Inspiration & Names
Section 1: Sources of Inspiration
1.0) Intro
1.1) The List
Section 2: Origins of Names
2.0) A Statement
2.1) the Anglized List
2.2) Arabic Names of the Middle East
Section 1: Sources of Inspiration
1.0) Intro
I'm creating a list of possible sources of inspiration.
While most are unconfirmed, White-wolf borrowed most of the concepts used for their Clans and bloodlines from classic horror and folklore. Others come from modern movies and fiction.
1.1) The List
Brujah:
Often compared to the vampires seen in the movie, Lost Boys.
Yet, they may be modeled after the nomadic vampires from the movie Near Dark. (Near Dark is also referred to as inspiration for the Sabbat nomadic pack.)
Gangrel:
Some Players believe the Gangrel was White-wolf's early attempt to introduce werewolves by making them wolf-shifting vampires.
Whether this is true or not, werewolfism and vampirism are deeply intertwined in Eastern Europe. The undead were often believed to have been the victims of werewolf attacks, while werewolves were believed to come back from the dead as vampires if the proper burial rites were not used.
Lasombra:
Classic lack of a reflection, but what of the powers?
Malkavian:
I heard the original inspiration wasn't a vampire, but a comic book character called "V" from Alan Moore's "V for Vendetta". However, I believe the Malkavians have taken on a mythos of their very own.
Nosferatu:
They were definitely modeled after the vampire in the 1922 silent film named Nosferatu. It was the first film based on the book Dracula, however it was an unofficial adaptation.
Count Orlock, as he was called in the movie, demonstrated powers similar to Animalism, Obfuscate, Potence and Celerity. His bizarre appearance was due to him NOT being ageless. He was supposed to look like a human who was hundreds of years old, balding, back bent by age, a cadaverous thinness, large ears and nose (they never stop growing while alive), heavy eyebrow growth, etc. In addition, Orlock was a plague carrier, and infected others with sickness when he fed.
Ravnos:
Many of the modern concepts of vampires, may actually be from India (by way of the Rroma) instead of European in origin.
The Rroma/Indian version of the vampire, the Mullo, could appear as a normal human, a corpse, or a monstrous creature with animal features. As the Cappadocians and Gangrel already fulfill two of these concepts, the Ravnos could be their Mullo of "normal" appearance.
Toreador:
These "beautiful people; artsy vampires" are often seen as being modeled after the vampires in the movie The Hunger.
They may also have come from Interview with the Vampire, where these "gentleman" vampires have heightened senses that can distract them by showing them more than one is used to seeing.
Tremere:
Once upon a time White-wolf distributed a game called Ars Magica. The game took place in the High Mystic Age of Europe, and featured magic users. In Ars Magica, there was House Tremere, one of the mystic Orders of Hermes. When White-wolf designed VTM, they did a crossover; the Tremere of Ars Magica having become vampires and survived to see the Modern Age.
Although White-wolf imported these guys from an earlier game series, they do fill a niche. The occult vampire, especially the kind which belongs to a secret society.
Tzimisce:
The Old Clan Tzimisce are classic variations of "Count Dracula", while the Koldunic Tzimisce remind me of "Lord Strahd" of the Ravenloft novels.
The Tzimisce with Vicissitude appears to be inspired by the Necroscope series by Brian Lumley.
Ventrue:
Someone mentioned the movie Brides for Dracula, someone else mentioned Dr. Polidori's Vampire.
Section 2: Origins of Names
2.0) A Statement
Before any one starts studying Clan names in hope of locating the Clan's origin or nature, a few things to remember:
- It is a game. Many names were chosen because they sounded right.
- Resist the temptation to make names like Brujah ancient words which were somehow adopted by the Spanish. Is not going to work, besides the Brujah may have used a different name just prior to the Dark Ages.
- Many of the names found in the English versions of the game, are Anglized words. They have been rendered into English from other languages. Original spellings are lost, language roots are obscured.
- In other regions of the world, the Clans have totally different names. A World of Darkness 2nd edition, and the Dark Age book Veil of Night, gives the names of various Clans as they are known in the Middle East.
