Places With Surreal Names

[Suzanne]

Let's try to collect places with strange names you've been to or heard of - no matter in what language.

I'll start with these two:

- Misery (Switzerland)
- Angoisse (France - it's French for "distress")

[LoTekk]

Himmelpforten (="Heavens Gate"), a municipality west of Hamburg (Germany)

[flinders]

Bat Cave - an unincorporated community in the mountains of North Carolina

[strumpetwindsock]

Great thread idea - I am trying to dig up an old photo I took in Germany (Mecklenburg -Vorpommern) which will amuse you. I'll post it once I find it.

As for odd and amusing names, just get out a map of Kentucky and work your way through it - there's an evening's worth of laughs right there.

And one of our magazines here in Canada used to run a map of our country in every issue with place names on a given theme (anatomical, literary, culinary). Most of the well-known odd place names here are, of course, sexual - Dildo, Newfoundland, and here in Saskatchewan there's Climax and the town of Big Beaver.

There's an interesting historical place name in British Columbia - Anarchist Mountain. It is named after an American draft-dodger from the First World War who came over the border and squatted on the mountain for the rest of his life. It is just east of Osoyoos, B.C.

Finally, I heard on the radio there is a Scandal in Denmark regarding place-names: some journalist with a lot of time on his/her hands just realized that Ikea names all their floor coverings after Danish places. Curiously, all the beds are Norwegian (what does that tell you?) and most of the high-end furniture, Swedish of course.

And my home town? Saskatoon,  Saskatchewan.

[strumpetwindsock]

There is a place in Alberta with a normal name, but a very odd story behind it - Seven Persons.

Apparently a group of Blackfoot natives found seven dead bodies there - they were dressed in clothes they had never seen before (this was long before white people arrived here) and had no hair. The bodies looked like they had been there a long time, but there was no sign of decay.

The group went back home to get more people, but when they returned the seven bodies were gone - no tracks, no bones.

[Suzanne]

Thank you very much for these interesting place names. "Anarchist Mountain" is just too cool to be true.

Oh, and welcome to our quaint little WurzelForum®. I hope you'll enjoy your stay! 

[rik]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pity_Me

[strumpetwindsock]

Found my pics:

Anarchist Mountain
Anarchist Mountain summit, near Osoyoos, BC, Canada
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24680971@N06/2447179725

Between Worry and Misery
Ein bild von mir zwischen Sorge und Elend (Harzgebirge gebiet, Sachsen-Anhalt), etwa 5km von die Niedersachsische grenze.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24680971@N06/2448002046

A local person told me these towns were virtually sealed off in DDR times because they were so close to the border, Perhaps the names come from the long history of witches in these mountains ( the Hexentanzplatz is on the nearby Brocken mountain). I was also told the legend may have grown because the mountains were one of the few places people accused of witchcraft could hide from the Church.

[JESCIE]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satans_Kingdom,_Massachusetts