The meaning of the name Sirona Ryan is discovered amid the Hogwarts Legacy’s transgender character controversy
On Monday, the Harry Potter The series’ Hogwarts Legacy game introduced a new character named Sirona Ryan. She will be the first transgender character introduced in the popular series. While this may have been something to celebrate, netizens were furious that the name had a masculine undertone.
How is the name Sirona Ryan coded male and transphobic? https://t.co/yLD9m9Ahtw
In the game Hogwarts Heritage, Sirona Ryan worked at the Three Broomsticks bar in Wizarding, London. She plays a pivotal role in all elves related quests. According to Game Revolution, Sirona interacts with her goblin friend Lodgok.
Looks like the Hogwarts Legacy game introduced the super character straying from the by JK Rowling anti-transphobic perspective. However, one cannot forget the history of giving characters the author’s troubling names, including Cho Chang And Kingsley Shackles, both are people of color. Many people note that these names are racist and contain significant cultural and linguistic errors.
Why are fans against the name Sirona Ryan?
A nickname is a unique name. In Celtic mythology, Sirona is the goddess of healing believed to be of snakes and eggs. Her name is spelled in different ways, including Thirona, Sirona and Dirona among others. People in east-central Gaul, a part of Western Europe, mainly prayed to the goddess. She usually wears a long robe and carries a bow and staff.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the name Sirona is also associated with wells and springs. Since the character is the witch hostess of a tavern, the name chosen makes sense.
However, it seems that netizens are not satisfied with the name of this transgender character. Many people don’t like that the first syllable of her name is spelled “sir”, which is mainly given to knights or barons in England. It also signals men’s rankings elsewhere.
Several other Twitter users noted that the last five letters of the name Sirona Ryan i.e. ‘A’ from Sirona And ryan when put together, forms the word ‘Aryan’, which makes people think primarily of eugenics.
The character’s second name is “Ryan,” which is also a common masculine name that only adds fuel to the fire.
The Sydney Morning Herald also revealed that although the character in the game is a woman, she appears to be voiced by a male voice actor.
Who came up with the name is still unclear. However, it can be said that JK Rowling is not behind the move. It was recently revealed that the character was only introduced to “pivot the conversation” away from the disgraced author. In an interview with IGN, a representative of Portkey Games, who developed Hogwarts legacyshared that Sirona Ryan was included because:
“The team felt that it was very important to create a game that represented the rich and diverse world of Harry Potter and the groups of people playing the game, including the LGBTQIA+ community.”
This is not the first time the Hogwarts Legacy has faced criticism. Many people feel that any money spent on products related to Harry Potter The series symbolizes endorsement of the author’s political stance.
The game’s developer did not respond Sirona Ryan controversial name at the time of writing this article.
