ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2582
http://www.s-gabriel.org/2582
************************************

17 Oct 2002
From: Josh Mittleman 


Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel!

You asked whether <Christoffel> is an appropriate name for a man from
northern France between 1300 and 1500; and you asked us to suggest
bynames appropriate for someone who trained birds of prey.  This
letter is a brief answer to your question.

<Christoffel> is a fine name, thought this may not be the best
spelling to choose.  In one spelling or another, it was used in much
of northern France from the 10th century on.  This particular spelling
is recorded in Bruges, in the predominantly Dutch-speaking region of
Flanders, in the 15th century [1].  Latin forms such as <Christofolus>
were recorded near Paris in the 10th century [2].  Censuses in and
near Paris have <Christoffle> or <Christofle> in 1292, 1423-28, and
1587 [3, 4, 5].  <Christofle> also appears in records from Bordeaux
between 1470 and 1520 [6].  In 13th century Paris, there was a street
called <la rue Saint-Christofle> [7].  We recommend you choose a
spelling recorded near the region you want your name to fit.

The most straightforward byname referring to a trainer of raptors is
<le Fauconnier> "the falconer", recorded in Picardy in the 14th
century.  It also appears there in the Latin form <Falconarius> in the
13th century, and in French forms <Fauconnier> and <li Fauconier> in
the 14th century.  In the same region, we find the more general
<l'Oiseleur> 13th and 15th century, <l'Oizeleur> 14th century "the
birdkeeper"; and the similar 14th century <as Oiseles> "with birds"
[8, 9].


We hope this brief letter has been useful.  Please write us again if
you have any questions.  I was assisted in researching and writing
this letter by Galiana de Baiona, Talan Gwynek, Juliana de Luna, Alan
Fairfax, and Aryanhwy merch Catmael.

For the Academy,


  Arval Benicoeur
  17 Oct 2002


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

References

[1] Luana de Grood, "Flemish Names from Bruges, 1400-1600", (WWW: Academy
of Saint Gabriel, 1996).
http://www.s-gabriel.org/docs/bruges/

[2] Morlet, Marie-Therese, _Les Noms de Personne sur le Territoire de
l'Ancienne Gaule du VIe au XIIe Siecle_, three volumes (Paris: Centre
National de la Recherche Scientifique, 1972), II:34a.

[3] 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

[4] Friedemann, Sara L. (aka Aryanhwy merch Catmael), "French Names from
Paris, 1423 & 1438" (WWW: privately published, 2002).
http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/paris1423.html

[5] Friedemann, Sara L. (aka Aryanhwy merch Catmael), "Names from a
1587 Tax Roll from Provins" (WWW: privately published, 2002).
http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/provins1587.html

[6] Friedemann, Sara L. (aka Aryanhwy merch Catmael) and Talan Gwynek,
"Names Found in Commercial Documents from Bordeaux, 1470-1520" (WWW:
privately published, 2000).
http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/bordeaux.html

[7] Geraud, Hercule, _Paris sous Philippe-le-Bel: d'apre/s des
documents originaux et notamment d'apre/s un manuscript contenant Le
Ro^le de la taille impose/e sur les habitants de Paris en 1292_ (Paris
: Crapelet, 1837).

[8] Morlet, Marie-Therese, _Etude d'anthroponymie picarde, les noms de
personne en Haute Picardie aux XIIIe, XIVe, XVe siecles_ (Amiens,
Musee de Picardie, 1967).

[9] These bynames could also have been understood to mean "merchant of
falcons/birds".  Geraurd, p.509, 526.