Pseudonyms

On the subject of Pseudonyms

As my immediate family and I never enjoyed seeing our names in print I thought it best to create pseudonyms for each of us. I also decided that it was wise to be prudent when writing about people with whom I have developed a belligerent relationship, so their occasional appearances in my story have also been favoured with aliases. As they say, one must not speak of the devil so as not to attract him, so I never utter the name of those I do not wish to see.

Having decided to use assumed names, I chose them mostly from Greek Mythology. My choice of denomination for each person is based on the similarities, from my point of view, between these mythological characters and each of these people in real life.

In an attempt to explain the beginning of the world in accordance with Greek Mythology I list the primordial deities, who were the first gods and goddesses born from Chaos or Chronos, the personification of time, whereas Gaia, the Earth, gave birth to the Titans who became members of the second order of beings who preceded the numerous Olympian characters.

 Now I present my immediate family, and some people closely related to me:

Anastasia Persephone da Cattapreta Luciania Malamos Gouthier is your author A.L.P. Gouthier, as well as the main character and narrator.

The author mostly embodies the name Anastasia due to personality metamorphoses she undergoes after falling in love with Joseph Eros, and she adds Persephone to her name after her union with Edward Hades.       

Persephone in mythology is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter who was abducted by Hades, god of the underworld. Each time Persephone returns to Earth is marked by the start of spring. In this biography, Anastasia Persephone is the mother of Xena, the warrior princess, and Perseus, a demi god.

It was the rule of the Fates that anyone who consumed food or drink while in the underworld was doomed to spend eternity there. As Hades gave Persephone pomegranate seeds to eat, she was condemned to spend several months of each year in the underworld. During these months Persephone sat on the throne of the netherworld beside her husband Hades.

            The Fates were the incarnations of destiny who controlled the threads of the lifestyles of every mortal from birth to death.

Antonio Zeus de Rezende Pereira Luciânia – is Anastasia’s father, who she always saw as the ruler of the world where she was born.

In Greek Mythology Zeus was the god of the sky and ruler of the Olympian gods. His weapon was the thunderbolt, which he hurled at those who displeased him, especially liars, and he used his shield to create storms and tempests. As a ruler, he was the source of kingly power, upholder of institutions and protector of his community, especially the poorest and the less fortunate. He was married, but often tested his wife’s patience as he was infamous for his many affairs.

Clara Demeter Dayrell da Cattapreta Luciânia – is Anastasia’s mother , who Always loved and protected her.

Demeter in the myth is the goddess of the harvest who made the crops grow each year. When her daughter Persephone was abducted by Hades to be his wife, Demeter laid a curse on the earth that caused plants to wither. Zeus, alarmed, sought Persephone's return. It was therefore decreed that Persephone would only spend part of each year in the underworld, but during these months Demeter withdrew her gifts from the world, causing Earth to cool, thus creating winter. Persephone’s return each year ushered in the spring.

Mother Demeter was also known for founding the Eleusinian Mysteries, which were initiations held every year for the cult of Demeter and Persephone. These mysteries relate not only to the return to life every spring, but also to the reincarnation of the human soul in the next life.

Antenor da Cattapreta Pereira Luciânia – is Anastasia’s brother, five years younger than her.  When still small they were physically similar, but in his  life choices he had nothing in common with his elder sister.

 In Greek Mythology Antenor was the counsellor of King Troy, who before the start of the Trojan War tried to avoid a conflict in favour of a peaceful resolution.

In my story, as in real life, Antenor, tormented by the persecution of the family after his parent’s death, found his peace, increasingly spending time in his country retreats.

Clarissa Demetria da Cattapreta Luciânia Tiburtia – is Anastasia’s younger sister, who was in every single way the very opposite of Anastasia.

            Her name bears a double reference to her mother’s name, Demeter, with whom she shared many traits, but certainly not all. They were both connected to the earth, from which they could grow the most beautiful flowers. Clarissa Demetria never departed from her land of birth and was married to Tiburtius.

Joseph Alexander Eros Martinez Dallarosa – Jo was the great love of our heroine’s youth who caused her personality to metamorphose, and thus her name to extend to Anastasia.

