The Naming of Nature - Dragonflies and Damselflies (ordonata)
Whenever we see a dragonfly skimming across a pond we all start pointing and talking. The conspicuous beauty of these insects never fails to capture our attention which is why in olden times every culture, even locality, would have their preferred names for these creatures. These names mingled and became mutated by folk stories and legends, the names often had very long histories and their own lives, we took them on journeys across empires where we left them to take on new meanings in other lands. At times they lost their meaning altogether, or new meanings were reinvented for old names, or the names became irrelevant and were allowed lie and fade back into nothingness. Fortunately some lists were made and kept, in the 1960s Elmwood Montgomery from the University of Indiana made this list of 95 English and 23 Celtic folk names. There are other lists; One of 150 from Germany (I have not found it) another of 119 and from the US (appendix).
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| 95 English names collected by Elmwood Montgomery in the 1960s |
Some of the loveliest folk names are descriptive and whimsical; for instance the English folk name Waterbutterfly is an idea that occurs across Europe.
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| Banded Demoiselle - Waterbutterflies? Pic http://www.warrenphotographic.co.uk |
Similar names are:
England Peacock
Holland Waterpepel (Water Butterfly)
France Papillion d'amour (love butterfly)
Italy Farfaya (butterfly)
Spain El Parot (butterfly)
Germany Pfaufliege (peacock fly) Wasserpfau (waterbutterfly)
Then there are descriptive names that tell us about the insects behaviour. This insect, The Common Blue Damselfly, is called a Water sniffer in Holland. This refers to the fly's habit of touching the water surface with their tails as they lay eggs.
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| Common Blue Damselfly / Watersniffer / Enallagma cyathigerum |
In Italy they have a similar folk name Lavaku which means Tail washer.
The Difference between Damsel and Dragonflies
It is easy to tell difference between Damsel and Dragonflies.
Dragonflies are usually larger fast flying insects that dart and skim over the water surface, which is why groups of dragonflies have been classified as Skimmers, Hawkers Skaters and Darters. When dragonflies rest they always hold their wings flat like this American Slaty skimmer is doing. Also notice how the eyes almost meet on the top of the head
Damsel and Demoiselle flies are often very small and have a weak fluttery flight. When they land they hold their wing up like a butterfly does. This is how a damsel fly looks when at rest
Also notice how the eyes of a damselfly are widely spaced apart.
Dragonflies are usually larger fast flying insects that dart and skim over the water surface, which is why groups of dragonflies have been classified as Skimmers, Hawkers Skaters and Darters. When dragonflies rest they always hold their wings flat like this American Slaty skimmer is doing. Also notice how the eyes almost meet on the top of the head
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| A resting Slaty skimmer dragonfly pic http://lemonbayconservancy.org |
Damsel and Demoiselle flies are often very small and have a weak fluttery flight. When they land they hold their wing up like a butterfly does. This is how a damsel fly looks when at rest
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| Bright Blue Damselfly - California pic http://bugguide.net |
Also notice how the eyes of a damselfly are widely spaced apart.
The Scientists have classified the damselflies and dragonflies together into one Order; the Odonata which is derived from the Greek word for teeth. This is appropriate because dragonflies are fierce hunters with strong mandibles that they use to crush their prey.
The Pagan cult of Freya, goddess of Love
Dragonflies and damselflies are as delicate and elegant as swans or butterflies, this beauty has made them revered in many cultures around the world (especially Japan). One of the loveliest traditions comes from the Scandinavian (Æsir) culture that associates damselflies with maidenhood and Freya, the pagan goddess of love. From this tradition we have folk names that liken the damselfly to maidenhood and chastity, like Juffer (Denmark) which translates as Little Miss.Our English name Demoiselle is a corruption of the old French word "dameisele" which means a young lady or damsel. Other names in this tradition are:
English Merry Maid , Lady and Damselfly
French , Dame de Paris (Parisian lady) mariée (bride) Demoiselle (Damsel) Moungeto (Little Nun) Papillion d'amour (love butterfly)
Italy Monaca (nun) Muneghela (little nun) Signorella (Little lady)
Spanish/Portuguese Donzelinka (young lady) Le dimuzela (damsel)
Swedish Vattenjunfer (watermaiden)
Danish Vanderjunfer (watermaiden)
Dutch Waterjuffertje (watermaiden) juffer (Damsel/Maiden)
German Edeljunfer (Genteel Maiden) Wasserjungfe (water maiden) Junfer (Maiden)
Portuguese Donzelinha (damsel)
Then on the Continent, where language has male and female forms, there is a charming twist to this tradition; the smaller flies are given female names, and the larger flies male names. So we find small flies being called Demoisella and larger Monsieur
Here is a selection of these
Portuguese Donzelinha - Danzello
French Moungeto (Nun) - Pretre (Priest)
French Demoisella - Monsieur
Italy Monaca (nun) Monaco (monk)
Classical (cult of the snake)
The Earliest known literary reference to the dragonfly is in a volume printed by William Caxton in 1483, he call it an Adder's Bolt (snakes arrow), a name that survived into the 20th century. In 1607 Moffet calls the dragon fly The Greatest Libelle and the Damsel fly the Smallest Libelle. (see later)
The first known use of the folk name Dragonfly is in Francis Bacon's Sylva Syvarum which was published in 1667.
