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Re: Erminin
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MM: I don't know whether there's a good Russian language clue in Erminin, but ermine was (maybe still is) worn by aristocrats.
AS: ...Erminin seems to hint at armyanin (Armenian, in the sense "a native of Armenia"), while reminding one of Ermiy (obsolete Russian name of Hermes). Armenia's capital, Erevan ends in Van and is an anagram of Venera (Russian name of Venus).
Jansy Mello: As usual, I cannot follow most of MM's and AS's allusions, but I enjoy the trip.Fascinating "Gavriiliada" by Pushkin.If the Virgin's immaculate conception is really emphasized by VN in "Lolita" (the young girl dies during Xmas, there's a star associated to her...), perhaps we could include Pushkin's "frivolous version" (AS) as a background, too. It would make a lot more of sense to me - and not at all irreverent (but very dramatic)..
In relation to the Erminins and Armenia's Erevan, I wouldn't have added another wild link to Samuel Butler, were it not for wikipedia's information that passes through a place called Mesopotamia* (a coincidence of sorts).
Erevan reminded me of Butler's "Erewhon."
Here's what I found:
"Erewhon: or, Over the Range is a novel by Samuel Butler, published anonymously in 1872. The title is also the name of a country, supposedly discovered by the protagonist. In the novel, it is not revealed in which part of the world Erewhon is, but it is clear that it is a fictional country. Butler meant the title to be read as the word Nowhere backwards, even though the letters "h" and "w" are transposed, therefore Erewhon is an anagram of nowhere. The first few chapters of the novel, dealing with the discovery of Erewhon, are in fact based on Butler's own experiences in New Zealand where, as a young man, he worked as a sheep farmer on Mesopotamia Station for about four years (1860–1864) and explored parts of the interior of the South Island of which he wrote about in his A First Year in Canterbury Settlement (1863)." (wiki)
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* - ADA "‘The Romans,’ said Greg, ‘the Roman colonists, who crucified Christian Jews and Barabbits, and other unfortunate people in the old days, did not touch pork either, but I certainly do and so did my grandparents.’
Lucette was puzzled by a verb Greg had used. To illustrate it for her, Van joined his ankles, spread both his arms horizontally, and rolled up his eyes.
‘When I was a little girl,’ said Marina crossly, ‘Mesopotamian history was taught practically in the nursery.’
‘Not all little girls can learn what they are taught,’ observed Ada.
‘Are we Mesopotamians?’ asked Lucette.
‘We are Hippopotamians,’ said Van. ‘ "
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AS: ...Erminin seems to hint at armyanin (Armenian, in the sense "a native of Armenia"), while reminding one of Ermiy (obsolete Russian name of Hermes). Armenia's capital, Erevan ends in Van and is an anagram of Venera (Russian name of Venus).
Jansy Mello: As usual, I cannot follow most of MM's and AS's allusions, but I enjoy the trip.Fascinating "Gavriiliada" by Pushkin.If the Virgin's immaculate conception is really emphasized by VN in "Lolita" (the young girl dies during Xmas, there's a star associated to her...), perhaps we could include Pushkin's "frivolous version" (AS) as a background, too. It would make a lot more of sense to me - and not at all irreverent (but very dramatic)..
In relation to the Erminins and Armenia's Erevan, I wouldn't have added another wild link to Samuel Butler, were it not for wikipedia's information that passes through a place called Mesopotamia* (a coincidence of sorts).
Erevan reminded me of Butler's "Erewhon."
Here's what I found:
"Erewhon: or, Over the Range is a novel by Samuel Butler, published anonymously in 1872. The title is also the name of a country, supposedly discovered by the protagonist. In the novel, it is not revealed in which part of the world Erewhon is, but it is clear that it is a fictional country. Butler meant the title to be read as the word Nowhere backwards, even though the letters "h" and "w" are transposed, therefore Erewhon is an anagram of nowhere. The first few chapters of the novel, dealing with the discovery of Erewhon, are in fact based on Butler's own experiences in New Zealand where, as a young man, he worked as a sheep farmer on Mesopotamia Station for about four years (1860–1864) and explored parts of the interior of the South Island of which he wrote about in his A First Year in Canterbury Settlement (1863)." (wiki)
...................................................................................................................................................................................
* - ADA "‘The Romans,’ said Greg, ‘the Roman colonists, who crucified Christian Jews and Barabbits, and other unfortunate people in the old days, did not touch pork either, but I certainly do and so did my grandparents.’
Lucette was puzzled by a verb Greg had used. To illustrate it for her, Van joined his ankles, spread both his arms horizontally, and rolled up his eyes.
‘When I was a little girl,’ said Marina crossly, ‘Mesopotamian history was taught practically in the nursery.’
‘Not all little girls can learn what they are taught,’ observed Ada.
‘Are we Mesopotamians?’ asked Lucette.
‘We are Hippopotamians,’ said Van. ‘ "
Search archive with Google:
http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=en
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
Visit "Nabokov Online Journal:" http://www.nabokovonline.com
Manage subscription options: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/