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Müürivahe (Müürivahe)
Between the (city) walls. Müüri, however, is singular, so maybe ‘space behind the city wall’ (i.e. the arcades) would be a better rendering, although given its earlier German name of Zwischen den Mauern (between the walls) it might have been shortened from Müüridevahe, implying between the city wall and the row of houses opposite (or another one-time parallel wall?). Also Soviet occupation renaming (1950-1987) of Munga. At one stage is was also known as Tynnepattenstrate, perhaps after Michel Tynnepatten whose house (in this street?) was, for some reason, acquired by the city, ca. 1541. There are rumors of a one-time brothel called Punane Klooster (red cloister) there, but whether named as a “Get thee to a nunnery” type allusion where ‘nunnery’ was Elizabethan English for brothel, or because rented out by a convent (see Rataskaevu), is not clear.
Niguliste (?)
Street and church. Nicholas, presumed dead around 350 CE, relics nicked by Italian merchants in 1087, patron saint of sailors, children, unwed girls, apothecaries, merchants, pawnbrokers and perfumers, and patron saint of Russia. Saint’s day: Dec. 6, evolution into Santa Claus began during Middle Ages. For a variation on the theme, see Vene. First recorded as platea beati Nicolai in 1377, then going through some unusual contorsions in the 18th & 19th Cs: Nikkola ulits (like the next one, but more Finnish sounding, 1723), niggola ulits (old school Estonian spelling with Russian ‘street’ appended, 1732), Nigulaste uulits (where the ‑laste makes it sound like ‘Nigulians’, while ‑(i)ste may be from old Norse, 1861), and Nigolas uulits (1885). For some reason, probably related to the Kelchi pärn (see Nõelasilm and Pärnade), called Липовая (Lipovaya) or Липовая Городская (Lipovaya Gorodskaya, Linden or Linden City Road, in the early 20th C.
Olevimägi (Olevimägi)
Olev’s mountain or hill. Street first identified as mons arenae, hill of sand (dated 1312 in TT, but 1332/3 in Arbusov?), then Zantberg, sand hill (1337), and possibly de isern doere, MLG for ‘iron door’, in the 15-16th C which may be a conflation with the same in Sulevimägi. Following this, few records until 1732 when the Brookus name appears: der Brocks-Berg in German and prooks mäggi in old-style Estonian. Variants of Broksmägi, Brokusmägi and Suur Brookusmägi (to differentiate it from Sulevimägi) occurred until the 1920s and switched definitively to its current name in 1935.
Lühike tänav (Adj.)
Short. At 90 m, not sure it merits such shrift. Maybe in comparison to the Tallinn Mägi-adjacent fantasies of Hiiu. Just a short walk from the Nõmme Roti Pere, or rat-family, sculpture. Go see (///motivations.pastels.division). See also Lühike Jalg.
