Lavengro - George Borrow (nice books to read TXT) 📗

words. Lastly, the Head said, ‘Time Is Past’; at which words down it fell, and in falling made such a noise that it awakened the two Fryers, and had almost affrighted poor Miles out of his senses,” etc.

—⁠Knapp ↩

L⁠⸺⁠, read Liverpool. —⁠Knapp ↩

C⁠⸺⁠, read Chester. —⁠Knapp ↩

Brooke of Borneo: Sir James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak (1803⁠–⁠68), George Borrow’s schoolmate at Norwich in 1816⁠–⁠18. —⁠Knapp ↩

“Vails:” He means, of course, “vale.” —⁠Knapp ↩

Romanvile: London. See The English Rogue, the Life of Meriton Latroon, a Witty Extravagant. Being a Compleat History of the Most Eminent Cheats of Both Sexes. London, 1665⁠–⁠80. —⁠Knapp ↩

The chi she is kaulo (read “kauley”), etc.: “The lass she is black, she sleeps upon her back.” —⁠Knapp ↩

Sivord: Or Sivard, the same as Sigurd, called the Snaresvend (“Snareswayne” on the next page). See Romantic Ballads, 1826, pp. 83 and 90. For the reason of Borrow’s changing the Danish svend into “swayne,” see Life, II, p. 269. —⁠Knapp ↩

The horse Grayman: i.e., the “Skimming gray” of p. 96, Romantic Ballads —⁠Knapp ↩

The Maugrabin sorcerer: The “African Magician” in Lane’s translation. There is in this passage of The Romany Rye evidently a confusion of two of the tales in the Arabian Nights⁠—those of Aladdin and Sindbad, fifth voyage. —⁠Knapp ↩

Isten (pronounced “ishten”): Hungarian for God. —⁠Knapp ↩

Magyar (pronounced “mädjr”): A Hungarian. —⁠Knapp ↩

L’Eau de la Reine d’Hongrie, read “de Hongrie,” h being aspirate in this word. —⁠Knapp ↩

Tékéli (1658⁠–⁠1705). —⁠Knapp ↩

Pigault Lebrun (Charles), 1753⁠–⁠1835; Les Barons de Felsheim, Paris, 1822. —⁠Knapp ↩

Ersebet, read “Erszebet,” Elisabeth. —⁠Knapp ↩

Florentius of Buda: Flourished 1790⁠–⁠1805. See Magyar Ország Poigári Históriá-járá való Lexicon. Nagy-Varad (Gross-Wardein), by Budai Ferencz, 1804⁠–⁠5. —⁠Knapp ↩

Álmus, or Álmos (“älmosh”), died 889. The Hungarian scholar Vámbéri, has exploded the “dream” (or rather “sleep”) theory heretofore entertained with regard to the origin of the name Almos; he says it is an epithet, meaning the Great, the Sublime, the Noble, the Glorious (Ursprung, pp. 62, 156). —⁠Knapp ↩

Dunau, read “Donau,” German for Danube. —⁠Knapp ↩

Király and Ház: The former comes from the Serbian Králj (lj like Spanish ll or Portugese lh), which the Hungarian lengthened into kir-ály, not finding it convenient to pronounce kr.413 As for haz, from haus (Austrian popular pronunciation hôs), we are told by Vámbéri that the ancient form was not ház, but hos (Ursprung, p. 556). —⁠Knapp ↩

Janos (pronounced “Yánosh”): John. —⁠Knapp ↩

Szava (Hungarian): The Save. —⁠Knapp ↩

Laszlo: Ladislaus. —⁠Knapp ↩

Cilejia: The Roman Claudia Celleia, now Cilly, in Carinthia. —⁠Knapp ↩

Matyas: In English “Matthias.” —⁠Knapp ↩

Huz, read “husz” (Hungarian): Twenty. Vámbéri questions this etymology of “hussar” (p. 283), but unsatisfactorily, we think. —⁠Knapp ↩

Ulazslo: Wladislaus. —⁠Knapp ↩

Tché Drak: The Romanian cé dracŭ, but pronounced as in the text, and equivalent to the exclamation que diable! —⁠Knapp ↩

Mohacs Veszedelem, read “Mohacsi Veszedelem:” The Disaster of Mohács, the title of a poem by Baron Liszti. —⁠Knapp ↩

Lajos (“laï-osh”), Louis or Lewis. —⁠Knapp ↩

Bátory: A mere epithet, the “valiant.” —⁠Knapp ↩

Mufti: The ulémas or Doctors of the (Mahomedan) law. —⁠Knapp ↩

Coloscvar, read “Koloszvár,” in German, “Klausenburg.” —⁠Knapp ↩

Budáï Ferencz: Flourished 1790⁠–⁠1805. See Magyar Ország Poigári Históriá-járá való Lexicon. Nagy-Varad (Gross-Wardein), by Budai Ferencz, 1804⁠–⁠5. —⁠Knapp ↩

Rysckie Tsar, read “Russki Tsar:” The Russian Emperor. —⁠Knapp ↩

Plescova, now Pskov. —⁠Knapp ↩

Iván Basilowitz, read “Vasiliévitch,” known as Iván the Terrible. —⁠Knapp ↩

Izbushka (Russian): Hut. —⁠Knapp ↩

Tyzza, read “Tisza:” The river Theiss. —⁠Knapp ↩

Kopacs Teto, read “Kopász Tetö.” —⁠Knapp ↩

Kassau, read “Kaschau.” —⁠Knapp ↩

Eljen edes, etc. (pronounced “elyen edesh tsigáñ oor, elyen gool eraï”): “Long live the sweet Gypsy gentleman, long live the gudlo Rye.” —⁠Knapp ↩

Roth-Welsch: The German for Thieves’ Slang. —⁠Knapp ↩

Tzernebock, read “Tchernobog” (g like German ch): Black god, evil principle. —⁠Knapp ↩

Bielebock, read “Bielbog:” White god, the good principle. —⁠Knapp ↩

Saxo-Gramaticus, read “Grammaticus.” —⁠Knapp ↩

Fekete (Hungarian): Black. —⁠Knapp ↩

Erik Bloodaxe (Danish Blodöxe): King of Norway [c. 947⁠–⁠948]. —⁠Knapp ↩

Regner Lodbrok: “Regnar” in Icelandic; Borrow gives the Danish term of this king’s name. See his famous “Death Song” in Mallet, Northern Antiquities; or, an Historical Account of the Manners, Customs, Religion and Laws, Language and Literature of the Ancient Scandinavians. London: Bonn, 1859, pp. 383⁠–⁠85. —⁠Knapp ↩

Halgerdr, read “Halgerda,” Mallet, Northern Antiquities; or, an Historical Account of the Manners, Customs, Religion and Laws, Language and Literature of the Ancient Scandinavians. London: Bonn, 1859, pp. 340⁠–⁠41. —⁠Knapp ↩