"Io Mihailŭ, Împĕratul Românilor" - A Michael the Brave Romania Wank
- Thread starter Zagan
- Start date
Zagan
Donor
Oh... I have it sketched up to 1700 and some general thoughts up to 2015!
The next chapter (The Great Powers Conference) is bugging me. The next few are already finished.
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I don't know why I'm letting this alphabet issue bug me, but it's still there...
How does one use only the Latin alphabet to transcribe the Romanian language? First, the Latin alphabet has
A hint comes from Latin's use of three letters for the /k/ sound: C, K, Q. When followed by E or I, the sound /k/ becomes palatalized, that is, it sounds like /kj/ or even /t∫/, and so recorded as C. When followed by O or U, the sound /k/ becomes labialized, that is, it sounds like /kw/, and so recorded as QV. However, when followed by /a/, the /k/ sound remains unchanged, and was recorded as such in Latin by K in such words as KALENDAE.
The upshot of this for 17th Century Romanian? The sounds /t∫/, /∫/, /ts/ etc. can be represented by the digraphs CI, SI, TI and so on This, however, is not without its problems. One has difficulty rendering /∫t/ in this scheme: SIT is pronounced /sit/ instead.
Latin, however, had two sets of five vowels, short and long. One could use diacritics to lengthen vowels, so that /sit/ would be rendered SÏT and /∫t/ could be either SIT or STI.
This will require more thought on my part.
So words like Timișoara would be rendered TIMISIOARA...
How does one use only the Latin alphabet to transcribe the Romanian language? First, the Latin alphabet has
- ABCDEFGHIKLMNOPQRSTVXYZ
A hint comes from Latin's use of three letters for the /k/ sound: C, K, Q. When followed by E or I, the sound /k/ becomes palatalized, that is, it sounds like /kj/ or even /t∫/, and so recorded as C. When followed by O or U, the sound /k/ becomes labialized, that is, it sounds like /kw/, and so recorded as QV. However, when followed by /a/, the /k/ sound remains unchanged, and was recorded as such in Latin by K in such words as KALENDAE.
The upshot of this for 17th Century Romanian? The sounds /t∫/, /∫/, /ts/ etc. can be represented by the digraphs CI, SI, TI and so on This, however, is not without its problems. One has difficulty rendering /∫t/ in this scheme: SIT is pronounced /sit/ instead.
Latin, however, had two sets of five vowels, short and long. One could use diacritics to lengthen vowels, so that /sit/ would be rendered SÏT and /∫t/ could be either SIT or STI.
This will require more thought on my part.
So words like Timișoara would be rendered TIMISIOARA...
Zagan
Donor
1. Similar with C / K / Q, there is also the problem with G (for which we only have one letter). We also have two additional vowels, etc (quite complicated phonology).
2. Mihai wanted to emphasize the Latinity of the Romanian Language and People, but certainly not so much as to minimize the importance of the Romanian Language or even turn it into some kind of Latin.
The Romanian Language was the most important factor in the unity and even genesis of the Romanian People and Nation.
It would have been wrong to insist using Latin, since more or less all Europe used Latin and the Romanian language was what separated the Romanians from their neighbours.
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1. I can understand that! There's this game that I'm playing that had a Proto-Indo-European setting, so I understand the whole triple-velar problem! (C/K/Q and J/G/W were how I solved it, at least for the plosives.)
2. So, how far are you going to take de-Cyrillization? Personally, I think that it can't be done completely. There is at least a problem with the B/V thing (although there could be a twist, where the Cyrillic Б becomes the *Romanian Б, used to represent /v/ instead, so that F-Б is analogous to P-B!)
Gian
Banned
I think what happened is Mihai wants to re-emphasize the Romanians' Roman-ness (on par with say, the French, Spanish, and Catalans) and hence the replacement of most loanwords (of which some might have Dacian/Illyrian origins) with their Romance counterparts.
Either that, or I'm just oversimplifying things.
Zagan
Donor
1. Oh.
2. Completely and already done.
Cyrillic Б = Latin B
Cyrillic B = Latin V
No more fuss here. No more Cyrillic letters at all.
