Choosing a name is a responsible matter. Even the most ordinary people approach this issue with enthusiasm, leafing through lists of name meanings and advice on zodiac signs. In royal families, things are much more complicated. When choosing the name of the future monarch, all relatives along different lines were taken into account. Astrologers compiled horoscopes, astrologers determined by the stars...
Often the child received the name of previous kings - according to tradition - which was assigned a serial number (to avoid confusion). Or it consisted of the names of a good half of the ancestors. And all these efforts went to waste as soon as the child became king.
And all because the good people immediately gave the king their nickname - depending on the appearance, actions of the monarch during his reign, his habits, even mental abilities. And not always euphonious or beautiful. This is exactly what happened with two kings - Louis VI the Fat and Charles VI the Mad. But the parents chose...
The birth of a nickname
The king's nickname could have been born in the palace corridors and on the city streets. A truly folk creation, it could have arisen overnight, or it could have been chosen from a dozen others describing the qualities of the king or his appearance.
Louis VI the Fat is the king of France, the fifth of the Capetian dynasty. Son of King Philip I and Bertha of Holland.
Of all the king's nicknames, one was usually left, which remained in history as the official one. Most likely, there was not a single ruler without a nickname; it’s just that not all of them have come down to us, although they could very likely have been bright and original. Be that as it may, they could all be divided according to several principles.
Principle of appearance
The easiest way to earn a nickname from people is to have something special in your appearance. The first and simplest is to play up the appearance of the ruler. This is exactly how they got their prefixes to their official names:
Louis VI the Fat - it’s clear why,
Frederick I Barbarossa - for his gorgeous red beard,
Philip IV the Handsome - apparently for beauty by those standards,
Louis-Philippe d'Orléans - “The Pear King” and a caricature of him.
Louis-Philippe d'Orléans, the Pear King - the face shape has been the subject of many caricatures, not only because of its resemblance to a pear, the fact is that the French word la poire can mean both fruit and stupidity...
Almost everyone knows about Louis XIV - the Sun King, and there were also Harold I Harefoot, Sven I Forkbeard, Richard III the Hunchback, William II Rufus (Red), Edward I Longshanks (Longlegged) and... Viking King Harald II Bluetooth.
Maybe he really had blue teeth, but most likely BlueTooth is a corruption of the Scandinavian Bletand (black). Harald was not a typical Norwegian - he had brown eyes and black hair.
Hobbies of the King
Often the reason for assigning a nickname was what the monarch did most and his personal preferences. William the Conqueror - fought, Enrique the Navigator - walked the seas, Henry I the Birder - caught birds when he received the news that he had become king.
Henry of Navarre, nicknamed “Gallant Vigorous.”
But the first place in the originality of the nickname is shared by the King of France Henry IV and the Romanian King Carol II. For his demeanor, Henry of Navarre received the nickname Gallant Vigorous. King II was known as the Playboy King because of his romantic adventures.
He was married three times, the number of his girlfriends is legendary. In the end, the Romanian king abdicated the throne altogether and fled the country with an ordinary girl, leaving a Greek princess for her.
Personal qualities and generalizations
Nicknames received due to personal qualities have preserved for us the true face of their bearers. Brave warriors like Charles the Bold of Burgundy, Philip the Brave of Burgundy and Richard the Lionheart of England or those who suffered failures during their reign like the English king John the Landless, who lost almost all the French territories of the Plantagenets in the wars.
Charles VI the Mad is the king of France since 1380, from the Valois dynasty.
Character traits could also become the king's nickname - good or bad: Pedro the Cruel of Portugal or Alfonso the Meek of Aragon, Pedro the Ceremonial of Aragon or Charles the Mad of France.
Piety in the behavior of the monarch was especially noted: Louis the Pious of France, Stephen the Saint of Hungary, Louis the Saint of France. Far-sighted rulers were called Wise: Sancho the Wise of Navarre, Charles the Wise of France, Alfonso the Wise of Castile.
Lionheart and Humpty Dumpty
Humpty Dumpty is actually the real nickname of the English King Richard III, and not just a character from a famous poem. The story is also reliable. He was not loved for his ugliness, but the nickname was born after a battle in which his legs were cut off and none of the army was able to come to his aid.
Richard III - King of England since 1483 from the York dynasty.
