TIL There was a real "Thudershield" hero...

[Zigg'rrauglurr]

Was reading this:

http://satwcomic.com/art/burning-hot.jpg
http://satwcomic.com/burning-hot

If you buy matches in Denmark you will most likely be buying Tordenskjold matches, named after the much beloved Norwegian naval hero Peter Tordenskjold (Peter Thundershield) who helped us fight the Swedes during the years when Norway was part of Denmark. (...)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Tordenskjold

Just thought it was really interesting, and wondered if Rich used this surname for some reason or it's just a coincidence...

[LordChaos13]

I think Durkon was named after Thor the god of Thunder, rather than a translation of a foreign hero

[Rogar Demonblud]

Given the traditional dwarven antipathy for water, it's humorous, though.

[Aolbain]

I feel racially insulted that that murderer of my countrymen is to be considered a hero!:smallfurious:

Seriously though, while no-one loves a good history/SatW reference more then me I kinda doubt that it is the case here.

[F.Harr]

I feel racially insulted that that murderer of my countrymen is to be considered a hero!:smallfurious:

Seriously though, while no-one loves a good history/SatW reference more then me I kinda doubt that it is the case here.

If it happened more than a hundred years ago, it officially doesn't matter any more.

[NihhusHuotAliro]

If it happened more than a hundred years ago, it officially doesn't matter any more.

You're not serious, are you?

That's an incredibly rude and short-sighted thing to say.

It's like saying, "If it happened outside of Sweden, it doesn't matter".

[veti]

I think Durkon was named after Thor the god of Thunder, rather than a translation of a foreign hero

Specifically, Thor the Norse god of thunder. That is to say, the god who was once worshipped in Denmark...

So you're arguing he's "named after a foreign god, whose name he doesn't have", rather than "named after a real hero from the same country as that god, whose name he does have".

I think it's mildly unlikely that the Giant knew about Peter Tordenskjold when he gave Durkon his second name. But it's still cool to know. Thank you.

[Zigg'rrauglurr]

Specifically, Thor the Norse god of thunder. That is to say, the god who was once worshipped in Denmark...

So you're arguing he's "named after a foreign god, whose name he doesn't have", rather than "named after a real hero from the same country as that god, whose name he does have".

I think it's mildly unlikely that the Giant knew about Peter Tordenskjold when he gave Durkon his second name. But it's still cool to know. Thank you.

You're welcome. My line of thought was basically what you said. A surname tangentially related to the real Thor, wouldn't be the first sneaky thing Rich did...

[Onyavar]

The funny thing for me is - I had the same association when I read that comic. And I knew what awaited me when I read this thread title.

That said - yeah, coincidence.

Just like this book (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shield-of-thunder-david-gemmell/1100292551). Did the author infringe on Durkons trademark? :smallamused:

[M.A.D]

Was reading this:

http://satwcomic.com/art/burning-hot.jpg
http://satwcomic.com/burning-hot

If you buy matches in Denmark you will most likely be buying Tordenskjold matches, named after the much beloved Norwegian naval hero Peter Tordenskjold (Peter Thundershield) who helped us fight the Swedes during the years when Norway was part of Denmark. (...)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Tordenskjold

Just thought it was really interesting, and wondered if Rich used this surname for some reason or it's just a coincidence...

I imagine the Giant would have to (1) Speak Norwegian fluently enough to translate the name and (2) know about Norwegian history around 300 years back in order to pull it off, but sure!

[Mastikator]

You say "helped us fight the Swedes", yet your location says Argentina.


Pretty sure Sweden wasn't ever at war with Argentina.

Pretty sure.

[Quild]

You're not serious, are you?

That's an incredibly rude and short-sighted thing to say.

It's like saying, "If it happened outside of Sweden, it doesn't matter".

I guess you mean "If it happened inside of Sweden, it doesn't matter".
And I see nothing wrong about this :smallconfused:

[strijder20]

I imagine the Giant would have to (1) Speak Norwegian fluently enough to translate the name and (2) know about Norwegian history around 300 years back in order to pull it off, but sure!

As a speaker of a Germanic language, I didn't find it too hard to translate.


You say "helped us fight the Swedes", yet your location says Argentina.


Pretty sure Sweden wasn't ever at war with Argentina.

Pretty sure.

All people of the world are comrades of Norway in its fight against the Swedish oppressors :smallfurious:

[Greatmoustache]

You're not serious, are you?

That's an incredibly rude and short-sighted thing to say.

It's like saying, "If it happened outside of Sweden, it doesn't matter".

umm, but it doesn't?

