Is It Problematic Using Modern Names For Ancient Sites?

[Discount_Blade]

I'm

 

[jabathehut]

Another rare instance of Discount being based. Nah just use modern names. I think the only time it could be problematic is colonized sites of historical, cultural or spiritual importance to cultures that were erased by aggressive action. Other than that fuck it use modern names so much easier to read. I think sometimes in those cases using their cultural names could actually be problematic

 

[BenJepheneT]

Sometimes I circumvent this by making it so the modern names are just abbreviations. Here's an example:

Hi my name is Romphaneous the second

H-how do you pronounce it?

Just call be Rob

OR

My name is Jovialistance Haenapheus Nagitoria

H-how do you pronounce that?

Just call me John

Simple

 

[Deleted member 29316]

Well, as I like history, I am for using historical names for those you can find, and some fictional, but contemporaneous-sounding ones for the places that had a vague past. (For authenticity)

This is historical fiction anyway, and I guess the readers would be unable to identify the 'errors' when the author himself couldn't find the exact name of the place after exhaustive research.

A good example of this is the manga that I read, 'Ad Astra: Scipio to Hannibal'.

The old name for Cartagena, Spain was used by the author, which is Carthago Nova. I really liked that story, since the narration felt authentic to me.

Alternatively, you could also use vague names and directions just to put something on the narration. Like, "That village five leagues away from Mediolanium", something like that.

 

[TheTrinary]

Based on how you described your own work, I'm going to say its 100% okay and will probably help the audience.

 

[NotaNuffian]

Err, just go google the common names in that timeperiod.
Odds are that those names get carried to our time as well.
For example, my main character James is a farmboy in a medieval-ish land and they already had such name available. Alternatives are Jack, John, Jacob.

Ps. Skipped your wall of text and got sidetracked by your actual qn of landmarks, mate, even if you name it MeatWood or LardBath, it is ok. You get off your own stock.

Unless you are facing nitpickers of course, then ggwp.

 

[Discount_Blade]

Err, just go google the common names in that timeperiod.
Odds are that those names get carried to our time as well.
For example, my main character James is a farmboy in a medieval-ish land and they already had such name available. Alternatives are Jack, John, Jacob.

Ps. Skipped your wall of text and got sidetracked by your actual qn of landmarks, mate, even if you name it MeatWood or LardBath, it is ok. You get off your own stock.

Unless you are facing nitpickers of course, then ggwp.

there is no wall of text. Thanks for responding. Thats what I planned on doing. I'll probably make a author's note explaining as much.

Based on how you described your own work, I'm going to say its 100% okay and will probably help the audience.

An easy example of what I mean is, one place I plan to start the story is in what is now called Chichester, but the Roman equivalent is Noviomagus Reginorum. Personally, I don't much care about historical accuracy because its alternate/fantasy history. I'm just going to call it Chichester. If it was regular alternate history, I would try to keep it more historically accurate naming wise...but adding in the fantasy element just make me feel it's not as important anymore.

Well, as I like history, I am for using historical names for those you can find, and some fictional, but contemporaneous-sounding ones for the places that had a vague past. (For authenticity)

This is historical fiction anyway, and I guess the readers would be unable to identify the 'errors' when the author himself couldn't find the exact name of the place after exhaustive research.

A good example of this is the manga that I read, 'Ad Astra: Scipio to Hannibal'.

The old name for Cartagena, Spain was used by the author, which is Carthago Nova. I really liked that story, since the narration felt authentic to me.

Alternatively, you could also use vague names and directions just to put something on the narration. Like, "That village five leagues away from Mediolanium", something like that.

Ah yes, Milan. The bread and butter of Northern Italy.

 

[Deleted member 29316]

Check this out. There's an element of fantasy here, especially on the part of 'Archimedes' inventions', but the names used are the ancient ones.

Ad Astra - Scipio To Hannibal Manga - Mangakakalot.com

From MangaHelpers: This is the story of two of the greatest military commanders in history: the Roman Publius Cornelius Scipio and the Carthaginian Hannibal. The story follows the two of them from their early life on. Hannibal is initially shown as a strangely silent infant, who seemed like the...

mangakakalot.com

Hope this helps!

 

[TheTrinary]

No I got what you were saying and I think it completely works.

 

[Sabruness]

if you're wanting some authenticity, use the historical names where available and maybe have the modern names in footnotes (which im pretty sure SH has a function for).

If you dont care so much then just go all modern which seems to be the plan and would be easier on readers.

 

[NotaNuffian]

there is no wall of text. Thanks for responding. Thats what I planned on doing. I'll probably make a author's note explaining as much.



An easy example of what I mean is, one place I plan to start the story is in what is now called Chichester, but the Roman equivalent is Noviomagus Reginorum. Personally, I don't much care about historical accuracy because its alternate/fantasy history. I'm just going to call it Chichester. If it was regular alternate history, I would try to keep it more historically accurate naming wise...but adding in the fantasy element just make me feel it's not as important anymore.

Ah yes, Milan. The bread and butter of Northern Italy.

My tired brain now perceives anything longer than two paragraphs is a wall, for instance @HansTrondheim 's posts I had skipped them all and went on straight to answer your qns. Then my brain kicked into "read last paragraph for conclusion" mode and saw the qn.

 

[happypanda]

Just make it otherworld fantasy. Then there will be no problem with great Pharaoh Justin vs great Sultan Nobuhiro.

 

[Deleted member 29316]

My tired brain now perceives anything longer than two paragraphs is a wall, for instance @HansTrondheim 's posts I had skipped them all and went on straight to answer your qns. Then my brain kicked into "read last paragraph for conclusion" mode and saw the qn.

I' m a teacher. I'm used to elaborating topics without anyone listening.

 

[namio]

I don't see why you should have to scrap the historical names of places you can find just because of the places you can't. History gets lost to time, this is a fact we can't really do much about; accepting that we won't ever know the original/time-period names of some things is the first step to healing (cough). Unless the available historical names are hidden behind, I don't know, non-digitized research papers from the 70's or something, it's reachable by google. Given what you seem to be writing and what you like to talk about in the threads I've seen you in, your audience aren't going to be the sort who are scared off by a couple of old names. If they are, they've probably already left LOL

HansTrondheim brought up a good way to bypass making your readers look up a map on the side: have it described properly and you can bypass at least a couple of instances where you're uncomfortable with naming the location. If it bothers you so much, just footnote. This happens a lot in historical webnovel fan-translations, use the tools you have access to while you're on a website and don't need to stick it to the bottom of the pages.

Frankly speaking, as a reader I'd have more problems with having to draw up a map as I'm reading more than I am with hard-to-read names. It breaks immersion far more than having to click on a footnote.

 

[Toomanysorrows]

I'd say go with historical names/era-appropriate fictional names for when you can't find one. What's the point of reading something in a historical setting if it's going to sound like the present, after all.