With Fire and Sword
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Telega, the ordinary springless wagon of Russia, smaller than the country wagon in the United States.
Teorbán, or Torbán, a large musical instrument of twenty strings or more.
Voevoda, governor and commander of troops in a province, corresponding to the military governor of modern times. This office was common to the Poles and the Russians of the East or Moscow.
1
The author uses Skshetuski, the family name of his hero, oftener than Yan, his Christian name, prefixing Pan = Mr. in both cases. I have taken the liberty of using Yan oftener than Skshetuski because more easily pronounced in English.
2
Tear-trousers.
3
Tear-cowl.
4
Dog entrails.
5
Mouse entrails.
6
This is the popular form in Little Russian; therefore it is quoted.
7
The right bank of the Dnieper was called Russian; the left, Tartar.
8
Hmelnitski is made to apply the title Tsar to the Khan, either to give him more importance in the eyes of the Cossacks or because Tugai Bey was present.
9
The author uses sometimes the word vudka and sometimes gorailka. The first is Polish; the second Little Russian. Both mean a liquor distilled generally from rye. When vudka is used it might mean that the liquor was from Poland, and when gorailka that it was of Ukraine origin; but here the words are used indifferently.
10
Krívonos signifies "crooked nose;" Prostonos, "straight nose."
11
"Holota" (Nakedness) was used as a nickname in those days to designate a poor nobleman. Abstract nouns were used by the Cossacks also as names; e. g., Colonel Chernota, which means "blackness."
12
City of the Tsar = Constantinople.
13
A pun on "Pulyan," which in Polish means "half Yan," or John.
14
"Hmel," a nickname for Hmelnitski among the Poles, = "hops."
15
Holota (Nakedness) was often given as a nickname to a poor noble.
16
Nicknames given by Hmelnitski to the three Polish commanders.
17
Kapustsiani, "of cabbage," the masculine form of the adjective. Kapustsiana glowa means "a cabbage head; a stupid fellow." Glowa is the ordinary word for head in Polish, and takes the feminine adjective ending in a: hence Kapustsiana. For explanation of the other names see list of names and places.
18
This means, "Everything or nothing;" "Carry the day or go to a monastery."
19
Circassians from the Caucasus.
20
Div is a Persian word for "demon" or "evil spirit." This word meant "a divinity" in times anterior to Zoroaster, and is identical with the root div in our word "divine." In India and Europe it retained its original signification, and became of evil import only in Persia, in consequence of the triumph of Zoroastrianism.
21
"Panowie" is the plural of Pan.