Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Durmstrang

Sometimes when I learn or discover something new, what I realize is how little of the world I really know. For example, there was a reference to Sturm and Drang in the book I'm currently reading (Cutting for Stone). At first I thought, That seems so familiar, but I don't know what it means. Naturally, I did what I always do when I don't know something: I Googled it. Apparently, Sturm and Drang was an anti-Enlightenment movement in Germany in the late 18th century, and it is commonly translated as Storm and Stress*. That, however, is not why it was familiar to me. I have not studied much of the various movements in music, art, and literature, not as much as I would have liked anyway. No, it was familiar because of Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling named one of the other wizarding schools Durmstrang. I'm sure it's not a coincidental spoonerism, and I'm even more sure that countless people realized this connection long before I did. But in case you didn't, I'm glad I could share my enlightenment with you.

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturm_und_Drang

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