He took her from the Snows of Boston to the Island of Peace. The memory of his love made it impossible for her to find tranquillity anywhere in the whole universe other than in Eros’s island, so she always returned to his land, the beautiful Island of Peace.          

            According to Hesiod, c. 700 BC, Eros was the fourth god to come into existence, after Chaos, Gaia, and Tartarus ― the Abyss. In the myth, as Eros falls in love with Psyche, the human soul, his fragile peace is ruined by Psyche's mortal dreams and plans. Thus, the wounded, Eros departs, and Psyche, his Persephone, regrets her actions and forever wanders throughout the Earth looking for him.

 Edward Hades Anglikis Malamos – was Anastasia Persephone’s first husband, and is the father of Anastasia’s children, Xena Olympia and Michael Perseus.

Edward Malamos through his alliance with the lands of the inferno at the time of his union with Anastasia, embodies Mephistopheles becoming Edward Hades.

The mythological Hades is the King of the Underworld and ruler of the dead. At his command mighty thunders sound and lightning flashes. As words have power, the Greeks were not keen on uttering his name. They also called him Plouton, a term deriving from the word for wealth.

Though an Olympian, Hades usually preferred to reside in the Underworld where his favourite weapon was a pitchfork with which he created earthquakes. On his travels through the land of living he mostly chose to wear his helmet of invisibility that allowed him to see all, though remaining unseen himself.

Malamos is the future tense of the word Malami originating from Esperanto, and formed by the junction of mal+ami, thus implying horror or dislike. Consequently, it was to Anastasia a most suggestive name.

Xena Olympia Luciânia Malamos Dalltyrol – is the daughter of Anastasia Persephone and Edward Hades Malamos. She is beautiful, endowed with a strong personality, and is particularly intelligent.

Olympia was the site of the first Olympic games in 776 BC. It is located on the western edge of the Greek Peloponnese and became the centre of worship of Zeus.  Olympia is also the name of Antonio Zeus’s mother - Olympia de Rezende.

Whereas Xena in the myth is a Warrior Princess who during her legendary journeys becomes a heroine trying to help people in need. Her weapon of choice was the ‘chakram’, a throwing weapon which she masterfully deflected to multiple targets in one throw.

In her valiant trajectory through life, Xena Olympia allied herself with the warriors of the South-Tyrol. She married Vladan Dalltyrol and they were blessed by the birth of a gift from the goddess Isis.

Michael Perseus de Luciânia Malamos – is the son of Anastasia Persephone and Edward Hades Malamos. He turns into a godly handsome young man and is always a very loving son.

According to the myth, Perseus grew up to become a strong young man who bravely set forth on his adventures. In an unknown country he entered the cave belonging to the Medusa, who was a creature whose terrifying gaze petrified anyone who looked into her eyes. Perseus tricked the Medusa and cut off her head, which he put into a magic bag.

Back on his path, Perseus came upon a beautiful woman chained to a rock. He asked her the reason for this and she explained, “I have been punished because my mother boasted that I was more beautiful than the sea nymphs.“ Perseus cut Andromeda's chains and they lived happily together for many years. Their descendants became the great Bergin-Malamos kings.

Returning home from his travels, Perseus heard that the world had mistreated his mother Persephone, and he was furious and set forth to avenge her. Thus, Perseus stormed the land and each time he said, "Let those who are my friends shield their eyes!" He would then raise the Medusa's head from the magic bag, turning his enemies to stone.

Albert Ovid Freyr Gondin Gouthier ― is Anastasia Persephone’s second husband, and he had also been her first boyfriend, albeit at the time platonic. Albert Ovid Gouthier is a handsome man; whose major traits are gentleness and kindness. In the distant past when he looked into Anastasia’s eyes, he fell deeply in love with her. In his heart he waited a lifetime for her to come back to him.

Freyr is one of the most important gods of the Norse religion. His name derives from the Proto-Norse word meaning sunshine and fair weather. In the Icelandic books of Edda Freyr, he sails in a ship which was always graced with auspicious breezes. Through the battle of life, he used a magic sword with which to bestow peace on mortals.

