So Belkar is apparently a squirrel...

[konfeta]

Randomly decided to put in character names into google image search to see what comes up. One typo transforming Belkar into Belka. Couple seconds of being dumbstruck while staring at this image:

http://www.belhuntservice.com/images/taxi/pict/belka-1.jpg

And then it hits me - belka is Russian for squirrel. Is there some deeper history behind this character's origin (not in-story) or just a coincidence?

[Raging Gene Ray]

And then it hits me - belka is Russian for squirrel. Is there some deeper history behind this character's origin (not in-story) or just a coincidence?

There's a demon called a Belker. Rich probably just decided to take a demon's name and change one letter.

[Lupy]

That is... very odd. But does Rich know enough Russian to have realised it? He said he spoke german once, so I don't think he took it at high school. :smallconfused:

[Graymayre]

Hmm... Maybe.

In any other situation I would label this as a coincidence but I have failed to think of any male names that have the same pronounciation as Belka.

Edit:

However I find the slight switch from "Belker" to "Belkar" to be more likely.

[Raging Gene Ray]

That is... very odd. But does Rich know enough Russian to have realised it? He said he spoke german once, so I don't think he took it at high school. :smallconfused:

To paraphrase Stanislaw Lem: "Any word you can think of undoubitedly sounds like some other word in some language or other." I stick by the Belkar-Belker connection on the grounds that it stays in the realm of D and D.

And, after all, who doesn't speak German? I can speak German real good without ever learning a word of the language:

Ich bin Popein das Salienmensh, ich habt bin ein meinenkansch; ich nicht bin das binischi 'caush ich liebe das spinich, ich bin Popein das Salienmensch, Ach, ach!

[Morty]

"Belka" also means "beam" in Polish. There's limited amount of letter combinations.

[Linkavitch]

Wow, that's...weird.

[HamsterOfTheGod]

Re: So Belkar is apparently a squirrel...

No he's not. He goes for the head not the nuts...though vertical logic says he should.

[Athaniar]

There's a demon called a Belker. Rich probably just decided to take a demon's name and change one letter.

I thought it was a kind of air elemental?

[Woof]

Ich bin Popein das Salienmensh, ich habt bin ein meinenkansch; ich nicht bin das binischi 'caush ich liebe das spinich, ich bin Popein das Salienmensch, Ach, ach!

What on God's green earth is that supposed to mean? Whatever it is, it's certainly not German.

[NerfTW]

What on God's green earth is that supposed to mean? Whatever it is, it's certainly not German.

He appears to be singing the Popeye the Sailor Man tune.


I'm Popeye the Sailor Man, I live in (something, I can't remember the original, all I remember is "Garbage can"). I fights to the finish, cause I eats me spinach, I'm Popeye the Sailor Man!

[Cen]

"Belka" also means "beam" in Polish. There's limited amount of letter combinations.

yep, and we also had a Prime minisrer, whose name was "Marek Belka"

[Linkavitch]

So if Belkar is a squirrel, what kind of squirrel is he? Red, grey, gray, black? and what's his alignment? is he dire or normal? Well?

[Graymayre]

What on God's green earth is that supposed to mean? Whatever it is, it's certainly not German.

must be some type of Cthullian verse. Omg! What if he's trying to destroy our minds!

[Zolem]

must be some type of Cthullian verse. Omg! What if he's trying to destroy our minds!

It's Popeye the Sailor.

Also, who wants to bet what the next Baneful Polymorph will be?

[Morty]

yep, and we also had a Prime minisrer, whose name was "Marek Belka"

:smalleek:
It all makes sense now! What a clever political allusion.

[Griffinwarrior]

he may be a squirrel, but elan is a tree!

[Mercenary Pen]

So if Belkar is a squirrel, what kind of squirrel is he? Red, grey, gray, black? and what's his alignment? is he dire or normal? Well?

He's a fluorescent green neutral evil fiendish squirrel- isn't it obvious?

Belkar's name could be a reference to something... It could, on the other hand, just be something that the giant made up on the spur of the moment, you never can tell.