#itzal

Chazira’s Black, Margaret’s Latina (Cuban/Spanish/Italian/Albanian), and Dakkar’s Desi.

Almost same with the Stratfords: Mary Katharine is Black/Hawaiian, Rose is Latina and Jewish, Samuel is black, and then Cyrus is wildly gesturing at his beautiful mixed family.

Something that has been on my mind for a while has been the character names used in the Pulp Musicals series. Obviously, there are some characters that are based on real historical figures, and some that have been created specifically for the series. The naming of these characters is important for any story, but I've found that some of the choices in Pulp were clearly made with very symbolic intent. For the sake of brevity, I won't be discussing characters based on historical figures. Let's dive in!

Sia, the first Traveler that we meet in the series. This name actually has a number of origins and meanings. The most well-known being from the Greek word Athanásios, meaning "immortal". While we don't have any reason to believe that the Travelers are immortal in any way, they certainly seem to be long-lived. That being said, there is a line in the Ghosts of Antikythera song The Beginning of the End that I was reminded of with this meaning:

What is this "ascension" that Sia refers to here? We get no further context to this, but I can't help but be reminded of a Timelord's regeneration. This is something we may simply need to wait until Pulp 5 for for more information.

There is, however, a significantly more meaningful origin for Sia's name from ancient Egyptian mythology. Sia was actually the name of the ancient Egyptian god of Perception and Wisdom. Needless to say, this must be the inspiration behind Pulp Sia's name, given that one of her defining characteristics is her expertise in the magic way of Perception.

Speaking of mythology...

Our beloved vilian Kal, or Kalfu, is also very clearly inspired by a mythological entity of the same name. In Haitian Vodou, Kalfu (or Kalfou) is a Lwa (or Loa) whose name literally translates to "crossroads". Per his name, he has control over the crossroads and access between mortals and other Lwa. Perhaps this will be further emphasised in Pulp 5 in acting as the one who controls access between commoners and royals such as Itzal. He is also associated with shadows and misfortune.

Furthermore, the Lwa Kalfu also prefers gunpowder-infused rum!

Next up is Ahlaam, who sadly bears no association with gods or spirits. The origin behind her name is rather simple. It's an arabic name originating from the Quran meaning "dreams". This is further emphasised in A Spell is Just a Rule Made With Magic:

It also fits her characterisation very well, as Ahlaam is a very hopeful, optimistic, and cheery person.

Dakkar is another straightforward origin, as he is written to be an analog of Jules Verne's Captain Nemo, also known as Prince Dakkar. The name Nemo is also latin for "no one" or "nobody", which is why we were blessed with this tongue-in-cheek joke in Dropped from the Clouds:

While Addison Arvad's first name may not bear any significant meaning that I am aware of, her last name certainly does. Arvad is a name of Hebrew origin, meaning "exile" or "voyager". Both of these meanings fit Addison's character very well, especially the latter. In the song Antikythera, she writes in her journal extensively about her joy of traveling and exploring the world.

Another name of similar origin to discuss is Taavi. It is a Finnish and Estonian name, originating from the Hebrew name David. While we know very little about him as a character in the world of Pulp, the meaning behind his name fits perfectly while offering no further clues on who he was. It means "beloved", which reflects his relation to Ahlaam as her beloved that died at some point in the past.

Finally, the name that we can finally put a face to; Itzal. The meaning behind this name is rather simple. It is of Basque origin and means "shadow". Beyond the obvious parallels with his army that arrives on Lincoln Island...

This also has very clear associations with his daughter Margaret, who often speaks of being "in the shadows".

Sia even refers to the shadows during Ipomoea, Part 1:

With this in mind, it's seems obvious that her father Itzal was the shadow that she felt suffocated by all this time.

Bonus Round!

Samuel Stratford. The origin of the name Samuel comes from Hebrew, meaning "Name of God". One could read into the idea that Samuel is the "God" of the story that we hear, due to his writing, but I personally think that's a bit of a stretch.

What is interesting, however, is a lesser-known historical figure that shares some similarities with him. William Samuel Stratford was an English astronomer born in England in 1789. He won a silver medal from the Royal Astronomical Society, and was also the secretary of the society for a time. He would go on to be the Superintendant of the HM Nautical Almanac Office.

It's plain to see some of the parallels here that may have inspired some aspects of the character and Pulp as a whole. His penchant for writing combined with his associations with both the Royal Astronomical Society, and the HM Nautical Almanac Office. This could all be a coincidence of course, but is interesting to note nonetheless.

Anyway...

I want him to survive and stay alive long enough to regret his actions. I want him to realize he is a terrible person and it's entirely his fault. I want him to look Rose in the eyes and not even being able to apologize, because he knows he deserves no forgiveness, certainly not from her. I want him to be cured from the Fog™ and to recount every single moment that caused him to fall deeper and deeper, whatever turned him to the drowned rat he now is. I want him to try and apologize to every single one of the people he once loved "it's a process." Dakkar will say with a sad smile "maybe someday.". I want Ahlaam to not even be able to look at him. I want Sia to love him with the passion she used for hating him, because it was never his fault in her eyes. I want him to turn on Itzal and try to do good for once in his life. I want for him to realize with his dying breaths that it didn't matter, not after all the atrocities he committed.

I want Kal to survive long enough to betray Itzal and subsequently to be killed by him. I want Sia or Addison or Margaret or Dakkar to beg Itzal to let him live; Kal was his loyal dog all these years, he deserves at least for Itzal to not murder him. I want it to be slow and I want Kal to cry as Margaret begs "please! It's Kal!" because he can't kill Kal. I want Itzal to look his favorite daughter in the eye and his eyes to be cold "you say his name if as it's supposed to matter to me." he'll say, and the only sound to follow will be the thud of Kal's body hitting the floor.

Anything For Love

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Pulp Musicals Series - Dahan Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Dakkar/Kal | Kalfu (Pulp Musicals), Itzal & Kal | Kalfu (Pulp Musicals) Characters: Kal | Kalfu (Pulp Musicals), Itzal (Pulp Musicals), Dakkar (Pulp Musicals) Additional Tags: Pre-Canon, Established Relationship, Pre-Marriage Proposal, Doomed Relationship, Corruption Arc, Time Skips

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