Travel the world

Have you heard of a Hellas country? Here's a guessing game for you!

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Ever looked at a map, saw a country name, and thought, "Wait, that’s not what we call it?" Well, you’re not alone! Many countries go by entirely different names in their native language, and some of them might even surprise you. So, we’ve come up with a game: You’ll find six countries’ original names and some clues for you to guess which country it is. In the second part of the article, we’ll provide the answer and the origins of the names. Are you up for the challenge?

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ni‧hon

Its name means "origin of the sun," which is why it’s often called the Land of the Rising Sun. This island nation is famous for sushi, cherry blossoms, and bullet trains that are more punctual than your morning coffee.

It’s home to one of the world’s most unique alphabets and a culture that blends centuries-old traditions with futuristic tech. Oh, and it’s also where you’ll find sumo wrestling, anime, and some of the most polite people on the planet. Have you guessed it already?

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eir‧e

This green and rainy island is home to breathtaking cliffs, lively music, and a legendary love for storytelling. In some areas, you’ll find more sheep than people, and it is the birthplace of both Guinness beer and some of the best poets in history.

The locals have their own native language, even though English is widely spoken. In their tongue, the country’s name is short and sweet: Éire. Does it ring any bells?

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hel‧las

We’ll say a few words and you’ll guess it: democracy, philosophy, and some seriously delicious food. If we say we all love a good gyro, are we giving it away?

Its ancient ruins attract millions of tourists every year, and its mythology has inspired stories for thousands of years. The Olympics? Yeah, they started here too. But while we use one name, the locals call it Hellas. Got a guess?

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deutsch‧land

This country is famous for bratwurst, beer, and fairy tale castles that look straight out of a storybook. It’s got an impressive history of poets and philosophers, and its car industry is one of the best in the world. But here’s the twist: Its native name sounds nothing like what we call it in English. Locals refer to it as Deutschland. Can you figure out where this is?

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suo‧mi

This land is famous for its saunas, the Northern Lights, and people who are perfectly happy not talking for hours. It has thousands of lakes, more reindeer than people in some areas, and is home to one of the happiest populations on Earth.

The language spoken here is one of the trickiest in the world to learn, and its native name doesn’t sound anything like what we call it in English. Any idea which frosty but friendly country this is?

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hr‧vat‧ska

This small but stunning country sits along the Adriatic Sea, it has crystal-clear waters and impressive coastal towns. It’s home to medieval cities, Game of Thrones filming locations, and some of the world’s best seafood. But if you ask a local where you are, they won’t say the name you know. Instead, they’ll say Hrvatska. Any idea where this is?

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If you guessed Japan, give yourself a high-five! In Japanese, the country is called Nihon or Nippon, which roughly translates to "origin of the sun." This makes perfect sense when you realize that Japan is east of China, where the sun rises first!

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That’s right, it’s Ireland! Did you guess it right? The name Éire comes from Old Irish and is linked to the goddess Ériu, a mythical figure associated with the land’s beauty and power.

The English name "Ireland" naturally evolved from this. Most people there speak English daily, but Irish (Gaeilge) is still an official language, and you’ll see signs written in both languages all over the country.

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If you said Greece, you nailed it! The country’s real name is Hellas, and its people refer to themselves as Hellenes. One more fact? The modern official name is the Hellenic Republic!

So where did "Greece" come from? The Romans had a habit of renaming places, and they used the Latin word Graecia to describe the land.

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This was an easy one, right? Yep, it’s Germany! The name Deutschland comes from an old Germanic word meaning "the people’s land." But here’s where things get wild, Germany and Deutschland are not the only names.

The French say Allemagne, the Spanish call it Alemania, and in Finnish, it’s Saksa. Why so many names? It all comes down to history, as different tribes and regions had their own words for the place. Fascinating, isn’t it?

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Maybe you guessed Norway, but the second one is actually Finland! In Finnish, the country is called Suomi. The exact origin of the name is a bit of a mystery, but one thing is for sure, Finns just roll with it. They’re just too busy enjoying their saunas and sipping coffee (they drink more per person than any other country!) to argue about it.

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If you guessed Croatia, you got it! The origins of this name are connected to the native language, land, and people in the area. Hrvati was the way to call the locals, for example.

But why do we call it Croatia in English? That’s the work of the Latin-speaking Romans, who adapted the name to what we know today.

WHICH IS YOUR FAVORITE SONG LINE?

