by Victor Foia
Djellaba: Word of Arabic origin for long, loose-fitting, unisex outer robe with full sleeves
Dodge: Chief magistrate of the Most Serene Republic of Venice
Dominus Albanie: Latin for “Lord of Albania”
Dracul [dráh-kool]: In the Romanian of 15th century Wallachia, the word meant both “dragon” and “devil”; not capitalized when used as a common noun
Dracula [drah-kool-ah]: In the Romanian of 15th century Wallachia, the word meant “Son of Dracul,” hence “Son of the Dragon,” or “Son of the Devil”
Édes anyukám: Hungarian for “sweet mamma”
Efendi: Also spelled as “effendi”; Turkish honorific word used in the Ottoman Empire as a title of respect or courtesy, equivalent to the English “sir”
Eid al-Adha: Festival of the Sacrifice; Eid al-Adha falls on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah and lasts for four days; Eid al-Adha is observed by Muslims on the hajj and around the world in commemoration of İbrahim’s (Abraham) willingness to sacrifice his son for God
Eid al-Fitr: Festival of breaking of the fast; also called Breaking the Fast Feast, the Sugar Feast, the Sweet Festival; an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting
Eid Mubarak: Blessed Eid; a traditional Muslim greeting reserved for use on the festivals of Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr
Eid: Muslim festival
Eiswein: A type of dessert wine produced from grapes left to freeze on the vine
Elifi tac: White, conical, felt cap worn by the murīds who have completed their initiation.
Fajr: Arabic for “dawn”
Fatwā: Term for the legal opinion or learned interpretation that the Sheikh al-Islām, or a qualified jurist, can give on issues pertaining to the Islamic law
Firman: Ottoman Turkish for “imperial decree”
Flight shooting: Ottoman archery exercise where the objective is distance, not accuracy; both the bow and the arrow used in flight shooting are different from other forms of archery (target and war shooting)
Gamurra: Italian for a basic version of a woman’s gown at the time of the Renaissance
Ghazi: Word of Arabic origin referring to Muslim fighter against unbelievers; jihadist
Giaour [gya-oohr]: Offensive Turkish term used to describe non-Muslims, particularly Christians
Grand Vizier: Second-highest official in the Ottoman Empire, outranked only by the sultan; see entry for “vizier”
Grossi: Plural of grosso
Grosso: Venetian silver coin
Güllaç: Starch wafers filled with walnuts in milky syrup and rose water
Hadith: A report of the deeds and sayings of Prophet Mohammed
Hajj: Arabic for “pilgrimage”; the pilgrimage to Mecca prescribed as a religious duty for Muslims
Hajji: is an honorific title given to a Muslim person who has successfully completed the hajj to Mecca
Halāl: Arabic for “permissible”; any object or action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law
Hamam: Turkish word designating a bath involving dry heat treatment followed by scraping of the skin and deep massage
Hamil al-Qur’an: Title given to a person who has memorized the Qur’an
Haqīqah: Arabic for “ultimate truth”
Harām: Arabic for “sinful”; an act designated as ḥarām is forbidden by Allah
Hashshashin: Assassins, a Muslim sect in medieval Persia and Syria led by the “Old Man of the Mountain”
Hekim: Turkish for “doctor”
Helva: Turkish for “halva”
Hoja: Also spelled “Hoca”; Ottoman Turkish for a title given to a teacher or a sultan’s advisor
Hola: Catalan for “Hello”
Hurufi: Sufi doctrine which spread in areas of western Persia and Anatolia in later 14th – early 15th century.
