Another handful of Doctor Ox questions
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Tad Davis
Jul 14, 2025, 10:36:19 PMJul 14
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I have three other questions related to allusions in "Doctor Ox."
First: discussing the village of Quiquendone, and how you won't find it on any map, Verne says:
"M. Joanne lui-même, le perspicace dénicheur de bourgades, n'en dit pas un mot." [Monsieur Johannes himself, that sharp-eyed finder of villages, never mentions it.]
My chief candidate for "Johannes" is the cartographer Jan Jansson, mainly because one of his published works purports to include a map of every city and town in Europe. There are a surprising number of Flemish or Dutch mapmakers named Jan or Johannes: Jan Blaue, Johannes de Laet, Johannes van Keulen, Johannes Vingboons. But Jansson is the only one who seems to have a specific association with cities and towns.
What I haven't been able to find is any evidence that any of these people would have been recognized as "the" Monsieur Johannes — no surname required.
Second (and third): when Van Tricasse and Niklausse are standing at the top of the belfry, admiring the countryside, they take special note of "cette jolie rivière du Vaar qui serpente entre les arbres" [that lovely Vaar River that winds through the trees] and "les hauteurs de Saint-Hermandad" that "ferment gracieusement l'horizon" [the heights of Saint Hermandad that gracefully close the horizon].
The "Vaar" is described as a tributary of the Scheldt, but if it actually exists, I haven't been able to find it. The name seems to be derived from a Dutch word meaning "to sail," or (used as a noun) to indicate a generic "waterway." To me it looks as though Verne has made up a stream to go along with his made-up town.
And the only "Saint Hermandad" I've been able to find is a Castilian militia that makes an appearance in Don Quixote as the "Holy Brotherhood." The two men seem to be admiring distant hills, but if they exist, they're not showing up on any of my maps.
I'm limited, for the most part, to what I can dig up on the Internet. If anyone has insight into what Verne may have had in mind, please let me know. I'm trying to tie up some loose ends in my footnotes, and I hate loose ends.
First: discussing the village of Quiquendone, and how you won't find it on any map, Verne says:
"M. Joanne lui-même, le perspicace dénicheur de bourgades, n'en dit pas un mot." [Monsieur Johannes himself, that sharp-eyed finder of villages, never mentions it.]
My chief candidate for "Johannes" is the cartographer Jan Jansson, mainly because one of his published works purports to include a map of every city and town in Europe. There are a surprising number of Flemish or Dutch mapmakers named Jan or Johannes: Jan Blaue, Johannes de Laet, Johannes van Keulen, Johannes Vingboons. But Jansson is the only one who seems to have a specific association with cities and towns.
What I haven't been able to find is any evidence that any of these people would have been recognized as "the" Monsieur Johannes — no surname required.
Second (and third): when Van Tricasse and Niklausse are standing at the top of the belfry, admiring the countryside, they take special note of "cette jolie rivière du Vaar qui serpente entre les arbres" [that lovely Vaar River that winds through the trees] and "les hauteurs de Saint-Hermandad" that "ferment gracieusement l'horizon" [the heights of Saint Hermandad that gracefully close the horizon].
The "Vaar" is described as a tributary of the Scheldt, but if it actually exists, I haven't been able to find it. The name seems to be derived from a Dutch word meaning "to sail," or (used as a noun) to indicate a generic "waterway." To me it looks as though Verne has made up a stream to go along with his made-up town.
And the only "Saint Hermandad" I've been able to find is a Castilian militia that makes an appearance in Don Quixote as the "Holy Brotherhood." The two men seem to be admiring distant hills, but if they exist, they're not showing up on any of my maps.
I'm limited, for the most part, to what I can dig up on the Internet. If anyone has insight into what Verne may have had in mind, please let me know. I'm trying to tie up some loose ends in my footnotes, and I hate loose ends.
Tad Davis
William Butcher
Jul 14, 2025, 11:04:04 PMJul 14
to Jules Verne Forum
Joanne tourist guides, like baedeker's
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Tad Davis
Jul 14, 2025, 11:25:40 PMJul 14
to Jules Verne Forum
Well, I certainly missed the boat on that one! Thanks.
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William Butcher
Jul 14, 2025, 11:36:44 PMJul 14
to Jules Verne Forum
Glad to help！le var is a french department
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comperedaniel
Jul 15, 2025, 2:52:57 AMJul 15
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Bonjour,
Joanne est l’auteur de Guides, très connu au 19e siècle.
Daniel Compère
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