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| 1607 - The Greatest Libelle - from The Theatre of Insect by Tho Moffet |
The first known use of the folk name Dragonfly is in Francis Bacon's Sylva Syvarum which was published in 1667.
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| First known usage of Dragonfly - Sylva Syvarum which was published in 1667. |
Bacon almost certainly did not make this name up, it was probably an oddball amongst a cluster of old European names that connect this insect with snakes, horses, needles and the devil; Adder Bolt, Eye Snatcher, Snake Doctor, Gwas y neidr (Welsh for: Snakes Servant), Horse Stinger, Devil's Darning Needle, Eye Poker, and Tarbh-nathair-neimh (Gaelic: venomous bull-serpent). It may seem that Dragonfly has no connection with any of these names which sound evil. How did these beautiful butterflies of the water get connected with malice?
I want to start my explanation by looking at the names that conjoin the devil and horses. This connection is widespread, here are a sample of the names from around Europe..
English Devil's Riding Horse
French Chevau du diable (Devils horse)
Cavaleta del diavola (Devils horse)
USA Devils Horse / Devil's Riding Horse /
German Tenfelspfred (Devils Horse)
Danish Fandens ridehest ("Devil's
riding horse") Ijseren paard (Iron Horse) Parrdrijder (Horseman)
Spanish Caballito del Diablo ("Devil's horse")
Portuguese Cavallo d'o demo (Devils horse)
Romanian Calul Dracului (Devils Horse) Pitingdul Dracului (The little horse of the devil)
Portuguese Cavallo d'o demo (Devils horse)
Romanian Calul Dracului (Devils Horse) Pitingdul Dracului (The little horse of the devil)
Swedish trollslända (hobgoblin fly)
Australian Horse Stinger
Finnish Pirum Hevonen (the devils little Horse)
Finnish Pirum Hevonen (the devils little Horse)
Croatian (damoiselle fly) Konjska Smrt (horse's death)
There are other insects involved in our story. One of the most obvious is a large nocturnal predatory drove beetle (Staphylinus ocypus olens) that looks like a giant earwig. Although they do not live in water and are unrelated to dragonflies these insects share a similar collection of folk names that are to do with devils and horses (but not snakes or needles); Devil's Coach Horse, Devil's Steed, Devil's Coachman and Devil's Footman. In Ireland the beetle is known as a deargadaol (Devil's beast). The Irish said it gained it's magical powers by feeding on the bodies of sinners.
English Devil's Coach Horse, Devil's Steed, Devil's Coachman Devil's Footman and Black Cocktail
Gaelic deargadaol / darbhada (Devil's beast)
French Le Diable (The devil) / l’ocype odorant (the fragrant ocype)/ Le Fantassin du diable (One reference only Devils Soldier)
Maltese Katarina-għolli-denbek (Catherine raise your tail)
Italian scorpione-elaterio (Scorpian click beetle)
Spanish Asnillos
Dutch Stinkende kortschildkever (smelly Rove Beetle)
German Schwarzer Moderkäfer (Black Moder Beetle)
(please let me know if you can add more names and myths to my list)
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| A drone beetle - The Devils Coach Horse |
The Devil's Coach Horse has wings that are tucked and folded in small wing cases on its back, it has a strong bite and if it is disturbed it raises its tail like an earwig or scorpion does and makes an offensive smell. For this reason the beetle is also call the Black Cocktail and in Italy scorpione-elaterio (Scorpian click beetle) and in Malta Katarina-għolli-denbek (Catherine raise your tail). Can someone tell me who Catherine was?
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| This has gained it another name Black Cock Tail. (Photo birdingworld.co.uk) |
When they unfold their wings, which are quite big, they look a bit like ugly black dragonflies.