İğnesinin Gözü: The Eye of the Needle
Imam: An Islamic leadership position; when capitalized, for Shi’a Moslems the term is only applicable to those members of the house of the prophet, ahl al-Bayt, designated as infallibles
Imaret: Public soup kitchen associated with a mosque
İn oğlu: Turkish for “son of”
Insha’Allāh: Arabic for “if it is Allah’s will”
Isha: Arabic for “midnight”
Iwan: A rectangular hall or space, usually vaulted, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open; also spelled ivan
Janissary: Ottoman Turkish word designating an infantry soldier belonging to the Ottoman sultan’s household troops and bodyguards
Jihād: Islamic term referring to Muslims’ duty to maintain the religion
Kadayıf: Oven baked shredded pastry with pistachio filling in thick syrup
Kadı: Ottoman Turkish for “judge”
Kadıasker: Ottoman Turkish for “supreme judge”; the top judicial official in the empire
Kāfir: Arabic term used in an Islamic doctrinal sense, usually translated as “unbeliever,” “disbeliever,” or “infidel”; the term refers to a person who rejects Allah
Kalıcı Cihad: Ottoman Turkish for “Permanent Jihād”; name of secret society seeking permanent war against Dar an-Harb
Karamanid: An inhabitant of Karaman
Kemankeş: Certified archer
Khalīfa: Arabic for “successor”
Khan: (1) Title equivalent to “sultan” used by the first few Ottoman rulers; (2) Place analogous to inn, where lodging, food, and various services may be had for payment; khans are generally located within towns
Khutbah: Serves as the primary formal occasion for public preaching in the Islamic tradition; takes place at the Friday Mosque
Kiliç: Ottoman Turkish for a type of one-handed saber with a slight curvature and a sharpened back edge at the final section of the blade
Kös: Giant kettledrum
Kuffār: Plural of kāfir
Kufi: Brimless cap worn by some Muslim men under the turban
Kul: Slave of the Ottoman sultan
Kumis: A fermented dairy product traditionally made from mare’s milk
Kurban Bayramı: Turkish for “Feast of the Sacrifice”
Kush jeni ju: Albanian for “Who are you?”
Lā ’ilāha ’illā-llāh, muhammadun rasūlu-llāh: Arabic for “There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah”
Lala [láh-lah]: Ottoman Turkish designating an experienced man assigned as tutor, mentor, and advisor to a young prince
Lalanga: Pancake
Le të vrasin ata: Albanian for “Let’s kill them”
Madrasah: Word of Arabic origin designating any type of educational institution, whether secular or religious
Maghrib: Arabic for “sunset”
Mameluk: Ruling military caste in medieval Egypt that rose from the ranks of slave soldiers who were mainly of Kipchak Turk, Circassian, and Georgian origin
Mehterân: Ottoman military band
Menguş: Ottoman Turkish word denoting a horseshoe earring worn as a sign of celibacy by certain Bektashi dervishes
Mevlana: A Persian poet and Sufi mystic also known as Rumi; founder of the Mevlevi Sufi order, whose members are known as “whirling dervishes”
Mevlevi: A member of a Sufi order founded by the Persian poet and Sufi mystic Rumi
Meydan: Open space, square, arena, agora, common, esplanade, maidan, piazza
Mihrab: A semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla
Minaret: Word of Arabic origin designating a tower structure associated with a mosque and used for issuing the call to prayer
Miswak: toothpick
Mjaft: Albanian for “enough”
Mosque: Word of Arabic origin designating a place of worship for followers of Islam
Muezzin: Word of Arabic origin designating the person at a mosque who leads and recites the call to prayer
Muḥarram: Arabic word designating the first month of the Islamic calend
ar; held to be the second holiest month after Ramadan; war is forbidden this month
Mullah: Word of Arabic origin designating a Muslim man educated in Islamic theology and sacred law
Munāfiq: Arabic for “hypocrite”; someone who outwardly practices Islam while concealing his disbelief inwardly
Munāfiqūn: plural of munāfiq
Murīd: A Sufi follower; one desiring to attain the knowledge of Allah
Murshid: Arabic for “spiritual guide”
Musahib: Word of Arabic origin meaning companion, advisor, friend; in some cases it came to signify the favorite of a prince or sultan
Musalla: A clean, usually carpeted area in a mosque where Muslims pray in congregation
Mutlu Bayramlar: Turkish for “Happy Bayram”
Mutti: German for “mommy”
Na lënë: Albanian for “leave us”
Okmeidan: Turkish for “arrow field”; a place for practicing archery
Oma: German for “grandmother”
