Source: Speak Up
Language level: Upper intermediate
Speaker Justin Ratcliffe British accent
POLITICS RELIGIONS AND WAR
It’s not only pop stars, actors and writers who change their names to make themselves glamorous, sexy, cool, tough, or just memorable. From the dawn of time, political and religious figure have changed their names to grab our attention –or to hide from their opponents.
NICKNAMES
Some names are so complicated that a nickname is easier. Like many Brazilians, Luiz Inácio da Silva grew up with a nickname. Luckily, it makes a memorable name for a president Lula.
Manfred Albrecht Freiherr Von Richthofen found fame in World War I as demon prilot, the Red Baron.
Ernesto Rafael Guevara de La Serna used the Argentinian slang word “Che” so often in conversation that it became his own name.
THE X FACTOR
On converting to the Nation of Islam, Malcolm Little took the surname X as a form of protest. He explained “My X replaced the while slave master name of Little, which some blue-eyed devil had imposed on my family.” The Muslim ‘s X symbolized the true African family name the he “couldn’t never know.”
Dutch exotic dancer Margaretha Geertruida Zelle became famous under the stage name Mata Hari, meaning “eye of day,” or “Sun” in Indonesian.
PLAYING POLITICS
Roman politician Octavian realised that his adopted father’s cognomen Caesar was powerful weapon, and so it became a little synonymous with Roman Emperors. He also took the name Augustus, meaning “great” or “venerable.”
Khmer Rouge leader Saloth Sar adopted the names “Brother Number One” and “Pot Pot,” a nickname given to him by Chinese authorities short for “politique potentielle.”
Kim Song Ju of North Korea renamed himself Kim II Sung after a legendary guerilla fighter.
HOLY NAMES
Religious leaders can also benefit from strong names. Rajneesh Chandra Mohan called himself Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, meaning “Blessed One” and “Master”. Towards the end of his life, he became Osho, which may derive from an ancient Japanese word for master, or from philosopher William Jame’s expression “oceanic experience.”
In ancient times, Siddartha Gautama, whose first name means“ he who gets success,” became Shakyamuni, but today he is known as Buddha “the enlightened one.”Kung Quiu was known as K’ung-fu-tzu, or “Master Kong,” this has long been transliterated into western languages as Confucius.
PERSECUTION
The most common reason for political name changes in persecution. German chancellor Willy Brandt was originally Herbert Ernst Karl Frahm, before he had to escape from the Nazis.
Vietnamese revolutionary Nguyen Sinh Cung used many pseudonyms before setting on Ho Chi Minh meaning “enlightened will or “bringer of light.”
RUSSIAN REVOLUNTIONARIES
The Soviet leaders chose the most striking names. Vladimir llich Ulyanov was exiled to Siberia, near the river Lena: his adopted name Lenin reminded him of what the suffered in the name of revolution
Iosif Vissarionvich Dzhugashvili, who was sent to Siberia seven times, used many names, but settled on Stalin, “man of still.”
Some think Lev Davidovich Bronstein changed his name to avoid becoming know as a Jew, but Leon Trotsky was only one of the pseudonyms he used to avoid Tsarist Persecution.
THE REAL ADOLF
Another politician who understood the power of names was Hitler. He styled himself the Fuher (leader, or guide), a little as strong as Kaiser or Czar. But Adolf’s father adopted the surname Hitler from his mother’s husband, Johann Hiedler) when he was 39. Would the Nazi salute have been so powerful if it had been Heil Shickgruber?