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| Devils Coach Horse with wings unfolded |
Devils coach horse live in rotting vegetation where they hunt insects and worms. They must have been a common sight in amongst the strewing on medieval floors. One
can imagine how the superstitious rural people of the middle ages grew to dislike these big black flying insect and believed they were evil.
As if this were not enough there is an even more revolting aquatic insect. The beautiful The Great Diving Beetle (Dytiscus marginalis) and Great Silver Water Beetle (Hydrophilus piceus)
have disgusting larval forms that even today are called Water Devils or Underwater Devils Coach Horses. Water Devils are as large as newts (7cms), they wiggle through the water like little water snakes catching small fish that they crush with their mandibles. The also bite!
A few years ago my pond was infested with these creatures. I have always loved insects, but these make even me nauseous. To the innocent medieval mind the predatory water nymphs of immature dragonflies must have looked quite similar to Water devils; they might have thought they were the aquatic relation of the Devils Coach Horse.
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| The Great Diving Beetle Dytiscus Marginalis |
have disgusting larval forms that even today are called Water Devils or Underwater Devils Coach Horses. Water Devils are as large as newts (7cms), they wiggle through the water like little water snakes catching small fish that they crush with their mandibles. The also bite!
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| Water Devil (Dytiscus larva) |
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| Water nymph of Dragonfly |
So it is not very altogether surprising that in the imagination of the medieval mind the folk names of these three insects became entwined. My hunch is further confirmed when I find Coach Horse and Devils Riding Horse on the lists of folk names for dragonflies.
There is a popular theory that this Romanian name travelled across Europe as Dracului fly, Drak fly or Drakon Fly to eventually land in England as Dragon Fly.
It is a fascinating to read that the third horse (famine) was a black horse (the colour of Devil Coach horse beetle) and the rider carried a weighing scales.
The black horseman had come to weigh wheat and barley and bring famine, but everyone was aware of another more directly threatening use of the weighing scales. His scales could be used to weigh their souls after they had died of famine. Belief in weighing the souls of the dead was ancient and very widespread. The Egyptian God Anubis weighed the hearts of the dead and against the weight of a feather. If the weight was wrong Anubis fed the soul to Ammit, the Devourer of Souls.
The Dragonfly's Connections with Romanian Dracula Myths
When we look across Europe to Romania we find tales that closely relate horses, evil flying insects and the devil. The myths tell how the devil cast a spell on St George's beautiful white horse; turning it into a giant, flying insect. The Romanian's folk names for the dragonfly include Calul Dracului (Evils Horse), Pitingdul Dracului (The little horse of the evil) , Calul St George (St Georges Horse), thus directly connecting this myth with the dragonfly. The German's also seem to have shared this myth since one of the recorded folk names is Gorgen pferdlein (St Georges Horse)There is a popular theory that this Romanian name travelled across Europe as Dracului fly, Drak fly or Drakon Fly to eventually land in England as Dragon Fly.
There
are long traditions of putting the devil on horseback. The Mongols who
attacked Europe in 1240 were loosely known as the devil's horsemen.
Perhaps this thought came easily to the frightened Christian victims who believed that the end of
the world would be preceded by the arrival of the four riders of the apocalypse who would bring war, plague,
famine and death.
The four horsemen as featured in the “Bamberger Apokalypse” Folio 14 recto (ca. 1000 AD)
It is a fascinating to read that the third horse (famine) was a black horse (the colour of Devil Coach horse beetle) and the rider carried a weighing scales.
"When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying,
“Come.” I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a
pair of scales in his hand. And I heard something like a voice in the
centre of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a
denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; but do not damage
the oil and the wine.”
The black horseman had come to weigh wheat and barley and bring famine, but everyone was aware of another more directly threatening use of the weighing scales. His scales could be used to weigh their souls after they had died of famine. Belief in weighing the souls of the dead was ancient and very widespread. The Egyptian God Anubis weighed the hearts of the dead and against the weight of a feather. If the weight was wrong Anubis fed the soul to Ammit, the Devourer of Souls.
The Christian belief was that sinful souls were heavier than virtuous souls, so the devil was looking to take the heavy souls of sinners to Hell. For this task he would need an assistant with weighing scales or balance.
In Scandinavian there were beliefs that when dragonflies flew around your head they were weighing your soul for the devil. An old Swedish name for dragonflies is Skams besman ("Devil's steelyard"), a steelyard is a Roman weighing balance. There are many other examples of dragonfly names alluding to balances and scales.