A good example is the name the name Lasombra...
The Clan speaks of not knowing its Antediluvian's true name, so it calls him "The Shadow," naming him after the Clan's current name. However, there may be a reason they pronounce it in Spanish. The Player's Guide to High Clans, reveals the Lasombra Antediluvian loves the sea, especially the darkness of the deep ocean. He and his Clan spent centuries as pirates raiding the coasts of Greece, Italy and Egypt. During these times he became known as Laza Omri Baras (the God of the River of Darkness), and Lau-Som-Bheu (meaning profiting by knowledge, or profiting together through domination).
Laza Omri Baras, Lau-Som-Bheu, La Sombra..... Perhaps the Antediluvian's true name is the most well known, but everyone is translating it into something which sounds correct in their own language.
2.1) the Anglized List
Ahrimanes:
From the name Ahriman, the Zoroastrian god of evil and darkness.
Assamites:
The term "Assam" is a western mis-pronunciation of "Hassan" of Hassan as-Sabbah, of the Nizari Isma'ili sect of Islam, which was popularly known in the West as the Assassins. The name Assassin was applied to them by Crusaders from a local term hashshashin (hashish eaters).
Being the WoD, Assamite could also mean a "person from Assam". It is possible the European vampires believed the Assamites came from a base hidden in Assam. This is one of the states of India, located on the eastern tip between China and Myannmar.
Baali:
From the Mesopotamian word Ba'al, meaning a Lord or master of a city. As the name was also applied to various gods, the Baali are often confused with worshippers of Baal. This is false, the Baali think of themselves as the Baal (Lords of others), and not as servants to Baal.
Brujah:
Often connected to the Spanish word "bruja," meaning a witch.
If the original Clan founder was a woman, the original Clan name may have been closer to "Clan of the Wise Woman." When Christian washed through Europe, many village wise women were degraded to the status of "witches." Possibly resulting in the Clan name falling from Clan of the Wise Woman, into Clan of the Witch, or the Brujah Clan.
Others believe the name is linked to the term brouhaha, which refers to "a disturbance." After considering the Brujah's practices of philosophical debating, including rants and raves ... they are the Clan of causing disturbance.
Caitiff:
Taken from Medieval English. A 'caitiff' was someone without honor or power. The original Latin stem 'captivus' refers to someone who is a captive.
Cappadocian:
Cappadociae was a region of the Roman Empire in Asia Minor. The Cappadocian Antediluvian was fond of taking the name of places as his own. In this case, he was known as "The person from Cappadocia."
Daughters of Cacophony:
A cacophony is a harsh discord of noise. Most likely a reference to there mysterious powers of voice.
Followers of Set:
The Clanbook reveals the original name of their Antediluvian is wisely kept secret. As the Setites know of the power of True Names, and symbolic links, they work hard toward keeping his name obfuscated. Currently, they call him Set, a name given to their Antediluvian by "outsiders."
As for past names, Latin speakers called him Sutehk, while the Greek called him Typhon.
The historical "Set" was the Egyptian god of the desert and sun. Early Egyptian beliefs placed his nature as a war god. Greeks linked him to Typhon, the Greek god of death and evil.
Gangrel:
Medieval British dialect (old English/Scottish), meaning beggar, wanderer, vagabond or rover. However, in this case "gangrel" may not be derived from the British dialect.
The term "gangrel" may also be related to the region of "Gangra" in Asia Minor. Located north of Ancyra, about half-way between Constantinople and Cappadociae.
However, in the Player's Guide to Low Clans (pg 30-31), it speaks of claims that the Gangrel are named after Genger the Centaur, who taught the Cimmerians how to ride and fight on horse back. Being called the Gangrel is due to a mishearing of the name Gengeroi.
Giovanni:
From the Italian name meaning 'young man', English equivalent would be Johnny. More commonly a surname, but is also known to be a family name. In fact there was a "Massio Ci S Giovanni," the renowned Painter of Valdarno, who lived in the 1400's.
