CaptainHowdy.com The #1 Exorcist Fansite Since 1999
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Father Merrin talked to Chris about this in the novel: 🙂
“Now, Damien,” he went on, “how I wish I had a name like Damien. So lovely.”
“Where does that come from, Father? That name?”
“Damien?” He looked down at his cup. “It was the name of a priest who devoted his life to taking care of the lepers on the island of Molokai. He finally caught the disease himself.” He paused. “Lovely name,” he said again. “I believe that with a first name like Damien, I might even be content with the last name Glutz.”
And also check out the Correspondences & Themes page at TNC.com –
http://www.theninthconfiguration.com/blatty/correspondences/
In The Exorcist novel, Fr. Merrin explains the relevance of Fr. Damien Karras’ first name:
“It was the name of a priest who devoted his life to taking care of the lepers on the island of Molokai. He finally caught the disease himself.” He paused. “Lovely name.”
In the novel of Twinkle, Twinkle, “Killer” Kane, the following is written:
And abruptly the wood became Molokai, and Colonel Kane was Father Damien who had come to cure the lepers. No — come to cure himself. Was he a leper? Something like that.
The following is also written in the revised novel of The Ninth Configuration:
And then Kane was on the island of Molokai, where he had come to cure the lepers, but it somehow was also an orphanage where a Franciscan monk was lecturing to children in military uniform, their faces blank and eroded. Suddenly the roof fell in upon them as bombs struck Molokai.
As an interesting side-note, Damien Echols, one of the West Memphis Three, declared that he changed his first name in reference to Fr. Damien of Molokai.
I was under the impression that the name Damien was an innuendo to “Demon” and a foreshadowing of his becoming possessed himself at the end of the movie. Its interest the note about Damien of Molokai catching the disease himself: This could also be related to Damien’s possession.
Ryan, I had several books “going” at one time before the holidays. I use a “clip” bookmark that leaves an impression on the paper after removing it. Apparently, I failed to bookmark your essay because the “clip impression� wasn’t there.
I have now read your essay. Pages 91-92 are on target about the name Damien and its origins from Blatty�s perspective. You have expertly spelled out some very revealing information about how Blatty draws upon a massive amount of self-created information for brief characters (which is why he rates highly on my Poe list). High praises, Ryan � excellent job!
Thank you, father! Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
I’ve since created a wikipedia article for the book:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Exorcist:_Critical_Essays_on_William_Peter_Blatty
I actually visited in Hawaii a tiny monument for Father Damien. And I named my 1st born son Damian. In honor of Damien Karras. I know… I know…
Kinder, I think that is so great of you! You get the best of both worlds (real and film) to express your love for what this world offers. 😉
I do have pics and when I find them, I’ll post them.
Reason why my Damian has an “a” is because my ex wife insisted in not having the same spelling as the kid from the Omen.
Dang it… I still think it would have been cool to name my daughter Regan though. The ex wife said “no dice” on that one.
So her middle name is Robin, my son picked it. Cool fact Robin and Regan have the same number of letters and start an end with same one! =) I win!
And thanks Father! again, you are too kind! A lot of people don’t get it! lol!Kinder, you’re welcome. I was going to mention the “DamiEn” in the Omen, but I thought I would be “reaching” about the three “DamiEns.” Therefore, in reality, you did win on all levels by spelling your son’s name with the letter “a.”
“… Damien … is now quite common (the 137th most popular name for boys in 2007).
“… And is Damian coming back because of the singer Damien Rice, or just because?” Source
🙂 Fr. Bowdern
Kinderfan, very interesting! Did you take any photos by chance? Also, how come you changed your son’s name to Damian with an ‘a’ rather than an ‘e’?
because I am mexican and Damian seemed to be fit in both english and spanish.
Regan man!…. that would have been so cool!
“These are my kids, Damian and Regan!”
shit!…
oh well!…Or, Kinder, just expand your family and introduce your kids:
“These are my children. Damian, Regan, Chucky, Freddy, Carrie, and Jason.”
😉
Or, Kinder, just expand your family and introduce your kids:
“These are my children. Damian, Regan, Chucky, Freddy, Carrie, and Jason.”
¡Esto asustará a sus amigos que estén en la saber!
😉
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