Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[flap]

I've had a look at wikipedia about kobold, and compared the french, spanish, english and german articles. It is very interresting that in each article the explain the origin of the name in different ways :

* German and spanish : the element cobalt has been named after these Kobolds. Because at that time we did not know what to do with this metal.

* English : Kobolds have been named after cobalt because both are poisenous

* French : "Kob" : House, "Holt" : Kind, gracious, friendly (this compliment to avoid being anoyed by them)

What is interesting too in the french article, is that the kobold where accused of causing cave in...

However in the spanish, they state that kobold did help for housework. But in exchange we had to drop a bit of milk for them.

Maybe some possible interactions here...

[ September 15, 2006: Message edited by: flap ]

[Frogman]

quote:Originally posted by flap:
<STRONG>* English : Kobolds have been named after cobalt because both are poisenous</STRONG>

I think you've turned it backwards.

quote:Originally posted by Wikipedia:
<STRONG>Kobolds are spirits of German folklore. The name comes from the German word kobalt or kobold meaning "evil spirit".
(...)
Another type of kobold (...) haunts mines and other underground places. The name of the element cobalt comes from kobold, after the poisonous and troublesome nature of the typical arsenical ores of this metal (cobaltite and smaltite) which polluted other mined elements (compare nickel).</STRONG>

[flap]

Oh.. yeah. I've read it too fast. However, the link between cobalt and kobold is interesting