ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1106 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1106 ************************************ 4 Aug 1998 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked for help designing arms to match your 12th century Norman persona, and for our opinion of your name, . Here is what we have found. Your name is probably appropriate for your persona, though the spelling of the place name may not be right. We have not found in use in Normandy, but we have found it nearby. The name appears in a late 13th century census of Paris [1]. That's a little later than your persona, but it's pretty close. An earlier form, , was recorded in the early 9th century and the early 12th century at Paris and Chartres, respectively. Ste. Genevieve is the patron of Paris, so her name was probably always more common around Paris than elsewhere in France. In a Latin document, the name might have appeared as . is the modern spelling of this place name. We don't have a spelling from your period; our best guess is that it might have been [4]. is recorded in Latin as in the 12th century [5]. Documents in your period were written in Latin, of course. If you want a Latin form of your name for writing, you could use . Our best guess for the correct Old French form of your name is or . You are right to feel that your registered arms are inappropriate for your period: "Azure, on a bend wavy argent between two butterflies Or three roses purpure". The butterfly is a rare charge in medieval heraldry, purpure is a rare tincture, and two charges around a bend isn't a very common arrangement. In your period, heraldry was still in its infancy, and most arms were very simple. We recommend that you avoid purple, and that if you keep the butterfly at all, you make it the only charge in your design. Here are a few possibilities for you to consider: Azure, a bend wavy argent. Azure, a bend wavy between six roses argent. Azure, a bend wavy between three roses argent. (Three charges around a between are arranged with two in chief, palewise in bend, and one in base.) Azure, three bendlets wavy argent. Azure, three butterflies Or. We believe that these designs are clear of conflict for SCA registration. I hope this letter has been useful. Please write us again if any part of it has been unclear or if you have other questions. I was assisted in researching and writing this letter by Lothar von Katzenellenbogen, Rouland Carre, Zanobia di Naftalli, Evan da Collaureo, Walraven van Nijmegen, Talan Gwynek, and Daniel de Lincolia. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 4 Aug 1998 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Colm Dubh, "An Index to the Given Names in the 1292 Census of Paris", Proceedings of the Known World Heraldic Symposium 1996 (SCA: Montgomery, Alabama; WWW: SCA, Inc., 1997). http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/paris.html [2] Nicolaa de Bracton, "A Statistical Survey of Given Names in Essex Co., England, 1182-1272", Known World Heraldic Symposium Proceedings 1995 (SCA Inc.) http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/5145/women.html [3] Dauzat, Albert & Ch. Rostaing, _Dictionnaire Etymologique des Noms de Lieux de la France_ (Paris: Librairie Larousse, 1963). [4] By looking at the evolution of similar Latin place names in France, we can get a picture of how might have developed. , from Latin , is recorded as 1157, c.1163, 1165; appears as 1209 but 1280; is already c.1119, and is 802-32 [7]. From these examples, it is clear that the in the Latin forms was a \v\ in the spoken language of your period. The final <-ux> in the modern spelling of the name would not have been used in the 12th century, when Old French did not normally use the letter . was used first as a scribal abbreviation for <-us>, and later for after , so that modern <-ux> very likely developed from <-uz> [6]. [5] Dauzat, Albert & Ch. Rostaing, _Dictionnaire Etymologique des Noms de Lieux de la France_ (Paris: Librairie Larousse, 1963). [6] Einhorn, E., _Old French: A Concise Handbook_ (London & New York: Cambridge University Press, 1974), section 21.1. [7] Morlet, Marie-Therese, _Les Noms de Personne sur le Territoire de l'Ancienne Gaule du VIe au XIIe Siecle_ (Paris: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 1972), vol I, p.107b. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -