With the news of naming the Lady of the green kirtle, am I the only one who is somewhat surprised by a totally unnecessary change from the books?
After all, the book was fine without ever her having a name.

Perhaps, but even so, I wish that even if it isn't her real name there was a different name for Lady of the Green Kirtle than the acronym formed by the phrase. Even LOTGK is too cumbersome in my opinion. If she was called the Lovely Lady Against Most Action she could then be called the LLAMA, which is at least easier to remember for the audience. I hesitate to actually enter this competition as I'm far too old, and they don't want to know about some of the more hideous names that occurred to me. Greenie Queenie was also one, you know.

I agree with Rose that her having a name of some sort, especially if it is memorable, would be far better than awkward dialogue.

This is an idea that I've been toying with, one which I'm not sure would work, but I think the film makers might be able to pull it off...

...what if the Lady of the Green Kirtle is called by multiple names in the film? For example, if they show when Rilian first meets the her (after his mother's death, before his enchantment), she might introduce herself by some name (as a placeholder name, I'm calling her "Catherine"). After all, if Rilian is suddenly obsessively infatuated with this woman, wouldn't it make sense for him to know her name--at least, the name she tells him?

Fast forward to ten years later, after the LotGK has enchanted Rilian. Naturally, she wouldn't use the same name she gave him before; that runs the risk of someone from Narnia recognizing the name of the woman who lured Rilian away. So, if the enchanted Rilian ever calls her by name now, he uses a different name--say, Victoria. She could even use a different name when introducing herself to the children (such as "Miranda"), and possibly in a couple of other circumstances (the gnomes may have their own name for her).

The thing I like about this approach is that, in addition to never telling us what her name actually is (only a series of pseudonyms she uses along the way), it avoids the kinds of problems that we've discussed so far in this thread, while further teasing the audience with the mystery, as well as establishing her as the kind of villain who plans that far ahead. I also think that, at the very least, using one name before capturing Rilian, and using a different name afterwards, only makes sense from her perspective. The problem is, of course... calling one character by multiple names can be confusing, probably just as confusing as only ever calling her "the Lady of the Green Kirtle" (or "the Witch", etc.). For this idea to work, I think the characters would have to acknowledge, on-screen, that they've heard this woman described by multiple names. I think it can be done, though I would understand why this isn't an ideal approach for the film makers.

I hesitate to actually enter this competition as I'm far too old, and they don't want to know about some of the more hideous names that occurred to me. Greenie Queenie was also one, you know.

Oh, Wagga, now we want to hear some of them! We can have our own "Name the Witch" contest and the winner gets...um, well, something. Don't you think so? Depending on how the acting is done, we may need several different names to describe our opinions

I wish they'd tell us why they want to name her. Perhaps that's part of the suspense and excitement--they're keeping us on tenterhooks deliberately.

...what if the Lady of the Green Kirtle is called by multiple names in the film?

I can see what you're describing working well on the page, and probably also in a TV series. I like the idea. I just can't visualize how it'd be done in a feature film.

You all have come up with some really good names! I went to the binomial names of snakes for inspiration. First I tried the green tree python (Morelia viridis) and came up with Viridia (I use viridian green oil paint). I also looked at the eyelash pit viper (Bothriechis schlegelii) and finally decided on Geliia as my submission. I was already partial to the name Geila as it is the name of a very evil woman in an ancient medieval/Christian tale. It also reminds me a bit of a gila monster.

I'm feeling a little bit derisive today, and I think because of that, I came up with a name which I have submitted: Lilith.

I'm sure it won't be picked, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. (Although the fan fiction that would inevitably follow could be highly amusing. )

FK, You're not the only person to use that name! I've seen over a dozen comments on the Facebook post suggesting Lilith! I don't think they'll use it though since it's already a fairly well known figure in mythology.

I'm not surprised at all that others have come up with it. I suspect whatever the writers choose to go with, it'll be original.

I don't think they'll use it though since it's already a fairly well known figure in mythology.

Not to mention Lewis drops the name as the ancestor of Jadis (which is why I picked it).

While thinking about a name for the Lady of the Green Kirtle, I couldn’t help but be reminded of a similar character featured in the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: the Lady Bertilak.

Although there are notable differences between the LotGK and LB, their respective stories have some significant overlap: the LotGK is friendly with the Harfang giants, while LB’s husband is able to change into a giant. The LotGK attempts to destroy our heroes by offering them as delicacies for the giants’ feast, and LB seduces Sir Gawain during her lord’s hunting and feasting. The primary clothing associated with the ladies are a green kirtle and a green girdle, respectively. The LotGK can transform into a snake, which is strongly connected with the temptation of Adam and Eve, and Sir Gawain draws an analogy between LB’s behavior and Eve.

