Termagant

Tervagant (also: Termagant ) was in the medieval European literature in the name of an alleged Muslim deity.

Origins

In the European literature of the Middle Ages Muslims were portrayed as pagans who worship Mohammed ( " Mohammed "). Besides them the worship of various gods was said was from Apollo to Lucifer, with as main deity usually called Tervagant. In English literature rather the name Termagant was widespread.

The origin of the name Tervagant is unknown, but it does not seem to go back to actual (or misunderstood ) Muslim beliefs. Walter W. Skeat speculated in the 19th century that the name was originally " Trivagante " was, with the meaning " triple wandering ", an allusion to the use of the crescent moon as a symbol of Islam. The moon occurs in its migration in three forms: In heaven, on earth ( in contact with the horizon) and in the underworld (after sinking ). It was also proposed an Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from tyr magan, " mighty Tyr ", which should refer to the Germanic god. Another possibility would be a confusion of Islam with the Zoroastrianism of the Persian skimmed by European authors: tyr - magian ( "Magic God ").

Tervagant in the literature

Tervagant established itself in medieval Europe as the name of the Muslim chief deity and was often mentioned in courtly romances and the Old French epic. In " Guy of Warwick ", a Middle English novel of the 15th century, this oath is a sultan to find:

In the Song of Roland Muslims desecrate after the defeat at the Battle of Roncesvalles their " pagan idols " that had brought them no fortune of war (lines 2589 to 2590, Translation by Max weather, Dolphin Publishing 1949):

Tervagant was eventually to type in a number of medieval mystery plays. On stage Tervagant was usually depicted as a villain in a turban and a long, oriental cloak around commanded the less important villains.

" Termagant " as a contentious woman

Due to its theatrical tradition of the term to William Shakespeare's lifetime called a tyrannical person, and is in this sense in Henry VI. and Hamlet mentioned.

Because of the representation in long robes and the fact that in Shakespeare's time and female roles were played by men, the English public was given the impression that Termagant was a female figure, or at least a very male same woman. Therefore, Termagant was the name for quarrelsome women, but it can be used also for men in the aftermath of the English language. For the Australian politician Kim Beazley called a male colleague as Termagant.

Other meanings of words

• HMS Termagant was a common name for ships in the British Royal Navy.
• In the Warhammer 40,000 tabletop Termagants are dinosaur or insect-like creatures.
• In the board game Chitin: 1 The Harvest Wars of Metagaming Concepts Termagants are a type of ground units
• In the book The Dragon Masters by Jack Vance Termagants are man-sized dragon.
• In the book Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving Dame Van Winkle is called a " termagant wife".