All the consonants are pronounced as in Italian and close to English (except R)
Oh, yes, but later, probably after 1800. The Nationalists will agitate it. I already have some plans about that, but sadly we will have to wait at least another 20 chapters.
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Zagan
Donor
Correct.
They wanted to replace the Slavic, Hungarian and Turkik loanwords, but some older Dacian / Thracian / Illiric substratum words were inadvertently attacked as well simply because their provenience was not known back then!
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Zagan
Donor
And let me clarify another thing once again.
The Romanian Cyrillic alphabet was only used in Moldavia and Wallachia and almost only in Church / Religious texts.
It has never been actually fused with the language and had never been properly adapted to the Romanian language. It was not missed at all.
The Romanian Cyrillic alphabet was only used in Moldavia and Wallachia and almost only in Church / Religious texts.
It has never been actually fused with the language and had never been properly adapted to the Romanian language. It was not missed at all.
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I.36. Mihai before the Great Powers Conference
Zagan
Donor
Romania grew too much in a very short time. Emperor Mihai realized that
without the chance to digest its gains, Romania risked becoming unstable.
without the chance to digest its gains, Romania risked becoming unstable.
.
.
.
Mihai before the Great Powers Conference
26 August 1626, Pest, Tissa Province, Romania
After the grandiose celebrations of 25 years of Romanian Statehood, Mihai had once again left his Capital and after an uneventful journey had arrived in Pest, on the left bank of the Danube.
Being already late in the evening, Mihai felt tired and decided to stay overnight in one of the City's castles and to cross the Danube early in the morning. After all, there was plenty of time to get to Prague for the Conference.
For Mihai, by now used to be welcomed by large and exuberant crowds of his fellow Romanians, the chilly reception in Pest was painfully conspicous.
Turning these Hungarians into Romanians or, at least, into faithful subjects of my Country might prove impossible. Not only are they not Orthodox like us, but they still have a clear memory of their former large and powerful Kingdom! And they have the backing of the German Empire... It is probably better to let them go their own way.
Mihai's thoughts are interrupted by the sounds of a sudden commotion taking place in the hallway. Several of his guards enter the room in the midst of heavy gunfire.
Mihai: "What is going on? What are you doing? Let me go out and fight!"
Guard #1: "I am sorry, Măria Ta, we have to protect you. You are supposed to lead us and our country, not to risk your life fighting some criminals."
One of the Mihai's guards overturns a heavy table and two others quite unceremoniously drag their Emperor beneath it.
M: "If I were younger, you couldn't have forced me to behave like a coward!"
G2: "We are only doing our job, Your Majesty. And you are still quite strong and certainly not a coward."
G3 (entering the room): "You are safe now, Măria Ta. We have taken care of them. 13 are dead and 5 are awaiting interrogation."
M (standing up): "Well, bring them in..."
G2: "Get the prisoners in here! But only when you have checked them thoroughly."
M: "How many of us have lost their lives?"
G3: "Three, Măria Ta. The attackers were not real soldiers, just bandits."
An injured man is dragged by two soldiers inside Mihai's room.
G4: "This seems to be their leader. He speeks some Latin."
Hungarian Prisoner: "Vivat Regnum Apostolicum Sanctum Stephanum!"
M: "Yes, I can understand your grievance. It is your kind that have never understood the grievances of my Nation. Everybody wants to have their own country, sure. But killing me for that?! You idiot! I was on my way to Prague to discuss with the other Great Powers the reestablishment of a Hungarian State!
Take him away and try to find out if they were acting alone or not and by whose orders."
G1 (after the prisoner is taken out): What shall we do with them after the questioning?"
M: "Hang them in the middle of the City. And make sure that the locals will see that! Now leave me alone."
Yes, it is impossible to live in the same country with these people. They would never stop revolting against our rule. Better let them have their own country and expel all of them there! Or at least all those that know how to read and write. And I'd better take a whole legion with me to cross Pannonia safely. This part of my realms is clearly not a Romanian Land!
27-31 August 1626, Buda, Pannonia Province, Romania
Mihai left Pest as fast as possible, never to return there again.