Sweden Skams besman ("Devil's steelyard")
Norwegian Bismar (Steelyard)
Italian Blansette (Balance fly) Bilancelle (little scales)
Britain Balance Flies / Libelle (1607 Moffet)
France (Libellule) ,
Germany (Libelle) ,
Spain (Libelue)
Romanian (Libelula)
Holland Libel / Libelle / Libellule
Portugal (Libelinha) which are all varients of Libella/libra which is Latin for Balance or Scales
NB Some say the etymological root is libre (Book) because the wings of a dragonfly look like the pages of a book
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| Roman steelyard from Pompei |
Mixed in with the allusions to horses, balances and devils are many names that mention needles that are used maliciously to darn, pierce, cut and poke eyes and ears.
French Couturiere (Dressmaker)
French l'aiguille du diable ("Devil's needle")
Dutch Naaier (needleworker) Kleermake (Tailor) Oogsteker (Eye stabber) Orensteker (Ear stabber) Messlnsteker (knife piercer) Negensteker (Nine times piercer)
Dutch Naaier (needleworker) Kleermake (Tailor) Oogsteker (Eye stabber) Orensteker (Ear stabber) Messlnsteker (knife piercer) Negensteker (Nine times piercer)
Gaelic (Ireland) Devils Needle, Big Needle, Battle Needle, Horse Needle
Italian Mattassaro (Needle)
German Tenfelsnadel (Devils Needle)
Italian Mattassaro (Needle)
German Tenfelsnadel (Devils Needle)
Norwegian ore-sting (Ear piercer) Øyenstikker (Eye poker)
English Devils Darning Needle, Blue Needle, Horse Needle, Spindle
Eye Poker, Ear Cutter
USA Devils Darning Needle / Spindle / Devils Needles /
New Jersey US Spindle
Australia Horse Stinger
Swedish Blindsticka (Blind Stingers - because their sting the eyes)
Portugal tira-olhos (Eye snatcher)
USA Devils Darning Needle / Spindle / Devils Needles /
New Jersey US Spindle
Australia Horse Stinger
Swedish Blindsticka (Blind Stingers - because their sting the eyes)
Portugal tira-olhos (Eye snatcher)
In Celtic tradition the Dragonfly is also reputed to look after snakes, the Welsh said the Adder's Servant
stitched the wounds of injured snakes and these same stories are found in Ireland and America. But even outside Celtic traditions the connection between dragonflies and snakes is very widespread.
Welsh Adder's Servant
Celtic Adder Fly
Cornwall UK Horse Adder
English Adderbolt / Snake Arrow/ Snake Doctor / Snake Fedder / Horse Snake / Flying Adder
German Schalangentoter (Snake Killer)
Norwegian "Dragonflies are the brothers of Adders"
Spanish Aspie dimonis (Devil's serpent) El kabal de ser (serpent's horse)
USA Snake Flies
Spanish Aspie dimonis (Devil's serpent) El kabal de ser (serpent's horse)
USA Snake Flies
America Southern States Snake Doctor / Snake Feeder
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| Dragonflies will land on watersnakes |
The dragonflies association with snakes is the last piece of the jigsaw. A Dutch linguist, Bostjan Kiauta, has traced 2,500 European Folk Dragonfly names that are connected to the snake, when he mapped them out he discovered their layout closely mirrored the territory of the Bronze age Urnfield Venetic culture.
The Urnfield culture buried their dead in Urns and spoke a pre Indo-European language that is most similar to modern Slovenic - hence this culture has been named Urnfield-Slovenetic, shortened to Vanetic. This culture was submerged about 2000 year ago under the expansion of Celtic and Roman influence over their lands, however Venetic territory is mapped through traces of their language that are still surviving in place names. Kiauta's conclusion is that the myths associating dragonflies with snakes have come down to us from the Bronze age.
Our word Dragon is derived from the Greek word draco or drakon (Feminine form), which comes from the Indo-European source, derk, to see or look. A drakon was a beast with an evil eye, usually a serpent of some sort. The Roman's Latin word draco was used for a particular sort of Temple Snake. In
Christian tradition it was the snake that tempted Eve and in St John's Revelation (Rev 12:9) both dragons and snakes are used as descriptions of the devil. Early images of St George, like this icon, often depict St George slaying a serpent rather than a dragon. The image is an allegory of good slaying evil (the devil)
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| St George and the dragon - 14th century icon - origin unknown |
The medieval Monks were fond of adding pictures to the margins of their illuminated manuscripts, and from these doodles we can see how inventive and plastic the medieval mind was. In this illustration we see two mating vipers with dragon ears and feet; the female is eating her husband as the young snakes emerge through her skin.
