# Fantasy-land style place names in real life. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 1, 2014, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-land-style-place-names-in-real-life/680306 "2014-02-01T21:42:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-land-style-place-names-in-real-life/680306/1 "2014-02-01T21:42:09Z")
It’s a fairly common fantasy trope for place names to be a bit more… colourful than we tend to see in real life, mostly because no-one wants to live in “The Blasted Lands”, I suspect. My question is, though, are there any examples of real-life place names - in any language - that essentially mean something negative? The Dread Lands, Evil-Man Swamp, that sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-land-style-place-names-in-real-life/680306/2 "2014-02-01T21:55:59Z")
Desolation Valley springs to mind. Also Mount Diablo, both in California. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-land-style-place-names-in-real-life/680306/3 "2014-02-01T22:00:13Z")
Lots of them in Utah: Hell’s Half Acre, Devil’s Garden, Hell’s Backbone, Poison Springs, Desolation Canyon and my personal favorite, Box Death Hollow. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-land-style-place-names-in-real-life/680306/4 "2014-02-01T22:09:37Z")
[The Devil’s Arse](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_devil%27s_arse). ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-land-style-place-names-in-real-life/680306/5 "2014-02-01T22:24:42Z")
Death Valley. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAlecCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SmartAlecCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAlecCat)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-land-style-place-names-in-real-life/680306/6 "2014-02-01T22:31:09Z")
I grew up on “Jolly Acres” It always seemed normal to me, but got weird reactions from others… ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-land-style-place-names-in-real-life/680306/7 "2014-02-01T22:32:10Z")
[Death Valley](http://www.nps.gov/deva/index.htm) [Dead Sea](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea) [Great Dismal Swamp](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Dismal_Swamp) Devil’s Kitchen in[Michigan](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil's_Kitchen_(cave)), [California](http://www.nps.gov/lavo/planyourvisit/hiking_devils_kitchen.htm) and several others ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-land-style-place-names-in-real-life/680306/8 "2014-02-01T22:33:03Z")
[Hell, Michigan](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell,_Michigan). ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-land-style-place-names-in-real-life/680306/9 "2014-02-01T22:35:42Z")
[Hell’s Kitchen](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell%27s_Kitchen,_Manhattan), neighborhood in Manhattan [Hell’s Gate](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hells_Gate), (Wikipedia disambiguation page), loooong list of geographic places or features so named. (Variously written Hell’s or Hells) ETA: Kinda ninaed by **kunilou** , above. I was actually looking for Devil’s Kitchen, CA., but mis-remembered it as Hell’s Kitchen, thus finding all this. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-land-style-place-names-in-real-life/680306/10 "2014-02-01T22:37:57Z")
Any name ending with “Gulch” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-land-style-place-names-in-real-life/680306/11 "2014-02-01T22:39:46Z")
[Upper Slaughter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Slaughter) [Apocalypse Peaks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocalypse_Peaks) [Shades Of Death Road](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shades_Of_Death_Road) [Satan’s Kingdom State Recreation Area](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satan%27s_Kingdom_State_Recreation_Area) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-land-style-place-names-in-real-life/680306/12 "2014-02-01T22:40:50Z")
Panama has the Bahia de los Muertos (Bay of the Dead). One of the main streets in Panama City is nicknamed “Tumba Muerto” (Tomb of the Dead). There’s also Cerro Bruja (“Witch Mountain”) and Sierra Llorona, named after the “Weeping Woman,” a ghost who searches for her dead children. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-land-style-place-names-in-real-life/680306/13 "2014-02-01T22:43:11Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > [Hell’s Kitchen](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell%27s_Kitchen,_Manhattan), neighborhood in Manhattan. Also [Spuyten Duyvil](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spuyten_Duyvil,_Bronx) (Spouting Devil) in the Bronx. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-land-style-place-names-in-real-life/680306/14 "2014-02-01T22:47:03Z")
[Tierra del Fuego](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tierra_del_Fuego) (Land of Fire) at the southern tip of South America. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-land-style-place-names-in-real-life/680306/15 "2014-02-01T22:49:44Z")
[Te Urewera National Park](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Te_Urewera_National_Park). The park’s name comes from the Māori words ure meaning penis and wera meaning burnt, thus, the literal translation from Māori is “burnt penis” :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-land-style-place-names-in-real-life/680306/16 "2014-02-01T22:50:16Z")
[Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kill_Devil_Hills,_North_Carolina) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-land-style-place-names-in-real-life/680306/17 "2014-02-01T22:50:50Z")
[Badlands National Park.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badlands_National_Park) There a various other “Badlands” elsewhere in the American West. The [Skeleton Coast](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skeleton_Coast) in Namibia. [Cape Fear,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Fear_(headland)) North Carolina. [Matanzas](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matanzas)(“Massacre”), Cuba ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-land-style-place-names-in-real-life/680306/18 "2014-02-01T23:24:39Z")
[Cut and Shoot](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cut_and_Shoot,_Texas) and [Sour Lake](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sour_Lake,_Texas), Texas ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-land-style-place-names-in-real-life/680306/19 "2014-02-02T00:24:07Z")
There seem to be plenty of places in the US with a dangerous section of road known as “Dead Man’s Curve”. Wikipedia lists nine different places called [Devil’s Backbone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil%27s_backbone), and six [Devil/Devil’s/Devils Islands](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devils_Island_%28disambiguation%29). ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-land-style-place-names-in-real-life/680306/20 "2014-02-02T01:11:54Z")
There’s the [Great Dismal Swamp](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Dismal_Swamp) of Virginia and North Carolina. What about [Calaveras (“Skulls”) County, California](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calaveras_County,_California)? This is where the famed [Jumping Frog of Calaveras County](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Celebrated_Jumping_Frog_of_Calaveras_County) was supposed to be from. You could also get lost in [Lost City, West Virginia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_City,_West_Virginia). Puerto Rico has some evocative place names, including [Caja de Muertos](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caja_de_Muertos) (“Box of Dead People”, the equivalent English language metaphor apparently being “Dead Man’s Chest”. Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum), and [Isla Culebra](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culebra,_Puerto_Rico) (“Snake Island”). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-land-style-place-names-in-real-life/680306.md?page=2)