While some of the names in The Eirenic Verses – particularly place names – are completely made up, many are derived from archaic words or titles, usually of Celtic origin. Others are a synthesis of different names that have been slightly tilted to better fit a fantasy theme.

Let’s take a look at some of the names you’ll encounter throughout the series, including some you may not have seen just yet. I’ll only go over those that have their roots in real words; you can assume most of the others are fabrications, such as Bewerian and Quirnis.

Aleric the Dog

Eirenic/Eirenen

British spelling of “irenic,” meaning “favoring, conducive to, or operating toward peace, moderation, or conciliation.”

Derived from the Greek word ειρήνη (eirene), meaning “peace.” Eirene is also the name of the Greek goddess for peace, who is one of the three Horae.

In Christian theology, Irenicism is the attempt to reconcile different Christian denominations and sects in hopes of promoting harmony.

Naming the world Eirenen is a hint at the overarching goal of the series.

Erix the Horse

If you have not yet read 9 Years Yearning, Erix is Uileac’s beloved palomino mare, known for being very intelligent and loyal.

Erix is actually a male name, the Norse form of the name Erik, which means “eternal ruler.” Not only is Erix shown as an exceptionally well-mannered horse, but she often makes decisions contrary to what Uileac would want. These are always for his benefit, though.

The “eternal” part is in reference to the fact that I simply refuse to kill off any of the horses, even long after they would naturally die in the series.

It is mentioned in the upcoming freebie story, Saint Luridalr and the Peony Phoenix, that Saint Luridalr tamed a wild horse and named it Erix, which is the inspiration for Uileac’s name choice.

Etymonism

Later in the series, we see High Poetry coalesce into a true religion with lay adherents, similar to Buddhism’s monastic and lay orders.

Etymon means the early or “original” form of a given word. You have probably seen another form of this word quite often: etymology, which is the study of a word’s evolution.

By naming the religion Etymonism, the High Poets are acknowledging that their goddess wrote the first or original word. They are perptually striving to understand her cosmic writings, to uncover the origins of their fates, and to predict what the future might be based on Poesy’s past “writings.”

Glarus the Bartender

We briefly meet Glarus, proprietor of the Swordsman Society, in Pride Before a Fall; he also mentioned in the third book and returns in the seventh book, Shadow and Sword.

Glarus is named after the New Glarus Brewing Company, a Wisconsin craft brewery. I’m not a big beer drinker, but I am a huge fan of their Moon Man brew.

If you’ve never heard of New Glarus, there’s a good reason: their beers are only available in the state of Wisconsin. Absolutely worth it to visit Mars Cheese Castle and pick yourself up some ale.

Haniya Aina

Haniya is the princess of Sina, and her name means joyful and happy. As you will come to see starting in the sixth book, Poesy, most of the important Sinan figures have ironic names.

“Aina” is a name used in many different cultures, most of which also have similar meanings to happiness and beauty. However, the closest meaning for Haniya is the Hawaiian word “aina,” meaning land. It’s typically seen in the phrase “aloha aina,” meaning “love of the land.”

We shall see that Haniya has a complicated relationship with her country, another ironic twist.

Meronym

In the Eirenic Verses, these are the religious centers for the High Poets, often dedicated to a specific poet of old. While it’s a beautiful and poetic term that sounds perfect for fantasy, it is actually a real word.

Meronym means a term that is used to specify a whole, like “giving your hand in marriage.”

Later in the series, High Poets are asked to take refuge in the 9 Syllables: Poesy, the Eytmom, and the meronym. This echoes the three jewels of Buddhism (the Buddha, the dharma, and the sangha). Just like “the sangha” references the entire spiritual community of Buddhism, “meronym” in this pledge references the whole community of High Poets.

Mordrek Willets

The star of the fourth book, What Is Cannot Be Unwritten, Mordrek is a Sinan spy who often falls prey to his own passions. His name derives from Mordred, a Welsh name meaning discipline and moderation.

Mordred is also a character in Arthurian legend who betrays King Arthur and is later killed by him. So as not to spoil the later books, I will simply say that Mordrek fails to meet this standard, too.

A willet is type of shoebill known for its long legs. This is also a jab at Mordrek, who is canonically very short for a man, and it continues the bird theme. Given that Cerie has an ornithological name, Mordrek’s last name shows us that he’s going to be important to Cerie (though not romantically).

Nikeeta the Mule

We meet Nikeeta in the sixth book, Poesy. Her name means “not scared,” but Nikeeta is a total nervous wreck. Again, most Sinan characters have ironic names, including the animals.

Orrinir Relickim

“Orrin” derives from the Old Irish name Odrán, meaning “dun-colored.”

Yes, there is a very good reason why his horse Bannain is a dun gelding. They were meant for each other!

