Socks, Subversion, and Disney's Seven Dwarves' Names come from Voluspa

[Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)]

hg wrote in http://groups.yahoo.com/group/the_old_crowd/message/3406 :

<< Wouldn't it subvert the genre if the wise old
annoyingly philosophical white-bearded wizard was actually a slave? >>

Named Epictetus.

My friend Lee proposed years ago that Dumbledore was  Flamel's House
Elf, magically disguised with Flamel's permission.

Randy wrote in http://groups.yahoo.com/group/the_old_crowd/message/3410 :

<< Socks, Socks, Socks !!
Is that all you girls ever think about? >>

Oh, no, we think about shoes, too. *LOL*

Pippin wrote in http://groups.yahoo.com/group/the_old_crowd/message/3407 :

<< Subversion is Shylock's speech, it's Shakespeare making you like
the old Kate better, it's Cervantes driving his lance so firmly into
the fantasy reader's posterior that no one dared to take the genre
seriously again for hundreds of years. >>

I would have classed Don Quixote as send-up, myself.

I do not share your and Talisman's certainty that Shakespeare
*intended* the subversive readings that are found in his writing.
That's what makes a writing literature, that readers can find endless
things in it, things that the author didn't intend to put in it. There
are arguments about whether they were put in by the Muse, by the
writer's unconscious mind (which apparently has clairvoyance of all
the human past and future and near and distant), or by the reader's
projection.

<< what if Tolkien's serious minded dwarves were named like Disney's
silly ones >>

Tolkien's serious minded dwarves ARE named like Disney's silly ones.
It is well known that Tolkien drew many names from Voluspa:

"Völuspá 10–16 contains a list of dwarves:

    9. Then sought the gods their assembly-seats,
    The holy ones, and council held,
    To find who should raise the race of dwarfs
    Out of Brimir's blood and the legs of Blain.

    10. There was Motsognir the mightiest made
    Of all the dwarfs, and Durin next;
    Many a likeness of men they made,
    The dwarfs in the earth, as Durin said.

    11. Nyi and Nithi, Northri and Suthri,
    Austri and Vestri, Althjof, Dvalin,
    Nar and Nain, Niping, Dain,
    Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Nori,
    An and Onar, Ai, Mjothvitnir,

    12. Vigg and Gandalf, Vindalf, Thrain,
    Thekk and Thorin, Thror, Vit and Lit,
    Nyr and Nyrath,
    Regin and Rathvith — now have I told the list aright.

    13. Fili, Kili, Fundin, Nali,
    Heptifili, Hannar, Sviur,
    Frar, Hornbori, Fræg and Loni,
    Aurvang, Jari, Eikinskjaldi.

    14. The race of the dwarfs in Dvalin's throng
    Down to Lofar the list must I tell;
    The rocks they left, and through the wet lands
    They sought a home in the fields of sand.

    15. There were Draupnir and Dolgthrasir,
    Hor, Haugspori, Hlevang, Gloin,
    Dori, Ori, Duf, Andvari,
    Skirfir, Virfir, Skafith, Ai.

    16. Alf and Yngvi, Eikinskjaldi;
    Fjalar and Frosti, Fith and Ginnar;
    So for all time shall the tale be known,
    The list of all the forbears of Lofar." 

(I copied the above from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norse_dwarves )

http://dontgohere.nu/poetic-edda/voluspa.htm gives the meanings of all
those names, including:

Módsognir - 'Frenzy-seeker'
Durin - 'Sleepy'
Nýi - 'New-moon'     
Nidi - 'Fading-moon'
Nordri - 'North'     
Sudri - 'South'
Austri - 'East'     
Vestri - 'West'
Althjóf - 'All-Thief'     
Dvalin - 'Dawdler'
Bívor - 'Trembler'     
Bávor - 'Grumbler'
Bömbur - 'Tubby'    
Nóri - 'Little-scrap'
Án - 'Pal'     
Ánar - 'Other'
Ái - 'Great-grandfather'     
Mjödvitnir - 'Mead-seeker'
Veig - 'Wall'     
Gandálf - 'Wand-elf'
Vindálf - 'Wind-elf'     
Thorin - 'Daring'
Thrór - 'Burgeoning'     
Thráin - 'Craver'
Thekk - 'Clever'     
Lit - 'Hue'     
Vit - 'Smart'
Nár - 'Corpse'     
Nárád - 'Cunning'
Regin - 'Mighty'     
Rádsvid - 'Counsel-wise'
Fíli - 'File'     
Kíli - 'Wedge'
Fundin - 'Found'     
Náli - 'Corpse'
Hepti - 'Grip'     
Víli - 'Drudge'
Hanar - 'Skilful'     
Svíur - 'Waner'
Frár - 'Famous'     
Hornbori - 'Inlet'
Fræg - 'Wet-gravel'     
Lóni - 'Fighter'
Eikinskjaldi - 'Oaken-shield'
Lofar - 'praiser'
Aurvangar - 'wet-gravel plains' The home of the dwarfs.
Jörumvellir - 'sandy plains' The setting for Aurvangar according to
Snorri Sturluson.
Draupnir - 'Dripper'
Dolgthrasir - 'Strife-spear'
Hár - 'Grey-hair'     
Haugspori - 'Grave-treader'
Hlévang - 'Lee-plain'     
Glói - 'Glow'
Dóri - 'Borer'     
Óri - 'Raver'
Dúv - 'Wave'     
Andvari - 'Careful-one'
Skirvir - 'Craftsman'     
Virvir - 'Dyer'
Skáfid - 'Crooked-fin'     
Ài - 'Great-grandfather'
Álf - 'Elf'     
Yngvi - 'Lordly'
Eikinskjaldi - 'Oaken-shield'
Fjalar - 'Hider'     
Frosti - 'Frosty'
Finn - 'Finn'     
Ginnar - 'Betrayer'

BEHOLD!
Sleepy :Durin - 'Sleepy'
Grumpy :Bávor - 'Grumbler'
Bashful :Bívor - 'Trembler' 
Dopey  :Dvalin - 'Dawdler' (or :Víli - 'Drudge')
Doc :Thekk - 'Clever'  (or:Vit - 'Smart' or:Nárád - 'Cunning' or
:Rádsvid - 'Counsel-wise')
Sneezy :Draupnir - 'Dripper'
Happy :Lofar - 'praiser'