The name of a Greek goddess, used by Alec D’Urberville to Tess in Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles. ‘He called her Artemis, Demeter, and other fanciful names half teasingly, which she did not like because she did not understand them. “Call me Tess,” she would say askance, and he did.’ Demeter was another Greek goddess, identified with Ceres, goddess of corn and patroness of agriculture. The name therefore has a certain suitability for Tess, who works for the D’Urberville family as a poultry keeper.
It seems likely, however, that Alec’s use of these transferred names was inspired by the thought that Tess was goddess-like. Hardy’s remark about Tess not liking the names because she did not understand them is interesting, and shows the danger inherent in using transferred names of any kind. The allusion must be meaningful to the listener as well as the speaker. If the allusion is not understood then there will be a tendency, as when a person knows that he is being talked about by others but cannot hear what they are saying, to assume the worst, that one is being made the butt of jokes.
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