So what do you think of Lady Bertilak (or a suitable variation) as a name?

What a neat name, Anfinwen! I'm guessing it's pronounced Heel-ee-ya? Very pretty. I love your idea about looking up the binomial names for snakes. Really clever!

Your thoughts about the parallels between Lady Bertilak and thte Lady of the Green Kirtle are really interesting, Inkling! I was looking over the etymology of the name and found this on the wikipedia page for the Green Knight:

The name "Bertilak" may derive from bachlach, a Celtic word meaning "churl" (i.e. rogueish, unmannerly), or from "bresalak", meaning "contentious". The Old French word bertolais translates as "Bertilak" in the Arthurian tale Merlin from the Lancelot-Grail Cycle of Arthurian legend. Notably, the 'Bert-' prefix means 'bright', and the '-lak' can mean either 'lake' or "play, sport, fun, etc".

I like the fact that bert means bright, especially since the LotGK is described as being a "shining" woman.

...what if the Lady of the Green Kirtle is called by multiple names in the film? For example, if they show when Rilian first meets the her (after his mother's death, before his enchantment), she might introduce herself by some name (as a placeholder name, I'm calling her "Catherine"). After all, if Rilian is suddenly obsessively infatuated with this woman, wouldn't it make sense for him to know her name--at least, the name she tells him?

Interesting, though I like Catherine and one of our daughters missed the name only because there were already too many Catherines around at the time. Did you listen to the latest Podcast with Rilian and glumPuddle? They were discussing this naming of the LOTGK, glumPuddle noting how awkward this acronym is. Even a better acronym would help I thought. Rilian said he felt uncomfortable with giving the LOTGK a name. One of his reasons, I think, was because she is only in a couple of scenes. However, she is extensively discussed by other people.

That is where your idea of several names might work, and it is in the book as well. She is called LOTGK sometimes, Queen of the Underland and Rilian (Prince that is, not the Narniawebber Podcaster ), describes her in such soppy terms that maybe he might know of her by something similarly mawkish, such as some of those really horrible Victorian names? Sophronia or Adelina? Precious, maybe? Or maybe after all the different names we find out she was called something fairly plain and ordinary, after all. Jane, perhaps?

Maybe her real name is something like Deearne. I know there are people called Deearne, but I always took it as a somewhat pretentious way of calling a little girl Diane, a perfectly respectable and useful name. Pretentious really describes LOTGK. And however beautiful she may appear, does her name have to be beautiful? I was thinking of names like Medusa or Gorgonia.

What I am trying to get at is that her name is not so necessary that C.S.Lewis bothered with it. It might be an eminently forgettable name that everyone would find hard to remember, including herself. Perhaps even a name that Jill and Eustace, as frightened as they were of their situation, might have difficulty in suppressing a snigger.

Did you listen to the latest Podcast with Rilian and glumPuddle? They were discussing this naming of the LOTGK, glumPuddle noting how awkward this acronym is. Even a better acronym would help I thought. Rilian said he felt uncomfortable with giving the LOTGK a name. One of his reasons, I think, was because she is only in a couple of scenes. However, she is extensively discussed by other people.

For an acronym, wouldn't LGK be enough? It's about the same as using LWW instead of TLTWATW.
I can see how the film maker would like a name for their character, but I agree that it wouldn't be necessary to have one.

Im glad they aren't asking submitters to give a reason for a name. I do think that a name just has to sound well (like Lilliandil). The name I submitted has no meaning, I just picked something that sounded good.. IMO anyways.
Speaking if Lilliandil, I know that some of you are not happy with her being named, (especially given that she introduced herself only once) but it was quite necessary. I just can't imagine Lilliandil coming down from the sky in VDT and saying "hello, I'm Ramandus Daughter" or Ramandu saying "this is my daughter (with no name following)". At some point she was going to have to identify herself and that would have sounded awkward on screen. It will be the same for LOTGK.

For an acronym, wouldn't LGK be enough?

The problem with that, as I see it, is that we're all used to seeing LotGK. It seems (based on Ramandu's Daughter to Lilliandil) that it'd be easier to transition to an actual name than a variation on an existing habit.

Change in general makes me nervous.

(Okay, I'm also objecting because LGK makes me think 'Little G. K. (Chesterton)'. )

I'm okay with her having a name, but I'm even more okay with it if it's an alias she uses as part of her disguise rather than her real name. Lilliandil is a very Narnian name and I was fine with them naming her, but she didn't introduce herself in the book and we were all okay with that. IDK. You guys came up with better names than I did. XD