like Sofia a lot, but it's a bit too sweet (and also too popular). Sofinisba, Sophronia, and Sephora are more exotic options.

14. Merida - Brave
Merida also works perfectly fine as a witch. There's also Merewen, Morrow, and Maeve.

15. Fiona - Shrek
Okay, she's not from Disney, but she is a popular princess. Fiore, Freya, and Fortuna are much more witchy.

That was fun! This Witchitizer of mine might become a regular feature.

Image Credit:
http://weheartit.com

2 comments:

  1. Cool post! I'm really digging Merida since hearing about Brave. Fantastic name!

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  2. Oh, you mentioned my name :) Some of the names on your list that I really like are Aradia, Leonora and Morrow (it sounds kinda dreamy). Great picks!

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