There were common nicknames - a whole series of Great, Just, Evil and Good kings: Charlemagne, Knut the Great, John the Good of France, Philip the Good of Burgundy, Charles the Evil of Navarre and others. Even an entire royal dynasty was given the nickname - the Lazy Kings (Merovingians), for never cutting their hair.
Harold I Hare's Foot
The reign of this English king began in 1035 and lasted 5 years. During this time, he became famous mainly for his hunting skills and fast running, for which he was called Hare's Paw.
Edmund II Ironside
King of England since 1016, Edmund tirelessly showed courage in battles with the Danes. He found himself in the center of battle so often that his subjects almost never saw him without armor. This is what made him Ironside.
John I Posthumous
Alas, the 13th king of France died just five days after ascending the throne, for which he was named so by the people. Even more sadly, he was proclaimed king on the same day that he was born.
Pepin III the Short
The king of the Franks of the mid-8th century received his nickname for a rather prosaic reason - he was rather short in stature.
Louis XV Beloved
During one of the wars that fell during the long reign of the 65th King of France, Louis became very ill. The people were seriously alarmed, but when the ruler recovered, France was so pleased with his healing that she nicknamed Louis the Beloved.
Russian rulers
Our princes and kings also had nicknames that they deserved for one reason or another.
Vasily Kosoy and Vasily II the Dark
The cousins fought for a long time for the place of the Grand Duke of Moscow. In their struggle they did not shun self-harm. Vasily Yuryevich was blinded by order of Vasily Vasilyevich, for which he received the nickname Oblique.
Vasily II Vasilyevich the Dark - Grand Duke of Moscow since 1425, the fifth son of the Grand Duke of Vladimir and Moscow Vasily I Dmitrievich and Sofia Vitovtovna.
When Vasily II himself was captured, he was overtaken by equal revenge, and he, also blinded, began to be called the Dark One.
Vladimir I Red Sun
The Grand Duke who baptized Rus' had many nicknames - Saint, Great, Baptist. But more than others, Vladimir Svyatoslavich received the nickname from the epics - Red Sun.
"Vladimir the Red Sun and his wife Apraxia Korolevichna." 1895. Illustration for the book “Russian epic heroes”
In folklore it was reflected in a collective image, which was, among other things, the personification of natural phenomena.
Yury Dolgoruky
The founder of Moscow was pretty tossed around various principalities. Twice he became the Grand Duke of Kyiv, fought for Pereyaslavl, and himself founded many cities besides Moscow.
Yuri Vladimirovich, nicknamed Dolgoruky - Prince of Rostov-Suzdal and Grand Duke of Kiev, son of Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh.
He received the nickname Dolgoruky not only for his disproportionately long arms, but also for his love of annexing the lands of weaker rulers.
The Prince of Kyiv Svyatoslav was nicknamed Leopard by his enemies. More than once he emerged victorious, having a much smaller number of troops...
Prince Yaroslav was nicknamed wise. Through dynastic marriages, he strengthened ties with European countries and founded a number of new cities.
Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible
The Tsar of Moscow Ivan IV was called the Terrible for his ferocity, and Peter I became the Great for many great and glorious deeds.
The nicknames of the kings were also given based on merit. Thus, Alexander I quite officially received the prefix Blessed from the Synod in 1814, Alexander II was called the Liberator, for the abolition of serfdom, and Alexander III was called the Peacemaker, for the fact that Russia did not wage wars under him.
Booker Igor 03/02/2019 at 14:00
Agrippa from Nettesheim received the nickname "king of sorcerers" from his contemporaries. Theologian and lawyer, doctor and philosopher, mystic and scientist, he can rightfully be considered the founder of European occult philosophy. Cornelius Agrippa wanted to combine the scientific knowledge of his time with the Christian faith. In addition, he is one of the prototypes of Goethe's Faust.
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim (Heinrich or Henricus Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim) was born on September 14, 1486 in the town of Nettesheim near Cologne. He came from an old local, once rich, but impoverished noble family. Nothing is known about his childhood and early youth. There is information that he had a sister.
In one of the matriculi (list of persons enrolled in higher education educational institution) of the University of Cologne opposite the date July 22, 1499 is written about enrollment Henricus de Nettesheym, son of the father of the same name, to the Faculty of Arts. A record has been preserved that on March 14, 1502, Agrippa was admitted to the exams for the title of licentiate.