 Albert Ovid Freyr is a descendent of the ancient Goths, an East Germanic people who dominated a vast area of central Europe.  The kingdom of the Goths at its peak extended from the Danube to the Ural Mountains, and from the Black to the Baltic Sea.

‘Freyr’ (1901) by Johannes Gehrts.

            Next, I list guest appearances in specific chapters, to whom I also preferred to give pseudonyms.

Characters in chapter 20 - entitled Devilish Dance:

                 The Yare Dancers, or the Dancing Devils of Yare

                             (Los Diablos Danzantes del Yare).

 This is also the name of a festivity celebrated in San Francisco de Yare, Miranda state, in Venezuela. By wearing fearsome masks, the townspeople hope to embody the powers represented by the masks.

But does a fierce appearance hide a dreadful soul?  Not necessarily.

The whole purpose of wearing a devilish mask is to conceal all one’s own thoughts and traits.

Common examples of masks in Anastasia’s nightmares are:  

The mask Polemos Yare is worn by someone known for his polemic actions.

In Greek Mythology he was the personification of strife, and in Aristophanes’s play ‘Acheronian’ it was reported that Polemos was banned from parties because of his disruptive behaviour. With Tumult as his henchman he brought war into the house of Zeus, thus burying peace.

The Tonius Yare mask was chosen by a younger dancer, who had his presence marred by circumstances beyond his control.

  Other masculine type Yare masks.                  

The She-Yare masks are choices for the women dancers.     

And yet on chapter 20 we have:

‘The Three Marys’ who form the background unison chorus.

Character in chapter 21, entitled The Second Front:

            In this chapter the main character Anastasia Persephone becomes a Hydra because of her need to fight on various fronts simultaneously.

In Greek Mythology the Hydra of Lerna is a serpentine water monster who dwelt at the entrance of the underworld.  The more her head was chopped off the more heads she would grow.

Characters in chapter 33, entitled Mendacity:

Apate Pithos is a woman who gets involved in a convoluted plot aimed at extracting a fortune from Persephone. After years of scheming she fails to see any material profit from these plans.

As Apate in mythology is the embodiment of deceit, and Pithos is the Greek name of a large storage container, Apate Pithos represents a body of trickery and pretence.                    

Eduard Dolos Oswald was Apate’s lover who first hatched the devilish plans aimed against Persephone.

In Greek mythology Dolos was the spirit of guile, who was an apprentice of the Titan Prometheus. He became a known for his skill when he made a statue of Veritas in clay and tricked people into thinking it was a stone statue. His Roman equivalent is Mendacius.

Python Daimone Advocat was Apate’s second ally in this wicked design. In mythology Python was the earth-dragon of Delphi, and the name Python may derive from the verb pytho, meaning to rot.

         She-Daimone Advocat is Apate’s last associate in her campaign against Persephone. She also belongs to the class of Daimores who hover above the earth.

The Daimones Advocats inhabit an area between Heaven and Earth.

According to Hesiod's myth they are spirits of nature like ghosts who are only felt, their unseen presence presumed.                                                             

The characterisation of the Daimones as dangerous was developed by Plato, whose Symposium teaches that love may be a daemon in the shape of hate. In the charge brought against Socrates in 399 BC Plato surmised that Socrates had introduced daemonic beings into his writings, created by his own self-consciousness.

Finally, the Pythagorean Commentaries state: “The whole air is full of souls”, representing the view that Daemones are internalised by many souls or persons.

While the famous and paradoxical saying of Heraclitus states that:

                   “Character is for Man his daemon.”  

It could be rephrased as:

            The absence of character is mankind’s demon.

             In common everyday life, the use of malign daemones against other beings is frequently used. Some of these, unfortunately, opt by the profanation and moral misrepresentation of the victim’s character.

            “But what is the point of this?” Anastasia exclaims.

“Is it just to torment me? I have already had my reputation destroyed and this will not change my life now. Or is it still the elusive hope of material gain?

That will also remain unfulfilled.”