[FONT="]In the initial publication of the poem, Santa's last two reindeer were called
"Dunder and Blixem" (1). Later publications show the names "Donder and Blitzen"(2). [/FONT][FONT="]Martin Gardner, editor of
The Annotated Night Before Christmas, points to a
handwritten[/FONT][FONT="]copy of the poem, written by Moore in the year before he died, in which he calls the reindeer "Donder and Blitzen" (3). It is clear that Moore himself wanted the reindeer named Donder and Blitzen.[/FONT]
[FONT="]One hundred and sixteen years after Clement Clark Moore first named the reindeer, the name "Donner" replaced "Donder" in the publication of the 1939 story book
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,[/FONT][FONT="] written by Robert L. May(4). A decade after the book was published "Donner" was further cemented into American consciousness when Gene Autry recorded Johnny Mark's song
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer[/FONT][FONT="].[/FONT]
[FONT="]"Donner" is
Thunder [/FONT][FONT="]and "Blitzen" is
Lightning [/FONT][FONT="]in German. So, I understand how the mistake occurred. Nevertheless, the poem was readily available to refer to in libraries across the country. Shame on Mr. May and Mr. Marks for not doing their research properly before publishing their work. What right had they to change an American classic?[/FONT]