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Two vipers mating - Kongelige Bibliotek, Gl. kgl. S. 1633
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We will probably never know where Francis Bacon picked up the name dragonfly but it seems certain to have developed from very old beliefs that have roots in Bronze Age traditions that were shared with paganism in Northern Europe and Christianity in Southern Europe. It is natural that ancient folk names blurred and interchanged snakes, dragons and the devil.
When I made my picture of a dragonfly I was inspired to draw something elegant and cute. To my modern mind dragons and fairies are quaint and non-threatening. Modern cultures have dropped most of their fear of the devil and we have sanitised medieval images of evil. This sanitising of evil has continued to happen during my lifetime, at university forty years ago we watched Hammer horror films about vampires, today we watch TV series about friendly vampires with guilt complexes. Our cultures are never static, and with these changes we invent new names and legends to use as names for the plants and animals.
Serbia
Since writing this blog post I received this intersting comment from Serbia "in
Serbian, dragonfly is called "vilin konjic", meaning "faery's horse" or
"faery's little horse." The fae women are called vila (pronounced veela)
in many Slavic languages, and even though they are believed to be of
the same size as humans, dragonflies are considered to be vila's
traditional means of transportation. In Serbia, dragonflies are
considered to be magical in a positive, enchanting way. They symbolize
youth and beauty, and seeing one brings luck. Also, when one sees a
dragonfly - faeries are close by!
I presume Serbia is too far away from Nordic traditions for the Faeries to be anything to do with the pagan cult of Freya, and wonder how extensive in other countries of the region, or maybe Russia, these associations are with good luck and faeries on horses.
CAN YOU HELP
Writing this summary has been exciting and also frustrating. It is surprisingly difficult to find new source material, every website seems to repeat the same stories. If you have knowledge of more lists of dragonfly names please share them with me so that I can add the information to my summary in the appendices. It would be wonderful to know how widespread these traditions and folk law spread.
I could find no information about the folk names given to rove beetles and larva of water beetles and earwigs in other countries. This knowledge would be very useful to either debunking or reinforcing my my theories. (please contact me at this address)
My privare email address is Julian (at) twobadmice.com
Appendices
USA Dragonfly names "Evolution of Englishes" Sarah Buschfeld
Celtic Dragonfly names collected by Elmwood Montgomery in the 1960s
A Collection of Dutch Names
(Woordenboek van de Limburgse Dialecten, Volumes 2-4)
libel
libellule
waterjuffer
waterjuffertje
waterjuf
waterjuffrouw
waterjuffrouwtje
juffer
juffertje
juffrouw
juffer
madammetje
jonkerjan (squire John)
waternimf
waterpimfel (pimfel makes no sense)
waterpepel (pepel is apparently an old word for butterfly, so water butterfly)
watersnuffel (water sniffer)
watersnuffer (water sniffer)
waterspin (water spider)
snijden = to cut; snijder = cutter
naaien = to sew; naaier = seamstress/needleworker
waterschaar (water scissors
glassnijder (glass cutter)
glazensnijder (glass cutter)
kleine glazensnijder (small ...)
grote glazensnijder (big ...)
glasmaker (glass maker)
glazenmaker (glass maker)
kleine glazenmaker (small ...)
glazenwasser (big ...)