On the other side of the Danube, in the mostly German City of Buda (Ofen), the reception was much warmer but certainly not enthusiastic.
He decided to wait there for a Legion to be assembled for his protection.
If I must order a legion in order to cross a land, than that is not my land. These Western Lands, mainly populated by Catholic and Protestant Hungarians and Croats are of no use to us. These people mean only trouble. And we cannot even deal with them as we see fit, because they have rights! Rights which the other Powers are more than eager to defend! Yes, better shed them like useless skins!
13 September 1626, Prague, Bohemia, German Empire
The last leg of the road was quite unpleasant for Mihai, because he had to sleep in the carriage in order to get to Prague before the opening of the Conference.
I am an old man. I cannot fool myself any longer. This journey has not tired anyone but me.
And everybody is insisting that I remarry. Don't they realize that I am 68 years old? And all marriageable princesses are at most 20 years old! They are only a little older than my Granddaughter! God help me!
But they have a point. The future of my dynasty is in jeopardy. Florica and her children have no right to the Romanian Crown and my unlucky child Nicolae will not live much longer, much less have more issue.
Little Iulia is now the only hope of my bloodline. They are right to be worried. Dynastic troubles are really bad for any country, more so for a young one like Romania.
Mihai: "Radule, does the Senate have any right to interfere in my private life?"
Counsellor Radu: "Well, Your Majesty... It is for the common good. And you have not only rights, but also obligations. You know... You are only Imperator. You are not Autokrator. Although you could have been if you wanted to."
M: "No, no, it is better like this. If it were only me to have the burden of governance, whom could I criticise when something went wrong?" (laughing)
R: "Your Majesty is very wise, indeed..."
M: "Stop that! Better tell me what do you think, should I remarry? Wouldn't it be wrong for an old man like me to marry a young girl?"
R: "You are not so old, Your Majesty. You are still strong and healthy and you can live for another 20 or even 30 years!"
M (smiling): "Well... We don't know that for sure."
R: "And the wife has to be young, because the purpose of your marriage is to secure more potential heirs to the Romanian Throne. Nobody suggested you should marry because you were feeling lonely..." (smiling)
M: "What do you know about that young widow from France, Cristina?"
R: "I think that she is suitable. She is the sister of the French King, after all. And the fact that she is 23 and has been already married may be a good thing. You could have raised some eyebrows if you were to marry a 15 years old maiden instead!"
M: "I see... And is she coming here with her brother?"
R: "I think that they are already here. You shall probably meet her tomorrow."
M: "Does she have any children?"
R: "Oh, no, thank God, no."
M: "Very good then. I shall meet her if my Nation demands me to. But she will probably not want to marry an old man."
R: "She must know your age for sure. If she refused from the start to marry a 68 years old Emperor, she wouldn't be here, would she? And just imagine how surprised she will be when instead of the expected old man she will see you! After all, and this is not a compliment, it is the reality, you do not look older than 60."
M (smiling): "Then I'd better have a good sleep. We do not want her to see me tired, do we?"
R: "Have a good night, Your Majesty."
M: "Good night, Radu."
15 September 1626, Prague
Oh, Stanca! I would have not thought of marriage so soon after losing you if not for the sake of my Country and Nation. Please forgive me! I will never forget you.
In the evening, the German Emperor invited all his distinguished guests at a ball marking the official opening of the Great Powers Conference.
The following were present:
- Emperor Siegfried Augustus of Germany (37) with his wife, Empress Sophie (20), the hosts;
- Emperor Philip of Iberia, Italy, Africa and the Americas (21) with his wife, Empress Elisabeth (24), the sister of Christine and King Louis XIII;
- King Louis of France (25) with his wife, Queen Anne (25) and his sister, Princess Christine (23);
- King Sigismund of Sarmatia (60) with his wife, Queen Flora (40), Mihai's daughter;
- Imperator Mihai of Romania (68);
- King Christian of Scandinavia (23) and Queen Catherine of Scandinavia (41);
- Prince Henry Frederick of Britannia (32) with his wife, Princess Henrietta Maria (18), because King James (60) was ill and could not attend the proceedings (he would die in less than one month);
- Princes and Princesses from Slovakia, Croatia, Greece, German States, Italian States;
- Representatives from Rome, Venice, other Italian Republics, German Free States, the Georgians, the Armenians, the Hungarians;
- No one from Russia was present, although an official invitation had been issued;
- Diplomats from all countries.
