The atlas reveals the origins of each place names. Gdansk, in Poland, for example, is Goth Entrenchment
The Atlas of True Names replaces the traditional names of the world's cities, countries, rivers and mountains with new ones to reflect their origins and literal meaning.
The Great Land of the Tattooed (Great Britain), now features such cities as Hillfort (London), Bear Guard Home (Birmingham), Choked Pool (Liverpool) and Slopecastle (Edinburgh).
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Gothenberg is now Manly Fort, the Norwegian port of Kristiansund is referred to as Sound of the Anointed One's Devotee...
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The logic behind each place name is explained on the back of the maps.
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As well as a detailed European map, a World Map is also available.
Most people will recognise Sibling Love as Philadelphia on this North American sample...
Most people will recognise Sibling Love as Philadelphia on this North American sample...
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Bangkok becomes City of Olive Trees, Hanoi is renamed Between the Rivers while Darwin is given the charming title of Dear Friend.
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The Caribbean provides more bizarre examples, including The Bearded Ones (Barbados), Trinity and Tobacco (Trinidad and Tobago)...
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The marvellous name for Vladivostock is Dominate the East! – derived from the Russian wladet ("to dominate, possess") and vostok ("East").
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The Orkneys has one of the most fascinating origins. Labelled Isles of the Sea Monsters in the atlas, the word 'orc' means whale, or sea monster in Celtic.
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Less romantic: Chicago is renamed 'Stink Onion'
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A few comments from Daily Mail readers:
Prettanoi is wrong and has nothing to do with Britain. Britannia, from which Britain actually derives, is a Latin not a Greek name; Pictoi means 'the painted people' and referred to one particular tribe in what is now Scotland. As far as I know the Greeks actually referred to the British Isles as the Hyperborean Isles, 'the lands behind the West Wind'. No-one knows what Londinium meant.
I suspect the whole thing is a jest - as it is more likely the name Britain descends from the Old French Bretaigne, which in turn was taken from the Latin for Britannia or Land of the Britons. We were known as Greater Britain as opposed to Lesser Britain (now Britanny in France). Before that Britain was known as Albion; in fact the Greeks from Aristotle onwards knew us as Bretannic or Britanniae, rather than the Prettanoi - which referred more to the northern islands up to and including Thule (possibly Iceland).
Hmm..... interesting! My schooldays taught me that place names ending in don were generally of Saxon in origin. Still, it was Celtic prior to Roman occupation and I've heard it was Londonium? If so, it's not such a stretch. BTW The town I live in, was named after a Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. Not the Admiral of the column. So, it would be logical that some place names come from a different meaning to what it seems? As Shakespeare puts it, "A rose by any other would smell so sweet".
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Might argue with Fuerteventura as "great adventure". If you've ever been there the place is plagued with high winds, and is a surfer's paradise. "Fuerte" does mean strong, but "Ventura" is more likely to come from "viento" , Spanish for wind.
- Stuart, Palma Mallorca, 6/12/2008 5:52