Ivan the Terrible, But At What?

If Ivan the Terrible were named that because he was terrible at checkers, it would be better if he were named Ivan the Terrible Checkers Player.



Of course, that would take away from his atrocities. He couldn’t have been terrible with everything. There might have been something he was very good at. For example, he was probably very good at being fearsome. That’s why historically he was also known as Ivan the Fearsome. Realistically, we could call him, “Ivan the Terrific,” if the thing he is terrific at is understood to be his fearsomeness.

I personally approve of such titles. They should be utilized more often, as in the case of Ronald the Magnificent in reference to Ronald Reagan. There could be other names, like Clinton the Hun, or Bush the Mediocre. Why not add some regality to our system which has become far too casual?

Today the word for such things is, “epic.” The word “epic” itself is not very epic, and connotes a sort of casualness which belies its very meaning, like an oxymoron.