h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Probably quite easy to do if you were looking at two poetry pieces. What a terrible thought!

Speckly,

I have to chime in on the issue of names.

I'm assuming, first of all, that the story takes place in Russia, during or after the Peter the Great era.
Before then, Russia was very insular, and with Czar Peter the doors were open to Europeans.

The French migration of those times had a significant influence upon modern Russian culture and language, and it would be much easier for me to accept that Lushka's betrothed was a Frenchman. Indeed, I can imagine a pernicious French influence upon Russia, much like the Yanks' presence in postwar Europe. (I'm a Yank who grew up in Europe.) I'm not saying it's impossible for an Anglo to appear in this circumstance, but for some reason it jars.

I feel that Lushka's father Vorya should have a more developed name. Customarily, men would address one another in the formal social setting using the full given name plus patronymic, i.e. Aleksandr Ivanovich. The patriarch would not typically be addressed in the familiar mode.

Of course, if I assumed incorrectly, my comments are null.

A beautiful read. I was captivated.

foolish

I swear I replied a week ago! Sorry about that.

Well. Interesting that you read it as Russia. The story is deliberately unlocated, in place and time. It is only fixed only as generically 'Slav', so it could be anywhere in eastern europe and anywhen over a rather large time span also.

I must confess that I'm fairly ignorant of Russian history. So it hadn't occured to me to use a French name. It is an interesting idea, but I'm not going to change the name. Here's why:

John Brown's name has to convey quite a lot of information that I don't really want to have to spell out more explicitly. He represents the west, change, corrosion of traditional ways of life and values, patriarchy and other things too nebulous to put a simple name to. The name is supposed to be jarring, so I don't see the frequent negative reaction to it as a bad thing.

Slavonic folklore was passed on primarily through oral traditions of storytelling. This made it rather vulnerable. Christianity came along and started to incorporated elements of the native folklore into the mythology of their religion (like heros becoming saints) and elements that could not be absorbed were suppressed. Unfortunately the idea that folklore might be worth recording is relatively new so a great deal has been lost.

So, the name has to sound as western as possible and since it is written in english I'm catering to english speaking preconceptions. John is (in its various forms) the most common western name. Brown might not be as common as Jones and Smith but it has other associations that make up for that. He also has to be generic, no-one and everyone and the name does that too.

Vorya. Again, I hadn't thought about it (I really should have!) but you are right and in this case it does nothing to locate the story so no harm in changing it. I'll see if I can find something I like. Thanks for the suggestion.

And thank you for the kind comments.

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Well deserved, Speckly.

*falls off chair*
The Pinniped's woken up!

Nice to see see you Pin, happy new year.

Congratulations Speckly .

And try again. This computer really doesn't want me talking to you two. What does it know that I don't?

Thanks y'all
Speckly.

It doesn't want me talking to anyone. It's tested my persistence enough for tonight, I'm off to , enjoy the rest of your night,
Waz