What are the ancient names? Ancient names: choosing a beautiful name for a child

The airliner was en route from Copenhagen to Belgrade. All 29 passengers and crew on board were killed. Or rather, almost everything. Only the 22-year-old survived stewardess Vesna Vulovich- having fallen to the ground from a height of 10,160 meters (!), she miraculously survived. Her case was so unique that the girl was included in the Guinness Book of Records.

“I hate the word “lucky”

Georgy Zotov,"AiF": It's amazing how you weren't afraid to fly after that plane crash. In my opinion, having experienced this, you won’t even be able to approach the plane for a cannon shot.

Vesna Vulovich: I have nothing to fear - I remember practically nothing: my memory stopped an hour before the flight. I remember how the cleaning lady cleaned the plane, I remember the women passengers standing in line to board... They said that they were with children, but I didn’t remember the children. There is no fear left even in the subconscious. When, two months after the fall, I was transported by plane from Prague to Belgrade, the doctors were going to give me an injection of sleeping pills: otherwise I would be hysterical on the flight. I was indignant - what are you saying, I like to fly! Memories of the explosion on board returned unexpectedly. This happened 10 years ago. Boys set firecrackers on the street in New Year's celebration. And suddenly I immediately remembered: a loud sound - BOOMMM! - unbearably bright light and cold...

- They say you shouldn’t have been on that plane at all?

Yes. It feels like fate is playing with me. The person in charge of the flight lists made a mistake. The other flight attendant and I were named Vesna. And he put “Vesna Vulovich” instead of “Vesna Nikolic”, an accidental mistake. After the plane crash, flight attendant Nikolic quit her job: she NEVER flew again in her life.

- Do the doctors give any explanation for the fact that you survived?

I have always had very low blood pressure. When a person suddenly finds himself at a high altitude, where there is no oxygen at all, he dies almost immediately - his heart breaks. After the explosion, I lost consciousness - this, coupled with low pressure, saved me from a quick death in the air. But why I remained unharmed when I fell to the ground - I don’t know that myself. I always played sports, my body was flexible, it could bend in any direction - probably because of this I suffered fewer fractures than I could have.

- There is another version that the snow-covered tree crowns “held” pieces of the plane.

No, there was no snow at all then - it fell later. It is very good that a local resident, the German Bruno, who served in the Wehrmacht during the war, soon came across the wreckage of the airliner. He discovered that I had a weak pulse and administered first aid. He did everything very correctly - for example, he did not try to move my body, noticing that my spine was broken. If it weren't for Bruno, we wouldn't be sitting here.

- Were the injuries serious?

Still would! I broke my left arm and leg, three vertebrae (one of them was simply crushed), and fractured my skull in several places. And after that there are people who smile sweetly and say: “Oh, you are lucky. How lucky you are!” I hate this word.

- Why?

If I had been really lucky, I wouldn't have gotten on that plane at all. And so I fell from heaven, broke all my bones, lost my memory, learned to walk for four and a half years, and at the same time they envy me! Yes, great luck, nothing to say.

“The location of the fall is very important.”

- How did your family react to the miraculous rescue?

They believed that Saint George saved me: he was considered our family patron. When I was very young, my maternal grandmother baptized me in the church - secretly, because my parents were communists. And when the plane crash happened, my grandmother told my father: “You see! You said that there is no God, but I baptized Vesna - and she survived.” My father was impressed - he began to believe in God, and left the Communist Party. And you know what else I’ll tell you? In the event of a plane crash, it is very important to choose where exactly to fall (laughs). Czech medicine was already better than ours thirty years ago. The patient rooms have heated floors: this is still not the case in Belgrade.

- Did you feel any anxiety before THAT flight?

No, absolutely. My whole January was so disgusting, and this day turned out to be fun. But the crew members, on the contrary, were very gloomy and did not smile. The captain flatly refused to go into the city and locked himself in his room for a whole day. One person from our team told me: “I feel something will happen tomorrow.”

That is, it remains in your head - you are standing at the plane's ramp, then bam - and you wake up in the hospital, all in bandages. What was the first thing you thought of?

I saw my mother and father and was terribly surprised. “What happened, why are you here and where am I? Where are you taking my dog ​​and my cat?” My memory then lived for exactly one day - the next morning I forgot everything again and asked my parents the same questions: for a whole month in a row. I couldn’t distinguish whether it was day or night - in general, everything was vague. When the memory returned, a feeling of guilt came: my God, all my colleagues died, but I remained alive... how shameful. For a while I regretted that I had not died with them.

BY THE WAY

There are only dozens of cases in the world where people, having fallen from great heights, remained alive. Most of them occurred during the Second World War: then thousands of planes were shot down.

● In 1942, the pilot of a disabled Il-4, Ivan Chisov, fell from a height of 7000 meters - he fell into a ravine full of snow, which saved his life.

● In March 1944, the plane of Englishman Nicholas Elkimade was shot down over Germany. Having fallen from a height of 5,000 meters into the trees, he was not injured.

● In August 1981 at Far East An An-24 passenger plane and a Tu-16 bomber collided. Having fallen in a chair from a height of 5,000 meters, Larisa Savitskaya survived: she was found in the taiga.

"I attract death to me"

-You didn’t ask yourself the questions: “why me?” and “how?”?

These things happen to me all the time. Besides the plane crash, I was on the verge of death seven or eight times. The first time was at the age of 12, when I was relaxing on the sea beach in Montenegro. I'm floating on an air mattress, and then... a shark swims up to me. I'm shocked - where did she come from? No predatory fish were ever found there. But it turned out that this shark followed one large ship from afar and reached our shores. The shark was driven away and I was saved. The second time - I argued with my mentally ill neighbor about politics. The man took out a knife and rushed at me. She ran away. The third time, I had an ectopic pregnancy, a serious case. However, the doctors pumped it out. Apparently, I attract death to myself, but at the last moment someone unknown averts the misfortune.

