The origins of Barovia... Finally revealed?

[Le Noir Faineant]

Now, we might all agree on that Barovia is merely an anagram for *Bavaria*, but this here is interesting... And maybe a bit creepy:

The semi-secret school club known as the T.C.B.S. (in full Tea Club and Barrovian Society) was formed by pupils at King Edward's School, Birmingham in 1910. At the core of the group were four friends: J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Wiseman, Rob Gilson, and G.B. Smith. All four fought in the Great War, with Wiseman serving in the Royal Navy and the other three becoming junior British Army officers. Wiseman saw action at the Battle of Jutland but suffered no injuries. Smith and Gilson perished in The Battle of the Somme. Tolkien also saw action at the Somme but was uninjured. He contracted trench fever and returned to England, where he spent the rest of the War in hospitals or on light duty. After the War, Wiseman and Tolkien became estranged (Tolkien would go on to teach language and write poems and stories; Wiseman went on to teach music), and the T.C.B.S. was essentially dissolved. The two corresponded sporadically thereafter, including a few letters in the last years of Tolkien's life.

[Luke Fleeman]

This all seems kind of ephemeral.

I don't think that a small place with a slightly different name from a a different setting by a differetn publisher really proves anything. I think you'd have to ask either the Hickmans, who wrote the original, or the Nesmith/Heyday team that spawned the first box for an answer. Just because a similar name predates it doesn't make it so.

Maybe there was nothing ever printed about where it came from. Or ever thought of. I don't know that you can find any "canon" location.

[Le Noir Faineant]

This all seems kind of ephemeral.

I don't think that a small place with a slightly different name from a a different setting by a differetn publisher really proves anything...

Not to pick on you, but please read the entire post for the whole story of this investigation.

In general, however, the story of the old I6 module is quite complicated; I don't know if the whole story will ever be known to people who weren't acutally involved in its creation. - Not that the info would change anything for today, but for oldschoolers like me it is still interesting to investigate.

Apart from that, of course, the whole topic is of no real importance...

[Le Noir Faineant]

What I personally didn't know that there was actually a word *Barrovian* in the English language. (See my post about Tolkien above.)

Can someone tell me what it does mean or name?

[Ail]

My first queries into Google show it is some kind of geolocical transformation, and that the name Barrovian comes from the proper name [George] Barrow.

http://csmres.jmu.edu/geollab/fichter/M ... ovian.html

Alex

[Luke Fleeman]

Not to pick on you, but please read the entire post for the whole story of this investigation.

I'm sorry if I sounded like I was shooting you down just to do it. I wasn't.

I did read your whole post, though. None of it is real convincing. I don't think it is really important info or something that has to be known. Others might feel differently. If you need to know, and this convinces you, then cool.
IF it works for you, have fun. Don't let me stop you.

[Rotipher of the FoS]

FWIW, "Barov" is a real-world surname, possibly Armenian in origin. I googled it, and surnamefinder.com turned up Barov, Barove, Barovecki, Barovenko, Barovetto, Barovic, Barovick, and Barovitz.

Nothing particularly close to Von Zarovich, BTW, but there's a Zarovsky and a Zarow.

[Le Noir Faineant]

My first queries into Google show it is some kind of geolocical transformation, and that the name Barrovian comes from the proper name [George] Barrow.

http://csmres.jmu.edu/geollab/fichter/M ... ovian.html

Alex

Thanks! Though I am wondering why Tolkien would refer to a geological structure, the fantasy geek he was...

I'm sorry if I sounded like I was shooting you down just to do it. I wasn't.

I did read your whole post, though. None of it is real convincing. I don't think it is really important info or something that has to be known. Others might feel differently. If you need to know, and this convinces you, then cool.
IF it works for you, have fun. Don't let me stop you.

No offense taken, by any means.

The point is just that the original RL module has a very twisted backstory, mainly affected by Gary Gygax's ousting at TSR, the eventually cancellation of the Aquaria setting and the acquisition of several minor RPG lines like DQ - right now, I have no idea what the background is, nor if this makes any sense at all. It's just a curiousity to dwell deeper into the beginnings of the famous setting we all come to celebrate here.

... But really, it is of no immediate importance.

Nothing particularly close to Von Zarovich, BTW, but there's a Zarovsky and a Zarow.

Zarovich is Russian - it means "Son of the Zar" and was the title the Russian princes had. - Thanks on checking *Barov*, though. Armenian... Mmmh...