Disregarding the expected protocol, the first thing Mihai did was to hug and kiss his daughter.
After everybody was introduced to one another, the guests began to do what was expected of them: talk, eat, drink and dance.
After being properly introduced, Mihai and Christine, finding it quite cumbersome to talk in the only language they both knew - Latin, started to dance.
Slowly, the language barrier became less pronounced and important issues were discussed in an interesting mixture of Latin, French, Italian and Romanian.
Christine: "Your Majesty, may I speak frankly?"
Mihai: "Of course, Princess Christine."
C: "I am not a little girl anymore and I see no need to uselessly lengthen the discussion... Since it is quite difficult to talk in Latin. So, we both know very well the reason I have been presented to you. In order to arrange a matrimony."
M: ...
C: "Please let me speak. I do apologize if I shocked you, but I am going to shock you more. I will be as direct as possible. I am a free adult woman and no one is going to tell me whom to marry. I was by no means sure that I would like you. In which case I would not have accepted to marry you. But I do. I like you and I want to marry you. So, if you like me, you may propose."
M: "Thank you... You do know my age, do you?"
C: "Oh, yes, of course. You are a little younger than my deceased father. Anyway, that is of no significance to me. I was married to a young husband and I am a widow now nonetheless. You look strong and healthy and have good teeth. Sorry, I told you I was going to shock you again! I think that you would make a good husband... Well, I know that you were a good husband to your late wife, God rest her in peace. So, I suppose that you could be a good husband to me as well. Sorry if I mix French and Italian words, you know, reading from Latin Classics is not quite the same thing as arranging a marriage. And sorry because I am so talkative. But I suppose that it is good to know my defects early on."
M: "You should know that I did not even want to get married again. It is my Senate and my People that are insisting that I should..."
C: "Oh, yes, of course. I know the problem very well. The country needs a womb. Oh, sorry. I did it again. It is no problem, really. If you cannot love me, we shall just do our duty and be nice to your Senate and People. If you are going to love me, I will try to love you back. But I will bear your children anyway. Fresh new Princes and Princesses for the great Imperium of Romania. Or of the Romanians. However it suits you."
M: "May I talk now...?"
C: "Oh, sure, I am sorry, again... Sorry. I am listening. I promise."
M: "Christine, would you marry me?"
C: "Yes! I will. Let's go to Louis and bring him the good news! See, it was not so complicated after all. Oh, but I have three wishes."
M: "Name them."
C: "No religious conversion, no mistresses and no beatings. Is this fine with you?"
M: "Well, it is fine, I suppose. Conversion is advisable but not mandatory. Mistresses... I am 68 years old and I will have a 23 years old wife! Who would need mistresses?! And I do not beat people. I only beat the Turks!"
C (laughing): "I like you very much. I really do. And I have never expected that. Louis!!"
And so, in a matter of minutes and in a most unusual way, a marriage between consenting adults was hastily been arranged.
A difference of 45 years! Who cares? He's an Emperor after all! And he is quite nice and good looking. Maybe I got lucky this time.
She is honest and outspoken and a little too talkative. But so are the French. She may become a good wife. Anyway, I should not care. If they want me to marry her, I will marry her. After all, I am only doing my job as Emperor of my People.
16 September 1626, Prague
Mihai, as the most senior of all the Royalty from the Great Powers, was given the honour to deliver the opening speech of the Great Powers Conference.
More than a year of diplomatic marathon was about to start.
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Data #2. About the Butterfly Effect
Zagan
Donor
About the Butterfly Effect
I decided to preempt any possible remarks regarding the dreaded Butterfly Effect (BE) by writing this hopefully clariffying post:
Spatio-Temporal Expansion of the "Butterfly Effect" following the 8 August 1601 POD in Transylvania.
So, in the night of 8/9 August 1601, on a field in Transylvania, something happened differently from OTL and the history changed forever. TTL was thus branched from the common history stem.
We can divide the following time span into roughly four periods for the purpose of examining the BE (Butterfly Effect):
1. Local BE (from the POD to the Pressburg Peace Treaty of April 1602);
2. Extended BE (from the Pressburg Peace Treaty to the beginning of the German War);
3. Generalized BE (from the German War to the Great Powers Conference);
4. Global BE (after the Great Powers Conference).
1. Until the Pressburg Peace Conference, the BE was felt locally:
- Major BE in Romania;
- Significant BE in the Ottoman Empire, Austria, Poland-Lithuania;
- Minor BE in the rest of Europe;
- No BE in other parts of the World.
2. After the Pressburg Peace Conference, the BE was felt in much of Europe:
- Total BE in Romania;
- Major BE in the Ottoman Empire, Austria, Poland-Lithuania, Holy Roman Empire, Italian States;
- Significant BE in the rest of Europe;
- Minor BE in European influenced World;
- No BE in other parts of the World.
3. After the German War, the BE was major all over Europe:
- Total BE in most of Europe;
- Significant BE in remote parts of Europe and European influenced World;
- Minor BE in other parts of the World;
- No BE in Antarctica and maybe other very remote places.
4. After the Great Powers Conference, the BE was truly global in scope:
- Total BE in Europe and European influenced World;
- Significant BE in most other parts of the World;
- Minor BE in some remote areas.
Legend:
- No BE: Everything is the same as in OTL;
- Minor BE: Some minor differences in recorded history; Some newly borns are different people;
- Significant BE: Significant differences in recorded history; Most newly borns are different people;
- Major BE: History is clearly completely different; All newly borns are different people;
- Total BE: Almost everything is completely different from OTL.
About Newly Borns: (assuming of course the same parents, both born before the POD)
- If the child is born before the POD, it is the same individual;
- If the child is born in a region with minor BE, it may be the same individual or a slightly different one (even with a different sex);
- If the child is born in a region with significant BE, it is probably a different person from OTL;
- If the child is born in a region with major or total BE, it is certainly a different person.
About the names of Newly Borns: (assuming of course the same parents, both born before the POD)
- If the child has (1) the same sex, (2) is born in the same period / order and (3) the BE did not alter the general name preferences, it will probably have the same name as in OTL.
- Otherwise (conditions 1, 2, 3 not simultaneously true), it will probably have a different name.
Particular Cases:
1. Emperor Siegfried Augustus of Germany = August of Saxony (Wettin), born in 1589, before the POD; Unlike OTL he is still alive in 1626.
2. Empress Sophie - no OTL equivalent, born in 1606 (Major BE).
3. Emperor Philip of Iberia, Italy, Africa and the Americas ~ King Philip IV and III of Castile, Aragon and Portugal (Habsburg), born in 1605 (Significant BE), similar person named identically.
4. Empress Elisabeth = Queen Elisabeth (Isabel), born in 1602 (Minor BE), the same person, still married with Philip.
5. King Louis of France, born in 1601 (six weeks after the POD, no BE in France), the same person.
6. Queen Anne = Anne of Austria, born in 1601 (five weeks after the POD), the same person, still married with Louis XIII.
7. Princess Christine ~ Christine of France, born in 1603 (not in 1606), different person, named identically.
8. King Sigismund of Sarmatia = King Sigismund III Vasa of Poland-Lithuania, born in 1566, before the POD.
9. Queen Flora = Lady Florica of Romania, born before the POD.
10. King Christian of Scandinavia = King Christian of Norway and Denmark, born in 1603 (Minor BE), the same person.
11. Queen Catherine of Scandinavia = Catherine of Sweden, born in 1584, before the POD.
12. Prince Henry Frederick of Britannia = Prince Henry Frederick of England, born in 1594, before the POD; Unlike OTL, he is still alive in 1626 and is going to be King Henry of Britannia in about one month.
13. Princess Henrietta Maria ~ Henrietta Maria of France, born in 1608 (not 1609), different person, named identically.
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I am a bit curious why she is so eager to marry Michael...
she knows she will be a widow quite soon...again.
Some women have a thing for older men with a fatherly figure I guess.