I found the name Mormolyke in a particularly dusty occult dictionary in the UNSW Library in 1997, and have been so called ever since. Though I didn't delve into the meaning of the word at the time, the research I have done in later years has left me rather pleased with my flippant choice.

Mormolyke was the name of a female vampire/monster in Ancient Greek mythology. According to the legend, all of her own children died, so she went mad with grief and ran around eating other people's children. She was also said to have been part of the train of Hecate, the big cheese of witches who makes an appearance in Macbeth.

Back in Ancient Grecian times, Mormolyke's name was invoked to scare naughty children, much in the same way we now refer to the Bogeyman. ("Don't be bad, or Mormolyke will come and eat you!")

The word Mormolyke is derived from "mormo", meaning "fear" in Greek. I am in no way affiliated with Mormons, but it is perhaps ironic that the word Mormon is so similar to the Greek word for fear.

Interestingly, Mormo is also the name of a Chinese god of the dead, and "mor-mon" in Chinese means "gates of hell".

All of this is almost stupendously coincidental, since I'm quite interested in vampires, Shakespeare, horror films, and erm, frightening children. I also happen to be half Greek and half Chinese.

Bored yet? Hold your judgement, I have yet another unbelievably tenuous and tedious association between my nickname and my self. There exists in Malaysia a genus of ground beetle called "Mormolyce", which chiefly includes the species Mormolyce phylloides, or "Java fiddle beetle" ... and I happen to like coffee, and play the 5-string electric violin.

OK, now you can be bored. Toddle along, brave surfer, your reading here is done.

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