MM: I don't know whether there's a
good Russian language clue in Erminin, but ermine was (maybe still is) worn by
aristocrats.
AS: ...Erminin seems to hint at armyanin
(Armenian, in the sense "a native of Armenia"), while reminding one of Ermiy
(obsolete Russian name of Hermes). Armenia's capital, Erevan ends in Van and is
an anagram of Venera (Russian name of Venus).
Jansy Mello: As
usual, I cannot follow most of MM's and AS's allusions, but I enjoy the
trip.Fascinating "Gavriiliada" by Pushkin.If the Virgin's immaculate conception
is really emphasized by VN in "Lolita" (the young girl dies during Xmas,
there's a star associated to her...), perhaps we could include Pushkin's
"frivolous version" (AS) as a background, too. It would make a lot
more of sense to me - and not at all irreverent (but very
dramatic)..
In relation to the Erminins and
Armenia's Erevan, I wouldn't have added another wild link to Samuel Butler, were
it not for wikipedia's information that passes through a place called
Mesopotamia* (a coincidence of sorts).
Erevan reminded me of
Butler's "Erewhon."
Here's what I
found:
"Erewhon: or, Over the Range is a novel by Samuel
Butler, published anonymously in 1872. The title is also the name of a country,
supposedly discovered by the protagonist. In the novel, it is not revealed in
which part of the world Erewhon is, but it is clear that it is a fictional
country. Butler meant the title to be read as the word Nowhere backwards, even
though the letters "h" and "w" are transposed, therefore Erewhon is an anagram
of nowhere. The first few chapters of the novel, dealing with the discovery of
Erewhon, are in fact based on Butler's own experiences in New Zealand where, as
a young man, he worked as a sheep farmer on Mesopotamia Station for about four
years (1860–1864) and explored parts of the interior of the South Island of
which he wrote about in his A First Year in Canterbury Settlement (1863)."
(wiki)
...................................................................................................................................................................................
* - ADA "‘The Romans,’ said Greg, ‘the Roman
colonists, who crucified Christian Jews and Barabbits, and other unfortunate
people in the old days, did not touch pork either, but I certainly do and so did
my grandparents.’
Lucette was puzzled by a verb Greg
had used. To illustrate it for her, Van joined his ankles, spread both his arms
horizontally, and rolled up his eyes.
‘When I was a little girl,’ said
Marina
crossly, ‘Mesopotamian history was taught practically in the
nursery.’
‘Not all
little girls can learn what they are taught,’ observed Ada.
‘Are we Mesopotamians?’ asked
Lucette.
‘We are
Hippopotamians,’ said Van. ‘ "