I'm trying to find a nice German translation for the terms "The Skinsaw Murders" and "The Skinsaw Man". I've read that the name goes back to an epithet of Norgorber as "Father Skinsaw". Can anyone form the Paizo folk tell me how Norgorber came by that name or what it signifies, so that I might find a suitable German word for it?
Creative Director
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I'm trying to find a nice German translation for the terms "The Skinsaw Murders" and "The Skinsaw Man". I've read that the name goes back to an epithet of Norgorber as "Father Skinsaw". Can anyone form the Paizo folk tell me how Norgorber came by that name or what it signifies, so that I might find a suitable German word for it?
It signifies Norgorber's role as the god of murder—it's not much more than a name that evokes fear and violence to those who hear it. Any translation that captures the creepy violent and gory vibe should work fine.
It signifies Norgorber's role as the god of murder—it's not much more than a name that evokes fear and violence to those who hear it. Any translation that captures the creepy violent and gory vibe should work fine.
Thanks, James! I'll try to find something then that sounds equally creepy and ominous, maybe even with a nice alliteration. :-)
I thought it meant something like "leatherworker" but never thought about translating it. I am also looking for a good Italian translation... does saw have other meanings or skinsaw literally means "a saw made of human skin"? (puzzled)
Maybe it means "skin sawer" or "skin cutter"?
I thought it meant something like "leatherworker" but never thought about translating it. I am also looking for a good Italian translation... does saw have other meanings or skinsaw literally means "a saw made of human skin"? (puzzled)
Maybe it means "skin sawer" or "skin cutter"?
I don;t think Skinsaw refers to a Saw Made of Human Skin.
I think "The Skinsaw Man" is a reference to someone who uses a blade to remove the skin of his victims. The skinsaw is either the blade used for the skinning or the act of removing the skin itself.
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I thought it meant something like "leatherworker" but never thought about translating it. I am also looking for a good Italian translation... does saw have other meanings or skinsaw literally means "a saw made of human skin"? (puzzled)
Maybe it means "skin sawer" or "skin cutter"?
I went for a more liberal translation of the term and used "scorticatore", as in the medieval kind of torture. I wanted to underline the more unpleasant elements of the Norgorber cult.
I went for a more liberal translation of the term and used "scorticatore", as in the medieval kind of torture. I wanted to underline the more unpleasant elements of the Norgorber cult.I thought it meant something like "leatherworker" but never thought about translating it. I am also looking for a good Italian translation... does saw have other meanings or skinsaw literally means "a saw made of human skin"? (puzzled)
Maybe it means "skin sawer" or "skin cutter"?
Yeah, 'scorticatore' or 'scuoiatore' (which is more vicious, btw) is a good (albeit liberal) translation IMHO.
I'll go for it, thank you very much!!!
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Just wanted to pitch in with the translation issue:
An often met problem with fantasy translations is the odd fancy writers seem to have with word compounds. Direct translation often sounds ridiculous and since the actual words in the formation might not have anything to do with each other in their direct sense(city names like "Riddleport", spring to mind, oh, what a mess translating that one was). So we usually go for passable instead of perfect.
"Skinsaw" is a good example, since while "ihosaha", a direct translation to Finnish, does warrant just as nasty connotations as the original combination, that of removing skin with a serrated blade, the effect is lessened by the oddness of pair. There's enough semantic friction between the two that to a Finnish mind the effect sounds a bit silly.
So, instead of directly translating the word and loosing the sinister feeling attributed to it in the process, going for something vaguely similar proved more effective: "nylkypuukko". You get that disgusting allusion to skinning with "nylky"(flaying) and there's still a nasty implement in the picture, a "puukko"(the traditional Finnish knife). Best thing is that it's an existing compound in Finnish.
Now I wish I was the translator accredited with the above!
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I went for a more liberal translation of the term and used "scorticatore", as in the medieval kind of torture. I wanted to underline the more unpleasant elements of the Norgorber cult.I thought it meant something like "leatherworker" but never thought about translating it. I am also looking for a good Italian translation... does saw have other meanings or skinsaw literally means "a saw made of human skin"? (puzzled)
Maybe it means "skin sawer" or "skin cutter"?Yeah, 'scorticatore' or 'scuoiatore' (which is more vicious, btw) is a good (albeit liberal) translation IMHO.
"Scuoiatore" has IMHO more the feeling of someone skinning an animal (which referred to a sentient being is indeed creepy); "scorticatore" instead gives to me the flaying idea which is more commonly associated with the painful and deadly torture method.
For a while I also considered a strictly literal translation from "skinsaw" to "segapelle", as the dark prayers offered to "Padre Segapelle" sounded vicious enough.In the end however, I stickied with the best sounding version I found for the title: this way "The Skinsaw Murders" have become "Gli Omicidi dello Scorticatore", that fits pretty well.
I was considering "scorticatore" as well. It has some assonance with "trinciatore" (my own translation of "chopper") which I didn't like at first, but thinking about it makes sense. If i want "chopper" and "skinsaw man" to stand a bit farther in assonance "levapelle" sounds good.
I was also considering "spellatore" - not strictly current Italian but it has some medieval feel, "spellatori" were indeed young apprentice butchers that removed skin from dead animals and still had to earn the right to butcher meat.
I was even considering "conciatore" (which translates to leatherworker") which has some macabre humour in it.