- Have the terrorists who planted a bomb on your airliner been arrested?

Their names were established, but could not be found abroad: the Croatian National Movement took responsibility for the explosion. In 1991, these fighters returned to Yugoslavia to participate in civil war and everyone died except one person who went to Argentina. I am often asked: did God punish them? I don't know.

After long-term treatment, you returned to work at Yugoslav Airlines, working in the main office. Is it true that you were categorically forbidden to fly?

Yes. I don't know why, but I was rejected from becoming a flight attendant again. It seemed that my mere presence on board would be a good advertisement that the plane would never fall: a shell would not hit the same crater twice. However, officials are officials: they wanted the disaster to be forgotten as quickly as possible. Officially, I never flew again - only as a tourist.

“The safest place is in the middle of the plane”

- What do you think is the safest place during the flight?

Well, if we take my case, then this is the middle of the fuselage - that’s where they found me among the wreckage. But everyone seems to know that the most dangerous thing is to sit in the “nose” of an airliner. Although, if you constantly think about disasters and “work yourself up”, then you don’t need to fly at all. There is exaggeration on TV around the clock - bin Laden, kamikaze terrorists, explosives. Previously, such cases were rare, but now they have become the norm. Even I catch myself thinking: how would I feel on a plane now? You wave your hand - oh, no, it’s better to go by train. However, I haven’t sat in the cabin of an airliner for a long time - my pension is $400, half of which I pay for the apartment: with such income there is no time for flying.

Your rescue became widely known throughout the world, and unprecedented fame fell upon you in your native Yugoslavia. So she didn't bring you anything?

No. What is popularity? As a result, it leads to the fact that some people begin to hate you - just like that, out of the blue. I was once standing at a bus stop, waiting for a bus: I saw one person reading a newspaper where an interview with me was published. And nearby two women are angrily discussing: no, look, it’s Spring again, wow, there’s nowhere to escape from it. I got angry and didn’t talk to journalists for ten years in a row. Oh no, there is still one plus: in London, while receiving a prize from the Guinness Book of Records, I met my idol - Paul McCartney! I asked him for an autograph, and he said: of course, but first, Vesna, give me your autograph!

- I heard that at first you weren’t even allowed into the ceremony...

Right. The organizers expected the woman who fell from heaven to come to wheelchair, all broken, on crutches, and here I come on my own two feet, they didn’t even recognize me. True, the reception was very difficult. I was dressed in a dress made of cheap silk for a hundred dollars and was afraid to sit down - everything would wrinkle at the back. I spent 10 hours on my feet. The Belgian queen came up to me and kindly asked why I was not sitting down. I say: yes, it will be awkward with the dress. She told me: I’m in an even worse situation, my dress costs ten thousand, but I still can’t sit down - according to etiquette it’s not allowed!

- I’m amazed that after THIS you can walk, only with a slight limp.

You should always be optimistic. I'm stubborn in life. The doctors argued: “Your spine is broken, be grateful that you are alive, you will never be able to walk,” I argued: “Nothing of the kind - I want to and I will go.” And so it happened, I stood up on the day of St. Sava - this is the main saint of Serbia. Since then, every anniversary of this event I come to the temple to thank Savva for the healing. Until recently, I felt more or less normal: I hadn’t gone to the medical center for spinal exercises for 8 years, but now the broken bones began to hurt and react to the weather. Can you smell my perfume? They are called "Miracle". Well, what else could have saved me when falling from 10,000 meters, except for a miracle? I shouldn't have survived, all the doctors say. But I'm sitting in front of you. So this is fate.

- I knew that at the end of the interview you would say: “Now I believe in fate.”

If you were me, wouldn't you believe it?

Flight attendant Vesna Vulović became famous throughout the world in the early seventies. In 1972, an event occurred after which her life completely changed. Vulovich's name was included in the Guinness Book of Records, she met with political and public figures, met the idol of her youth, Paul McCartney, and other world-famous stars. What happened in the early seventies? What event made an ordinary flight attendant famous?

Plane crash

A terrible accident occurred on January 26, 1972. The McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 airliner was flying from Stockholm to Belgrade. At an altitude of more than ten thousand meters the liner exploded. Its debris fell on the Czechoslovakian city of Ceska Kamenice. All passengers and crew members were killed, with the exception of flight attendant Vesna Vulović.

On this day, all the world's media reported about the explosion of the plane. The cause of the tragedy that occurred over a small Czechoslovakian town was a bomb that was hidden on board an airliner by terrorists from Croatia. The chances of surviving such accidents are negligible. Reports of disasters in the sky usually end with the tragic phrase: “Everyone on board died.” But this time, news appeared in the media that shocked the world: Yugoslav Airlines flight attendant Vesna Vulović managed to survive. However, this case cannot be called absolutely unprecedented in

So, more than forty years ago, a sensation spread around the world - twenty-two-year-old flight attendant Vesna Vulovich remained alive after falling from a height of ten thousand meters. What saved her life? The planting was softened by the snow-covered tree crowns. However, the heroine of this amazing story herself could not tell about her flight. Flight attendant Vesna Vulović, who survived the terrible accident, I remembered that terrible day vaguely. She came to her senses only two months later. What is known from the biography of the flight attendant?

