tonight's imponderable

[swan_tower]

Why is every other woman in this scene named Elizabeth?

(Not so imponderable. The answer is, "because history says so." But still.)

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

I seem to remember that Sharon Penman in one of her novels renamed a minor player 'Alison' because otherwise every other female character was called Anne. And there really is a 13th c Welsh prince called Rhys son of Rhys son of Rhys son of Rhys son of Rhys son of Gruffudd son of Rhys. He had several cousins who were also Rhys ap Rhys.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I was thinking of Sharon Kay Penman, too, and how she used alternate spellings and pronunciations and nicknames and surnames and titles like crazy, just to keep all the people with the same name straight.

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

Yes, fortunately this is the sort of scene where all the Elizabeths are instead being called Mrs. Vesey and Mrs. Montagu and Mrs. Carter. Less confusion. But still.

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure one of the Norse sagas I read opened a chapter by saying "There was at that time a man living in that area called Thorstein, who had two sons also called Thorstein."

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

...who lived in a place called Thorsteinstatt near Thorsteinsby in the godarship of Thorstein... Yes, I remember this habit in sages, too!

[owldaughter.livejournal.com]

Kind of like how there were three Marks in my kindergarten class, two Davids, and four Jennifers...

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

One of the digs I worked on had three Steves and three Heathers out of eighteen people.

[drydem.livejournal.com]

it's the problem that comes up in the Harold Godwinson biopic I want to write. All the women in his life are named Edith. His mother, his wife, his mistress and his sister, all Ediths.

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

Check out the Battle of Shrewsbury entry. (http://gotmedieval.blogspot.com/2009/07/welcome-to-july.html)

[dr_whom]

Actress Marcia Gay Harden's father, brother, and husband are all named Thaddeus.

[sapphohestia.livejournal.com]

Why not toss in an Elisabeth?

:p