Evening star., 1923-06-10
NAMES FOR GIRLS
And What They Mean

4 GNES is name that only girls
"A of gentle manners should have.
The direct translation of the original
Greek term is lamb" The white vio
let is the very appropriate J.-.i
to go with this nav I'D -..yIesty''
is o"otrG 'CG ..-. ...,..y. sentiment for
1850.
The original Agnes was a young
Roman virgin twelve years old, who
was one of the earliest Of the Chris
tian martyrs. She was beheaded dur
ing the reign of Diocletian. Her fes-
tival is celebrated on January 81 by
Greek, Roman and Anglican churches.
st. Agnes is the patron saint of all in
are connected with St Agnes eve.
Among them is the story that a girl
is supposed to see the face of her fu-
ture husband through Various forms
or divination at that time.
st. Agnes eve has been chosen as
subject of many writer's both in po-
etry and prose. Probably the best
known works on this subject are
Tennysons 5 poem, published in lSi2,
and Keats poem, written in 1913.
1t Is even today popular super
stition. particularly in the British
Isles, that st. Agnes works miracles
for the happiness of young girls, and
that girl named Agnes who prays
nine times to the moon and fastS for
three consecutive St Agnes days viii
be able to get any man whom she
may choose for her husband.
Another superstition connected
with the name Agnes concerns the
we'll known ghost Of the HohenZol-
lerns. the white lady of the Berlin
schloss." In real life she was Agnes,
Countess of Orlamunda, who killed
two of her children with the mistaken
idea that her lover desired her TO
make this sacrifice.
There have been many members of
European royalty of this name and
also u number Of famous heroines OF
/ literature. Agnes of Austria, daugh-
ter of the German King Albert J, lived
in the thirteenth century. She was
particularly noted for her vengeance
on all who were connected with the
| murder of her father.
Agnes of Meran. OF the early thir-
! teenth century. was the wife of Philip
II of France, who had divorced his
! first wife. Ingeborg of Denmark
The Pope refused to recognize the
divorce: however. and so lngeborg
was re!nstated. Agnes two children
were legitima tized
Agnes of Poitou was the corsort OF
| Henry III, generally known as Henry
| the Black. Emperor Of the Holy Ro-
| death Agnes became the guardian OF
her son. Henry II. A conspiracy OF
| the nobility deprived her Of the re
gency. in 1862, when the young king
| was abducted by Ammo. Archbishop OF
Cologne.
| The most famous Agnes of litera-
| ture and character upon which
many other heroines have later beer
| patterned as typical, was the princi-
pal character in Moliere's comedy
| "rhe School for wives" Agnes was a
sweet. simple, unsophisticated girl
| and her name has become a synonym
| for "girlish innocence" in the French
| language.
! The different forms of the name are
| interesting. Agnes is used in Eng
| lish- speaking countries. France. SWe-
/ den and Denmark. Italians add a fine
| "e,' Agnese, and also Agnesca; Rus
sa has Agnessa: Poland. Agnizka
Bohemia, AneXka; Wales, Nest; Eng
! lish. also Agneta; ManX. Messy; Ser
bian. Janja: Lusatian. HAMA; Slavic
Nezika: Esthonian. Neto; Greek Ag-
nessija: Spanish. Inesita.