Novel 3: Devil in a Forest

Mo Holkar · 24 Jun 2013, 07:33 · from 2013-June.txt.gz

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From: lists at ukg.co.uk (Mo Holkar)
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2013 08:33:10 +0100
Subject: (urth) Novel 3: Devil in a Forest
In-Reply-To: <51C7734E.8030501 at irit.fr>
References: <1371855658.38507.YahooMailNeo at web160705.mail.bf1.yahoo.com>
	<51C7734E.8030501 at irit.fr>
Message-ID: <712598.99548.bm at smtp821.mail.ird.yahoo.com>

At 23:14 23/06/2013, you wrote:
>I always been sure that the story happens in medieval England - Wat 
>was a very common name (e.g., Wat Tyler's revolt), he reminds also 
>strongly Robin Hood (I felt that is sort of de-romanticized Robin 
>Hood), Ganelon is in no way Tcheck as well - I have to re-read it, 
>to be sure that there is (or there is not) an explicit indication to 
>England - Best Sergei Soloviev

Yes, Wat is a version of the common medieval English name (Germanic 
origin) Walter.

(I have always felt the setting was a kind of non-specific mixed 
Europe, though, as it mingles elements from all over the place. In 
addition to these English and Czech references, the term 'abbe' is 
afaik specifically French, for example.)

It should perhaps be noted that although the carol Good King 
Wenceslas has a Bohemian setting, it was written by a C19 Englishman 
for English consumption. It's easy to imagine Wolfe being tickled by 
the anachronism of its reference to St Agnes's Fountain (either 
ignorance or poetic licence), and deciding to riff on the earlier St 
Agnes instead -- good spot, Marc!

best,

Mo

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