“-ir” is a past infinitive. You can figure out why this would be relevant to Orrinir later on in the series.

“Relickim” is made of the word “relic,” meaning to be a symbol of an older time, and “kim,” a Sanskrit question that can mean “why” or “how” depending on the sentence. Again, you’ll learn more about this meaning in the eighth book, Perseity.

Perseity

Later in the series, we hear about the Perseity, which is a poem that a Sinan queen must recite to legitimize her rule. The term perseity means the state of being self-sufficient, representing a princess no longer leaning on the queen’s teachings and learning how to be her own ruler.

Plexity

Plexity means the state of being composed of multiple things; the most common form of this is “duplex,” or two houses in one building.

The last book of the series is named Plexity, and the meaning in this instance is about Sinan society breaking up into multiple factions.

Poesy

Archaic term for poetry, making it the perfect term for the goddess of poetry. However, it goes a bit deeper than that, as “poesy” comes from the Greek word poiesis, meaning the act of creation. This is an accurate description of a goddess who, throughout the series, is said to have “written the first word” and created the world.

Poesy is perpetually creating a poem that describes all of humanity, like an active form of the Akashic Records. Some people, specifically the High Poets, can suggest revisions or additions to the world-poem, which may not always be accepted. The most powerful of those – the Bremish Saints – can serve as editors or even write their own lines.

Sagremor Mallae

Sagremor is Orrinir’s best friend, basically demanded by his name. In Arthurian legend, Sagremor was a knight of the round table and Tristan’s closest companion.

In Le Mort D’Arthur, Sagramore le Desirous is depicted as a valiant warrior, but he constantly loses jousts against the other knights. Our own Sagremor is much the same, as seen in Pride Before a Fall.

“Mallae” is made up, but it does bear a strong resemblance to the Nepali last name Malla, which means strongman or wrestler.

Tshumanu Heian

Tshumanu is a bastardization of Tsurumaru, a character from Touken Ranbu. His last name, Heian, also nods to the real-life Tsurumaru-Kuninaga, a katana forged in the Heian era of Japan by smith Gojou Kuninaga.

The Tsurumaru-Kuninaga is an Imperial Treasure owned by the Emperor of Japan, though there is a replica at the Fujinomori Shrine, a place closely associated with the sword. I learned a lot about Japanese history during my time in the Touken Ranbu fandom, including pretty intensive study about the Tsurumaru-Kuninaga’s history.

Of course, the two have very different backstories, relationships, and plotlines. Though Tshumanu is named in honor of one of my favorite characters, he has evolved into his own character and should not be considered a replica of Tsurumaru. There are enough of those floating around.

In naming him this and giving him a few faint resemblances to the Touken Ranbu character, I wanted to honor my own history as a writer. Before embarking on the Eirenic Verses, I wrote over 1.6 million words of fanfiction, mostly Touken Ranbu. That media empire has had a huge impact on my writing skills and I’m very grateful for the time I spent in the fandom.

Uileac Korviridi

Uileac has several meanings depending on what etymology you accept. It may derive from the Old Norse name Hugleikr, meaning “spirited play”
or “heart in the game,” or it may be the Irish form of William, meaning “resolute protector.”

All of these fit Uileac in some way. The “spirited play” aspect is seen in retrospective when Uileac writes a poem for Orrinir in Pride Before a Fall, which focuses on them playing together as teens. In that book, we also see how hard he works in any competition, no matter how silly.

“Resolute protector” becomes a stronger aspect of his personality in later parts of the series, especially in the fifth book, Absent All Light.

Uileac is lightly based on the Touken Ranbu character Uguisumaru, though the two are very different in personality and skill; pretty much all they have in common is their green hair. Uguisumaru is from the Kobizen school, so I wanted Uileac to have the same initials as my favorite character.

Like Tshumanu, Uileac is a nod to my time spent in the Touken Ranbu fandom, though he has taken on a life of his own. Those who weren’t aware of this history would struggle to recognize the similarities between the two characters.

The Touken Ranbu character is named after the uguisu bird. Cerie’s bird-themed name also reflects my love of this game, and birds are a recurring theme in the series.

Vercingetorix

In the book series, Vercingetorix is both a famed High Poet and the name of a small town near the Rimuk Mountains. It’s the primary location of What Is Cannot Be Unwritten, the fourth book in the series (coming winter 2025).

However, this is also the name of an ancient Gallic chieftain who led a rebellion against Julius Caesar. While brave, he was ultimately defeated and executed. The High Poet Vercingetorix was also taken in battle and savaged; her mutilated relics are on display at the meronym that bears her name.

These are the main ones, though there are quite a few others that you’ll find along the way. As we continue throughout the series, I’ll share more of the stories behind the names you see!