Wigan
The name given to white witches in Northern Finland during the 17th century, particularly in the region around Kuusamo. There a famous “Wigan” was once said to have cured the local mayor of a particularly offensive carbuncle in time for the visit of King Gustavus Adolphus (Finland was part of the Swedish Empire at the time).
Getafe
An Incan warrior king. Very little information about Getafe survives, but analysis of stone tablets first “discovered” by the Spanish around 1530 suggested he lived sometime in the late 1300s. According to local oral history, after one decisive battle against the Maroar tribes, Getafe had as many as 500 of their children sacrificed to the sun god Inti in thanks for his victory.
Norwich
Old English slang term used by sailors to describe the long, twisted horn of the Narwahl (Monodon monoceros). The same word was often used for the unicorn’s horn, and this may also explain why some of the early coats of arms used for the city of Norwich featured both the lion (still present in the city flag) and unicorn.
Schalke
A term coined by Victorian schoolchildren to describe playing tricks on their teachers, as in “Let’s schalke old Braithwaite this afternoon”. A common example was for one child to distract the teacher while another rubbed out letters on the blackboard, often so the remaining letters would spell something indecent. The term derives from chalk, which was of course used at the time to write on blackboards.
Sources:
- Braithwaite, B. (1972) “A complete history of Finland” 2nd Edition.
- Jones E., Jones J. and Southern D. (1989) “14th century Incan kings: speculations on the pre-Spanish civilisation” J.Rev. Am. Hist. 13(4) P.132-215
- Sundown, S. (2003) “Norfolk and the whaling industry”
- Brimley, H.F. (1913) “A life in teaching: then and now”
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