*puts hands in pockets, walks away to a safe distance, whistling nonchalantly*

[Aolbain]

All people of the world are comrades of Norway in its fight against the Swedish oppressors :smallfurious:

Something something nationalistic buzzword, statement that questions the mental health of Norwegians, implied threat, more nationalistic drivel.

[LordChaos13]

Something something nationalistic buzzword, statement that questions the mental health of Norwegians, implied threat, more nationalistic drivel.

I sense your national fervor isn't as high as it should

[Aolbain]

I sense your national fervor isn't as high as it should

Crap, they're on to me. To the traitormobil!

[Zigg'rrauglurr]

You say "helped us fight the Swedes", yet your location says Argentina.


Pretty sure Sweden wasn't ever at war with Argentina.

Pretty sure.

Of course, you didn't know about the hidden war of 1893, Argentina, Sweden and the Great Qing were part of three-part struggle to gain control over the... nah I'm kiding you, I just copy pasted the explanation the comic writer gave, hence the (...) indicating the story continued, I also left the link, I suppose I should have used quotations... my bad.


I imagine the Giant would have to (1) Speak Norwegian fluently enough to translate the name and (2) know about Norwegian history around 300 years back in order to pull it off, but sure!

Not necessarily he is knowledgeable enough of the Nordic mythos, anything from a Wikipedia binge to a random comic reading, even flipping channels to NatGeo at the right moment could give him the knowledge of a hero called "Thundershield" which is a cool name, perhaps even one of his player could have used that name, knowing the real history behind it.

[Siosilvar]

All people of the world are comrades of Norway in its fight against the Swedish oppressors :smallfurious:

Including Sweden? :smalltongue:

[NihhusHuotAliro]

All people of the world are comrades of Norway in its fight against the Swedish oppressors :smallfurious:

Oh, you. We Swedes asked you to join us and rule the world at our side. You refused, and so did Estonia, Finland, Iceland, and Denmark.

Norway, you have not yet realized your importance. You have only begun to discover your power. With our combined strength, we could end this destructive conflict and bring the glory of Scandinavia to the world. It is your destiny. Join us, and we can rule the world as brethren nations.

Olaf the saint never told you what happened to the Sueones.

[deworde]

Oh, you. We Swedes asked you to join us and rule the world at our side. You refused, and so did Estonia, Finland, Iceland, and Denmark.

Norway, you have not yet realized your importance. You have only begun to discover your power. With our combined strength, we could end this destructive conflict and bring the glory of Scandinavia to the world. It is your destiny. Join us, and we can rule the world as brethren nations.

Olaf the saint never told you what happened to the Sueones.

I have a new jingle! "It started with a discussion of matches and dwarves, now everybody's gonna get scrubbed."

[Greatmoustache]

Oh, you. We Swedes asked you to join us and rule the world at our side. You refused, and so did Estonia, Finland, Iceland, and Denmark.

Norway, you have not yet realized your importance. You have only begun to discover your power. With our combined strength, we could end this destructive conflict and bring the glory of Scandinavia to the world. It is your destiny. Join us, and we can rule the world as brethren nations.

Olaf the saint never told you what happened to the Sueones.

i will support this, if it will result with, the company, in which i work at will allow me to grow a wild beard.

[F.Harr]

Was reading this:

http://satwcomic.com/art/burning-hot.jpg
http://satwcomic.com/burning-hot

If you buy matches in Denmark you will most likely be buying Tordenskjold matches, named after the much beloved Norwegian naval hero Peter Tordenskjold (Peter Thundershield) who helped us fight the Swedes during the years when Norway was part of Denmark. (...)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Tordenskjold

Just thought it was really interesting, and wondered if Rich used this surname for some reason or it's just a coincidence...

Thanks for introdusing this. It's a great deal of fun.

[jidasfire]

While I do find this an interesting coincidence, I am reasonably sure Durkon's name is from the standard "Rock Axebeard" style of naming dwarves tend to have in D&D.

Still, it is neat to know regardless, and I look forward to seeing this thread devolve into whether or not Sweden was morally justified in their dragon genocide plans. :smalltongue:

[NihhusHuotAliro]

While I do find this an interesting coincidence, I am reasonably sure Durkon's name is from the standard "Rock Axebeard" style of naming dwarves tend to have in D&D.

Still, it is neat to know regardless, and I look forward to seeing this thread devolve into whether or not Sweden was morally justified in their dragon genocide plans. :smalltongue:
Do you mean Sweden having plans to preform genocide on dragons; or Sweden having plans to preform genocide via dragons. Or do you mean that Sweden's dragon genocide plans should be parsed as genocide plans by Dragons in Sweden (as in, Swedish dragons planning genocide).