poppensnijder (doll cutter)
poppenschreur (I have no idea what schreur means, maybe from 'to tear')
grassnijder (grass cutter)
snijder
snip-snap-snijder
kleermaker ( = tailor)
speksnijder ( spek = bacon; bacon cutter)
watersnijder (water cutter)
blauwe snijder (blue cutter)
grote snijder (big cutter)
teensnijder (toe cutter)
tenensnijder ( toe cutter)
haarsnijder (hair cutter)
haarslenter ( No idea what slenter means)
spaanse naaier (spanish cutter)
naaier (seamstress/needleworker)
schoenlapper ( = cobbler)
schoenmaker ( = shoemaker)
kousenbreier ( kousen = stockings; breier = knitter)
messensnijder (messen = knives; knive cutter)
mesmaker (knife maker)
messenmaker (knife maker)
messensteker (knife piercer)
negensteker (negen = nine; steker = piercer, stabber -> something like
'pierces nine times')
oogsteker ( = eye stabber)
orensteker ( = ear stabber)
paardensteker ( = horse stabber)
naaldenkoker ( naald = needle; koker = case; needle case) Koker is used for the
long shape, like a tube
kokernagel ( nagel = nail;)
naald
naaldenzeiker (makes no sense, something like 'one who pees needles')
speld ( speld = pin)
speldenwever (pin weaver)
schaar ( = scissors)
bimbout (I have no idea. Bout = bolt)
gekleurde bimbout (colored bimbout)
ijzenbout (I have no idea. IJzen might be short for ijzeren = iron)
ijzeren bout (iron bolt)
glazeren bout ( glass ?? bolt)
korenbout ( koren = grain; wheat, bout = bolt
korenbijten (bijten = to bite)
korenbijter (bijter = biter, wheat biter)
wrattenbijter (wratten = warts, wart biter)
knoestenbijter (knoest = knob; knob biter)
korendief (dief = thief, wheat thief)
korendanser (wheat danser)
korenknapper ( knapper = snapper, wheat snapper)
korenmaaier (wheat mower)
korenpikker ( pikker = pecker, wheat pecker)
korensnapper ( snapper = snapper, wheat snapper)
sliereslijper (sliere = rhyme word; slijper = grinder)
ijzeren paard (iron horse)
ijzeren veulen (iron foal)
paard (horse)
paardje (horsey)
paardenrijder (horseman)
paardrijder (horseman)
biezenpaard (bies = some kind of high grass)
jezusjespaard (jesus horse)
begijnenpaard (beguines horse)
pardoenen (I have no idea)
ridder van Malta (knight of malta)
heer (sir)
dame (lady)
madammetje (madam)
Celtic Dragonfly names collected by Elmwood Montgomery in the 1960s
A Collection of Dutch Names
(Woordenboek van de Limburgse Dialecten, Volumes 2-4)
libel
libellule
waterjuffer
waterjuffertje
waterjuf
waterjuffrouw
waterjuffrouwtje
juffer
juffertje
juffrouw
juffer
madammetje
jonkerjan (squire John)
waternimf
waterpimfel (pimfel makes no sense)
waterpepel (pepel is apparently an old word for butterfly, so water butterfly)
watersnuffel (water sniffer)
watersnuffer (water sniffer)
waterspin (water spider)
snijden = to cut; snijder = cutter
naaien = to sew; naaier = seamstress/needleworker
waterschaar (water scissors
glassnijder (glass cutter)
glazensnijder (glass cutter)
kleine glazensnijder (small ...)
grote glazensnijder (big ...)
glasmaker (glass maker)
glazenmaker (glass maker)
kleine glazenmaker (small ...)
glazenwasser (big ...)
poppensnijder (doll cutter)
poppenschreur (I have no idea what schreur means, maybe from 'to tear')
grassnijder (grass cutter)
snijder
snip-snap-snijder
kleermaker ( = tailor)
speksnijder ( spek = bacon; bacon cutter)
watersnijder (water cutter)
blauwe snijder (blue cutter)
grote snijder (big cutter)
teensnijder (toe cutter)
tenensnijder ( toe cutter)
haarsnijder (hair cutter)
haarslenter ( No idea what slenter means)
spaanse naaier (spanish cutter)
naaier (seamstress/needleworker)
schoenlapper ( = cobbler)
schoenmaker ( = shoemaker)
kousenbreier ( kousen = stockings; breier = knitter)
messensnijder (messen = knives; knive cutter)
mesmaker (knife maker)
messenmaker (knife maker)
messensteker (knife piercer)
negensteker (negen = nine; steker = piercer, stabber -> something like
'pierces nine times')
oogsteker ( = eye stabber)
orensteker ( = ear stabber)
paardensteker ( = horse stabber)
naaldenkoker ( naald = needle; koker = case; needle case) Koker is used for the
long shape, like a tube
kokernagel ( nagel = nail;)
naald
naaldenzeiker (makes no sense, something like 'one who pees needles')
speld ( speld = pin)
speldenwever (pin weaver)
schaar ( = scissors)
bimbout (I have no idea. Bout = bolt)
gekleurde bimbout (colored bimbout)
ijzenbout (I have no idea. IJzen might be short for ijzeren = iron)
ijzeren bout (iron bolt)
glazeren bout ( glass ?? bolt)
korenbout ( koren = grain; wheat, bout = bolt
korenbijten (bijten = to bite)
korenbijter (bijter = biter, wheat biter)
wrattenbijter (wratten = warts, wart biter)
knoestenbijter (knoest = knob; knob biter)
korendief (dief = thief, wheat thief)
korendanser (wheat danser)
korenknapper ( knapper = snapper, wheat snapper)
korenmaaier (wheat mower)
korenpikker ( pikker = pecker, wheat pecker)
korensnapper ( snapper = snapper, wheat snapper)
sliereslijper (sliere = rhyme word; slijper = grinder)
ijzeren paard (iron horse)
ijzeren veulen (iron foal)
paard (horse)
paardje (horsey)
paardenrijder (horseman)
paardrijder (horseman)
biezenpaard (bies = some kind of high grass)
jezusjespaard (jesus horse)
begijnenpaard (beguines horse)
pardoenen (I have no idea)
ridder van Malta (knight of malta)
heer (sir)
dame (lady)
madammetje (madam)
libellule
waterjuffer
waterjuffertje
waterjuf
waterjuffrouw
waterjuffrouwtje
juffer
juffertje
juffrouw
juffer
madammetje
jonkerjan (squire John)
waternimf
waterpimfel (pimfel makes no sense)
waterpepel (pepel is apparently an old word for butterfly, so water butterfly)
watersnuffel (water sniffer)
watersnuffer (water sniffer)
waterspin (water spider)
snijden = to cut; snijder = cutter
naaien = to sew; naaier = seamstress/needleworker
waterschaar (water scissors
glassnijder (glass cutter)
glazensnijder (glass cutter)
kleine glazensnijder (small ...)
