ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1789 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1789 ************************************ 17 Oct 1999 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked whether the name and the arms you've designed are appropriate for a late 12th century Leonese woman. Here is what we have found. You described your name as a given name, your mother's maiden name, your husband's surname, , and your own maiden name; and you wrote that you'd found , , and in "El Cid". We believe that all the elements of your name are appropriate to your period, though not quite in the same spellings; but unfortunately the way you've combined them is not consistent with the naming practices of your culture. We'll discuss all these matters in detail, and then suggest some names that are more compatible with Leonese naming c.1200. is the modern spelling of a name that was spelled in various ways in your period. In the original text of "El Cid", it is [4]. We found these other Castilian and Leonese forms [1, 2]: Xemena 1042-1266 Gimena 1063 Scemena 1053, 1078 (Leon) Semena 1078 (Leon) is rather common in other data from Leon between 900 and 1300, and seems to have been the most common spelling of the masculine version of the name, too [1, 3, 12]. In all spellings, the name was pronounced \sheh-MAY-n@\ or \shih-MAY-n@\ in your period [5]. The symbol \@\ represents a schwa, the final sound in . (where represents n-tilde) appears in the original text of "El Cid" in this form [4]. It was originally a patronymic byname (i.e. a surname that identified a person as her father's child), derived from the given name [1]. It also appears in early records as ; n-tilde was originally a scribal abbreviation for [13]. In your period, such a byname would have been used literally; i.e. a woman called would have been the daughter of a man named . Our data suggests that was mainly a Castilian name, particularly popular in Burgos, in north-central Castile. Elsewhere, it appears to have been rare [12]. doesn't appear in "El Cid" as a surname; the original text has , a patronymic derived from the given name [4]. itself was also used as a patronymic at this time; later in period, it become the dominant form. We found the name in Castile, 1039 [6]. The given name is recorded in Leon in the late 12th century [14]. It was pronounced \gar-TSEE-@\ in your period. There was a man , procurador of the Alcaldia of Sayaz in 1397 [7]. This spelling may be modernized. However, we did find that spelling in the 15th century name , and we see no reason why the same spelling shouldn't have existed in your period [8]. This surname is locative in origin, i.e. it meant "from Montoya". As with patronymics, it would have been used literally, as a description rather than as a family name in the modern style. Inherited family names had not yet come into use in 13th century Spain. The practice of building up complicated surnames from one's maternal and paternal lines is a modern invention in Spain [9]. In your period in Leon, a woman was most often known by her given name plus a patronymic. In one study of Leonese names from the second half of the 12th century, 67% of women had names of this form. An additional 22% were identified by a given name alone. Less than 2% of names consisted of a given name plus a locative like . Only 5% used two bynames; and in this last category, none of the names included a locative. Thus, the most typical name for your period is something like "Scemena daughter of Garcia". A locative byname, as in , would have been unusual but not unheard of. A name with both a patronymic and a locative, like would be very atypical at best, and perhaps entirely inappropriate [12]. We have found no example of a three-element surname in Spanish until long after your period. You described your arms as an argent field with a black sword flanked by two black spiders displayed, and a blue maiden's head in chief. You noted that you want to use black widow spiders as a reference to your nickname . This design could be blazoned "Argent, a sword between two spiders sable and in chief a maiden's head azure." Unfortunately, we cannot recommend this design as a good re-creation of period Spanish heraldry. Your period is very early in the history of heraldry. Arms used this early were very simple, usually with only one type of charge. We strongly recommend that you simplify your design significantly. We particularly suggest that you avoid spiders as heraldic charges: We have found no example of a spider in period arms. The only insects we've found are flies, bees, and butterflies [10]. Spanish heraldry did not include a wide variety of unusual flora and fauna, so we believe that a heraldic spider is particularly unlikely in your culture. On the other hand, the sword and the maiden's head are fine charges. Either of them would be a fine choice. For example, "Argent, three maiden's heads azure" or "Argent, three swords palewise in fess sable" would be excellent early-medieval arms. We believe that you could register either of these designs. If you particularly want your arms to identify you as "the widow Montoya", we have a different suggestion. Using a black widow spider expresses that idea, but unfortunately it does so in a rather modern way. However, there is a good period alternative. A medieval widow would not have had arms that identified her status explicitly. She could have acquired arms in one of two ways: from her parents (usually her father) or from her husband. Either way, she wouldn't have modified them to signal changes in marital status. If you want arms that identify you as "the widow Montoya", the most authentic choice would be to use your husband's arms, since that would identify you as a Montoya. In the late 14th century, Martin Perez de Montoya (mentioned above) bore "Azure, ten poplar leaves 3, 3, 3, and 1 Or" [7]. Modern branches of the family bear variants on this design, with different numbers of leaves, in different arrangements and different colors. The poplar leaf, or in Spanish, is a typically Spanish charge, found particularly in Navarre [11]. It looks like an inverted card pique, like the ones on the spades in deck of cards. So, you might consider arms like "Argent, an orle of poplar leaves azure". An orle is a set of charges, often eight of them arranged around the edge of the field, like this: .