Wise Men of Gotham Named Gotham City

Batman’s Gotham City takes its name from the English folktales of the Wise Men of Gotham, where “Gotham” refers to a village famous for acting like idiots on purpose. In the legend, the villagers hear the king plans to visit, and they think the trip will bring them trouble, so they decide to make the place look worthless. They put on absurd public displays like trying to drown an eel in water, hoping the king’s messengers will report back that everyone in Gotham is an imbecile and the king will stay away.

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