Why, it's captivating, just positively enchanting! According to Slavic mythology, Morana was a goddess of winter and death, two beautiful concepts which convey a change for the better. In many cultures, death is not stigmatized as a blight or something to be afraid of, but a new phase of life; without death, after all, there would be no life. As for the spelling, well, the ignorant will be ignorant. There is no factual evidence surrounding why some will interpret the name that way. It's better to focus on what the name is: an alluring, eye-catching beauty that strikes haunting admiration into many hearts. Morana, in all its allegorical glory, is such a beautiful dream. To all its fortunate bearers, I wish you good luck and a happy New Year.
If anyone is named Morana then I'm sorry, but it isn't a good name. I mean, the name itself is beautiful but the meaning behind it, not so much. If you go to any Slavic country and tell people you're named Morana they will look at you in shock and take two steps back. Since Morana was literally the goddess of death, there is still a lot of resentment towards it. For example in The Czech Republic (where I'm from), the ritual drowning of Morana still takes place. Every year people make a child-sized doll out of sticks and straw, paint her with coal and dress her up in black rags, animal bones, dead flowers, and throw her into the river. This signifies the end of winter, hunger and death. And even after millennia of Christianization, this ritual has stuck around. Naming your child Morana is tempting your fate even more than having a May wedding. Then again, if you go for that kind of stuff, to each their own I guess.
I am named Morana. It is different from Morena and thus pronounced differently. Morana is an old Slavic name. In Slavic mythology Morana was the goddess of winter and death. She is the daughter of the god Perun and sister of Jarilo whom she met not knowing he's her brother. Until Jarilo messed up and started cheating with some forest nymph, she was kind, loving, beautiful blah blah. After he messed up, she turned into hm... evil woman, chopped him, made a house out of his body parts. Dramatic, ain't it?! But the whole love drama is not the point. She is the winter goddess and in the winter time, most of the nature "sleeps" a.k.a. is "dead" in a way. I love my name but... I have a natural tendency to anything mystical, mythology, spiritual. Although I dye my hair blond and mostly have a big smile on my face, I keep few skulls in my room. I think they look beautiful and if witches were real, I'd be casting spells and not earning money by video editing hahah. It's not like a goth, vampire or being different thing. Just NOMEN IS OMEN.
If you pronounce it like More-Annah you avoid Moron jokes. Anyways, this name is stunning and I would love to see it used.
― Anonymous User 5/5/2018
6
I personally love this name and the death connection makes it unique, but sadly people will be idiots and decide to focus on the fact that it sounds like "moronic".
― Anonymous User 5/7/2017
4
The name doesn't mean death in any Slavic language... it is however in relationship with the proto Indo-European word mar, mor, which means death. It is also connected to mor-the Latin for death and Russian for pestilence. One of the Roman god of war Mars' names was Marmor. Nightmare is also a word that has some connection with this deity (Croatian-noćne more).
It's a very beautiful and elegant name, in spite of its meaning. But I don't think it has a bad meaning after all. I'm from Brazil and we also have names like this, which were used to protect and/or to bring good luck to the child. It's common in many cultures. Like 'Socorro', for example.
This name hasn't always been used ambivalently but it has been used as a way to protect the child from death by giving it the name like this so that death will overlook the child or act as a fright for evil spirits - hence it is a way to overcome death. Many Slavic names have been used as good luck charms but many people don't realise, even those of Slavic heritage.
― Anonymous User 11/29/2010
1
Also I forgot to mention that the name in pre-Christian era, a name of a god or goddess was given as a way to pay respects to and honour the god or goddess who will act as a protector/guardian, in this case Morana, and thus this name is used in order for Morana to be lenient towards the child and thus spare the child from death. This name was thus used as a way for a child to escape death with the explanations as to how to do so mentioned here and in the post above.
― Anonymous User 11/29/2010
0
It's quite stunning! The meaning is hardly a reason to dislike the name, because death can be viewed in a positive light in some cultures. I doubt many people apart from Slavs would know the meaning of this name anyway, so who cares? I'm not a goth, but 'vampire' sounding names appeal to me, I would never use them, but appreciate them, I think Morana would be a great name for a character.
I think Morana is a really beautiful name. It's up to a person if he wants to interpret it negatively, such as "Moron" or just simply "Death". To me, it seems like a very elegant and wonderful name.
I think it's a beautiful name. Winter's also my favorite season, and death isn't ALWAYS a negative thing. If somebody has lived a long, full, happy life, and are ready to go, then they can be at peace. :) Plus, it's kind of like starting anew. ^_^
I love the name, it's my middle name and it fits me well. =) She wasn't always the goddess of winter and death, she turned that way after the death of her husband.
Morana, Slavic mythology, was goddess of nature and death. But without her husband, Morana turns into a frustrated old hag, a terrible and dangerous goddess of death, frost and upcoming winter, and eventually dies by the end of the year. At the beginning of the next year, both she and Jarilo are born again, and the entire myth starts anew.
― Anonymous User 12/6/2006
3
I really don't like this name and the meaning of it is awful.
― Anonymous User 10/27/2006
-5
What a great name! Has "death" as a meaning and it sounds like moron! Cheers.