Agrippa was a true polyglot. In one of his letters, he admitted that he speaks eight languages, six of which he knows so well that he can speak, write and read them perfectly. Agrippa read all the fundamental books on magic and practiced making gold. Some of the ruling princes allegedly resorted to his services as an alchemist, but, given the constant poverty of Agrippa himself, it was unlikely that he could help them financially.
When he was about 20 years old, he went to Paris to found a society there to study the secret sciences. Then he lectures while traveling around Europe. In 1510, Agrippa found himself in Würzburg, when the famous Johann Trithemius was abbot there. During discussions between the mystics, Agrippa got the idea to write an essay on magic. This work in three volumes, written in 1510, but published only in 1533, made a huge impression.
However, the outstanding English researcher of Renaissance culture Frances Amelia Yates believed that “Henry Cornelius Agrippa of Nettesheim is by no means the most significant of the Renaissance magicians, and his treatise “On Secret Philosophy” (De occulta philosophia) is not at all a textbook of magic, as it is sometimes called. The treatise does not give detailed description technical procedures and is not, contrary to its name, a thorough philosophical work.
Cardano - a truly serious magician - treated him with contempt, as a banal composition. Nevertheless, "On Secret Philosophy" is the first usable and, as far as the esotericism of the subject itself allows, a clear, universal code of Renaissance magic."
In this treatise, Agrippa argues that the universe consists of three worlds: the world of the elements (physics), the heavenly world (mathematics), and the intelligible world (theology). Each of these worlds receives currents from the world above it. Magic alone absorbs all three directions.
In mid-1512, Master of Arts Agrippa Cornelius von Nettesheim unexpectedly entered the imperial military service an officer in the army of Emperor Maximilian I, takes part in the war with the Venetians, and is knighted for his bravery on the battlefield - eques auratus.
The next year, as a theologian, he already takes part in the diplomatic mission of Cardinal Santa Croce, which is sent to the Council in Pisa, where Giovanni Medici will become Pope Leo X. After his election, Pope Leo X will lift Agrippa's excommunication and return him to the bosom of the church.
In 1515, Agrippa married in Pavia, but the name and origin of his wife remained unknown. In Metz, his student was quite possibly Johann Weyer, later a famous doctor who did a lot to shake faith in the possibilities of witchcraft.
In 1521 Agrippa went on a journey to visit his old friends. During his absence, his wife died suddenly. Agrippa and his four-year-old son went to Geneva and worked there as a doctor. At the end of 1521, Agrippa married 18-year-old Jana Luisa Tissie, from a noble family of Genevan aristocrats, who bore Agrippa six more children.
In 1524, he served in Lyon as personal physician to Louise de Savoie, mother of King Francis I. Constantly in need of money, Agrippa unsuccessfully tried to get a position as personal physician to Margaret of Austria (Margarete von Österreich). At the beginning of 1529, Agrippa became a father for the seventh time. That year the plague raged in Antwerp, and on August 17 his wife died. Agrippa remained in the city to treat the sick.
At the end of the year, he received an invitation from the English monarch Henry VIII to take the position of lawyer at his court. However, Agrippa chose to remain on the continent and for some time took up the position of historiographer under Margaret of Austria, governor of the Netherlands. Agrippa marries for the third time, and again the name and origin of his wife remain unknown.
Agrippa of Nettesheim, 48, died on February 18, 1535 in Grenoble. He was buried in the Dominican Church. After his death, many legends remained.
There were a lot of tales told about the sorcerer Agrippa. In Louvain, a certain student, initiated by Cornelius into a magician, in his absence incorrectly began to summon the devil, for which the evil one took his life. When Agrippa returned home, he saw demons dancing on the roof. Then he ordered one of them to enter the lifeless body of the student and go to the market. Here he released the spirit, and the student fell lifeless, as if struck by lightning.
Another case is known from an episode from the tragedy “Faust” by Goethe, where Mephistopheles is presented in the guise of a black dog. The fact is that the people considered the black dog, who accompanied his master the warlock Agrippa everywhere, to be the devil himself.
Before his death, Agrippa removed the dog’s collar with a magical inscription and ordered: “Go away, damned creature, you are to blame for all my misfortunes!” The dog rushed into the river and disappeared. This episode will be included in Valery Bryusov's novel "Fire Angel".
