08 January 2024 , 16:10
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Picking the perfect baby name is incredibly difficult - and it's important that both parents are in agreement. But one dad-to-be has revealed he can't stand the moniker chosen by his wife, and it's causing a major issue.
*George and his partner *Lara are expecting a little girl together, and as a second-generation Greek immigrant, he hoped they would be able to choose a name that would reflect his family background. Thankfully, Lara was in full agreement, so they started to research some appropriate options for their baby daughter.
However, what began as a loving discussion of possible names quickly spiralled into an "extremely stupid" and "severe" argument - as George explained in an advice column on Slade.
"You see, my wife wants to name our daughter Clytemnestra', and I am dead set against it," he confided.
Clytemnestra is known for her role in Greek mythology and she is often seen as the epitome of a vengeful, scheming plotter. She was the wife of Agamemnon, who defeated the Trojans during the Trojan War. With the help of her lover Aegisthus, Clytemnestra murdered Agamemnon following his return from war since Agamemnon had sacrificed their daughter Iphigenia to the goddess Artemis in exchange for good sailing conditions.
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Clytemnestra is often portrayed as a force of fury and retribution. She was murdered by her son, Orestes, as revenge for the death of his father.
George spoke about his strong dislike of the name in his letter, arguing that none of his relatives "back in the old country bear that name", and, therefore, it is not relevant to his heritage. Secondly, he said, most people can't recall the story of Clytemnestra, and if they did, they wouldn't think of her in a positive way.
He explained that she is thought as a person who "murdered her husband when he finally came home and was about to discover the affair she'd been carrying on while he was away," he said.
Ultimately, George said he "doubts anyone over here would recognise the name well enough to tease her over it". "But I still don't want my daughter named that."
Instead, he suggested other names that are closely aligned with Greek mythology and have "much better reputations", such as Penelope, Andromache or Galatea. But Lara refuses to budge on the name Clytemnestra.
"This has gotten to the point where we're both digging in our heels," he added. "I don't know how to de-escalate or even how to work on some other name." In response, the advice columnist Dan Kois questioned George's interpretation of the Greek myth, writing that "some might quibble" with his "characterisation of Clytemnestra, and suggested he should try to view her as an "angel of vengeance".
Dan further argued Clytemnestra was "tricked" into giving her daughter to her husband, before she was ultimately sacrificed for the gods.
"What you call an 'affair', I call a mourning mother using the only thing the patriarchy could not take away from her - her sexual wiles - to secure the crucial assistance of a soldier in order to take her revenge, a decade later," he added.
But in reference to the name choice, the columnist added that parents who called their children 'Khaleesi' were probably unlikely to think of the name as the "murderous" Game of Thrones character and instead connect it with "their beloved daughters". "And that name is indisputably embarrassing, unlike Clytemnestra, which is basically fine!"
"You would come to feel the same about your 'lil Nestra," they continued, explaining that once the baby is born, George will likely forget all origins of her name. "It will just be her name," they said.
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That being said, however, the advice-giver did tell George to "veto" the name idea, as it's his right to have a say about his daughter's name. They suggested he throw in some bad name choices, such as 'Gorgon', before encouraging Lara to do the same.
"Have a good old laugh about it and move on," the advice-giver concluded. "You'll soon have way more important things to argue about."
Do you agree? Let us know what you think in the comments section.