Does this world has a name?

[TemerianGirl]

Really? I was under the impression that Sapkowski hated video games and was not involved with CDPR in making any of them.

What else did he do? Did he help with the story at all?

Found this in old FAQ.

«The plot is mainly were writed by Jacek Komuda and Maciej Jurewicz - Polish fantasy authors, also known as creators of the tabletop role-playing system called «The Wild Planes». However, Andrzej Sapkowski consulted authors of game story, made editing, gave advices and eventually adopted the final version of the script. According to the latest information Sapkowski also personally wrote three different endings.»

 

[Sirnaq]

Northern kingdoms suffice.

 

[KnightofPhoenix]

Yes the lack of a name has always bothered me.

I guess Nilfgaard calls the world Soontobeours.

 

[colibrie]

So not in a one book does they say such as "what on Earth is happening here?". It could help.
It's bothered me too. It's difficult to tell about conjuction of pheres if there's no name for the spheres.

Spoiler

The world of Aen Elle? Is that how they call the other world?

 

[Nekrypt]

So not in a one book does they say such as "what on Earth is happening here?". It could help.

It's bothered me too. It's difficult to tell about conjuction of pheres if there's no name for the spheres.

Spoiler

The world of Aen Elle? Is that how they call the other world?

Aen Elle are the elves of that other wolrd (that by the way, as I remember it's like a mini-wolrd, the size of a big park). I can´r remember well, but I think Aen Elle stands for "people of the hills", and Aen Seidhe for "people of the bushes", or viceversa, or something like that.
F*ck, I need to read the hole saga again, what a bad memory.

 

[SaladinBarchan]

This is very intresting topic. I too would like a proper name for Sapkowskis fantasy world.

Hmmm, Fans of Robin Hobb call her fantasy world the Realm of Elderlings, named after mysterious race before humans.

So maybe we should call our fan favorite world The Realm of Aen Seidhe or something. So we can call the world where the elves of wild hunt come from the Realm of Aen Elle.

 

[Nekrypt]

Sorry for posting twice.

Northern kingdoms suffice.

Northern Kingdoms are the realms of the northern part of that continent. Then there's the Leage of Kovir and Poviss, Nilfgaard, Korath Desert, Zerrikania...

I think It's good that the world of The Witcher doesn't have a name, because it gives us an idea of how ignorant is people and how poor is tecnology. People there live to work, work to survive, and there aren't means of going to wherever you want to go, if not by foot or horse, and you would have to suffer many dangers at every step you make.

 

[joshko]

It really doesn't matter what the world is called because in the long run it'll be referred to as "Nilfopia".

 

[darcler]

And how does our world is called? Not Earth, as this the name of the planet - and its name is but a semantic extension of the common word 'earth'. I suppose it depends on the language, but when I refer to the world (in English or my native Polish), I don't use any fancy name - I simply say 'world', which is a common word, not a name. I don't see why it would be different in the Witcherland

 

[vivaxardas2015]

We have a name for our planet, a continent, and so on. We have a name for our world as well. We call our world 'universe', and Greeks called it 'cosmos' because it is the only one, and there is nothing outside of it (or there is no 'outside' to speak of). We use 'Universe' as a name, and we don't even add 'our' to it because there is only one (as far a we know from experience).

In case we were to have multiple worlds, which interact with ours, we would have given them names to distinguish one from another, like in ancient mythologies. In North mythology there are 9 worlds. One of them is called Midgard (Middle Abode), or Manna-Meim (home of men) the world of men, another one is Asgard, a home world of aesir, a race of gods, and so on. The same goes for any mythology with multiple worlds, be that Mayan, Greek, or Siberian/Native American. In the witcher world it would be something similar I guess.

 

[darcler]

Ah, see, but this isn't that simple. What is world? Is it only the physical reality, is it the whole universe, is it just the place in the universe where we humans live? If we go further into abstract thinking, we delve into ontology, be it secular or theological (you mentioned mythologies yourself). Then we have different cultures, languages, beliefs that can provide their own names, deriving them from various sources (like deities, common words) that will be unique only to them.

So I disagree we have a name for the world. We sometimes have names for the world, but it's a variable, not a constant.

 

[vivaxardas2015]

So I disagree we have a name for the world. We sometimes have names for the world, but it's a variable, not a constant.

A name is something we use to pick out some object/entity and refer to it in speech and writing. We do talk, write, and discuss our world. When people write on modern scientific cosmology, they call our world 'universe'.