As a rule, any ruler was called by the people with a weighty and apt word, sometimes so much so that the nickname would be fixed for centuries.
I’ll start, perhaps, with antiquity itself.
Prince of Kiev Svyatoslav (945 - 964) had a nickname among his enemies Leopard. He was young, ardent, brave and smart, and more than once defeated the Pechenegs and Bulgars with fewer troops.
The son of Svyatoslav - Prince Vladimir of Kiev (980 - 1015) had nicknames - Saint And Red sun. He baptized pagan Rus', ruled with dignity and justice, and managed to unite princes from other lands around himself.
Prince Yaroslav (1019 - 1054) was nicknamed Wise. Under him, Kyiv turned into one of the largest and most beautiful cities in Europe. Dynastic marriages strengthened ties with European countries. Yaroslav founded a number of new cities. Yaroslavl was founded on the Volga, and Yuriev (the current Estonian city of Tartu) was founded in the conquered land of the Chuds (Estonians).
The son of Prince Vsevolod of Chernigov and then Prince of Kiev Vladimir became Monomakh(1113 - 1125). Vladimir Monomakh is the first Russian prince who beat the nomads on their territory. This was a new military tactic of Rus'. In Polovtsian tents and wagons, mothers frightened children with the name of Vladimir Monomakh.
In 1125 - 1132 Prince of Kyiv was the eldest son of Monomakh Mstislav Vladimirovich, nicknamed Great. This was the last period of relative political unity of Kievan Rus.
Prince of the Rostov-Suzdal land Andrei Yuryevich had the nickname Bogolyubsky, not because of his attitude towards God, but because he really loved his family estate - the village of Bogolyubovo, where he was killed during a boyar conspiracy.
Andrei's younger brother, Vsevolod, had a nickname Big Nest, given for successfully managing to place all of his sons in government in other cities.
It is characteristic that at that time nicknames were still fixed as a family trait, and were not yet widespread among children.
If he showed himself in some business or ruled a place, a nickname stuck among the people, which was later mentioned in the Chronicles. Later, nicknames began to be passed down from generation to generation - by surname.
The founder of Moscow, Prince Yuri Vladimirovich, had the nickname Dolgoruky, given because he had long arms disproportionate to his body, and the prince loved to annex to his lands those distant volosts in which the ruler was weak.
Novgorod Prince Alexander Yaroslavovich received the popular nickname “ Nevsky"for the victorious battle on the Neva, in which he defeated the Swedish squad.
Sons of Prince Ivan Kalita- Princes Simeon and Ivan had nicknames Proud And Red.
Prince Dmitry Ivanovich, received the nickname for the victory over the Horde Donskoy.
Prince Vasily Oblique in the internecine princely feuds for the possession of power over Russia, he was captured by Prince Dmitry Shemyakaya, blinded and nicknamed Dark, under which he later ruled Moscow.
Tsar of Moscow Ivan IV was called Grozny. And there was a reason - the king was fierce, quick to punish, and did not take into account the opinions of others.
Tsar of All Rus' Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov (1645-1676) went down in History as Alexey Quiet. The quietest wanted to observe the customs of Old Moscow Rus'. But, seeing the successes of Western European countries, he simultaneously sought to adopt their achievements. Russia balanced between paternal antiquity and European innovations.
The son of Tsar Alexei - Peter I, having barely begun to rule, received the nickname Great, under him and entered into History. The young tsar accomplished many great and glorious deeds, forcefully turning the old Russian order towards Europe. In addition, among the people this king was given the nickname Tabachnik for his love of tobacco, previously unknown in Rus'.
The official nickname of Nicholas I (1825-1855) is Unforgettable.
However, the people retained the name “Palkin” for him, because he loved munshru and corporal punishment, which was aptly noted by the writer Leo Tolstoy in one of his stories.
Alexander II (1855-1881) was officially called Liberator, for abolishing serfdom in Russia.
Alexander III (1881-1894) was called " Peacemaker", because under him Russia practically did not fight wars.
