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Re:
I guess it does, adnohr. It's kind of an amazing coincidence that this town's unusual name, and people's request to change it, came up about the same time as the controversy we're now facing here with the name of one of our football teams, the Washington Redskins. They've been the Redskins for eons, and not one fan has ever stopped to think that the name might be racist! Even the American Indians ( notice I don't say 'Native Americans,' since there's no such thing ) couldn't give a rat's ass. But all it takes is for one person to start rocking the boat . . . I believe that a town called 'Death-to-the-Jews' is far, far worse! 
posted by
JimmyA
on August 22, 2014 at 6:04 AM
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Re:
Well, TAPS, I already had a feeling that there were plenty of 'unusual' town names scattered around the world, but probably nothing quite like this! It would be one thing to be weird, quite another to name your town after a death wish upon another group . . . 
posted by
JimmyA
on August 22, 2014 at 5:59 AM
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Re: Re: Re: JimmyA
Not mine either, Sir Wiley. In fact, knowing the French, it probably doesn't make that much of a difference . . . 
posted by
JimmyA
on August 22, 2014 at 5:57 AM
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Re:
Indeed, Annicita! In fact, when you put all of the facts together, it's incredible too! Damned incredible . . .
posted by
JimmyA
on August 22, 2014 at 5:56 AM
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Your title of this post says it all.
posted by
adnohr
on August 22, 2014 at 2:27 AM
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We have some wierd names of towns in our State of MO, but nothing quite that bad.
posted by
TAPS.
on August 21, 2014 at 9:51 PM
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Re: Re: JimmyA
JimmyA~No Canadian version I know of and translating from Parisien French is not my strong suit.LOL
posted by
WileyJohn
on August 21, 2014 at 7:22 PM
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interesting
posted by
Annicita
on August 21, 2014 at 5:55 PM
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Re:
The implication is one thing, C C T, but being blatant is something else altogether. There are some towns around the world that have very obscure and somewhat cryptic names, and they may mean one thing to one group and something else to another. But I don't think any of them are as directly offensive as this one! Again, to have that name for all those years! Astounding . . .
posted by
JimmyA
on August 21, 2014 at 2:00 PM
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Re: Re: Re:
Always good to know, Kabu. I think this is a relatively easy one to agree on . . .
posted by
JimmyA
on August 21, 2014 at 1:54 PM
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Nope No idea Jimmy perhaps the hamlet or whatever was never really called that for years, I suppose during occupation it may have been a kind of buffer, not wanting to stir history. Some of the villages here go under different names Field Town i.e. Leafield.
Nor Lie. Northliegh. Hells Corner. Church End. I think you are right though. They should think about the implication.
posted by
C_C_T
on August 21, 2014 at 12:00 PM
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Re: Re:
we do indeed agree.
posted by
Kabu
on August 21, 2014 at 8:54 AM
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Re: JimmyA
You said a mouthful, Sir Wiley, although I have a feeling that it doesn't translate into "the-town-that-got-away-with-an-antisemitic-name-for-a-thousand-years!" But something tells me that it may be damned close, or at least somewhat similar. Is there a Canadian version of this place somewhere up there . . . ?
posted by
JimmyA
on August 21, 2014 at 7:03 AM
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Re:
I'm sure, FSI, that there a few more names like that somewhere in the world. Perhaps not as extreme, but very unusual ( and probably very offensive to someone as well ). For example, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that, somewhere in the Middle East, there's a small town called Death-To-Americans! And if there is, let's see the outcry over that one . . .
posted by
JimmyA
on August 21, 2014 at 7:00 AM
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Re: Jimmy
Believe it or not, Naut, I was already aware of the past history of the Swastika, and that it was originally a symbol of peace and good fortune for other cultures. But, since the Nazi's subverted just about everything they came in contact with, it was no surprise that this symbol is now severely tainted, and will be for all of history. Sometimes I'm not sure which is worse . . . for a group of people to initially come up with such a name for their town, or that the next few generations ( or in this case, the next hundred generations ) to adamantly defend it! One man's offensive moniker is the name another man's home, sweet home! But for it to have gone on for as long as it has is really the truly amazing part . . .
posted by
JimmyA
on August 21, 2014 at 6:58 AM
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Re:
You rant all you'd like, Kabu, and of course I agree. There's an old saying I've heard a thousand times over the years that simply claims "Live and let live." But for some unknown reason, certain groups find it nearly impossible to do so. There are various factions around the world and in our society that I totally disagree with, but I would never wish 'death' upon them ( unless they're wishing death upon me! Then it's just a matter of self-defense ). But for a town to sport such a name, and get away with it for all those years, is beyond amazing . . .
posted by
JimmyA
on August 21, 2014 at 6:50 AM
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Re:
What's in a name indeed, Bill? There are probably hundreds of thousands of tiny towns, villages, hamlets and communities around the globe, and I'll wager this is the only one that sports such a ridiculous name! I don't think ol' Bill Shakespeare would even consider touching this one . . .
posted by
JimmyA
on August 21, 2014 at 6:45 AM
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JimmyA
- Reprenant la tradition locale, Stéphane Gendron, après Jacques Soyer, rejoignant l'hypothèse émise au XIXe siècle d'un possible lien avec une ordonnance du roi Jean le Bon dirigée contre les juifs et les lombards signée le 18 juillet 1353 à moins de 5 km de là, au château royal de Chantecoq, supposent le souvenir d'un pogrom local.
posted by
WileyJohn
on August 20, 2014 at 1:46 PM
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That is quite the name there. I am amazed, too, that it has flown under the radar for so long. It has me wondering what other horrible town names are floating around under the radar.
posted by
FormerStudentIntern
on August 20, 2014 at 11:28 AM
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Jimmy
It is surprising they got away with it for so long!
Here in Ontario we have a town called Swastika, named in 1907/8 after a gold mine established there at the time. The owner of the mine was trying to think of a name, when his eyes fell on a swastika pendant his secretary (girlfriend? LOL) wore...The rest is history. And during WWII the townfolk adamantly refused to change the name, even though the Ontario government put great pressure on them...
Long before it was hijacked by the Nazis, the swastika was an ancient Indo-Germanic symbol with a variety of positive meanings in many different cultures, and remains so to this day, though not in Germany, where it's prohibited...
posted by
Nautikos
on August 20, 2014 at 11:10 AM
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Actually when one thinks of all the suffering of the Jewish people over that thousand years and after the second World war and the Holocaust I am amazed that something so offensive has continued. It actually does offend me....death to any group is offensive and shows a dehumanizing spirit from one group to another. I do not agree with the Muslims calling me a filthy dog and a second class person because I am a woman and that I should be flogged and raped etc. When disrespect from one group to another is permitted then it breeds something fowl and evil...
enough ranting from me. LOL.
posted by
Kabu
on August 20, 2014 at 11:07 AM
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Where's Shakespeare when they need him? What's in a name, so to negotiate Jimmy.
posted by
BC-A
on August 20, 2014 at 6:49 AM
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