grote glazensnijder (big ...)
glasmaker (glass maker)
glazenmaker (glass maker)
kleine glazenmaker (small ...)
glazenwasser (big ...)
poppensnijder (doll cutter)
poppenschreur (I have no idea what schreur means, maybe from 'to tear')
grassnijder (grass cutter)
snijder
snip-snap-snijder
kleermaker ( = tailor)
speksnijder ( spek = bacon; bacon cutter)
watersnijder (water cutter)
blauwe snijder (blue cutter)
grote snijder (big cutter)
teensnijder (toe cutter)
tenensnijder ( toe cutter)
haarsnijder (hair cutter)
haarslenter ( No idea what slenter means)
spaanse naaier (spanish cutter)
naaier (seamstress/needleworker)
schoenlapper ( = cobbler)
schoenmaker ( = shoemaker)
kousenbreier ( kousen = stockings; breier = knitter)
messensnijder (messen = knives; knive cutter)
mesmaker (knife maker)
messenmaker (knife maker)
messensteker (knife piercer)
negensteker (negen = nine; steker = piercer, stabber -> something like 'pierces nine times')
oogsteker ( = eye stabber)
orensteker ( = ear stabber)
paardensteker ( = horse stabber)
naaldenkoker ( naald = needle; koker = case; needle case) Koker is used for the long shape, like a tube
kokernagel ( nagel = nail;)
naald
naaldenzeiker (makes no sense, something like 'one who pees needles')
speld ( speld = pin)
speldenwever (pin weaver)
schaar ( = scissors)
bimbout (I have no idea. Bout = bolt)
gekleurde bimbout (colored bimbout)
ijzenbout (I have no idea. IJzen might be short for ijzeren = iron)
ijzeren bout (iron bolt)
glazeren bout ( glass ?? bolt)
korenbout ( koren = grain; wheat, bout = bolt
korenbijten (bijten = to bite)
korenbijter (bijter = biter, wheat biter)
wrattenbijter (wratten = warts, wart biter)
knoestenbijter (knoest = knob; knob biter)
korendief (dief = thief, wheat thief)
korendanser (wheat danser)
korenknapper ( knapper = snapper, wheat snapper)
korenmaaier (wheat mower)
korenpikker ( pikker = pecker, wheat pecker)
korensnapper ( snapper = snapper, wheat snapper)
sliereslijper (sliere = rhyme word; slijper = grinder)
ijzeren paard (iron horse)
ijzeren veulen (iron foal)
paard (horse)
paardje (horsey)
paardenrijder (horseman)
paardrijder (horseman)
biezenpaard (bies = some kind of high grass)
jezusjespaard (jesus horse)
begijnenpaard (beguines horse)
pardoenen (I have no idea)
ridder van Malta (knight of malta)
heer (sir)
dame (lady)
madammetje (madam)
Checklist, Slovenian common names
Below is a checklist of all the European dragonfly and damselfly species, with their Slovenian common names, if available. It's based on Dijkstra and Lewington's excellent Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Britain and Europe but incorporates three recent changes: Brachythemis leucosticta has been renamed Brachythemis impartita, while Lestes parvidens and Lestes viridis have been renamed Chalcolestes parvidens and Chalcolestes viridis respectively.We now have photographs available of all 132 species listed below.
If you would like to see the checklist with the common names in a different language, click on the corresponding flag above. And you can also see the checklist with only the scientific names.
