Greyhawk Meta-Text Onomastics
Date: Sun, October 26, 2003
Topic: The Library


A scholarly work draws from references. Take a look at the canonic Greyhawk meta-text translations, useful for both writers and readers alike. Discover the secrets behind the relations between Greyhawk sages, cartographers, and artists and their real world counter-personages.

Greyhawk Meta-Text Onomastics
By: tzelios
Used with Permission. Do not repost without obtaining prior permission from the author.

1. Calendar Translation Rule
The canonic calendar translation rule is the one adopted by the Living Greyhawk Journal, i.e.,

CY = AC – 1410

2. Anagrammatic Onomastics
Gary Gygax, the creator of our game, extensively anagrammatised the names of his players to create NPC names and toponyms. Out of these anagrams only few authors were identified:

Brian Blume -> Blemu (after whom Blemu Hills were named)
Gary Ernie Gygax -> Zagig Yragerne
Gygaxian -> Gigantic (after Gigantos, one of Zagig`s theonyms)
Robert Kuntz -> Tzunk (this metanym can be safely used only for certain arcane or planar works of the author), Robilar
Len Lakofka -> Leomund
Darlene Pekul -> Ekul (a Suel cartographer)
Jim Ward -> Drawmij

Artist Erol Otus anagrammatised his name to become a drow artist:

Erol Otus -> Ool Eurts

Allan Grohe, a.k.a. Grodog, was the first to translate an Earth Greyhawk text to its corresponding meta-text. In his article “Artifacts of Oerth: B-Sides and Errata,” Grodog translated “The Adventure Begins” by Roger Moore to “On the Beginnings of Adventures” by Rorge Nilag. For this translation Grodog used Moore's original name, which is Galin. Thus, we have Grodog’s rule:

The title is changed to reproduce the same meaning with the original title, and the author’s name is anagrammatised.

Even though Grohe neglected Moore’s canonic meta-name (which is Rogar of Mooria faculty of GIANT (Greyhawk Institute for Adventurous Neophyte Training)), his rule, as simple as it was, strengthened the anagrammatic onomastics. In LGJ #4 describing the Great Library, Mona created a new anagrammatic translation, from Rose Estes to Estarius Roses. After them I have used the onomatopoeia “Lively Greyhawk: a Gazetteer” for “Living Greyhawk Gazetteer.”

Therefore we have more translations:

Roger Moore -> Rogar of Mooria, Rorge Nilag
Rose Estes -> Estarius Roses
Living Greyhawk Gazetteer -> Lively Greyhawk: a Gazetteer

Note that the whole body of the Gygaxian works exists in the secret vaults of the Great Library, in the special Zagig Yragerne section (see more in LGJ #4).

3. Iquandrian Onomastics
Eric Mona introduced an indirect onomatopoetic rule, which adds flavor and limits triviality. In LGJ #4, Mona linked the company product code with the volume number of the meta-text in the Great Library. Thus, instead of using for once more anagrammatism, he described the Castle Greyhawk (WG7) product as known by its volume number, which is 9222.

4. The Exception of the Fundamental Greyhawk Source
Few could possibly disagree that the most basic source on Greyhawk is the ’83 boxed set. Inside it there exist two books, “A Guide to the World of Greyhawk” and “Glossography.” In the Glossography, it is explained that the Guide, authored by the Savant Sage, was discovered by adventurers almost four centuries after its publication, and examined by Pluffet Smedger the Elder. It was the third part of a seven-volume, entitled “Catalogue of the Land Flanaess, being the Eastern Portion of the Continent Oerik, of Oerth.” Smedger compiled the Glossography related to the Guide in 998 CY. From the timeline inside the Guide we know that it was completed in 576 CY. Therefore we have the exception to the anagrammatic onomastics and to the calendar translation rule:

Gary Gygax, A Guide to the World of Greyhawk -> Savant Sage, homonymous, 576 CY

Gary Gygax, Glossography -> Pluffet Smedger the Elder, homonymous, 998 CY

Evidently, one living in 593 CY cannot use as reference the Glossography in a straightforward manner, since it is written some four centuries later. However, there are still two ways to use the Glossography indirectly. The first way is by borrowing the book from Murlynd`s abode, inside Castle Greyhawk. This way requires a read languages spell. The second way is by accessing the secret special Zagig Yragerne section of the Great Library. This way does not require a read languages spell.

If the Guide is authored by Savant Sage, then ’80 folio is also authored by Savant Sage, since not much has changed in the text. Therefore, these two can be considered as different editions of the same text. The folio is three years prior to the boxed set, therefore we have the translation:

Gary Gygax, The World of Greyhawk Gazetteer -> Savant Sage, A Guide to the World of Greyhawk, the 573 CY edition

5. The Arbitrary Translations
The following arbitrary translations were canonised, after their use by designers of the industry:

Eric Mona -> Iquander
Gary Holian -> Pluffet Smedger
Steve Wilson -> Finnobhar Aodhin

Note that Pluffet Smedger is not the same person with Pluffet Smedger the Elder. The former lived at the end of the magical epoch of Oerth, while the later lived some four centuries after.

6. Descriptive Onomastics
It has been seen that Iquandrian onomastics maintain anagrammatism minimal for good. If an author keeps translating all the texts to their corresponding meta-texts using Grodog`s rule, then a highly complex translation table will be derived. This increased complexity lacks elegance, and in parallel makes difficult for authors to remember and use the correct translations. Therefore, it is advisable that authors use only the already created meta-texts by anagrammatism and Grodog`s rule, as well as the exception of the fundamental Greyhawk text, and any arbitrary translations that have been established up to date. For the rest of the texts, an author can use the Iquandrian onomastics and/or the calendar translation rule together with descriptive onomastics. For example, lets try to translate the 2000 D&D Gazetteer and the first edition Dungeon Masters Guide:

D&D Gazetteer -> a concise prepublication of “Lively Greyhawk: a Gazetteer” ascribed the volume number 11742,

or simply,

-> the concise prepublication of “Lively Greyhawk: a Gazetteer” (590 CY)

Dungeon Masters Guide, 1e -> an early Zagig text on how to become a dungeon master (whatever this might mean)


Key Words: Names, Onomastics, Onomatopoeia.







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