Nicholas II (1904-1917) was popularly called Nicholas the Bloody, for shooting a peaceful religious procession to the Tsar on January 9, 1909. In addition, the people called the king “ Nikola Fool»
Vladimir Ulyanov himself took his party nickname Lenin, in honor of the Lena execution of rebellious workers. Among his colleagues he was nicknamed “ Old man», « Ilyich», « Lukic», « Petrovich" Ulyanov remained in people’s memory as: “ Lenin», « Grandfather Lenin», « Leader», « Ilyich», « Vovka" And " Bald».
The first established pseudonym of Joseph Dzhugashvili was Koba. Later Dzhugashvili took his nickname Stalin, according to the analogy with Lenin.
The people called the father of nations: “ The heart of a folk song», « Pockmarked», « Yosya the Terrible», « Murderer».
Among the intelligentsia Stalin was called " Ginger», « Cockroach" And " shoe polisher" - thanks to the famous poem by the poet Mandelstam.
Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev was called by people by nicknames - “ Nikita kukruznik», « Khrushchev», « collective farmer" And " boar».
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, becoming Khrushchev's successor, immediately received the nickname " manager" People often called him " Armored Bearer in the Dark" or " Epochal Ilyich", and " Twice Ilyich Soviet Union "by analogy with the numerous titles of Hero of the USSR
Yuri Andropov - Mohican, Second Stalin, Chekist, Jeweler.
Mikhail Gorbachev - Bald, Marked, Globe, Humpbacked, Humpbacked, Lemonade Joe, Democratizer, Talker Bear and many others.
Boris Yeltsin - Grandfather, Chief, Drunk, Yolkin. Yeltsin's opposition dubbed him three letters EBN.
As a child, Vladimir Putin was called " Putka" And " Path».
In the reconnaissance group (Dresden, GDR - German Democratic Republic) they also gave each other nicknames. Vladimir Putin was called there ooty-way».
As the newspaper “Top Secret” wrote, “in the Leningrad KGB, Putin had nicknames “ Mole», « little rat», « Kaputin" And " Khaputin“, and while working for Sobchak, Putin’s name was “ Stasi», « Vice-Sobchak»,
After 1999, the following nicknames appeared: “ dressing Putenok», « Cleaning and cleaning agent - toilet Putenok", and " Ugly Putenok», « Puffed Poo», « pale aphid».
Boris Yeltsin, having learned about his successor, simply called Putin - “ Baby" In addition, people often call Putin “ successor», Putler And Puteng.
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev. They say that as soon as the Kremlin started talking about LADIES, as a successor, he was immediately nicknamed “ Vizier" They also say that seven-year-old Dima was teased by boys as a child “ tadpole" People call Medvedev " Bear», « Abrashka-Shorty», « Na-no», « Mendel-Potapych», « Gummy bear», « iPhone», « Kremlin dwarf».
In general, everyone was given nicknames according to their dignity in Rus', the USSR and Russia.
Each ruler of the Russian state, from the times of Kievan and Appanage Rus to the collapse of the Great Empire, left his mark on history. Some rulers earned good fame and honor, others - love and trust, others - hatred, and others - the deep contempt of their people. In accordance with the character, activities or specific acts of the monarchs, their historical nicknames were formed. Some additional names of Russian princes went into oblivion along with their bearers, while others were entrenched for centuries.
Nicknames of ancient Russian rulers
The first in the ancient Russian chronicle “The Tale of Bygone Years” is the founder of the princely dynasty, the Novgorod prince of the Varangians, Rurik (862-879). There is an assumption that this was not his own name, but the generic nickname of the dynasty of rulers of the Slavic tribe of Obodrites, Rerek.
The next significant figure, who reigned from 879 to 884, was Prince Oleg, who received the nickname Prophetic (“knower of the future”). It stuck with him after the campaign against Constantinople, when the ruler forbade the hungry warriors from touching food and wine, being reasonably sure that they were poisoned.
Igor Rurikovich (912-945) received the nickname Stary (Ancient). There are 2 versions of its origin: the period of the prince’s reign fell on a fairly mature age (about 60 years old) or he was killed by the wild people of the Drevlyans, whose name is consonant with the name Ancient. Igor's wife, Olga, was called the Saint because she became the first ancient Russian ruler to accept the Christian faith. The nickname of Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich is Bars. It was given to him by his Pecheneg enemies for his intelligence, courage, decisive character and hot temper. His own people called him Glorious.
