tux represents the kernel.
gnu represents the, well, gnu coreutils.
and xenia represents the linux community.
how does that sound?
(Image acknowledgements/attribution beneath the fold.)
(images: Tux, Xenia, and the GNU logo. Marks: Linux®.)
Tux by Larry Ewing (historical page/archive.) Acknowledgements given to The GIMP as the tool of choice (also a historical page/archive.)
GNU logo, "A Bold GNU head", via the GNU Project, as a ™ of the GNU Project, used without permission; as a work, CC-BY-SA 2.0.
Xenia image from @QuestForTori on Twitter, based on the Xenia character design "Linux Fox" by Alan Mackey; informative site here.
Linux® is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries.