TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

This is the multi-year Q&A sessions held by D&D co-creator Gary Gygax here at EN World, beginning in 2002 and running up until his sad pasing in 2008. Gary's username in the thread below is Col_Pladoh, and his first post in this long thread is Post #39.

 

[MutieMoe]

The background I created for Mordenkainen was Finnish-like in nature, and his master was a chap called Old Waino...


Gary

Vaka vanha Gygax tietäjä iän-ikuinen!

I would have never guessed that, quite interesting tidbit of information .
I see you picked the "nen" from the common ending of many finnish surnames like example "Mustonen", "Virtanen" etc..

What exactly does "Finnish-like" mean? Was or is there more Kalevala-inspired things in Greyhawk or D&D in general? I remember at least the boxed sets of D&D having artifact that was the wife that Ilmarinen made of precious metals, but was there else?

 

[jonesy]

...I really was captivated with Finnish myth after seeing a B&W movie done by the Russians, I think, about him, Leminkainen, and Ilmarinen adventuring to Pojola and entering Louhi's fortress...

You don't mean Sampo, do you? Now there's an obscure piece of cinematic...umm, something.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Here's another conundrum for you, Gary. When you and your buddies first starting this whole "roleplaying" thing, how did you approach character names? I've heard you mention Mordenkainen was based on Finnish but on the other end of the spectrum earlier in this thread you related the story of "Medium Rary" to us. Did you see character names as being important elements contributing to the fantasy or more like simple labels to refer to each character? Did people ever groan when someone introduced a character with a hackneyed or pun-originating name or was it all in good fun?

In general most of the players, myself included when initially adventuring and not DMing, thought little of the PC's name, but more about what thrilling things would transpire. Thus my first character was bame Yrag, and some of the younger fellows in the group didn't even name their PC.

Don Kaye was a semi-exception with Murlynd. As I became a bit more engaged in the broader possibility spectrum of the game I did a more seriously considered PC, as already mentioned. That became common with most of the veterans in our group around that time.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Vaka vanha Gygax tietäjä iän-ikuinen!

About the closest to knowing Finnish is casually knowing a few Finns and a laplander

I would have never guessed that, quite interesting tidbit of information .
I see you picked the "nen" from the common ending of many finnish surnames like example "Mustonen", "Virtanen" etc..

Heh...that was my purpose, as I planned to develop name chants to use against N/PCs that I found objectionable, as Vainomoinen found Kullervo I did actually create one, but I never approached the DM of the group to invoke it. Anyway, the "nen" ending was for Vainomoinen, of course, as I was much taken with his character.

What exactly does "Finnish-like" mean? Was or is there more Kalevala-inspired things in Greyhawk or D&D in general? I remember at least the boxed sets of D&D having artifact that was the wife that Ilmarinen made of precious metals, but was there else?

As there was no parallel to mythical Finland in the campaigns I played in, nor on the continent presented in the World of Greyhawk setting, the best I could manage was to have a few outstanding persons (such as Louhi) and objects brought into play. I did have a Sampo, but it was not the same as that that Ilmarinen made that ground out grain, gold, and salt. I have forgotten what it actually produced, but IIRR it milled small quantities of alcohol, porridge, and copper once per day, not continually.

Anyway, if I had been selecting a name closer to my family's traditional ancestor, I would have based my PC's name on a mythic figure such as Wipunen.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

You don't mean Sampo, do you? Now there's an obscure piece of cinematic...umm, something.

Possibly, thanks!

I caught the movie about 10 minutes after it began, watched it to the conclusion on my black & white television set. It looked to have been onl, but whi can say, as reception back then was often poor.

The name of the US version makes me think it is the movie I so enjpyed, as there was much ice and snow in the environment. As I recall the Sampo is in the heroes' ship when it goes down...thus matching the fable of how the sea became salty.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[jonesy]

Vaka vanha Gygax tietäjä iän-ikuinen!

About the closest to knowing Finnish is casually knowing a few Finns and a laplander

Vaka vanha is the, umm, title given to Väinämöinen in most of the verses that concern him in Kalevala. Vaka means steadfast, vanha means old. Together they mean someone who, though old, is aging very respectably. Like those Himalayan guys who look like they are a million years old, yet can carry more stuff than anyone up a mountain, vertically. Iän-ikuinen means everlasting and tietäjä is a sage or a guru (though in this instance wizard might be more apt).

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Vaka vanha is the, umm, title given to Väinämöinen in most of the verses that concern him in Kalevala. Vaka means steadfast, vanha means old. Together they mean someone who, though old, is aging very respectably. Like those Himalayan guys who look like they are a million years old, yet can carry more stuff than anyone up a mountain, vertically. Iän-ikuinen means everlasting and tietäjä is a sage or a guru (though in this instance wizard might be more apt).

Thanks for the enlightenment

Maybe "enchanter" is the best translation of tietäjä in regards Vainomoinen, eh?

BTW, the lead programmerfor the LA MMP online game is from Finland.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[jonesy]

Maybe "enchanter" is the best translation of tietäjä in regards Vainomoinen, eh?

I think enchanter fits Ilmarinen somewhat better what with his forge creations.

Maybe 'spellsinger' for Väinämöinen?

 

[Col_Pladoh]

I think enchanter fits Ilmarinen somewhat better what with his forge creations.

Maybe 'spellsinger' for Väinämöinen?

Actually, from my reading "Enchantment" fits most of the magic enacted by the various persons in the Kalevala. Although a kanteel is often employed, that does not move the resulting spell from the chanting category, so "Enchanter" seems accurate to me. In mythology and folklore there are no spellsingers named per se. are there?

Cheers,
Gary

 

[jonesy]

In mythology and folklore there are no spellsingers named per se. are there?

I was thinking of the instance where Väinämöinen sings Joukahainen into a swamp. His singing is so powerful that the lakes spill over, mountains start shaking, hills split apart, and that's only the beginning.

In the same part his honorific becomes 'laulaja iän-ikuinen' (singer everlasting), instead of tietäjä.