What do the family's names mean in The Fall of the House of Usher?
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In the mood for some frighteningly good Halloween TV? Then you need to be watching Netflix's newest mini-series The Fall of the House of Usher.
The eight-part series, created by Mike Flanagan, takes the short stories of Edgar Allan Poe and turns them in a horror filled saga which sees all the Usher family children mysteriously killed within the space of two weeks, with the series exploring the history of the Usher family and what led to the children's deaths.
The Fall of the House of Usher takes serious inspiration from the work of Edgar Allan Poe, from the plot lines, to episode titles and character names. The Usher family names in particular, all appear to give hints as to what will unfold for each family member.
So what do the Usher family names' mean? And which Edgar Allan Poe works are they referencing? Here's what you need to know.
What do the Usher family members' names mean?
Roderick Usher
Roderick Usher (Bruce Greenwood) is the head of the Usher family and the CEO of Fortunato Pharmaceuticals. In Edgar Allan Poe's short stories Roderick Usher is one of the main characters of the story 'The Fall of the House of Usher'.
In the original story Roderick is visited by his friend and informs him he and his sister Madeline are ill. Roderick and Madeline are the two remaining members of the Usher family and their house is slowly falling apart. Roderick believes Madeline has died and she is entombed in the family tomb for two weeks.
However, Madeline eventually turns out to be alive and attacks her brother, killing him for putting her in a tomb, which also ends up killing her too.
The narrator ends the story by running away from the Usher house, which has now split in two.
Madeline Usher
In the Netflix series Madeline Usher (Mary McDonnell), or 'Mad' as she is also known, is Roderick's sister and the COO of Fortunato Pharmaceuticals.
Her name is based on the original 'The Fall of the House of Usher' story in which she destroys her brother after he accidentally buries her when he believed her to be dead. Could this be foreshadowing the series ending?
Frederick Usher
Frederick Usher (Henry Thomas) is the oldest Usher child and one of two 'legitimate' Usher children. He is the heir apparent to the Usher family fortune and has one daughter called Lenore.
Frederick's name is a reference to Edgar Allan Poe short story 'Metzengerstein: A Tale in Imitation of the German'. In the story Frederick is the last of the Metzengerstein family who are in a feud with the Berlifitzing family.
After the Berlifitzing family's stables go up in flames, killing the family's leader, Frederick is accused of starting the fire. Frederick takes ownership of a horse believed to be found in the stables and becomes obsessed with it, losing interest in everything else. However, one day he mounts the horse who takes him into his castle, which is now on fire, killing him instantly.
Tamerlane Usher
Tamerlane Usher (Samantha Sloyan) is the second Usher child and full sibling to Frederick, she's married to a fitness influencer called BillT.
Tamerlane's name is a reference to the Edgar Allan Poe poem 'Tamerlane', which follows the life of a conquerer known as Tamerlane. In the poem Tamerlane ignores the love he has for a woman named Ada in order to achieve his thirst for power.
Victorine Lafourcade
Victorine Lafourcade (T'Nia Miller) is the eldest of Roderick's 'bastards' as Frederick and Tamerlane are the only two born from his first marriage to Annabel Lee.
Victorine works as a scientist alongside her girlfriend. Victorine's name is inspired by the Edgar Allan Poe short story 'The Premature Burial' which tells the story of an unnamed narrator who is terrified of being buried alive, after hearing of many stories of others having the same fate.
One of these individuals is a woman named Victorine, who is accidentally buried alive by her lover. Um, do we want to take a guess at how Victorine may die in the Netflix series?
Napoleon Usher
Napoleon or "Leo" Usher is the next of the illegitimate Usher children and is played by Rahul Kohli.
Napoleon's name is based on the story 'The Spectacles' by Edgar Allan Poe and tells the story of a young man named Napoleon who is tricked into marrying his great-great grandmother because of his failing eye sight. Thankfully, their wedding turned out to be fake and he ends up marrying the woman he originally believed he was wed to.
Camille L'Espanaye
Camille L'Espanaye (Kate Siegel) is another of Roderick's illegitimate children and heads up PR for the entire Usher clan.
Her name is inspired by a character of the same name in the Edgar Allan Poe short story 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue'. In the story an unnamed narrator and a detective called C. Augustine Dupin, look into the double murders of a woman and her daughter Camille who have been killed in their own home. Camille was found strangled and stuffed up a chimney.
It turns out an orangutan monkey killed the mother and daughter after being captured by a sailor, who let it escape.
Prospero Usher
Prospero Usher (Sauriyan Sapkota) is the youngest of the illegitimate Usher children and wants to get into the nightclub business, but his father is resistant to fund his plans.
Prospero's name is taken from the Edgar Allan Poe short story 'The Masque of the Red Death'. In the story Prince Prospero attempts to hide from a dangerous plague known as the 'Red Death' by hiding in his abbey and throwing a big masquerade party (not sure how you avoid a plague by throwing a party but ok).
At the party a mysterious figure disguised as a Red Death victim makes its way through the party. Prospero confronts the masked figure, who kills him instantly. The costume turns out to have nothing inside and all the other guests die too.
Lenore Usher
Lenore Usher (Kyliegh Curran) is Frederick's daughter and Roderick's granddaughter. She is by far the most innocent out of the whole clan.
Her name is taken from the famous Edgar Allan Poe poem 'The Raven' which tells the tale of a student lamenting the death of his lover Lenore when he is visited by a raven.
The Fall of the House of Usher is available on Netflix now
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