Stewardess Vesna Vulovich

She became a flight attendant by accident. Vesna was born in Yugoslavia in 1950. She graduated from high school and entered university. Like many other young people of the sixties, the girl was a fan of the Beatles, and therefore dreamed of mastering the English language perfectly. In 1968, she could not imagine that she would ever meet Paul McCartney himself.

Vesna chose the English department for herself and began to study the language in which famous vocalists sang. After the first year of study, our heroine went for an internship in England. When she returned home, something happened that radically changed her whole life.

The girl met her school friend. By that time he had flown on airliners of a large Yugoslav company. A childhood friend advised Vesna to enroll in a flight attendant course. Working on international airlines gave me the opportunity to regularly visit the beautiful, foggy city of London. In addition, the salary of a flight attendant was several times higher than the income of an English teacher.

First flight

Vesna successfully completed her courses. In 1971, the girl took to the skies for the first time. When the tragedy occurred, which became the main event in her life, she was still a university student. She did not have a permanent job.

The last hours before the disaster

On that day, the crew in which Vesna interned arrived in Copenhagen. In the Danish capital, he replaced the pilots of the plane that flew in from Stockholm. Subsequently, Vesna Vulovich - the flight attendant who killed all her colleagues - recalled that the crew members, more experienced people, seemed to have a presentiment of something. They constantly talked about their families, went shopping a lot, and bought souvenirs for relatives.

Later, in the hospital, Serbian flight attendant Vesna Vulović tried to remember all the smallest events of that day. Who planted the bomb? Shortly before takeoff, she noticed one of the loaders. This man differed in both appearance and behavior from his colleagues. Outwardly, he looked like a resident of the Balkan Peninsula. The man’s behavior contrasted sharply with the behavior of the other loaders. He spoke loudly, was nervous, fussed. According to Vulovich, it was he who planted the bomb on the plane. However, this realization came too late.

Bruno Honke

What happened to flight attendant Vesna Vulović in 1972 can safely be called a miracle. She was incredibly lucky twice. The first time was when she did not die in the explosion. In the second - when she managed to survive the fall.

However, the girl was saved not only by the fact that the dilapidated liner fell on snow-covered trees. The fact is that the first at the scene of the disaster was a local resident, Bruno Honke. This man worked in a German field hospital during the Second World War. He provided the girl with first aid. It is worth saying that Honka miraculously managed to find a barely breathing young flight attendant among the many dead bodies. He probably saved her life.

Treatment

The story of Vesna Vulović, a flight attendant from Yugoslavia who survived an accident that claimed 27 lives, instantly spread throughout the world. She was taken to the hospital. A long period of rehabilitation began. For about two months, Spring did not come to her senses. For a long time, doctors did not believe that the girl would survive after such a terrible accident. But she still came to her senses. It is noteworthy that when I opened my eyes, the first thing I did was ask for a cigarette.

As the days passed, the young body coped with the injuries received from the fall more and more confidently. However, Vesna never remembered the last hours spent on board the plane. She could not say what she was doing at the time of the explosion. Most likely, at those minutes the girl was in the passenger compartment.

For ten months, Vesna was paralyzed. Doctors feared she would never be able to walk. However, another miracle happened - the only survivor of the McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 plane crash got to her feet.

After the disaster

Flight attendant Vesna Vulović, whose photo was shown on television almost every day in February 1972, was sent by plane to Belgrade two months after the accident. Doctors feared that the flight would have a negative impact on her mental state. A fall from such a height cannot pass without leaving a trace. However, everything turned out well. Moreover, Vesna had no fear of flying. She was not afraid of airplanes even later.

She spent some more time in a Belgrade hospital. A policeman was on duty at the entrance to Vulovich’s room day and night. She didn't remember anything about the events last hours before the accident. However, she remained the only witness to the crime, which, by the way, was never solved. The authorities feared that terrorists would try to kill the surviving crew member.

The miraculous rescue of the flight attendant overshadowed the other details of the accident. Vesna was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the person who made the highest jump without a parachute. In the mid-eighties, Spring arrived in London. Paul McCartney was present at the ceremony for presenting the certificate of entry into the Guinness Book of Records. Spring finally met the idol of her youth.

In the early autumn of 1972, Vulovich was discharged from the hospital. Surprisingly, she not only did not develop a fear of flying, but did not even lose the desire to work as a flight attendant. Vesna tried to get a job at the airline again. She was not hired as a flight attendant, but was offered a position in the office. Vesna Vulovich worked for the airline for many years: she was involved in the preparation of cargo contracts. The former flight attendant left her place of work eighteen years later due to disagreement with the policies of the Yugoslav leader S. Milosevic.

A flight attendant who survived a 1972 plane crash became national heroine. She was given a reception by Marshal Tito himself, which for a citizen of Yugoslavia at that time was considered a great honor. Songs were dedicated to Spring, and she was invited to various television shows. Girls were named after her. To survive such a catastrophe, it is not enough happy occasion. Need strength extraordinary desire live. Vulovich became a symbol of good luck and optimism.

The former flight attendant used her fame for social and political purposes. She took an active part in protests against Milosevic’s rule and campaigned for one of the parties in the elections.

Death

Vesna Vulovich lived to be 66 years old. On December 23, 2016, she was found dead in her own apartment. Relatives and friends could not reach her for a long time. The police were called and they opened the door. The cause of death of the famous flight attendant is unknown. Friends say that a woman's health is Lately shook sharply.

The record of a flight attendant from Yugoslavia has not yet been broken. Not a single person has managed to fall from such a height and survive. However, history knows several equally interesting cases.

In 1942, a Soviet military plane was shot down, the pilot of which fell without a parachute. His life was saved by snow cover.

