Names
Eppingi torn (?): 
Possibly Tideman Eppynck, 14th C, spelled variously as Thilmannus, Thidemannus, Tydemann, Thidericus and Eppynch, Eppingh, Eppinc, Eppingk. A wealthy burgher in charge of one of the Tallinn towers, although not necessarily this one. There were various ‘Eppincks’: one recorded as dying in 1378, and another, a Tafelbruder, member of the Tafelgilde, a lesser guild involved in feeding the poor, in 1383, along with a Hinrik Eppinchusen, not only a Tafelbruder too from 1399, but alderman of the Kinder- or Große Gilde (Est. Suurgild), or Great Guild, from 1427-31, and appointed Kämmerer, or councilor warden of the city finances, in 1432. Uncertain. See also Wulfardi-tagune torn. The Great Guildhouse is at Pikk 17.
Erika (Erika)
Woman’s first name but, given its then German designation as Erikastrasse (heather street), most likely named after the shrub growing on the drier parts of the ‘Kallamäe Soo’* (Kalamäe marsh) on Eurich’s map, reclaimed in 1898 (see also Angerja), especially given the mention of Feuchte und Heidigste Fiehtriften (damp and heathery cattle pasture or commons) 200 years earlier on a 1698 map of ‘Stadt Räfwal’ (city of Reval, i.e. Tallinn). Called Eerika in 1924, Eeriku in 1921, and Эриковая ул. (Erikovaya ul.) in 1916 (KNAB) but already present on Johann Friedrich Eurich’s survey map of Tallinn (1880-1882). Renamed as Nahhimovi P. during the Soviet occupation (1953-1990).
* The asterisk refers to an error by Aleksander Kivi (1894-1985) who might have misplaced the marsh in Kalamaja instead of Karjamaa and is not a criticism – Karjamaa to Kalamäe to Kalamaja… who hasn’t had glitches like this? – but an opportunity to celebrate the man foundational to Tallinn street-name studies – no computer, Soviet overlords, scattered resources... – for a brilliant job.
Esku (Esku)
Old farm/man’s name. Probably from an early Scandinavian name, Askel, Æskil, Askil, Eskil, Áskæll, Áskell, short forms of ON Ásketill, broken down to mean ‘God’s helmet’ (áss [god], and ketill, [helmet or kettle]). This, in Estonian, became jumalakiiver, prob. from Russian кивер (kiver: shako, itself from the Hungarian for ‘peak’, csákó). Rajandi’s Raamat nimedest (book of names) claims the name has long been used in Estonian coastal areas (probably Swedish). But helmet or kettle?... ON already had a word for helmet (hjálmr). So ‘kettle’ was likely a contemporary or later development as it spread through Scandinavia to mean cauldron, cooking-pot, basin, bowl, boiler (see Katleri), etc. There’s something oddly unquixotic about this! As our hero borrows a barber’s shaving-basin for a helmet, boys will pilfer their mums’ saucepans too, so why then would any self-respecting Norse warrior not nick his missus’ casserole to protect his shoulder-rock, as Norse kennings so poetically describe a head (deadpan humor?). I rest my case.
