I know this is a joke, but since Tolkien loved his etymologies we actually sort of got one!
Gondar was the capital for about a century and a half starting in the 1600s. Almost every Ethiopian emperor during this period took on a throne name (one of several additional names that the emperors often took) in the form “X bows before him”. An example would be Fasilides, who ordered the construction of this castle, taking the name Alam Sagad, “the world bows before him”
“Aragorn” specifically means “revered king”. Fasilides’ son Yohannes took the throne name A’ilaf Sagad, “thousands bow before him”, and for my purposes that’s close enough
In Djursland in Denmark (a relatively small area), there are places called Hjelm Dyb (Helms Deep), Eskerod (Esgaroth), Isgård (Isengard), Aarhus (Aros).
Eowyn of Rohan, the daughter of Éomund who rides into battle disguised as a man and slays the Witch King of Angmar, was inspired by the Hervarar Saga, and the shieldmaiden Hervor’s exploits on the island of Samsø in Denmark.
It’s also on the island of Samsø that you’ll come across the myth of the restless ghost king, Angantyr, who lives on the ridges along with his warriors, until they are all set free from their curse. Tolkien turned this myth into the story of the King of the Dead and his Army of the Dead who live in the White Mountains until Aragorn sets them free of their curse.
That’s really cool! I suppose there must be a fair few things in Tolkien’s writing that you can recognise from your national stories, given his career translating related Anglo-Saxon stuff
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Aah yes. I believe Elessar was once king there.
I know this is a joke, but since Tolkien loved his etymologies we actually sort of got one!
Gondar was the capital for about a century and a half starting in the 1600s. Almost every Ethiopian emperor during this period took on a throne name (one of several additional names that the emperors often took) in the form “X bows before him”. An example would be Fasilides, who ordered the construction of this castle, taking the name Alam Sagad, “the world bows before him”
“Aragorn” specifically means “revered king”. Fasilides’ son Yohannes took the throne name A’ilaf Sagad, “thousands bow before him”, and for my purposes that’s close enough
In Djursland in Denmark (a relatively small area), there are places called Hjelm Dyb (Helms Deep), Eskerod (Esgaroth), Isgård (Isengard), Aarhus (Aros).
Eowyn of Rohan, the daughter of Éomund who rides into battle disguised as a man and slays the Witch King of Angmar, was inspired by the Hervarar Saga, and the shieldmaiden Hervor’s exploits on the island of Samsø in Denmark.
It’s also on the island of Samsø that you’ll come across the myth of the restless ghost king, Angantyr, who lives on the ridges along with his warriors, until they are all set free from their curse. Tolkien turned this myth into the story of the King of the Dead and his Army of the Dead who live in the White Mountains until Aragorn sets them free of their curse.
That’s really cool! I suppose there must be a fair few things in Tolkien’s writing that you can recognise from your national stories, given his career translating related Anglo-Saxon stuff