Another amazing event happened many years after the end of the Second World War. In December 1971, a passenger plane crashed near Peru. Half an hour after departure, the airliner ran into a thunderstorm. The plane caught fire and broke into pieces. The 17-year-old passenger survived. When she woke up, she found herself sitting in a chair hanging from a tree.

In August 1981, a collision occurred between An-24 and Tu-16 aircraft. Student Larisa Savitskaya and her husband were present on board the passenger airliner. There were several reasons for the disaster, including poor coordination between civilian and military dispatchers. Everyone died except Larisa.

She fell from a height of five kilometers. She received many injuries, but, according to Soviet laws, she was not entitled to disability. The woman spent her entire life doing odd jobs and sometimes went hungry. She also became a record holder in some way. Unlike Vulovich, Savitskaya did not become famous in her homeland. She received compensation from the state in the amount of 75 rubles, after which the story of the amazing fall was forgotten.

A Serbian flight attendant who survived a mid-air accident and fall from a height of 10,160 meters. Vulovich is a Guinness Book record holder; her record for a free fall from a height without a parachute has never been broken by anyone.

Vesna Vulović was born in 1950 in Serbia. In 1972, Vesna, who was then 22 years old, worked as a flight attendant. It was she who got the shift on the infamous JAT Flight 367, the same one that exploded in the air on January 26, 1972. The plane was flying Stockholm-Copenhagen-Zagreb-Belgrade, but the plane exploded and its debris fell over the Czechoslovakian village of Srbská Kamenice. The cause of the disaster was called a terrorist attack.

There were 28 people on board, 27 of whom died. The only survivor was Vesna Vulović. The height from which she fell in literally the words “from heaven to earth” was 10,160 meters.

In general, Vesna became a flight attendant almost by accident - after school she went to study at university, studied English and even went on an internship in England. Once she met her school friend, who became a pilot, and he advised Vesna, who also

was a beauty, try to work as a flight attendant on international flights. This gave Vesna practice English, brought in good money, and, in addition, she got the opportunity to travel abroad. So Vesna became a flight attendant; she took to the skies for the first time in 1971.

On the day of the disaster, as Vesna later recalled, she noticed one of the loaders, who seemed to be excited - he was talking a lot and loudly and fussing. Vulovich later said that she believed it was the same person who planted the bomb on the plane.

According to Vesna, at the time of the disaster she was in the rear compartment of the plane, the explosion occurred in the front compartment, however, in general this is not so important - after all, after the explosion, the plane fell from a height of more than 10 kilometers. However, Vesna herself believes that it was the fact that she was in the tail that saved her life. They found her, however, in the middle part of the crashed plane.

When news of the crash became known, they arrived at the scene of the disaster with

rescuers, but the first to arrive at the scene of the accident was a local resident, a peasant named Bruno Henke. It was he, who during the war years worked in a hospital and knew how to provide first aid, who saved Vesna, seeing her breathing among the many dead bodies of other passengers. So, perhaps, it was thanks to the first aid provided by Henke that Vesna was alive. However, even the doctors for a long time did not believe that she would pull through - the girl had a fractured skull, three broken vertebrae (one was completely crushed, which left her temporarily paralyzed from the waist down) and both broken legs. She was in a coma for 27 long days.

But the young body wanted to live, and Spring slowly but surely began to recover. Two months later, the girl was transported to Serbia, by the way, she was flying home by plane, and this worried the doctors - whether the flight would become a new injury for Vesna. But the girl reacted perfectly - her memory, as it happens only in

lodost, almost blocked those terrible events, and even later she was not afraid to fly on airplanes. Moreover, she remained to work in aviation, but she was forbidden to fly.

In 1985, Vesna Vulovich was included in the Guinness Book of Records for her “free fall”; by the way, Paul McCartney himself awarded her at the ceremony. It is noteworthy that once precisely because of the songs “ The Beatles" Vesna decided to learn English.

Vesna Vulovich is still alive today - the terrible injuries she received are still in the past. She got married in 1977 and lived with her husband for 15 years. They never had children. Subsequently, she became an opponent of the rule of Slobodan Milošević, participated in rallies and protests, and for this she was even fired from her job.

Vesna Vulovich’s miraculous rescue is still remembered; her record – a fall from a height of 10,160 meters – still remains hers.

A name determines a person's destiny. This is the key to his inner self. After all, it is not without reason that in Rus' a person had two names, one - false, for everyone, and the other - secret, only for the person himself and his very close people.

A name determines a person's destiny. This is the key to his inner self. After all, it is not without reason that in Rus' a person had two names, one - false, for everyone, and the other - secret, only for the person himself and his very close people. This tradition existed as protection from unkind spirits and unkind people. Often the first Slavic name was deliberately unattractive (Kriv, Nekras, Zloba), for even greater protection from evil ones. After all, without the key to the essence of a person, it is much more difficult to cause evil. The rite of the second naming was performed in adolescence, when the main character traits were formed. The name was given based on these traits. Slavic names were replete with their diversity; there were groups of names:
1) Names from the animal and flora(Pike, Ruff, Hare, Wolf, Eagle, Nut, Borscht)
2) Names by birth order (Pervusha, Vtorak, Tretyak)
3) Names of gods and goddesses (Lada, Yarilo)
4) Names by human qualities(Brave, Stoyan)
5) And the main group of names is two-basic (Svyatoslav, Dobrozhir, Tihomir, Ratibor, Yaropolk, Gostomysl, Velimudr, Vsevolod, Bogdan, Dobrogneva, Lyubomila, Mirolyub, Svetozar) and their derivatives (Svyatosha, Dobrynya, Tishilo, Ratisha, Putyata, Yarilka , Miloneg).
From the listed names, it is easy to trace the process of creating a derivative name: the second part is cut off from the two-base one and a suffix or ending is added (-neg, -lo, -ta, -tka, -sha, -yata, -nya, -ka).
Example: Svyatoslav: Svyato + sha = Svyatosha.
Of course, the names of people carry a significant part of the culture and traditions of the entire people. In Russia, with the advent of Christianity, Slavic names almost completely fell into oblivion. There were lists of Slavic names prohibited by the church. Why this happened is not difficult to guess. One part of the names (Lada, Yarilo) were the names of Slavic gods, the owners of the second part were people who, even after the Christianization of Rus', tried to restore the cult and traditions (magi, heroes). Today in Russia only 5% of children are given Slavic names, which certainly impoverishes the already meager Slavic culture.

