Town names, then vs. now

Tepelus · Dec 13, 2009

Just looking for opinions. My WIP takes place in 15th Century Hungary and the areas that now make up today's Romania. Town and city names back then in areas, like Transylvania, were different than they are today, such as Sibiu Romania used to be called Hermanstatt, due to its mostly German heritage (at the time my WIP takes place). So far I have been using the modern names of cities, to avoid confusion if someone else were to read this and wanted to look at a map to visually see where the places in my story are. If I used the old names, it would be more correct to the period of which the story takes place, but could be confusing if one were to try and find it on a map. I was thinking of using asterisks next to the (old) names and make an index of some sort for the reader to refer to, or put a footnote at the bottom of the page and make a short explanation, once I figure out how to make footnotes. I could do this when translating foreign words or names too in a few places in the story.

Anyway, what are your thoughts? Just stick with the modern names and make it easier on everyone, or use the old and do the note thing?

Hip-Hop-a-potamus · Dec 13, 2009

Tepelus said:
Just looking for opinions. My WIP takes place in 15th Century Hungary and the areas that now make up today's Romania. Town and city names back then in areas, like Transylvania, were different than they are today, such as Sibiu Romania used to be called Hermanstatt, due to its mostly German heritage (at the time my WIP takes place). So far I have been using the modern names of cities, to avoid confusion if someone else were to read this and wanted to look at a map to visually see where the places in my story are. If I used the old names, it would be more correct to the period of which the story takes place, but could be confusing if one were to try and find it on a map. I was thinking of using asterisks next to the (old) names and make an index of some sort for the reader to refer to, or put a footnote at the bottom of the page and make a short explanation, once I figure out how to make footnotes. I could do this when translating foreign words or names too in a few places in the story.

Anyway, what are your thoughts? Just stick with the modern names and make it easier on everyone, or use the old and do the note thing?

Hmmm...I think Elizabeth Kostova had something like this going on in The Historian. A lot of it happened in and around Romania, and I can't remember if she had notes or used old names, or explained in the book why she was using new names.

Might be worth checking it out from your library to see. I really liked the book. Although it could have been at least 300 pages shorter.

Tepelus · Dec 13, 2009

I have the book, hers takes place in more modern times, but I'll get it out and see. I liked it too, and agree, it could have been a couple hundred pages shorter, but the appeal to me were her descriptions of the places in the book, though a bit long-winded.

Puma · Dec 13, 2009

Hi Tepelus - I ran into a bit of that in my last novel (about Montana). But I had a mix, some towns had changed names and some hadn't. I used the old names because they were appropriate for the time period and hoped the names of towns that haven't changed would help readers figure out where they are geographically. If all of your town names have changed, then you've got a harder problem. Any possibility of other geographic features that would help avoid confusion? (For example, I'd cringe if I read a novel about Byzantium and had it called Constantinople or Istanbul, but to aid a reader who might not know where Byzantium was, I'd link it to the Bosphorus - can you do that type of thing?) Puma

frimble3 · Dec 13, 2009

Any chance of skipping the notes and going straight to a map? In the front or the back, using the old names, but with the modern ones in quotes perhaps? The visual might make the info easier to remember, and to relate to the story's action. Also, if people lose track of the names, no looking up lists, or 'first mention' information.

Tepelus · Dec 14, 2009

A map may be the way to go, and I'm a pretty decent artist so I could draw one out if a publisher would accept it, and not have one of their artist draw out a cruddy one, like I sometimes see in books. Kostova has a map in her novel, and I found it useful. And I will use Puma's suggestion as well, though there aren't too many features to go by, other than using rivers and mountains. Town names in Transylvania are the biggest concern, since it became a part of Romania, all the names got changed from Hungarian and German into Romanian. Drawing a map will be fun!

Puma · Dec 14, 2009

That's the spirit! I always enjoy maps in the front of novels. And I'd much rather have a map I could look at if I wanted than have "story interrupter" reference numbers or notes appear in the story (always hated footnotes, especially if they were at the end of the book). Puma

Hip-Hop-a-potamus · Dec 14, 2009

Definitely another yay on the map here. Especially if you're a decent artist.

firedrake · Dec 14, 2009

I love the idea of the map.

I'm fascinated by maps and think it would really work for you here.

cooeedownunder · Dec 14, 2009

I like them too...even Winnie the poo books had a map

Tepelus · Dec 14, 2009

Great! A map it is.

Now I need to figure out the requirements when adding a map, like the size and what type of paper it needs to be on, and if I make it span two pages, to take the binding into consideration, etc., etc.....

Puma · Dec 14, 2009

My suggestion, don't get bogged down in the details. Let whomever is going to print the book figure out the specifics (they'd have an art department to work with). Just figure out what all needs to go on it - you can figure out how to cut it and how much white space is needed later. Puma

Snowstorm · Dec 14, 2009

Interesting thread. In my historical novel, the settlement was in then-Missouri Territory, now modern-day Nebraska. I'm using Missouri Territory. I wrote an Author's Notes page where I included that later that area became the state of Nebraska.

I hadn't thought of a map though. That's a great idea. Wish I could help you. Good luck! Do you think a local publisher could help to answer your question about the dimensions, how to account for the binding, etc.?

Tepelus · Dec 14, 2009

So basically, just create the map, then when and if this gets published, let the publisher use it as a guide to create their own, or let them figure out how to put it on the pages. Works for me.

I don't know if a local publisher would know, I don't know anything at all really about the publishing world, but I'd take a guess that it all depends on the dimensions of the pages of the book when it goes to print. I like Puma's suggestion, just make it and let them take care of it.

Libbie · Dec 18, 2009

I went with the names my characters would have used. Unfamiliar to the reader, but that can be solved with a note or a map at the beginning of the book. It felt wrong to me to impose modern ideas on my characters.

Town names, then vs. now

Tepelus

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Hip-Hop-a-potamus

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Tepelus

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Puma

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frimble3

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Tepelus

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Puma

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Hip-Hop-a-potamus

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firedrake

practical experience, FTW

cooeedownunder

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Tepelus

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Puma

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Snowstorm

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Tepelus

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Libbie

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