Opa: German for “grandfather”
Opincă [oh-peen-kah]: Romanian for the traditional moccasin-style footwear used by peasants in Wallachia, Moldova, and Transylvania
Opinci [oh-peench]: Plural of opincă
Orthodox: Major branch of the Christian Church; not under the jurisdiction of the Vatican and the Pope
Ottoman: A Muslim inhabitant of the Ottoman Empire and subject to the sultan. Can be a person of any ethnicity, and may be a free person or a slave
Palazzo Podestàle: Italian for “Podestà’s palace”
Papa: Latin for “pope”
Pasha: A high title in the Ottoman Empire political system, typically granted to governors, generals, and dignitaries
Persian language: An Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of Indo-European languages; Farsi
Piano nobile: Italian for second floor in Italian villas and palaces; used primarily by the owners of the dwelling and their guests
Podestà: Italian for Chief City Magistrate; governor of a Genovese colony
Portego: Italian for a hall that went the length of a Venetian palace, from the front to the rear of the building; usually supported by columns
Pressa, en nom de Déu: Catalan for “Hurry, in God’s name”
Qabaq: Turkish for “gourd”
Qibla: Arabic word meaning “direction”; it refers to the direction a Muslim should face when praying; it is fixed as the direction to the Kaaba in Mecca
Qur’an: Arabic for “the recitation”; it represents the central religious text of Islam which Muslims believe to be the verbatim word of Allah; also known as “Koran”, “Al-Coran”, “Coran”, “Kuran”, and, “Al-Qur’an”
Rajab: Arabic word designating he seventh month of the Islamic calendar.
Rakija: An alcoholic beverage common in Southeast Europe produced by the distillation of fermented fruit; alternate spellings: “raki”, “pálinka”, “palincă”
Ramadan: Arabic word designating the ninth month in the Islamic calendar; held to be the holiest month;
Reconquista: A period of over seven-hundred years in the history of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal), beginning after the Islamic conquest (711 AD – 718 AD), marked by a gradual return of the land to Christian rule
Rettore: The Rector, or Chief Magistrate of the Republic of Ragusa (presently Dubrovnik, Croatia)
Romani čhib: The language spoken by the Gypsies
Roundlet: Renaissance era hat
Ṣafar: Arabic word designating the second month in the Islamic calendar
Salaam: Arabic for “peace”
Salah al-Duhr: Arabic for “Noon Prayer”, one of the five obligatory daily prayers for Muslims
Salah al-Fajr: Arabic for “Dawn Prayer”; one of the five obligatory daily prayers for Muslims
Salah al-Maghrib: Arabic for “Sunset Prayer”; one of the five obligatory daily prayers for Muslims
Salah: Arabic for “prayer”; alternate spelling: “salat”
Schmetterling: German for “butterfly”
Şeker Bayramı: Ottoman Turkish for Eid al-Fitr; Sugar Festival
Şeker kurabiye: Sugar cookies
Semantron: Greek word designating a percussion instrument in the form of a long, wooden board used to summon monks to prayer in Orthodox monasteries
Ser: Honorific term used in some Italian dialects during the Renaissance; roughly equivalent to “sir”
Shahada: Word of Arabic origin designating the Islamic creed, which declares belief in the oneness of Allah and the acceptance of Muhammad as Allah’s prophet
Shahnameh: The Book of Kings; monumental Persian epic poem written in 10th century Christian Era (CE)
Shalwar: Loose pajama-like trousers; alternate spellings: “salwar”, “shalwar”
Sharia: Word of Arabic origin for the moral code and religious law of Islam
Shawwāl: Arabic word designating the tenth month in the Islamic calendar
Shaytan: Arabic for “Devil”
Sheikh al-Islām: Prestigious position in the Ottoman Empire that governed religious affairs of the Muslims; Sheikh al-Islām held the highest rank in the ulema
Sheikh: An elderly Sufi authorized to teach, initiate, and guide aspiring dervishes; the head of a dervish lodge
Sipahi: Ottoman Turkish word designating a member of the Ottoman heavy cavalry
Skete: A small settlement of monks or ascetics
Skufia: Greek for the black cylindrical cap worn by Orthodox monks
Sofra: Ottoman Turkish for “low table”
Solak: Ottoman Turkish word designating left-handed archers, famous for being the most skilled archers in the empire, employed as bodyguards to the sultan; even though the bodyguard corps consisted of both right-handed and left-handed archers, it bore the moniker of “Solak Archers, Left-Handed Archers”
Sprichst du Deutsch: German for “Do you speak German?”