The champions of the strange nicknames of their rulers are, of course, the ancient Scandinavians. The harsh Vikings gave each other nicknames that “stuck” for life and served as a kind of mark by which a person was recognized. Interestingly, this tradition also applied to rulers.

Take, for example, Ragnar Lothbrok, known to many from the television series “Vikings”. "Lothbrok" ​​translates to "hairy trousers", which alludes to the item of clothing that Ragnar always wore before battle "for good luck". These pants were made of coarse wool, so they looked very shaggy. True, there is an opinion that “Lothbrok” is more correctly translated as “hairy ass”, but it is unlikely that even among the brave Vikings there would have been a madman who would have risked calling the ferocious king that way.

Sons of Ragnar had no less interesting nicknames: Sigurd the Snake-in-the-Eye (so nicknamed for his piercing “snake” look), Bjorn Ironside (received the nickname for his insensitivity to pain and the high-quality chain mail he wore) and Ivar the Boneless (notable for his incredible flexibility and dexterity ).

Norwegian king Elvir Detolyub received his nickname not for his perverted addictions, as one might think, but for an incredible act of humanism by Viking standards: he forbade his warriors... to impale children on spears for entertainment!

Harald I, King of Denmark and Norway, was nicknamed "Bluetooth" by his subjects. He received such a strange nickname because he loved to eat blueberries. However, a more plausible version sounds that Harald was nicknamed not Blatand (“Blue-toothed”), but Bletand (“Dark-haired”). WITH Harald Bluetooth A very interesting fact is connected: it is in his honor that Bluetooth technology, created by a Danish-Norwegian group of developers, is named.

Rollon Pedestrian- the Viking Hrolf, who managed to conquer part of France and become the founder of the dynasty of the Dukes of Normandy. He received the nickname “Pedestrian” because he was so tall and heavy that not a single horse could withstand him as a rider for long. So Rollon had to walk.

King of Norway Eric I Bloodaxe earned such a terrifying prefix to his name for the fact that he consistently slaughtered his relatives, who could become his rivals in the fight for the throne. It is interesting that Erik still could not get to one of his brothers, Hakon, who overthrew him. Obviously, in comparison with Eric, even the stern Hakon looked like a real charmer and, in contrast, received the nickname “Kind”.

Few people know the following interesting fact: during his lifetime, King William I of England was often called William the Bastard(behind the scenes, of course) than the Conqueror (as they say in school textbooks). The fact is that he was the illegitimate son of the Norman Duke Robert. By the way, Wilhelm’s father also bore a very eloquent nickname - the Devil. There were rumors about Robert the Devil that even before his birth his soul was promised to Satan.

Byzantine Emperor Constantine V bore the very dissonant nickname “Kopronim” (“Called the Dirty One”) because, as a baby, during his baptism he shit directly into the font.

Emperor of Byzantium, Vasily II, in 1014 defeated the Bulgarian army at the Battle of Strymon. 15 thousand Bulgarians were captured, whose eyes were gouged out by order of the Byzantine ruler. For every hundred blinded, only one “lucky” guide was left (he only had one eye gouged out). For his sadistic cruelty towards prisoners, Vasily II received the nickname “Bulgarian Slayer”.

The Grand Duke of Vladimir Vsevolod earned the nickname "Big Nest" for being the father of 12 children: 8 sons and 4 daughters.

King of England John (John) Plantagenet due to his short-sighted policy, he lost all his possessions in France and his authority among the English knighthood. For this he was given a mocking nickname - “Landless”. Also, due to the constant defeats of the king, they teased “Softsword” - "Soft Sword" It’s interesting that impotent people were called that way in medieval England. However, in the case of John the Landless, such an interpretation of the nickname is unfounded - the king had 2 legitimate sons and 9 bastards, as well as 6 daughters - 3 legitimate and 3 illegitimate. Evil tongues said that making children was the only thing the monarch was good at. John's authority was so low that not a single English ruler anymore called his heirs by this name.

King of Bohemia and Hungary Ladislav received the nickname "Pogrobok" because he was born 4 months after sudden death his father from dysentery.

In the XVII-beginning 18th century ruler of Japan was Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, popularly nicknamed the “Dog Shogun.” Tsunayoshi forbade the killing of stray dogs and ordered them to be fed at public expense. It is interesting that the dog’s diet under this shogun was much richer than the peasant’s diet. By decree of the ruler, street dogs were to be addressed exclusively as “noble master,” and violators were beaten with sticks. True, after the death of the shogun, his “dog lobby” ceased to operate.

French king Louis Philippe d'Orléans received the nickname “Pear” because over the years his figure began to resemble this particular fruit. In addition, the French word “lapoire” (“pear”) has a second meaning - “moron.” In general, it is not difficult to guess how much the French loved this king of theirs.

What do we know about the names that the Vikings gave to their children?