900" alt=" Photo. Monument to Grand Duke Yuri Dolgoruky (sculptor Vadim Tserkovnikov), Dmitrov, Moscow region, Russia. Author: Arthur Lookyanov / Shutterstock.com." src="https://opt-696818.ssl.1c-bitrix-cdn.ru/upload/medialibrary/ced/cede4339539b76242241f9fd701675c7.jpg?1521498887460004" height="600" title="Photo. Monument to Grand Duke Yuri Dolgoruky (sculptor Vadim Tserkovnikov), Dmitrov, Moscow region, Russia.
The sixth son of Monomakh, Yuri Vladimirovich, traditionally considered the founder of Moscow, was nicknamed Dolgoruky for his constant encroachment on foreign lands. Andrei Yuryevich, Grand Duke of Vladimir, was called Bogolyubsky. According to some sources, this nickname in history is due to the ancient Russian tradition of calling rulers God-loving, and according to others, it is associated with the name of the main residence located in the city of Bogolyubovo. Andrei's younger brother, Vsevolod, was given the nickname Prince Gnezdo ("Big Nest") for his numerous offspring. He had 12 children - 8 sons and 4 daughters.
The grandson of Yaroslav the Wise, the founder of the Olgovich family, Oleg Svyatoslavovich, received the nickname Goreslavich for inciting civil strife and his miserable fate, by the will of which he turned into an outcast. Great commander, Prince of Kiev, Vladimir and Novgorod, Alexander Yaroslavovich, grandson of Vsevolod the Big Nest, began to bear the nickname Nevsky after the victory on the banks of the Neva. There, according to legend, he “put a seal” on the face of the future ruler of Sweden with his own spear.
It is characteristic that the nicknames of the great princes Old Russian state, which at first did not apply to children, eventually began to form the basis of surnames and were passed on from generation to generation. For example, the nickname of Prince Alexander Nevsky, who later won the Battle of the Ice on Lake Peipsi, was also borne by his descendants.
900" alt="Photo. Monument to Dmitry Donskoy, Kolomna, Moscow region, Russia. Author: Masterovoy / Shutterstock.com." src="https://opt-696818.ssl.1c-bitrix-cdn.ru/upload/medialibrary/f38/f383114263a9b1cdd5b9d273279f42bb.jpg?1521500054395488" height="600" title="Photo. Monument to Dmitry Donskoy, Kolomna, Moscow region, Russia.
Russian Tsars
The nickname of Ivan IV, who became one of the most cruel and iconic figures, is Grozny. The first to replace the usual grand-ducal title with a royal one, he was married to the state throne, and entered Russian history as a bloody tyrant.
In the period from 1598 to 1613, called the Time of Troubles, Tsarevich Dmitry came to power, posing as the youngest son of Ivan the Terrible, who had previously died under hitherto unknown circumstances. He was the first of 4 impostors who claimed the throne. The nicknames of the Russian rulers who put forward the version of a miraculous salvation and subsequently usurped power are False Dmitry I, II, III and IV.
The second monarch of the Romanov dynasty, Alexei Mikhailovich, received the nickname of the quietest tsar not for his short character, but for the fact that he was able to “comfort” Russia, torn apart by rebels and impostors, who were then called “the libertines of silence.” The nickname of Tsar Alexei passed on to his sons, Fyodor, Ivan and Peter, who were successors to the throne.
Quiet's youngest son, Pyotr Alekseevich, who ruled from 1689 to 1725, could certainly not be called quiet. Peter I, who became one of the most outstanding statesmen, rightfully bore the nickname the Great.
Ivan VI, who formally ruled for exactly one year while in infancy, was called the Infant Emperor. The nickname of Catherine II, the autocrats of All Russia, is the Great. This title was passed on to her from Peter I, who was the empress’s idol. She continued the work of the “chicks of Petrov’s nest”, building more than 140 cities.
Alexander II, who abolished serfdom in Russia, was nicknamed the Liberator. Alexander III, under whom the state lived without wars - Peaceful.
“Bloody” is the nickname of the emperor, Nicholas II, who became the last All-Russian autocrat. He received it after the events of 1896 on Khodynka and Bloody Sunday 1905.
The nicknames of rulers that have been fixed for centuries and have survived to this day, worthy, euphonious or offensive, arose overnight, or were chosen from many. So it was, is and will be, and the nicknames in Russia that were or will be awarded to the current holders of power will also go down in history.