Status quo: Latin for “current state of affairs”
Subhana wa taala: Arabic for “exalted and sublime is He”; expression of veneration occasionally used by Muslims after mentioning Allah’s name; sometimes abbreviated in writing as swt
Subḥana’llāh: Arabic for “Glory be to Allah”
Sufism: A mystic movement defined by some scholars as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam
Sünnetçi: Circumciser
Sūrah: Arabic word used to designate a chapter of the Qur’an
Tariqa: The mystical teaching and spiritual practices of some Sufi orders whose aim is the seeking of haqīqah, the ultimate truth
Tavla: Game played in Turkey; similar to backgammon
Tekke: Sufi brotherhood lodge; a dervish monastery
Tibi laus et gloria: Latin for “To you praise and glory”
Tirendaz [teah-ren-dahz]: Word of Persian origin meaning master archer, accomplished bowman, skillful individual
Traïció! Hissar la vela: Catalan for “Treason! Hoist the sail!”
Tuğ: Ottoman Turkish for horsetail banner; there could be one, two, three, or four horsetails, depending on the dignitary’s rank; the sultan’s tuğ was the only one to have four horsetails
Ṭuğrā: Ottoman Turkish for a calligraphic monogram, seal, or signature of an Ottoman sultan that was affixed to all official documents and correspondence
Türbe: Ottoman Turkish for tomb; mausoleum
Twelve Imams: Prophet Mohammed’s spiritual and political successors
Ulema: Word of Arabic origin representing the educated class of Muslim legal scholars engaged in the several fields of Islamic studies; alternate spelling: “ulama”
Ulu Camii: Grand Mosque
Unë jam një mik i: Albanian for “I’m a friend of ...”
Unu, doi, trei: Romanian for “one, two, three”
Veni, dixi, subscripsit: Latin for, “I came, I spoke, he signed”
Veni, vidi, vici: Latin for “I came, I saw, I conquered”; Caesar’s succinct report to the Roman Senate sent around 46 BC, after
he had achieved a quick victory in his short war against Pharnaces II of Pontus at the Battle of Zela
Vespers: The sunset evening prayer service in the Orthodox Church; one of the canonical hours
Vizier: Turkish for minister in the Ottoman government; there were up to four viziers, with the Grand Vizier being the most senior
Wa-alaikum-as-salaam: Arabic for “and peace upon you”. Used in reply to “As-salamu alaykum”
Wagenburg: German for “wagon fort”; a mobile fortification made of wagons arranged into a rectangle, a circle, or other shape and possibly joined with each other; an improvised military camp.
Ya Mumītu: Arabic for “Oh, Creator of Death”; invocation in prayer of one of Allah’s 99 names; invocation made with the intent of bringing about the destruction of one’s enemy
Ya Muntaqimu: Arabic for “Oh, Avenger”; invocation in prayer of one of Allah’s 99 names; invocation made with the intent of obtaining Allah’s help in vengeance against wrongdoers
Ya Wakiilu: Arabic for “Oh, Trustee”; invocation in prayer of one of Allah’s 99 names; recommended invocation against the danger of fire
Zoroastrianism: A religion and philosophy based on the teachings of the prophet Zoroaster, also known as “Zarathustra”
WHO IS WHO AND WHAT IS WHAT
A difficulty arising for readers of historical fiction is remembering the names of characters and places. This stems from unfamiliarity with foreign names, and from the reoccurrence of names with variations in spelling. Dracula Chronicles has sought to alleviate this burden for its readers by making appropriate name substitutions.
In cases where the name of a historical character has been altered or replaced, the original name is provided for reference.
Names and places in bold font have a particular significance in the current story.
Birth dates provided only for characters that play a more-than-casual role.
Death dates withheld and marked with *** in cases that could constitute plot spoilers.
A pronunciation key in […] is provided for selected characters and places; the syllable stress is indicated by a diacritic or underlining.
Abdullah bin Novak: Name given to Gruya upon conversion to Islam
Abdullah Emirzade: Name given to Vlad upon conversion to Islam
Abdullah: Arabic for “servant of Allah”; name generally given to new converts to Islam