Kiasyd:
The Kia-Sidhe (AKA Leanan Sidhe) were blood-drinking faerie who appeared in Ars Magica's Faerie supplement.
Liabon:
Term for chief, used by the Masai people of West Africa.
Lasombra:
From the Spanish 'la sombra', meaning 'the shadow'.
Lamia:
A Vampiric figure of European myth which attracts mortals to her through her voice and drains them not only of blood, but of willpower and strength as well.
Malkavian:
It comes from the Hebrew Malak, meaning Angel. A secondary meaning of Malak is king. Not to mention Malach which means to vanish, whose root word is Maal, which refers to one who commits a severe transgression or trespass. (From Dan Greenberg)
Nagaraja:
Means "Serpent King", or Lord of the Serpents, from one of the languages of India. (Refers to the Indian god of life and incarnation.)
Nosferatu:
This word appears in Bram Stoker's Dracula, but is found nowhere else in Europe before being made famous by the novel. A common theory is it is a word that the author (or his source) heard used, but had not seen spelled (thus is a misspelling of some other word).
Commonly believed to be latin for "disease barrier", or "non breathing one", but these theories only work if the word Nosferatu is derived from a Latin based language.
One researcher believes it was derived from the Romanian root word nesuferit, which as a noun means 'a nasty fellow'; as an adjective means "unbearable" or "horrid". The word nesuferitul which is pronounced without the "l", it translates almost literally into "the insufferable one".
Pander:
Joseph Pander, is the name of the founder of the organized Caitiff movement of the Sabbat.
The British term pander means a go-between, usually between those looking for a good time and those in the business of providing a good time. The name comes from Chaucer's story Troilus and Criseyde, in which Pandarus arranges liaisons between the two.
Ravnos:
Possibly from the Old French ravis, to seize or carry off.
Or from the Rroma adjective "Ruvno", which describes something that is wolf-like or lupine. Interesting, considering their Gangrel links.
Samedi:
Baron Samedi is the Lord of the Cemetery in Voudun lore. His name, Samedi, derived from the french word for 'Saturday'. Saturday is considered the day of death in voudoun lore, as it is the full day Christ spent dead.
Salubri:
From Latin word salubrious; favorable to health or well-being.
Toreador:
A Toreador Elder commenting on the Clan name (in the revised Clanbook), reveals their name is often mistranslated. They are the Clan of the Blossom (not the Clan of the Rose). She believes their Ante was a woman called Ishtar, and was a bull dancer. While in Crete, where the bull is their sacred animal, she was called the "toreador". Over time, this title became the Clan name.
The actually name was probably be closer to "Tauroador", meaning bull lover.
Tremere:
The word is from the Latin tremere, meaning 'to tremble'. They were imported from Ars Magic, the name belonging to both their leading Magus and House.
Tzimisce:
From the name of an Armenian family of the tenth century, one of whom, John I Tzimisces, was Byzantine Roman Emperor 969-976 AD.
May be related to the Yiddish/German zermischen which means something like "to mix up thoroughly". A common English phonetic spelling of zermische is "tsemishe".
Another source links the name to he Armenian word "Tshemshkik" which means "Red Boot".
Ventrue:
Feminine form of the French word for pot-bellied, which is a nickname sometimes used for the well feed nobles.
2.2) Arabic Names of the Middle East
Al-Amin: "the virtuous ones"; Salubri
Banu Haqim: "the sons of Haqim"; Assamite
Bay't Mainoon: "lunatic"; Clan Malkavian
Bay't Muirim: "criminal"; Clan Ravnos
Bay't Mushakis: "agitator"; Clan Brujah
Bay't Mutasharid: "outcast"; Clan Nosferatu
Qabilat Al-Khayal: "the clan of shadows"; Clan Lasombra
Qabilat Al-Mawt: "the clan of death"; Clan Cappadocian
Ray'een Al-Fen: "the shepherds of the arts"; Toreador
Wan'Sheen: "the beast men"; Gangrel
Walid Set: "the childern of Set"; Followers of Set
End.