Names of defenders among the Scandinavians

Often, parents gave a name to their newborn that would embody the qualities that they would like to see when the child grows up and matures. For example, male names for boys who were supposed to become protectors of the family, clan and community:

• Beinir - Beinir (helper),
• Skúli - Skuli (defender),
• Högni - Högni (protector),
• Birgir - Birgir (assistant),
• Jöðurr - Yodur (protector),
• Uni - Uni (friend, satisfied).
• Eiðr - Eid (oath),
• Leifr - Leif (heir),
• Tryggvi - Tryggvi (faithful, reliable),
• Óblauðr - Oblaud (brave and brave),
• Ófeigr - Ofeig (not doomed to death, one might say happy),
• Trausti - Trausti (one who is trustworthy, reliable),
• Þráinn - Train (persistent),

Female names for girls, which also personified future protectors and helpers of the family and the entire clan:

• Bót - Bot (help, help),
• Erna - Erna (skillful),
• Björg - Bjorg (salvation, protection),
• Una - Una (friend, satisfied).

Of course, popular names for boys there were names that meant physical and spiritual strength, courage, fortitude, endurance, that is, the qualities of a real man, a real warrior. And the owner of such a name must confirm it and have the same quality that his name meant.

Male names:

• Gnúpr - Gnup (steep mountain),
• Halli - Halli (stone, pebble),
• Kleppr - Klepp (mountain, rock),
• Steinn - Stein (stone),
• Múli - Muli (cape),
• Knjúkr - Knyuk (peak),
• Tindr - Tind (peak),
• Knútr - Whip (knot).

Female name: Hallótta - Hallotta (rocky). After all, girls could also be not only skilled housewives, but also excellent warriors.

When selecting and coming up with a name for the baby, parents were guided by various principles and desires of future characteristic features your child, his destiny. For example, wishing a child love and good luck, a high position in society, they named their baby or baby accordingly. For example, happy parents could name their daughter like this:

• Ljót - Ljot (bright and light),
• Birta - Birta (bright),
• Dalla - Dalla (brightness),
• Fríðr - Frid (beautiful and beloved),
• Friða - Frida (beautiful),
• Ósk - Osk (desire, desired),
• Ölvör - Elver (lucky),
• Heiðr - Heid (glory).

The boys were called:

• Dagr - Dag (day),
• Teitr - Tate (cheerful),
• Dýri - Dyuri (dear and beloved),
• Ölvir - Elvir (happy),
• Harri - Harri (ruler),
• Sindri - Sindri (spark),
• Bjartr - Bjart (bright).

Such names were not just that, wishing happiness to their child and giving him an appropriate name, parents seemed to direct the child on the path of happiness and good luck, and the happy life of even one representative of the family clan could promise good luck for the whole clan as a whole.

The times during the Viking Age in the Scandinavian countries were not easy; almost every man became, whether he wanted it or not, a real warrior in order to protect his family, his clan, his clan, his community from encroachments on the native lands of strangers. There were few fertile lands in Norway, but everyone needed it, so conflicts and wars periodically arose between the clans.

Every boy with early years studied the military craft in order to be able to protect himself and his loved ones, his land, therefore, names for boys (and girls too, because some of them could become excellent warriors) were often given names that would characterize him as a glorious warrior.

In addition, by carrying out raids, the Vikings enriched themselves, bringing slaves and gold to the family from the raid. After several raids, you can become a merchant and significantly improve the situation of the whole family, because money was needed at all times, and silver Arab dirham coins were found in Scandinavia quite a bit of. Therefore, the war was not only defensive. In addition, at all times, men have been associated with protection and weapons. The man is a warrior! A warlike character and fighting spirit for a boy, and then for a man, were not negative characteristics at that difficult time.

Names of Viking warriors and warriors

For example, there were such male names on the theme of a strong and courageous, glorious warrior:

• Hróðgeirr - Hrodgeir (spear of glory),
• Hróðketill - Hrodketill (helmet of glory),
• Bogi - Gods (bow),
• Hróðmarr - Hrodmar (renown of glory),
• Hróðný - Hrodnya (youth of glory),
• Hróðolfr - Hrodolf (wolf of glory, maybe a glorious wolf),
• Hróðgerðr - Hrodgerd (fence of glory),
• Brandr - Brand (sword),
• Hróðvaldr - Hroðvald (power of glory),
• Geirr - Geir (spear),
• Eiríkr - Eirik (very powerful and strong),
• Darri - Darri (throwing spear),
• Broddi - Broddi (point),
• Egill - Egil (blade),
• Gellir - Gellir (loud or sword),
• Gyrðir - Gyurdir (girt with a sword),
• Klœngr - Kleng (claw),
• Naddr - Nadd (point or spear),
• Oddi - Oddi (point) or Oddr - Odd (also point),
• Vígi - Vigi (fighter),
• Óspakr - Ospak (not peaceful, warlike),
• Vigfúss - Vigfus (warlike, eager to fight and kill),
• Ósvífr - Osvivr (merciless),
• Styrmir - Styurmir (formidable, even stormy),
• Sörli - Sörli (in armor),
• Þiðrandi - Tidrandi (looker, observer),
• Styrr - Styur (battle),
• Ulf - Ulf or Wulf (wolf)
• Uggi - Ugg (scary),
• Agnarr - Agnar (diligent or formidable warrior),
• Einarr - Einar (a lone warrior who always fights alone).
• Öndóttr - Andott (terrible).
• Hildr - Hild ( female name, means battle). Often Hild was integral part various female names.

Names that symbolized protection:

• Hjalmr - Hjalm (helmet),
• Ketill - Ketil (helmet),
• Hjalti - Hjalti (sword hilt),
• Skapti - Skafti (weapon hilt),
• Skjöldr - Skjold (shield), Ørlygr - Erlyug (shield),
• Hlíf - Khliv (female name, meaning shield),
• Brynja - Brynja (female name, meaning chain mail).