">The kings of almost all European monarchies had nicknames: England, Scotland, France, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, the Czech Republic, etc.
French kings often received nicknames that characterized their reign or personality. For example: Louis the Pious, Charles II the Bald, Robert II the Pious, Louis VI the Fat, Louis VII the Young, Louis IX the Saint, Philip III the Brave, Philip IV the Handsome, Jean II the Good
The most famous king in history was, perhaps, Louis XIV, whom court flatterers called the “Sun King.” From the ballet historian F. Bossan we read: “It was on the Grand Carousel of 1662 that the Sun King was, in a way, born. His name was given not by politics or the victories of his armies, but by equestrian ballet.” At the Carousel of 1662, Louis XIV appeared before the people as the Roman Emperor with a huge shield in the shape of the Sun. Like, the Sun itself protects the king and with him the whole of France.
Sometimes kings lost their nicknames, but more often, due to their habits or behavior, on the contrary, they acquired them. For example, Louis the Fat or Karl the Bald. This top ten includes the nicknames of kings.
10th place: Lazy kings, it turns out, are not literary fiction. This was the name given to the entire royal dynasty of the Merovingians, who ruled in the 600s. The kings of this dynasty never cut their hair and therefore they were also called “Ler ua shevelu”, that is, “hairy kings”. 
9th place: Philip the Silent, or Owl, is another nickname for King Philip the Fair of France. Presumably, he was poisoned by emissaries of the Templar Order. In addition to these two nicknames, he also had a third - the Counterfeit King. Due to constantly growing taxes and inflation, he began to reduce the silver content in them when minting coins. 
8th place: In the 18th century, Siam was ruled by Ayutthaya, the Tiger King. He patronized Thai boxing and personally organized competitions. If a fighter demonstrated some special techniques that the king liked, he received a reward from the king’s hands. These techniques were later called the "Tiger King Technique". 
7th place: Louis Philippe d'Orléans, The Pear King. This nickname was invented by artists: Louis-Philippe’s flabby face with a cook on his head really had a pear-shaped shape, and the point of the metaphor was that the French word la poire has two meanings - “pear” and “fool.”
6th place: Ferdinand II of Bourbon, King of the Two Sicilies, who was called Ferdinand the Bomba. He received this nickname from liberals. During Crimean War he was one of the few European rulers who openly expressed sympathy for Russia.
5th place: King Eric IV of Denmark received the nickname Plowman for introducing a tax on the plow.
4th place: Viking King Harald II - Harald the Blue Tooth. There are two versions of the origin of this nickname. According to the first, he really had teeth of a pathological color, but the second is more plausible: BlueTooth (Blue Tooth) is a distorted Scandinavian Bletand, that is, “darky.” Harald had an appearance atypical for Norwegians - he had black hair and brown eyes.
3rd place: Humpty Dumpty is a very real nickname, and the story is also reliable. The English king Richard III, who was disliked for his cruelty and external ugliness, died in battle fighting for the throne. In the thick of the battle, his legs were cut off, and none of his army was able to come to his aid. 
2nd place: The Romanian King Carol II was nicknamed the Playboy King. He was married three times, and the number of his mistresses was legendary. In 1925, he even abdicated the throne, abandoned his official wife, the Greek Princess Helen, and fled the country with a girl of dubious reputation.
1 place: For his manner of behavior with his subjects and members of foreign delegations, the famous King Henry of Navarre, the future King of France Henry IV, received the nickname Gallant Vigorous
And a few more nicknames of rulers
German King Henry I the Birdcatcher. The nickname "Birdcatcher" is based on the legendary story that the news of his election as king found Henry I catching birds.
Otto III had the nickname “Miracle of the World” and dreamed of a worldwide Christian empire, so that the entire Christian world would unite under the rule of the Roman emperor.
The Portuguese prince Henry the Navigator never sailed anywhere as a captain and generally went out of Portugal very little, and received his nickname because he was the organizer of many Portuguese expeditions that led to the discovery of new lands.
The English king Henry VIII, instead of making silver shillings, began minting them from copper, then covering them with silver. The silver quickly wore off, especially on the most protruding parts, which included the king’s nose. Because of this, the king received the nickname “old copper nose.”
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