References
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| With thanks to Stephen Moran for showing me this! |
German dragonfly folk law: http://www.petzon.se/dragonfly/main/just_for_fun/folklore.html
Japanese dragonfly culture: https://printsofjapan.wordpress.com/category/european-porcelains/page/2/
British Species guide: http://www.british-dragonflies.org.uk/content/uk-species
How did the Dragon get it name?: https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110321084700AAGb3sF
Weighingsouls https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weighing_of_souls
The Dazzle of Dragonflies https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=C6g_0ibafjcC&pg=PA27&lpg=PA27&dq=Juffer+dragonfly&source=bl&ots=HAIuR0QAHv&sig=SJQ_arAotKdbI7I-hwD6sfpz1rc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDEQ6AEwBDgUahUKEwiQ0erl9uDGAhWH6xQKHSNpAeA#v=onepage&q=Juffer dragonfly&f=false
Weighingsouls https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weighing_of_souls
The Dazzle of Dragonflies https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=C6g_0ibafjcC&pg=PA27&lpg=PA27&dq=Juffer+dragonfly&source=bl&ots=HAIuR0QAHv&sig=SJQ_arAotKdbI7I-hwD6sfpz1rc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDEQ6AEwBDgUahUKEwiQ0erl9uDGAhWH6xQKHSNpAeA#v=onepage&q=Juffer dragonfly&f=false
Bugs Britannica : https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Ah62bUZLDOwC&pg=PA139&lpg=PA139&dq=bugs+britannica+dragonflies&source=bl&ots=Z1FYu4lnPz&sig=t9WR70IDc8XxajATSicquikuHaM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAmoVChMI5tzH4rLkxgIVizcUCh2dIgBE#v=onepage&q=bugs%20britannica%20dragonflies&f=false
Survey of Dragonfly names used in USA https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=HhViBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA145&lpg=PA145&dq=devil+horse+dragonfly&source=bl&ots=krpUF33bNn&sig=u5WjzoZhvIdKADh-s80ofA8Cy3Y&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CFoQ6AEwDWoVChMIgu73gsTlxgIVSm4UCh3BNgqw#v=onepage&q=devil%20horse%20dragonfly&f=false
Study of dragonfly names (1960) http://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/ias/article/viewFile/7615/7609
Survey of Dragonfly names used in USA https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=HhViBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA145&lpg=PA145&dq=devil+horse+dragonfly&source=bl&ots=krpUF33bNn&sig=u5WjzoZhvIdKADh-s80ofA8Cy3Y&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CFoQ6AEwDWoVChMIgu73gsTlxgIVSm4UCh3BNgqw#v=onepage&q=devil%20horse%20dragonfly&f=false
Study of dragonfly names (1960) http://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/ias/article/viewFile/7615/7609
Urnfield Venetic Culture -http://www.angelfire.com/country/veneti/TomazicBeginnings.html
7 comments:
I can't offer you further naming help, just wanted you to know I thoroughly enjoyed your post on dragonfly names; it was exactly the linguistic exploration I was looking for! I appreciate your research into the origins and transportation of the names, and your comparison with the similar looking insects. Also your illustrations were charming!
Thank you for taking the time to do this.
Thanks for the wonderful write-up. I came across your site when I noticed a curious name for the Beautiful Demoiselle in Croatian, the Konjska Smrt (horse's death).
Love that contribution - Konjska Smrt (horse's death)
I absolutely loved this article. I can add one small contribution: in Serbian, dragonfly is called "vilin konjic", meaning "faery's horse" or "faery's little horse." The fae women are called vila (pronounced veela) in many Slavic languages, and even though they are believed to be of the same size as humans, dragonflies are considered to be vila's traditional means of transportation. In Serbia, dragonflies are considered to be magical in a positive, enchanting way. They symbolize youth and beauty, and seeing one brings luck. Also, when one sees a dragonfly - faeries are close by!
I wish I had more feed back like this - if you have the time please do some more research into folk names for dragonflies (and devil's coach horse beetles).
I would like to offer a very slight correction on this line: German Tenfelsnadel (Devils Needle). The first "n" should be a "u". The German word for devil is Teufel. Interesting article!
Could there be a connection between the names of damselflies and the names of dragonflies? I'm thinking damsels being sacrificed to dragons, damsels in distress due to dragons and so forth.
This article was a bit sparse on the damselfy, I thought, but SO COOL, I'm very glad you made it.
I started out wondering at the connection between damsels and dragons, now I'm wondering if horsemen were associated with devils because at some point all peoples were indigenous and perhaps victims of foreign horsemen ...
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