Lead Adventure Forum

Miniatures Adventure => Back of Beyond => Topic started by: FramFramson on 23 November 2013, 07:34:47 PM

Title: Russian naming question
Post by: FramFramson on 23 November 2013, 07:34:47 PM
If one took the names of the three most famous Bogatyrs (legendary knight-errants), Alyosha Popovich, Dobrynya Nikitich and Ilya Muromets, what would the correct female form be for the FAMILY (last) name in 20th century Russian?

For instance, would Muromets be Murometsa or Murometsova?

I do understand that those are medieval form names, so Popovich, Nikitich and Muromets are closer to modern Russian middle names than they are modern Russian family names, but I would like to use them anyway.

Thanks!
Title: Re: Russian naming question
Post by: huevans on 24 November 2013, 01:21:49 AM
If the female form of "Tsarevich" = "Tsarevna", then.....

Popovna; Nikitna; and I'm lost on Muromets.

LOL. I thought I was the only Westerner who had stumbled across the Bogatyry.
Title: Re: Russian naming question
Post by: Johnno on 24 November 2013, 01:45:24 AM
Murometsna?
I thought as long as it ends in "ov" you were golden  lol
Title: Re: Russian naming question
Post by: FramFramson on 24 November 2013, 03:34:06 AM
If the female form of "Tsarevich" = "Tsarevna", then.....

Popovna; Nikitna; and I'm lost on Muromets.

LOL. I thought I was the only Westerner who had stumbled across the Bogatyry.

Yes, for Popovna, I was mostly sure... the others not so much? Hopefully our Russian friends can enlighten us.

Eastern European fairy tales have always been interesting to me. I love the tone they have. But I don't know half so many half so well as I might like.
Title: Re: Russian naming question
Post by: cuprum on 24 November 2013, 05:34:29 AM
 At the time when created tales about bogatyrs, surname in current sense was not. It's not surname but nicknames of the individual.

 Muromets - means resident of the city Murom.
 Popovich - means son of the priest (pop - Orthodox priest).
 Nikititch - means son of a man named Nikita (old Russian name)

 Later of the these nicknames emerged surname.

 The closest thing nicknames bogatyrs - to modern Ukrainian surnames. These surname are not declinated. That is wife Ilya Muromets will be ... eg Vasilisa Muromets and so on.
Title: Re: Russian naming question
Post by: FramFramson on 24 November 2013, 06:43:48 AM
Okay! So I would just use them without changing them? Thanks Cuprum!
Title: Re: Russian naming question
Post by: cuprum on 24 November 2013, 01:25:21 PM
In fact, you can do without a surname. Women also called nicknames unrelated to her husband. For example:
Elena Prekrasnaya - Yelena the Beautiful
Marya Iskusnitsa - Maria Wonderful Weaver
Vasilisa Premudraya - Vasilisa the Wise
Zabava Putyatishna - Zabava daughter of the man named Putyata

By the way - there are 28 mm figurines on Russian folk tales. Three bogatyrs, Zmey Gorynych (Gorynych the Dragon) etc.

(http://yalworld.com.ua/gallery/images/Nabor.jpg)

(http://yalworld.com.ua/gallery/images/Zmey%20Gorynyh%202.jpg)

http://yalworld.com.ua/gallery.php?type=rus
Title: Re: Russian naming question
Post by: FramFramson on 24 November 2013, 04:08:07 PM
Oh! Those are beautiful! They look just like the Vasnetsov painting!

I don't want the names for a historical or fantasy game though. I wish to have a trio of modern (1930's) heroes named for (descended from? ;) ) the Bogatyry. So they need modern surnames instead of just nicknames.

Which actually reminds me, I am trying to find a babushka figure: http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=60588.0

Do you have any suggestions, cuprum? (or anyone else)

Actually she wouldn't even need to be very old. I can use a middle-aged figure in similar clothes. She just needs to not be young.
Title: Re: Russian naming question
Post by: cuprum on 25 November 2013, 09:49:06 AM
Alas, no way can help. I do not know such miniatures.
I ask around on Russian forums - no one could say anything.
Title: Re: Russian naming question
Post by: Pentaro on 25 November 2013, 10:09:57 AM
There's the old lady from Pro Gloria... It's a timeless character but I guess you could add lapels and buttons to her dress to take her to the 20th century.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tEPnrLl3lYI/T3Nm4LVEhMI/AAAAAAAAAKY/55vptoZUJwk/s1600/2.jpg
Title: Re: Russian naming question
Post by: FramFramson on 25 November 2013, 04:04:45 PM
Hmmm, that's a good possibility Pentaro. I think there are a couple of suggestions I can possibly work with. 

Alas, no way can help. I do not know such miniatures.
I ask around on Russian forums - no one could say anything.

That's okay! Thanks very much for trying!
Title: Re: Russian naming question
Post by: FramFramson on 25 November 2013, 04:15:52 PM
In the other thread, Glitzer suggested Hasslefree's Madge:

(http://www.rattleheadgames.com/images/products/HFMHFA022.jpg)

At first I thought it wouldn't work, but now I think the idea of a witch with a very "practical" frame of mind might actually work.

So my question is: How available would a break-action double-barrel shotgun have been in BoB Russia? Just "rare", or actually totally inappropriate/impossible? 
Title: Re: Russian naming question
Post by: cuprum on 26 November 2013, 11:21:11 AM
Shotguns-double-barrel in Russia were fairly widespread before the revolution. In Siberia and the Far East hunting weapons there were many - around the forests and steppes. Expanse for hunting.
Title: Re: Russian naming question
Post by: YPU on 26 November 2013, 11:36:40 AM
Shotguns-double-barrel in Russia were fairly widespread before the revolution. In Siberia and the Far East hunting weapons there were many - around the forests and steppes. Expanse for hunting.
That makes it sound like it would make a very suitable weapon for a witch, who are suited to small hunting vilages in the woods and similiar right?
Title: Re: Russian naming question
Post by: FramFramson on 26 November 2013, 06:23:23 PM
Hmmmm, I am liking this idea more and more then.

Old ladies alone in Siberian cottages need protection. Why use magic when you can use buckshot, gravel, or rock salt?  :D
Title: Re: Russian naming question
Post by: huevans on 29 November 2013, 03:21:57 AM
Hmmmm, I am liking this idea more and more then.

Old ladies alone in Siberian cottages need protection. Why use magic when you can use buckshot, gravel, or rock salt?  :D

.... Or wolves.
Title: Re: Russian naming question
Post by: FramFramson on 29 November 2013, 04:08:56 AM
It is difficult, but not impossible to load a shotgun with wolves.
Title: Re: Russian naming question
Post by: cuprum on 29 November 2013, 04:23:33 AM
By the way - good idea. For "taiga witches" will quite naturally use wolves and bears as weapons. And "Leshiy" - taiga spirit, "Kikimora" - wading undead monsters ...
Title: Re: Russian naming question
Post by: FramFramson on 29 November 2013, 04:39:18 AM
Oh, I know!

I already decided that she will be able to summon a bear or some wolves as one of her abilities.