-----------------. | | | X X X | | | | | | X X | ` ' ` ' ` X X ' \ / `. X .' `-. .-' `v' We 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 Pedro de Alcazar, Antonio Miguel Santos de Borja, Walraven van Nijmegen, Juliana de Luna, Talan Gwynek, Alan Fairfax, and Rolland Carre. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 17 Oct 1999 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Talan Gwynek, "A Glossary of the Personal Names in Diez Melcon's _Apellidos Castellano-Leoneses_", Known World Heraldic Symposium Proceedings (SCA: Chicago, 1993). [2] Menedez-Pidal, Ramon, _Ori'genes del Espan~ol: Estado Lingu:istico de la Peni'nsula Ibe'rica Hasta el Siglo XI_ (Madrid: Espasa-Calpe, S.A., 1964). [3] Unpublished research by Antonio Miguel Santos de Borja, based on Mi/nguez Ferna/ndez, Jose/ Mari/a, Marta Herrero de la Fuente, and Jose/ Antonio Ferna/ndez Flo/rez, _Coleccio/n diploma/tica del Monasterio de Sahagu/n_, 5 volumes (Leo/n : Centro de Estudios e Investigacio/n San Isidoro, 1976-<1997>). [4] _Poem of the Cid_, ed. Ramo/n Mene/ndez Pidal, trans. W. S. Merwin (New York, Meridian, 1975 [1959]). [5] In the Leonese dialect of your period, and represented the sound \zh\, like the in , while or represents \sh\. The two sets of sounds converged in the 16th century, at which point and were used interchangably. Penny, Ralph, _A History of the Spanish Language_ (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1991). [6] Menedez-Pidal, Ramon, _Crestomati'a del Espan~ol Medieval_ (Madrid: 1971). [7] Lamant-Duhart, Hubert, _Armorial du Pays Basque_ (Bairritz, 1997). The author cites A. and A. Garcia Caraffa, _El Solar Vasco-Navarro_, 1966-67. This information was posted on the Usenet newsgroup rec.heraldry on 2 Oct 1999 by Franc,ois Velde. [8] De La Torre, Antonio and E. A. de la Torre, eds., _Cuentas de Gonzalo de Baeza Tesorero de Isabel la Cato/lica_ (Madrid: Biblioteca "Reyes Cato/licos", 1956). [9] By modern Spanish practice, if Jimena's mother's father's surname was , her father's father's name was , and her husband's was , then she'd be called for legal purposes and in other formal circumstances. It is possible that she might tie the two together, . [10] Geoffrey de Muschamp, Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, 1198-1208, bore "Azure, three flies Or". Glover's Roll has Muschamp "Azure, three butterflies volant Or"; Dorre, 'Per pale azure and gules, three gadflies or'; and Bodrigan, 'Vert, three gad-bees argent'. Thomas Jenyns' Book c.1410 has Hugh de Burninghill, 'Sable, three butterflies argent'. Parker, James, _A Glossary of Terms used in Heraldry_ (Charles E. Tuttle, 1982), s.v. Fly. Papworth, John W., _Papworth's Ordinary of British Armorials_, reprint (Five Barrows Ltd., 1977), s.v. insect. Brault, Gerald J., _The Rolls of Arms of Edward I_, Aspilogia III, 2 vols. (London: Boydell Press, 1997), s.n. Muschamp. Wagner, Anthony Richard, _Aspilogia I: A Catalogue of English Mediaeval Rolls of Arms_ (London: The Society of Antiquaries, 1950), p.73. In Italy, Taddeo Barberini, born 1603, bore 'three bees' in 1638; he was the nephew of Maffeo Barberini, who became Pope Urban VIII in 1623 and who bore 'Azure, three bees or'. Neubecker, Ottfried, _Heraldry: Source, Symbols, and Meanings_ (Maidenhead, UK: McGraw-Hill Co., 1976), pp.130-1, 236. _Grand Larousse Encyclope/dique en dix volumes_ (Paris: Librairie Larousse, 1960-1964), s.v. Barberini. In Tyrol, the family Waldbiene bore "A bee" in the 15th century. Pastoureau, Michel, _Heraldry: An Introduction to a Noble Tradition_, p.63 (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1997) [11] Pastoureau, Michel, _Traite/ d'He/raldique_, 2nd ed. (Paris: grands manuels Picard, 1993). See fig. 191, arms of Xemen de Dotes, Navarre 1275. [12] Sopena, Pascual Marti/nez, "La antroponimia leonesa: Un estudio del Archivo de la Catedral de Leo/n (876-1200)" in _Antroponimia y Sociedad_: Sistemas de identificacio/n hispano-cristianos en los siglos IX a XIII_ (Valladolid, Spain: Universidade de Santiago de Compostela and Universidad de Valladolid, 1995). Sopena lists the 20 most common men's names in his data, both among clerics and the laity. is the 18th most common given name among the laity; does not appear on the either list. About 10% of men in this study were known by a patronymic and locative, but that pattern does not appear in women's names. [13] Diez Melcon, R. P. Gonzalo, _Apellidos Castellano-Leoneses: Siglos IX-XIII, ambos inclusive_ (Universidad de Granada, 1957), pp.148-9. Examples include 941, 978, 1060, 1084, 1110, 1119, 1160, and 1265. [14] Garcia de Corta/zar, Jose/ Garcia, Carmen Di/ez Herrera, and Esther Pen~a Bocos, "Antroponimia de Burgos y su alfoz en los siglos X al X11", pp.231-257 in _Antroponimia y Sociedad_: Sistemas de identificacio/n hispano-cristianos en los siglos IX a XIII_ (Valladolid, Spain: Universidade de Santiago de Compostela and Universidad de Valladolid, 1995). In data covering the period 825-1200, is the 17th most common masculine name, and is the 12th most common patronymic.