ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1110
http://www.s-gabriel.org/1110
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From: "S Friedemann" 
25 Jul 1998

Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel!

You have a friend who was interested in the name <Casandra>, and wanted to
know where and when it was used in period.  Here is the information we have
found.

<Cassandra> was originally the name of a Greek mythological figure, but it
was used in England in the 12th to 14th centuries, spelled as <Cassander>
1379 and <Cassandra> 1182-1211, 1275, 1283, 1302-03, with a pet form of
<Casse> 1273, 1279 [1].  We have not seen it spelled with only one <s>.

Rather strangely, we have found no evidence that it was used by any other
cultures in period.  We can attribute the resurgence of <Cassandra> in
England to increased interest in Homer's *Iliad*, in which the Greek
prophetess <Cassandra> plays a role. [2]

Before the late 14th century, the English rarely had inherited surnames like
the ones we use today.  Most people used bynames, or individual descriptive
surnames that identified them based on family relationships, place of
residence, occupation, or some personal characteristic.  These names weren't
permanent; the same person could be identified by different bynames in
different circumstances.  A 13th century Englishwoman named <Cassandra>, the
blonde-haired daughter of William the goldsmith who lived in Exeter, might
be known at various times as:

     Cassandra William, "Cassandra daughter of William"
     Cassandra de Exeter, "Cassandra of Exeter"
     Cassandra la Fayre, "Cassandra the Fair"

and perhaps many other things.  A name which fits any of these patterns
would be an appropriate match for <Cassandra> in 12th to 14th century
England.  One of the best books on surnames in England that is widely
available is the "Dictionary of English Surnames" by P.H. Reaney & R.M.
Wilson.

We hope that this letter has been useful to you and that you will not
hesitate to write again if any part was unclear or if you have further
questions.  Research and commentary on this letter was provided by Arval
Benicoeur, Elsbeth Anne Roth, Talan Gwynek, Tangwystyl verch Morgant
Glasvryn, and Walraven van Nijmegen.

In service to the Academy,
--Aryanhwy merch Catmael Caermyrdin
     July 25, 1998

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References:

[1] Talan Gwynek, "Feminine Given Names in _A Dictionary of English
Surnames_" (SCA: KWHS Proceedings, 1994; WWW: J. Mittleman, 1997)
URL:http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/reaney/.

[2] E. G. Withycombe, _The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names_,
3rd Ed.  (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988)