Reading Notes: Twenty-Two Goblins, Part B

Here are my reading notes for Part B of the unit for this week!

Bibliography: Twenty-Two Goblins, translated from Sanskrit by Arthur W. Ryder, with illustrations by Perham W. Nahl (1917).

I want to keep focusing on interesting names for today's notes. In the first story for today's reading, the author tells us of a woman named "beautiful." The goblin telling the story remarks that "No doubt the Creator put together in her the priceless elements of charm and loveliness after his practice in making the nymphs of heaven." Many of these riddles by the goblin so far have revolved around love, romance choices, and attractive characters, so this name fits in with others that have occurred. However, this one is perhaps the most clear in what it signifies about the character.

A whole family is given interesting, descriptive names in the next short tale. The author describes a "merchant named Jewel....His wife was named Pleasing, and a daughter named Pearl was given to her prayers." The names of the family members signify wealth and happiness. The daughter's name and origin perhaps indicate her status as a special blessing. It seems that the wife, "pleasing," must be well-liked by her husband and/or others around them. The King of the city that this family lives is named "Hero-banner." This name suggests success and might. The names, which are all introduced early in this story, are rich and help frame the subsequent tale and riddle.

The next story features another merchant's daughter, this one "named Passion. Everyone who saw her fell in love and went mad with passion." This continues a consistent motif in the riddles of the goblin: a beautiful young girl who attracts multiple suitors. In this same story, there is a king named "Glorious," which is a name consistent with another recurring character archetype in Twenty-Two Goblins: the heroic, successful, mighty king. However, the name of the king in the following story isn't as praiseworthy. The author tells readers of "Earth-boar," whose name seemingly implies brute physical strength but a lack of intelligence, morals, refinement, and/or true heroism. Another interesting name in this story was a village named "Sacrifice." This could indicate many things, and I initially interpreted the name as a foreshadowing of something to come in the story. 

Multiple vibrant, strong names contributed to this frame story and the fun riddles within!

Illustration by Perham W. Nahl from 

Arthur W. Ryder's Twenty-Two Goblins (1917). 

Source: Wikimedia