S I T E N A M E
The previous name of my shrine was "Lovely Melancholy". And while it was not necessarily a bad name, it was awfully redundant with regard to Joachim. In renaming it, I had originally intended to get away from "Melancholy" altogether, but I failed in that, as you can see. However, "Melancholia" has a slightly different nuance than the former, and it is that very difference that I wished to highlight in choosing it. Let us consult Merriam-Webster's dictionary:
MelancholiaSo, as we have it, "Melancholia" refers to a condition, rather than an emotion. I think that suits Joachim very well, since his trauma went beyond a single emotion. His sadness and anger reached far into his mind, body and soul. His behavioral patterns demonstrate this rather aptly. And surely, the darkness and isolation of his water prison could not have helped better his state of mind. This is not to say that he isn't the poster boy for melancholy. I just think that it is much deeper and much more dire than that.
mel·an·cho·lia
Function: noun
Etymology: New Latin, from Late Latin, melancholy
Date: 1607
: a mental condition and especially a manic-depressive condition characterized by extreme depression, bodily complaints, and often hallucinations and delusions
