u/Glittering-Day9869

I dont hate the sharp teeth and long tongue and I do recognise that it has become an iconic part if his character

But idk, I feel like the joker-like grin he had in "The Amazing Spider-man 300" was far creepier and more sinister

I especially like the shot of him smiling in the dark in that one panel, I feel like his original design was less cartoony and over the top than the newer one.

This design make him look like a full psycho and is alot scarier.

Before I begin we must remember the difference between "Aea" and "Aeaea":

Aea refers to the entire region of the east in Homer's geography. A magical land of the sun where Aeëtes ruled. Aeaea is a feminine epithet that denotes to people living in that region (both Circe and Medea were called "Aeaea").

Because an island "Nēsos" is a feminine word (despite appearing masculine in english), Circe's island was given that Epithet. Therefore, the meaning of Circe's island literally just means "an Island in the region of Aea".

Now because the tale of the Odyssey became so popular, people started associating the land with Circe and thus the place went from "the land where the sun rises" to "the land where a witch turns men to animals". And we can see that with some of the explanations here which treat Aea exclusively as "Circe's land".

Servius in his commentary on the Aeneid gave 3 explanations for Aeaea:

1- Aeaea is the screams of Circe's victims (aspernantium voce) as they transform into animals

2- Aeaea comes from Eoa which means "dawn/East" due to the land being inhabited by the daughter of the sun

3- Aeaea mostly refers to the island itself independently from Circe

The third one is right and funnily enough there are theories that the word comes from Aea, the Mesopotamian goddess of the Dawn, so a combination of the second and third explanation would form the correct answer (as in, it's named after "Eoa" but that's because it was originally located near the palace of the Dawn and not because it was inhabited by Circe like Servius assumed)

Another explanation for the origin of the word is that it comes from "ayya" the western Semitic word for hawk because Circe's name possibly means that too. This explanation also has the problem focusing too much on Circe herself instead of seeing Aea as a broader land of the sun (and even the book mentioning that called it a stretch).

The final theory is that Aea comes from "Gaea" so it literally just means "land/earth". Thus, if we take Aeëtes' name as being "man of Aea" then he would literally just be called "Man of the land".

There is a debate on what Circe's name actually means, so here are all the interpretations:

1- *Falcon/Hawk*

Her name "Kírkē" can be seen as the feminine form of "kírkos" which means "Hawk" or "Falcon".

This shows Circe's nature as a predatory female with aggressive nature.

The falcon can also be seen as a way to associate her with the underworld since these birds of prey pick on the corpses of the dead which is probably why the graveyard of Colchis (where they would hang the bodies of the dead on trees) was named after her.

If we take Aeëtes' name as coming from eagle, then this naming convention would fit Circe as both siblings would be named after mighty birds (tho, Aeëtes' name origins is also debatable).

2- *Cycle/Circle*

Another alternative for her name is that "kírkos" comes from cycle/circle (kríkos = kýklos).

Philosophers understood this as a connection of Circe to the cycle of rebirth and transformation thus her ability to transform men, her acts of purification and her connection to the underworld.

The cycle thing also connects to Circe's heritage as the daughter of the sun since Helios travels around the skies daily contributing to the cycle of days and nights.

A circle can hint at Circe's ability to bind people to her island since a circle is an enclosed shape that you can neither penetrate or get away from.

3- *Weaving shuttle*

The final theory behind her name "Kírkē" is that it comes from "kerkís" (a weaving shuttle). This connects her with the domestic works of women like Penelope which is relevant to Homer's story where Circe was introduced singing and weaving a web.

4- *All of the above*

Alternatively, her name can mean all of these. A Falcon (kírkos) fly around the sky in circles (kýklos). This shows the bird as a cunning creature waiting for the right time to strike. Therefore, it has a "Metis" which is connected to the acts of weaving (kerkís) hence deities like Athena being associated with such a craft.