A word is worth a thousand notes: 10 beautiful lyrics revealed

Credit: Aaron Burden

A song can be great because of its music, its lyrics, or both. Maybe we heard a tune and a certain line spoke to us because it resonated with a particular situation, or because we found it to be funny or insightful. Some lyrics are celebrated since their birth, and some are discovered ages after the artist who penned them is long gone. The following 10 examples fit into the different categories listed above. Which one is which? The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind.

Credit: Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦

As with many artists on this list, it is virtually impossible to choose just one lyric. The legendary Australian singer-songwriter simply has too many great lines spread all over his long career as a member of The Boys Next Door, The Birthday Party, Grinderman, and The Bad Seeds.

Aside from the title lyric, taken from "Brother, My Cup is Empty", we could also mention "I look at you, you look at me and deep in our hearts babe we know it; you weren't much of muse but then I wasn't much of a poet", taken from "There She Goes My Beautiful World", as two examples of Cave’s penchant for self-contempt and masochistic nature.

Credit: Nahir Giorgio

Another singer-songwriter with too many amazing lyrics to choose just one is Tom Waits. His stories about life on the streets, fringe characters, and relationships are filled with wisdom and humor.

Aside from the title lyric, taken from "Heartattack & Vine", another great line that comes to mind is "She’s a diamond who wants to stay coal", taken from "Black Market Baby", and "Come down from the cross, we can use the wood", from "Come up to the house". Waits’ poetry is filled with wit, insightful remarks, sorrow, and love in equal measure.

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As we can see so far, self-deprecation is a theme among singer-songwriters, and Tom Petty was no exception to this rule. This brilliant songwriter started his career in the band Mudcrutch. One of this band’s hits, "Scare Easy", features the title lyrics.

Petty penned many classics during his career, both with the Heartbreakers, The Traveling Wilburies, and his solo albums. Out of the last group, we have selected these lines, taken from his song "Wildflowers": "You belong among the wildflowers. You belong in a boat out at sea. Sail away, kill off the hours. You belong somewhere you feel free".

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As the main lyricist in the legendary prog-rock juggernaut Pink Floyd, Roger Waters created some iconic lines along the way. The 1975 album Wish You Were Here featured long, mainly instrumental songs and shorter, more standard tunes.

The lyric from the title is taken from the song "Wish You Were Here", which is supposed to be about Syd Barret, the original frontman and chief songwriter of Pink Floyd.

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This line is taken from "Nature Boy", a song written by Eden Azbez and popularized by Nat King Cole. It first appeared in 1948 and has since become a jazz standard.

The song references a Los Angeles sub-culture called the "Nature Boys", but the famous line showcased here transcends that moment and expresses a universal truth.

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Billy Joel has written many hits over the years, but "Piano Man" remains a favorite, and for good reason. This song features strong melodies and great lyrics delivered by a young Joel full of wit and insightful stories about all the classic characters in a bar.

The song narrates the piano man’s experiences and observations at the bar where he works and its usual clients. And, as the line goes, "They’re sharing a drink they call loneliness, but it’s better than drinking alone".

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Kris Kristofferson wrote the song "Me and Bobby McGee", and Janis Joplin popularized it.

This inspiring tune, dealing with themes of love and loss, not only features the title line but also has the lyrics, "I'd trade all of my tomorrows, for one single yesterday".

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The Smashing Pumpkins are an alternative rock band from Chicago fronted by the brooding Billy Corgan. Many of their songs delve into themes of sadness, angst, and despair.

Their 1995 record, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, was a massive success and featured the song "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" as its first single. In it, Corgan wrote the iconic line, "Despite all my rage, I’m still just a rat in a cage".

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Robyn Hitchcock is an English singer-songwriter who mixes psychedelic and folk rock with a high dose of absurd and ironic humor in his music. He’s been around since the early 1970s and released a string of albums that influenced a great deal of artists, from R.E.M. to Gillian Welch and more.

His lyrics often showcase insightful observations, absurd stories, and playful metaphors, like in the one we chose, "There’s a justice in this world. And I know just what she’s called. She’s called Elaine".

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David Bowie was a chameleon with many faces that changed as he grew tired of the last one. In the mid-70s, he had grown tired of his Thin White Duke phase and decided to go to Berlin, where he created the so-called Berlin Trilogy, composed of Low, "Heroes", and Lodger.

The second of these albums, "Heroes", featured the hit song by the same name, which contained the highly inspirational lyric that we chose to finish this list, "We can be heroes, just for one day".