Something I talk about as filler when needed.
By Soumya Karlamangla - NT Times - April 16th
Probably because of a griffin-riding warrior queen.
A 16th-century Spanish romance novel tells of an earthly paradise “on the right hand of the Indies,” with steep cliffs and rocky shores. On this island utopia, which like Atlantis and El Dorado is full of riches, “there was no metal but gold” and the rulers were all strong Black women.
The name of that fictional Eden was California.
The novel, “Las Sergas de Esplandián,” by Garci Rodriguez de Montalvo and published around 1510, is believed to be the first time the word “California” appears in print, which is how I came across this old tale in my reporting.
The novel is believed to be where the state’s name came from, Alex Vassar, a spokesman for the California State Library, told me, though the matter isn’t entirely settled. Surprisingly little has been firmly established about the origin of a name known around the world.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/16/us/why-is-california-called-california.html?ugrp=m&unlocked_article_code=1.lE0.kXuF.5I2ot2i4pTHw&smid=url-share
Greg