Nyx in the House of Night

the House of Night Names }
    What’s in a name? Well, after reading how P.C. Cast discovered and wove the Cruithne myths into her tales, you now know that much time and research has gone into creating the intricate plotlines of the House of Night novels. The same is true for the names of the characters.
    Below is an appendix of the more intriguing names in the series. You won’t find everyone’s here; with some names, like Heath Luck or Erik Night, what you see is what you get. But for others, we’ve untangled the historical, mythological, and pop culture ties—inwtentional and incidental—that give these characters’ monikers a little extra magic.

    THE FLEDGLINGS
    Zoey Redbird
    Zoey (Greek) life; Redbird in Cherokee myth, the Redbird is the daughter of the Sun
    In the House of Night . . .
During their first meeting in Marked , Nyx calls Zoey u-s-ti Do-tsu-wa , or “little Redbird.” Redbird is also the last name of Zoey’s grandmother Sylvia, and when Zoey enters the House of Night, she takes this name as her own.
    In mythology . . .
Jealous that the people of Earth could look upon her brother the Moon without squinting, the Sun sent down a vicious heat wave to kill them. To stop her, the people sent two snakes to attack the Sun during her daily visit to her daughter’s house in the middle of the sky. The copperhead snake failed, but the rattlesnake, overly eager to complete the task, accidently struck the Sun’s daughter and killed her. Grieved, the Sun left the world to mourn, plunging everything into darkness. Seven men were sent to the Ghost World to retrieve Redbird’s spirit, put her in a box, and bring her home without opening it. But near the end, they cracked the lid to make sure she hadn’t smothered, and a redbird flew out and away.
    Of note . . .
Ironically enough, given that Zoey is a vampyre, this myth is meant to explain why people cannot be brought back from the dead. That is, of course, not the only irony here: though Zoey is a daughter of Nyx, the Goddess of Night, she is named after the daughter of the sun.
    Aphrodite
    (Greek) risen from the sea
    In mythology . . .
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of beauty, love, and sexuality. Her name is taken from the Greek word aphros (sea foam) and refers to her birth: she rose from the sea where the castrated member of Ouranos (the sky and father of the gods) was tossed.
    In the House of Night . . .
By far the prickliest of Zoey’s circle, Aphrodite shares common traits with her namesake. Both are extraordinary beautiful and known to exhibit ferocious pride, haughtiness, and jealousy when they feel their status is threatened by another woman.
    Of note . . .
When Aphrodite’s roommate first came to the House of Night she took the name Venus, the Roman version of the goddess Aphrodite.
    Damien
    (Greek) to tame
    In the House of Night . . .
Damien is the studious one in Zoey’s circle. He is often the most levelheaded and objective—dare we say tamest?—of the bunch.
    In reality . . .
Damien is based on P.C.’s former student and research assistant, John Maslin, who found the quote from Hesiod about Nyx and the House of Night that begins Marked , the first book in the series. As fledglings who are Marked get to choose their own name, P.C. offered John the same opportunity. Thus we have Damien, a fledgling with an affinity for air and research.
    Erin
    (Irish) derived from Éirinn , meaning “Ireland”
    In the House of Night . . .
Erin is the blonde half of the infamous Twins and has an affinity for water.
    Of note . . .
Given Erin’s affinity for water and the Irish and Cruithne elements that appear in the later books in the series, it seems appropriate that she shares a name with one of the largest islands in the world.
    Deino, Enyo, Pemphredo
    (Greek) Deino (terrible), Enyo (warlike), Pemphredo (wasp)
    In mythology . . .
In Greek myth, the Graiai or “Gray Sisters” are sea-daimons and sisters to the Gorgons (of which Medusa is probably the most famous). Either two or three in number, depending on the myth, the Graiai are said to share one eye and one tooth among them. By stealing their eye, the hero Perseus was able to find the three objects needed to kill Medusa.
    In the House of Night . . .
Deino, Enyo, and Pemphredo are the three fledglings who make up Aphrodite’s inner circle of friends in Marked . They are unaffectionately labeled “the Hags from Hell” by Erin and Shaunee.
    James Stark
    James Stark taken from the character Jim