In the original Clement Clarke Moore tale Twas the Night before Christmas: A Visit from St. Nicholas we have the following:
Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
The name was (and is) Donder ... not Donner. Just thought I'd clarify that. In case, you know, you were worried about it or anything. So in the Rudolph Christmas special, that would make Rudolph's dad being Donder. Not Donner. You know, in case you were worried. Next we'll discuss the deplorable living conditions of the reindeer, living in bleak unfurnished caves.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Donder is Pissed
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2 comments:
But in German, Donner is thunder, Blitzen is lightning. So Donner and Blitzen makes sense.
Maybe the poet was confused, and later generations kindly and quietly corrected him.
...but "Donder" sounds more like "thunder" - and we're just stupid Americans who butcher their own language so why shouldn't we butcher German, too. Just sayin'...
But to continue the point - "Blitzen" sounds like "blintz" and blintzes go with cheese and "Romadur" (a German cheese - aka Limburger - mmm) sort of rhymes with "Donder" - so perhaps the original text was,
"You know Dasher and Dancer
And Prancer and Vixen,
Comet and Cupid
And Romadur and Blintzes."
Yeah. I'm pretty sure that's it.
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