Nyx in the House of Night
Page 22
Sylvia Redbird
Sylvia (Latin) from the forest; Redbird (See Zoey Redbird)
In mythology . . .
In Roman mythology, Rhea Silvia is the mother of Romulus and Remus, mythic twins who were nurtured by a she-wolf and founded the city of Rome.
In the House of Night . . .
Zoey’s grandmother and a wise Cherokee Ghigua, Sylvia is Zoey’s link to her Cherokee heritage. As Zoey’s relationship with her mother is shaky at best, it is Sylvia who nurtures Zoey during her rebirth and trials at the House of Night. She taught Zoey about the herbs and plants that Zoey incorporates into many of the vampyre rituals in the series.
THE FAMILIARS
Beelzebub
(Hebrew) lord of the flies
In mythology . . .
Beelzebub is probably a corruption of Ba‘al Zəbûl, which refers to the ancient god Ba’al and means “Lord of the High Place.” In John Milton’s Paradise Lost, Beelzebub is Satan’s lieutenant.
In the House of Night . . .
The Beelzebub of the House of Night is a cat—Shaunee and Erin’s, specifically. While he isn’t evil, he’s definitely got some attitude (like his owners!).
Cameron
(Scottish) crooked nose
In history . . .
Cameron is the name of a Scottish clan (Clan Cameron).
In the House of Night . . .
Cameron is Damien’s cat.
In reality . . .
Cameron is the cat version of P.C.’s Wheaton Scottie dog, Cameron.
Duchess
Duchess title of nobility within a monarchy
In history . . .
Traditionally, the title of Duke was the highest in the nobility after the monarchy. A duchess could be the wife of the Duke, or she could hold the title in her own right. The current Queen Elizabeth II is also known as the Duke of Normandy.
In the House of Night . . .
The only canine familiar in the series, Duchess is initially James Stark’s dog, but her ownership is later shared with Jack Twist.
Of note . . .
Duchess’ name is the Casts’ nod to John Wayne, who as a child had a big dog named Duke. (This is actually the origin of the actor’s nickname, “the Duke.”)
Guinevere
(Welsh) fair and white, smooth
In mythology . . .
Queen Guinevere was the wife of King Arthur and the lover of Sir Lancelot. Her affair with the knight is said to have brought down Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table. Her name is most likely Welsh, the basic meaning being “Gwenhwy the Great.”
In the House of Night . . .
Guinevere is Anastasia Lankford’s cat. Thankfully, in the series she does not bring about misery for Dragon Lankford (that blame belongs to Rephaim).
Maleficent
Maleficent taken from the character of the evil queen in Sleeping Beauty
In the movie . . .
The prefix mal means wrong, ill, or improper, and there could be no better prefix for the “Mistress of All Evil.” Pissed that she wasn’t invited to Princess Aurora’s christening party with the other fairies, Maleficent curses the infant to prick her finger on a spindle and die on her sixteenth birthday. At Disney’s Villains Victory Party in October 2010, Maleficent was voted the baddest Disney villain of them all.
In the House of Night . . .
Like her owner Aphrodite and her Disney namesake, Maleficent the cat is prone to bouts of bitchiness and violence. She is a white purebred Persian, and has love for no one save her owner.
Nala
(Swahili) gift; taken from the character Nala in The Lion King
In the movie . . .
Nala is the smart, feisty lioness who finds Simba after he runs away from his lion pride after the death of his father. She gets Simba to return, freeing herself and the rest of the pride from the evil Scar.
In the House of Night . . .
Nala first appears to Zoey in a dream. Though she never speaks a word, her general message is “Hurry up and find me, woman!” Eventually, she gets tired of waiting and finds Zoey herself. Like all cats at the House of Night (and Stark and Jack’s dog Duchess), Nala is a gift that also has ownership of her fledgling. Her scenes mostly consist of either warning and protecting Zoey—talk about smart and feisty—or sneezing (mee-uf-ow!).
Of note . . .
Nala is based on a cat Kristin had for years. (She was just like the fictional one, grumpiness, sneezing, and all!)
Nefertiti
(Egyptian) the beautiful one has arrived (also see Neferet)
In history . . .
Nefertiti is one of the most well-known queens of ancient Egypt (see Neferet).
In the House of Night . . .
Nefertiti is Darius’ cat. And as the warrior is highly courteous, there is no question he treats this cat like a queen.
Of note . . .
Cats were highly esteemed in many parts of ancient Egypt and were even mummified after death (although sometimes as offerings to Bast). The Egyptian pantheon also contained many cat goddesses. So it seems fitting Darius would name his cat after a beautiful queen from this cat-loving nation.
Persephone
(Greek) daughter of Demeter (goddess of the harvest) and Zeus (king of the gods)
In mythology . . .
Persephone was minding her own business, planting flowers in her mother’s garden one day, when Hades, god of the Underworld, rose up from the earth in a chariot and kidnapped her. Hades was forced to return her after Demeter’s grief caused the earth and crops to wither and die, but not before he tricked Persephone into eating some pomegranate seeds. Those who eat food from the land of the dead must return, and thus Persephone would spend part of the year with her mother and part of the year with her husband. During the time she is with Hades, the earth dies again in winter. But when she returns, it reawakens in spring.
In the House of Night . . .
Persephone is a mild-mannered horse cared for by Lenobia and the fledglings in the House of Night stables.
Of note . . .
Horses appear many times in Greek myth as drawers of the gods’ chariots. Nyx is often depicted in a chariot drawn by horses, and we see in Marked that Zoey has a natural affinity for them.
Skylar
(Dutch) from the name Schuyler, meaning “scholar”
In reality . . .
Skylar was a cat of P.C.’s that has since gone on to frolic with the Goddess. Sky was also labeled as a “known biter” by his vet.
In the House of Night . . .
Skylar is Neferet’s cat. A bit less feisty than his namesake, he tells Neferet that Nala is on her way to Zoey.
Shadowfax
(Old English) shadow-hair
In the books . . .
Shadowfax is Gandalf the Gray’s horse in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings books. The silvery-gray stallion can understand human speech and can outrun any horse in Middle-earth. He will wear no bridle or saddle, and only permits Gandalf to ride him.
In the House of Night . . .
Shadowfax is Dragon Lankford’s cat. Because of their bonds with their owners, Shadowfax and the other House of Night cats can and do communicate with their fledglings/vampyres at an uncanny level. And like Middle-earth’s Shadowfax, the cats choose their two-legged partners carefully.
Of note . . .
Shadowfax is also based on a real cat owned by P.C.’s friend Christopher Matthews. Shadowfax has moved on to join Skylar with the Goddess.
{ Acknowledgments }
FROM P.C.
Thank you to Alan Torrance for creating such beautiful art.
A special thank you to Leah Wilson and the BenBella family. It is always such a pleasure to work with you!
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Thank you to Olubunmi Mia Olufemi for her invaluable work on “Behind the House of Night Names.”
Table of Contents
Front Matter
Title Page
Copyright
Introduction
Night in the House of Good and Evil
The Dangerous Dead
By Their Marks You Shall Know Them
The Divine Cat
Reimagining “Magic City”
The Magic of Being Cherokee
Freedom of Choice
The Otherworld Is Greek to Me
The Elements of Life
Misunderstood
She Is Goddess
Worshipping the Female Deity
Cruithne Mythos in the House of Night
Behind the House of Night Names
The Fledglings
The Vampyres
Gods and Humans
The Familiars
Acknowledgments