Sure, different cultures have different names, but it is exactly my point. Our world has MANY names, as you said yourself. But having many names is not the same as having NO NAME at all, it is exactly the opposite. Sure, our world does not have THE NAME, the only true mane, so to speak. But nothing has a true name, because names are just strings of words/sounds created by convention. Something is a name as long as a group of people uses it as such.

I agree, different cultures in the witcher world may have different names for their world, and other worlds. The river that divides the Northern kingdoms and Nilfgaardian empire is called Yaruga in the North, and Yarra in Nilfgaard. Sapkowski gave us both names because this river played an important role in the novels. He did not give us the name Northerners used to call their world because it wasn't important to the saga, but not because they did not have it.At least it is what I believe. I sure don't believe that it was his intention that the witcher4 world was always nameless for its inhabitants.

But, you know, to argue about names of fictional entities is not the best way to spend time because there won't be any resolution. That is just what I believe and my reasons for it, that's all.

 

[Nerevar.220]

Aen Elle are the elves of that other wolrd (that by the way, as I remember it's like a mini-wolrd, the size of a big park). I can´r remember well, but I think Aen Elle stands for "people of the hills", and Aen Seidhe for "people of the bushes", or viceversa, or something like that.
F*ck, I need to read the hole saga again, what a bad memory.

I got the idea the miniworld was just a warp? bubble where the elves lived. Unicorns took care they didn´t go much outside after what they did to the people who lived there.

 

[darcler]

A name is something we use to pick out some object/entity and refer to it in speech and writing. We do talk, write, and discuss our world. When people write on modern scientific cosmology, they call our world 'universe'.

Sure, different cultures have different names, but it is exactly my point. Our world has MANY names, as you said yourself. But having many names is not the same as having NO NAME at all, it is exactly the opposite. Sure, our world does not have THE NAME, the only true mane, so to speak. But nothing has a true name, because names are just strings of words/sounds created by convention. Something is a name as long as a group of people uses it as such.

I agree, different cultures in the witcher world may have different names for their world, and other worlds. The river that divides the Northern kingdoms and Nilfgaardian empire is called Yaruga in the North, and Yarra in Nilfgaard. Sapkowski gave us both names because this river played an important role in the novels. He did not give us the name Northerners used to call their world because it wasn't important to the saga, but not because they did not have it.At least it is what I believe. I sure don't believe that it was his intention that the witcher4 world was always nameless for its inhabitants.

I do agree with you on this, my point was that a world would have multiple names, each equally apt, and I got the impression that there is the expectation of each fantasy world having one single name - something that I see as contrived. My second point is that there is no need for people living in such a world to refer to it by name. I certainly do not refer by any name to my world, and I do not see any reason as to why any person living in the Witcherland cannot do the same.

To sum up my posts: I do not agree with the notion that Witcherland needs a name for any inherent, intrinsic, immanent reason. The only reason would be for the benefit of us, the readers and gamers.

But, you know, to argue about names of fictional entities is not the best way to spend time because there won't be any resolution. That is just what I believe and my reasons for it, that's all.

I do not seek resolution, I seek the discussion So for me the time is well spent after all.

 

[TemerianGirl]

Well, If there is no name for this continent/world, I'll name their land "Shard of Sphere" ("SoS") or "Aeddspair" in elven, sounds like "Despair" (Ithlina's prophecy style), but this is better than nothing, right?

 

[DonSwingKing]

Really? /> I was under the impression that Sapkowski hated video games and was not involved with CDPR in making any of them.

What else did he do? Did he help with the story at all?

As far as I remember he gave his OK to Geralts appearance. They showed him artworks etc. Maybe also pictures of the other characters. Then there is this map thing. That's it I think.

 

[soldiergeralt]

they have no concept of world. that's a concept derived from our own unique evolutionary and geological development.

/excuse mode

 

[KingHochmeister]

The Continent ?


lol

 

[GervantOfLyria]

Did we even have a map before the games? I don't think so.

Well, actually, yes, as I know I mean not for us, but the map itself existed before development of games, Sapkowski talked about this for some a long time ago in one of the interviews, the map made ​​his czech translator, and then AS finished it himself.

Regarding the name of the world, I think it exists in Sapkowski's minds, but it will appear only when it will be need to. For the moment the events of books were folded so that was not a necessity in it, they had taken place within the limits of only certain part of one known continent - Northern KIngdoms and Nilfgaard.

And no, unfortunately, no any word on it in the new book (Season of storms).

 

[vivaxardas2015]

And no, unfortunately, no any word on it in the new book (Season of storms).

Any word about translation into Russian? Is it already available in any version, official or fan translation?