Dead Souls

48

Semiramis, legendary queen of Assyria and Babylonia, is credited with founding the city of Babylon, famous for its hanging gardens, which were one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

49

Revel, or Reval, now Tallinn, is the capital city of Estonia. A Revel inn—that is, an inn run by Estonians— implies inexpensive-ness and simplicity.

50

Moscow and Petersburg are commonly referred to as the 'two capitals' of Russia.

51

The number 666, corresponding to the name of the beast in Revelation (13:18), signifies the Antichrist. The vogue of mysticism followed the predilections of the emperor Alexander I in the later years of his reign.

52

 The Russian terms for the godmother and godfather of the same person, in relation to each other, are kum and kuma (pronounced 'kooMAH'). The canons of the Orthodox Church forbid them to marry.

53

The reference is in all likelihood to the novel entitled The Duchess de La Valliere (referred to in volume 2, chapter 3 of Dead Souls as The Countess La Valliere), the work of the French writer Stephanie-Felicite de Genlis (1746-1830), who was teacher of the children of the duke of Orleans. It may also be to a work of the duchess de La Valliere herself, Louise de La Baume Le Blanc (1644-1710), once a favorite of Louis XIV, who ended her life as a Carmelite nun and wrote pious reflections on her sinful past.

54

In the Orthodox marriage service, the best men hold crowns over the heads of the couple, symbolic of martyrdom as a witnessing to the Kingdom of God.

55

Gogol was living in Italy when he wrote Dead Souls, and here, from his 'beautiful distance,' compares the landscapes of Italy and Russia.

56

Solon (630?-560? B.C.), the lawgiver of Athens, was one of the seven sages of Greece. The quotation is from Krylov's fable The Musicians.

57

The Orthodox Church does not celebrate marriages during the Great Lent, the forty-day fast preceding Holy Week and Easter.

58

A euphemism for bribes. Prince Alexander N. Khovansky (1771-1857) was director of the state bank from 1818 until his death; his signature was reproduced on all state banknotes. Ironically, the name Khovansky comes from the Ukrainian word khovat, meaning 'to hide' or 'to secret away.'

59

Cantonists were the children of soldiers, who were assigned to the department of the army from birth and educated at state expense in special schools.

60

Petukh is Russian for 'rooster'; moreover, Petya, the diminutive of Pyotr, is the common name for a rooster. Pyotr Petrovich Petukh is thus a rooster not only backwards and forwards but three times over.

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