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Talk:Catherine Charlotte De la Gardie/Archive 1

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Archive 1

Inscription

Someone should translate the text on the medal she was given. I think it was in Latin.--85.226.44.201 (talk) 20:45, 6 March 2009 (UTC)

It's Latin, but as with most inscriptions, somewhat obscure.
Catharina Charlotta Taube, comitissa De la Gardie, Fulcrum infelicibus, Ob XII ab injuria servatos cives Ordo R. Equ. 1761
is roughly
Catharine Charlotte Taube, countess De la Gardie, unhappy bed, in return for saving 12 citizens from harm, Order R. Equ., 1761
but it will probably take someone well-versed in Swedish orders to figure out which was "Ordo R. Equ.". "Ob civem servatum" is found on actual Roman coins, accompanied by the civic crown. The civic crown was given to those who saved the life of a citizen in battle, and was considered a very high honor indeed. "Infelicibus" is literally "barren", and figuratively "unhappy", though I am not sure why you'd honor someone by memorializing a "barren bed" or an unhappy couch... ? - Nunh-huh 21:40, 6 March 2009 (UTC)
In Swedish wiki, the phrase Fulcrum infelicibus is translated to "The support of the unhappy", if I understood it correctly. --85.226.44.201 (talk) 23:02, 6 March 2009 (UTC)
That makes sense; literally "fulcrum" is a post ("couch" is its transferred sense from the foot or post of a couch). So we have:
Catharine Charlotte Taube, countess De la Gardie, supporter of the unhappy, in return for saving 12 citizens from harm, Order R. Equ., 1761
All we lack is the actual name of the order which was conferred. - Nunh-huh 23:12, 6 March 2009 (UTC)