Meaning of Sirona Ryan’s name in the spotlight for Hogwarts Legacy fans

Debate surrounding the meaning of Sirona Ryan’s name explained

The reason fans – or non-fans – of the Harry Potter franchise have issues with Sirona Ryan’s name is because, they say, it reads like a nod to her transition.

This is because her name begins with the syllable ‘Sir’, which is also used as a title before the first name of a (male) knight or (male) baronet in Britain, or indeed a man of rank or position elsewhere.

As LGBTQ Nation writes, “people feel like ‘sir’ shouldn’t be in the name of the wizarding world’s first trans character.”

Elsewhere, a Twitter user notes that the last five letters of Sirona Ryan’s name — including Sirona’s A — smear together to form the word “Aryan,” which as a designation has undergone several changes in recent history, but people inevitably do think of eugenics. Others may see this connection as tenuous at best.

Is there an actual meaning of the name Sirona Ryan other than what has been suggested by critics?

Yes. In Celtic polytheism, Sirona was a goddess of healing. Her attributes were snakes and eggs.

Her name has different spellings including Sirona, Đirona and Thirona. Evidence for the worship of Sirona is found mainly in east-central Gaul – ie parts of western Europe.

In certain depictions, the goddess Sirona wears a long robe and carries a patera (libation bowl) and scepter (staff). Her name has roots in Proto-Celtic *ster-, meaning “star”.

As the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) notes, Sirona’s association with wells and springs makes her name a fitting name for a pub’s witch owner.

What do we know about Sirona Ryan’s voice actor in Hogwarts Legacy?

SMH adds that while Ryan is a female in the game, she “appears to have been voiced by a cis male actor.”

It cites Game Revolution’s statement that Hogwarts Legacy associates “no voice actress” specifically with the role of Sirona Ryan. However, the credits list voiceover talent “without including their specific roles in the game”.

Meaning: Criticism of the character related to her voice actor may be premature.

What we do know is that Sirona Ryan is from the British Isles as Hogwarts “only serves Great Britain and Ireland”. Her fandom website adds that she has a penchant for “good company, gossip, and butterbeer.”

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