The island located in the river Vltava, north of the historic center of the Czech capital, is named after one of its owners, the noble Josef Rohan
Thousands of Czechs signed an online petition, asking to be given Lord of the Rings character names on the streets of Prague’s Rohan Island.
The island located in the river Vltava, to the north of the historical center of the Czech capital, bears the name of one of its owners, of the noble Joseph Rohan. His last name is homonymous with one of the realms of the fantasy epic (above photo) created by his pen J.R.R. Tolkien.
The municipality of Prague had announced that in the new streets of the district names of philosophers would be given, like Immanuel Kant, Edmund Husserl or Jacques Derrida. But more than 10,000 people are calling for the new names to reflect the ambiguity of the island’s name.
“The docks of Rohan should be named after Rohan,” reads the request. “What did Kant contribute to the war against Saruman’s hordes?” continues the text, referring to the novel’s evil sorcerer.
“Where was Husserl when Westfold fell?” the signatories wonder – slightly paraphrasing the King of Rohan’s question (“Where was Gondor when the Westfold fell”), when he initially refused to join the war because the allies had not helped him earlier.
Among other things, one of the roads is proposed to take the name of Éowyn, of the noblewoman of Rohan, because the plan of the municipality does not envisage honoring any woman.
Tolkien’s three-volume novel was adapted to film by director Peter Jackson between 2001-3.
Councilor and former mayor of Prague with the Pirate Party Zdenek Hryb welcomed the citizens’ initiative, calling it “laudable”. Czechs are known for their love of fantasy literature and science fiction: in the recent population census, in 2021, more than 21,000 people were registered as “Jedi”, the guardians of peace and justice in Star Wars.
Source :Skai
With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
