why Mercury??

I've got a question:

Freddie changed his name from Bulsara to Mercury.

But, why Mercury?? Did he have any special reasons for that.... I bet he did but... does anyone know these reasons??

I'd really like to know...

Thanks very much in advance!

'Coz he liked Mercury. It sounds good. Better than Jupiter.

yeah alright... but... any other specific reasons??

Apparently it happened when they were recording, My Fairy King. In the song there is the line "Mother Mercury, look what they've done to me". Freddie said to the band that this was about his mother, and from now on he would be known as Freddie Mercury.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but thats how I remember the story.

Brimon wrote:

Apparently it happened when they were recording, My Fairy King. In the song there is the line "Mother Mercury, look what they've done to me". Freddie said to the band that this was about his mother, and from now on he would be known as Freddie Mercury.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but thats how I remember the story.

That's the story I've heard too yes... but my question is... are there any specific reasons for Mercury? Is it that he liked that planet... or does it have something to do with greek mythology?

don't believe that:

it's all about those early interviews he gave where he refused to declare his sexuality...if he'd called himself Freddie Uranus, it might have given the game away, and removed some of the early mystique

Oh, well probably he just thought it sounded good, Messenger from the Gods, and all that.

*I thought at last a Queen question I can answer, but no it was'nt to be. Nevermind, hey ho*

Yeah, I remember reading somewhere that Mercury was the Greek/Roman (I can't remember which) messenger God, and that he named himself that because he felt he had a message to give to the world. I'm not sure where I read that though, and I might just be stealing someone else's theory, so if I am, then I sincerely apologize.

Some shady person in a newsgroup once ages ago posted that 'Balsar' (or Balsara/Bulsara) ment 'Mercury' (quicksilver) in some North-Indian dialect.

Never got any convincing confirmation about it though. Could have been a joke :-)

and its better than Uranus..yeah alright but someone had to do it, i think Mercury suited him funnily enough. There probably wasnt much thought on his part about the name it purely was a lyric in a song he wrote

Mercury was messenger of the greek gods and also god of traffic and profit.
you know:TRAFFIC...PROFIT...
I read an interview with Freddie where he said that's why Mercury.

Goo wrote:

Yeah, I remember reading somewhere that Mercury was the Greek/Roman (I can't remember which) messenger God, and that he named himself that because he felt he had a message to give to the world. I'm not sure where I read that though, and I might just be stealing someone else's theory, so if I am, then I sincerely apologize.

That sounds like a reasonable explanation...

thanks! I like this theory.. I thought it was something like this... ;)

I read that messenger story, too.
But could be made up as well... I don't know, people tend to try to find reasons for everything, maybe he just thought the name sounded great and glamorous, which it actually does...
At least more than Bulsara ;-)

Freddie_slave wrote:

Mercury was messenger of the greek gods and also god of traffic and profit.
you know:TRAFFIC...PROFIT...
I read an interview with Freddie where he said that's why Mercury.

almost... Mercury is a Roman God, the Greek version is called Hermes.

Planet Mercury governs Freddie's star sign (Virgo)... I guess that's why he did choose this name. Besides that, it's a gorgeous name.