Cause, you know, I'm all for killing the mammals and letting the reptiles rule.

[Kish]

Dragons aren't reptiles.

[Marlowe]

Funny. Not knowing any Scandinavian languages, I always thought that the British "Torpedo Ram" "Thunder Child" in "War of the Worlds" was a joke on Tordenskjold.

Don't judge me. It's not my fault that the Danish and Swedish navies in 1898 were the only navies in the world to be operating ships called "Torpedo Rams". Or that there was only one in existence with the correct name. It was Danish, by the way.

The status of the Norwegian armed forces at the time were complicated.

[Domino Quartz]

Dragons aren't reptiles.

Why not? What are they, then (aside from "not real")?

[jere7my]

Why not? What are they, then (aside from "not real")?

Monotreme crustaceans.

[Taelas]

Eh, without an explicit reference to Durkon and matchboxes, I'm inclined to say it's just coincidence.

Tordenskjold matches are pretty much the only kind of matchboxes you'll find here, though, so there is that.

Normally Danes do not translate names, so I hadn't even caught the similarity.

[Kish]

Why not? What are they, then (aside from "not real")?
Reptiles are ectothermic, dragons are endothermic; the Draconomicon goes into this.

[Misery Esquire]

Why not? What are they, then (aside from "not real")?

Oversized Firebreathing Scaly Cats.

[F.Harr]

You're not serious, are you?

That's an incredibly rude and short-sighted thing to say.

It's like saying, "If it happened outside of Sweden, it doesn't matter".

You know, you're right. A person should totally lock themelves into a prison of resentment about things that happened four or five centuries ago by people who've been dead for near four hundred years. Grudges are great!


Why not?

Too many limbs and they gennerate their own heat which reptiles can't


What are they, then (aside from "not real")?




Oversized Firebreathing Scaly Cats.

I like that. But cats only have four limbs and retractable claws. It still doesn't work.

Dragons are their own order of vertibrate. Fantastica.

[rodneyAnonymous]

Dragons aren't reptiles.


Why not? What are they, then (aside from "not real")?

Generally (not D&D-specifically), dragons tend to have reptilian features (you could even say "dragons are reptilian"), but they also have feline features, and are not actually a reptile or a cat. Gryphons are both birdlike and leonine, but not a bird or a mammal.

Fantastic creatures don't usually fit into real-world taxonomy, which is kind of artificial to begin with (as far as we know there is only one kind of life on Earth, and it's a gradient, the hard lines that divide categories are something we humans impose on Nature, not something natural). Some groups are defined by a literally unique trait (inherited from a recent common ancestor) called a synapomorphy, but often group labels (like, say, "dinosaurs") include species that shouldn't really be grouped together if we are defining groups by ancestry alone (which dare-I-say-"most" modern biologists consider proper).

[Alexkubel]

Oh, you. We Swedes asked you to join us and rule the world at our side. You refused, and so did Estonia, Finland, Iceland, and Denmark.

Norway, you have not yet realized your importance. You have only begun to discover your power. With our combined strength, we could end this destructive conflict and bring the glory of Scandinavia to the world. It is your destiny. Join us, and we can rule the world as brethren nations.

Olaf the saint never told you what happened to the Sueones.

clearly you don't know that the Fin's can hold their own, even against a soviet onslaught, the Swedish know how to talk their way around war (which is the best way to survive WW2 in my opinion, selling Iron to a group of sensible people living in Germany. because that's how the Swedish and most people early war saw it.)


While I do find this an interesting coincidence, I am reasonably sure Durkon's name is from the standard "Rock Axebeard" style of naming dwarves tend to have in D&D.

Still, it is neat to know regardless, and I look forward to seeing this thread devolve into whether or not Sweden was morally justified in their dragon genocide plans. :smalltongue:

I thought it was Argentina that was planning dragon cull not a full genocide, because they're so damn annoying as they steal sheep and cows.

also I am blissful in my ignorance and find it funny how nationalistic the Swedish are being, even if they are good traders, and overly defensive about being insulted as a nation. (totally not a attempt to put forwards a reasoned argument that sounds dangerously close to trying to start a flame war)

my knowledge of dragons has there are various types of dragons, my information suggests they're similar to reptiles but evolved into dragons, dragons have an undefined number of limbs. and are similar to reptiles, not all dragons have limbs or wings, they're incredibly variable.

[The Giant]

First, no, I've never heard of this historical figure, I just picked two words that sounded sort of Thor-related and jammed them together for Durkon's last name.

And second, this thread is a good example of why we ask people not to discuss anything that even remotely treads on real-world politics—because everything is always an issue to somebody, even a hundred years later.

Question answered, thread locked.