Sig— and Sigr—meant victory or battle. There were quite a few compound names with this component, both male and female:

• Sigarr - Cigar (warrior of victory or battle, combat),
• Sigbjörn - Sigbjörn (battle bear),
• Sigfúss - Sigfus (ardent bright battle),
• Sigfinnr - Sigfinn (Finn of battle, warlike Finn),
• Sigvaldi - Sigvaldi (ruler or ruler of victory),
• Siggeirr - Siggeir (spear of victory),
• Sigsteinn - Sigstein (victory stone),
• Sigtryggr - Sigtrygg (victory is certain),
• Sighvatr - Sighvat (victory of the brave),
• Sigurðr - Sigurd (guardian of victory, perhaps guardian of battle),
• Sigmundr - Sigmund (hand of victory),
• Signý - Signy (female name, meant new victory),
• Sigrfljóð - Sigrfljod (female name, meaning: girl of victory),
• Sigþrúðr - Sigtrud (also a female name, meaning: strength of battle),
• Sigrún - Sigrun (feminine name, meaning: rune or secret of battle or victory).

Name - amulet

Very often, both in Scandinavia of the Viking Age and in Kievan Rus, children were called amulets in order to protect the child from evil forces. In those early days, names denoting certain animals and birds were quite numerous. Some named their children after the animal so that the child would inherit its properties from it, for example, speed of reaction, dexterity, grace and others. In this case, this animal, the bird, even became a talisman and protector of the child from evil forces and twists of fate for the rest of his life. Pagan beliefs spoke of the close connection between man and all living things, living nature was in harmony with man for a very long time, people drew strength from plants and animals. There was such a symbolic connection between a person and the animal whose name he bears.

Male animal amulets names:

• Ari - Ari or Örn - Ern (eagle),
• Birnir and Björn - Birnir and Björn (bear),
• Bjarki - Bjarki (bear cub),
• Ormr - Orm (snake),
• Gaukr - Gauk (cuckoo),
• Brúsi - Brusi (goat),
• Hjörtr - Hjort (deer),
• Hreinn - Hrein ( reindeer),
• Haukr - Hauk (hawk),
• Hrútr - Hrut (ram),
• Mörðr - Murd (marten),
• Hrafn - Hrafn, Hravn (raven),
• Ígull - Igul (hedgehog),
• Svanr - Svan (swan),
• Ulf - Ulf or Wulf (wolf)
• Refr - Rav (fox),
• Hundi - Hundi (dog),
• Starri - Starry (starling),
• Valr - Val (falcon),
• Uxi - Uxi (ox),
• Ýr - Ir (tourist).

Female animal amulets names:

• Bera or Birna - Bera or Birna (bear),
• Rjúpa - Ryupa (rock partridge),
• Erla - Erla (wagtail),
• Mæva - Meva (sea gull),
• Hrefna - Hrevna (crow),
• Svana - Svana (swan).

The birch tree is also considered a strong name-amulet, therefore both men and women were called by the name of the birch: Birkir or Björk - Birkir or Björk (birch). And in Russian beliefs it was also believed that the birch tree could be not only female, but there was also a male gender: birch trees.

There were also amulets like these:

• Heimir - Heimir (who has a house),
• Ófeigr - Ofeig (who is not doomed to death).

Viking nicknames

Not always a name given to the child at birth, remained with him for the rest of his life. Very often, Vikings received names and nicknames that were more suitable for them, which were more appropriate for them as adults. Such nicknames could complement the name, or could completely replace it. Nicknames in adulthood could be given to a Viking in accordance with his character, his occupation, his appearance (they could give a name based on his hair or eyes at the birth of a child as well), according to his social status and even his origin.

Nicknames that could have been given by parents at birth or by acquaintances, friends or fellow tribesmen in adulthood:

• Atli - Atli (rough),
• Kjötvi - Kjotvi (fleshy),
• Floki - Floki (curly, curly),
• Kolli - Collie (hairless),
• Fróði - Frodi (wise, learned),
• Greipr - Grape (the one with large and strong hands),
• Forni - Forni (ancient, old),
• Hödd - Hödd (woman with very beautiful hair),
• Grani - Grani (mustached),
• Höskuldr - Höskuld (gray-haired),
• Hösvir - Khosvir (gray-haired),
• Kára - Kara (curly),
• Barði - Bardi (bearded),
• Narfi - Narvi (thin and even skinny),
• Krumr - Krum (stooped),
• Skeggi - Skeggi (bearded man),
• Loðinn - Lodin (shaggy),
• Hrappr or Hvati - Hrapp or Hvati (fast, ardent),
• Rauðr - Raud (red),
• Reistr - Reist (straight and high),
• Lúta - Luta (stooped),
• Skarfr - Skarv (greedy),
• Gestr - Guest (guest),
• Sölvi - Sölvi (pale),
• Glum - Glum (dark-eyed),
• Hörðr - Hörd (a person from Hördaland in Norway),
• Snerrir - Snerrir (difficult, complex),
• Sturla - Sturla (impatient, emotional, restless).
• Gauti or Gautr - Gauti or Gaut (Gaut, Swede),
• Hálfdan - Halfdan (half-dan),
• Höðr - Höðr (a person from Hadaland in Norway),
• Smiðr - Smid (blacksmith),
• Skíði - Skidi (skier),
• Sveinn - Svein (youth, guy, boy, servant),
• Gríma - Grima (mask, helmet, night, possibly a name for a witch, sorceress or healer),
• Gróa (Gró) - Gro (plant worker, healer, healer, woman who dealt with herbs),
• Huld, Hulda - Huld, Hulda (secret, veil or even elven maiden).

