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

Hammers basically means industry, probably also craftsmen. There was much metal processing industry in the past and therefore many hammer mills at the rivers. At least that always has been my interpretation of these hammers.
While mining iron in Austria is not very profitable anymore (but has been done since the iron age in some regions), we still have a very large steel processing company.

Hope that makes sense now.

Thanks for explaining!

The Austrian national anthem had to be cobbled together after their previous anthem* was expropriated by the Germans. With different lyrics, of course, but it wouldn't to have too many nations sharing the same tune. So, Austria took the tune for an obscure part of Mozart's Masonic Cantata, added patriotic lyrics, and away Austria went.



*"Gott erhalte Franz Den Kaiser," which in a later iteration was relyricised to become "Deutschland, Deutschland, uber alles" for Germany. I sometimes attend Oktoberfest observances at a local German club, and at a certain time they play the tune. German-Americans become very solemn whenever they hear it, as well they might. The Star-spangled Banner is also played, of course.

You are absolutely right about the Germans stealing our anthem of course. Of course you'd be frowned upon if you would sing 'Deutschland, Deutschland über alles' as it is associated with the Nazis. The current text says 'Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit für das deutsche Vaterland' (Unity and justice and freedom for the German fatherland)

About half a century ago, one of our German professors at the uni was invited by another professor to attention a university football game. Professor Schnitzel had just arrived in the country, and didn't speak English very well. Professor Swampy was American from Ohio with a raucous sense of humour.

All went well until half-time. Professor Schnitzel was enjoying a hot dog and observing the curious customs in the new country, even if the sport was incomprehensible. Then the band walked onto the field and started to play the University of Pittsburgh's alma mater anthem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BOh-Ii58Ew

'Alma mater, wise and glorious,
Child of light and bride of truth...'

Out of reflex, Professor Schnitzel stood up.

'Sit down, Klaus!' hissed Professor Swampy. 'They don't know you're here!'

The anthem was adopted in 1908, and for some reason, nobody has ever seemed to have a problem with it in Pittsburgh.

oh dear

Joseph Haydn would have rolled over in his grave about these liberties that people took with his tune. The reason he did not do so, apparently, was that some time around 1818 someone went into Haydn's crypt and removed his skull. The missing skull was not found again until the 1950s.

The "King of Spain" reference in the Dutch national anthem is a case of revolutionary-song-light-with-exit-clause. Like, "Spaniards we love you, but could you please go home and leave us alone? And don't get mad for us saying so?"

What a beautiful description of a complicated historical situation.

I imagine that the Aztecs and Incas would have asked the Spaniards to leave if at all possible too.