Names for sorcerers, magicians, witches They also gave peculiar ones, based on their occupation.

• Kol - translated means black and even coal.
• Finna or finnr - translated means Finn or Finn (in ancient times they were considered good magicians, sorcerers, witches and wizards).
• Gríma - translated means mask, night.

In ancient times, the Vikings gave names and nicknames to those who practiced witchcraft and magic. in different ways combined the above-mentioned parts, for example, female names: Kolfinna and Kolgríma - Kolfinna and Kolgrima or male names: Kolfinnr or Kolgrímr - Kolfinn or Kolgrim.

Viking names after gods

The Vikings adhered to the ancient pagan faith of Asatru (loyalty to the Ases), according to which there was a pantheon of gods who were ordinary people, but became gods for their heroism and perseverance, thanks to physical and spiritual strength. The Vikings and ancient Scandinavians took the gods as an example and wanted to be like them, as brave, strong, and beautiful, so the names were often associated with the gods, with the names of the main gods. Children in the Viking Age, in those distant pagan times, were called names that were associated with one or another god, thereby entrusting the fate of their child to him.

The following female names were dedicated to the god Yngvi - Frey:

• Inga - Inga,
• Freydís - Freydis (dis of Frey or Freya),
• Ingunn - Ingunn (happy, friend of Yngwie),
• Ingileif - Ingileiv (heiress of Ingvi),
• Ingigerðr - Ingigerd (protection of Ingvi),
• Ingvör (Yngvör) - Ingver (in charge of Yngvi),
• Yngvildr - Ingvild (battle of Yngvi).

Male names in honor of the gods:

• Ingi - Ingi,
• Ingimundr - Ingimund (hand of Ingvi),
• Freysteinn - Freystein (Freyr's stone),
• Ingimarr - Ingimar (glorious Ingvi - in instrumental case),
• Ingjaldr - Ingjald (ruler with the help of Ingvi),
• Ingolfr - Ingolf (Ingvi the wolf),
• Ingvarr (Yngvarr) - Ingvar (warrior Yngvi).

In Iceland, and in Scandinavian countries(Denmark, Norway, Sweden) most often dedicated their children to the god Thor.

Male names in honor of the god Thor:

• Torov - Thorir (male name, in honor of Thor),
• Þóralfr (Þórolfr) - Toralv or Thorolf (Thor's wolf),
• Þorbrandr - Thorbrand (Thor's sword),
• Þorbergr - Torberg (rock of the god Thor),
• Þorbjörn - Torbjorn (Thor's bear),
• Þorkell - Thorkell (Thor's helmet),
• Þorfinnr - Thorfinn (Thor Finn),
• Þórðr - Thord (protected by Thor),
• Þórhaddr - Torhadd (hair of the god Thor),
• Þorgeirr - Thorgeir (spear of Thor),
• Þórarinn - Thorarin (hearth of the god Thor),
• Þorleifr - Thorleif (heir of Thor),
• Þorsteinn - Torstein (Thor's stone),
• Þóroddr - Thorodd (the tip of Thor),
• Þormóðr - Tormod (bravery of the god Thor),
• Þorviðr - Torvid (Thor's tree),
• Þórormr - Tororm (serpent of the god Thor),
• Þorvarðr - Thorvard (guardian of the Thors).

Female names in honor of Thor:

• Torova - Torah (female name, in honor of Thor),
• Þorleif - Thorleif (heiress of Thor),
• Þordís, Þórdís - Thordis (disa of the god Thor),
• Þórodda - Torodda (the tip of Thor),
• Þórarna - Thorarna (the eagle of the god Thor),
• Þórhildr - Thorhild (Battle of Thor),
• Þórný - Tornu (young, dedicated to Thor),
• Þórey - Torey (luck of the god Thor),
• Þorljót - Torljot (light of Thor),
• Þorvé, Þórvé - Torve (sacred fence of Thor),
• Þórunn - Torunn (Thor's favorite),
• Þórelfr - Thorelv (river of the god Thor),
• Þorvör - Torver (knowing (power) of the Torah).

Children could also be dedicated to all the gods in general. For example, Ragn in translation meant power, gods. Vé - the meaning in translation was as follows: pagan sanctuary, sacred. Both male and female names were formed from these words:

• Ragnarr - Ragnar (male name, meaning: army of the gods),
• Ragn(h)eiðr - Ragnade (female name, meaning: honor of the gods),
• Végeirr - Vegeir (sacred edge),
• Véleifr - Veleiv (heir of the sacred place),
• Végestr - Vegest (sacred guest),
• Ragnhildr - Ragnhild (female name, meaning: battle of the gods),
• Vébjörn - Vebjörn (sacred bear or bear sanctuary),
• Reginleif - Reginleif (female name, meaning: heiress of the gods),
• Vésteinn - Vestein (sacred stone),
• Vébrandr - Vebrand (sword sanctuary),
• Védís - Vedis (female name: sacred disa),
• Véfríðr - Vefrid (female name: sacred protection),
• Véný - Venu (female name: sacred and young).

Name in honor of glorious ancestors

There were also family names, one might say, the predecessors of surnames. Children often received names in honor of their deceased ancestors, whose spirit was reborn in a new member of his own clan, with this name the child entered the world of his clan, his family, his clan and tribe. The Scandinavians believed in the transmigration of souls, but this could only happen within one family, among blood relatives and descendants. The name was given only to those relatives who had already died, otherwise one might get into trouble. Naming a child after an existing, living relative was strictly prohibited.