ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 898 http://www.s-gabriel.org/898 *********************************** ************************************************* * * * NOTE: Some of the Academy's early reports * * contain errors that we haven't yet * * corrected. Please use it with caution. * * * ************************************************* From: "S Friedemann" 9 Apr 1998 Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked for information on the German feminine name and wanted to know when it first came into use. Here is what we have found. According to a tale apparantly invented by Clemens Brentano in the early nineteenth century, was a beautiful young girl, who, after throwing herself into the Rhine River in despair, was transformed into a siren, where she lured sailors to their death [1]. Before this, the name referred only to a dangerous rock overhanging the Rhine. We did find a similar-sounding German name, that you might be interested in. In one list of 92 people from 1300-1350, we find the name three times. [2] We hope that this letter has been useful to you, and that you will write again if you have more questions, or if any part was unclear. Research and commentary on this letter was provided by AElfwyn aet Gyrwum, Alan Fairfax, Arval Benicoeur, Elsbeth Anne Roth, Talan Gwynek, and Walraven van Nijmege. For the Academy, Aryanhwy merch Catmael Caermyrdin ------------------------------------------------ References: [1] Bene/t, William Rose. The Reader's Encyclopedia. 2nd ed. (New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1967). [2] Mulch, Roland, _Arnsburger Personennamen: Untersuchungen zum Namenmaterial aus anrsburger Urkunden vom 13. - 16. Jahrhundert_ (Darmstadt & Marburg: Hessischen Historischen Kommission Darmstadt and the Historischen Kommission fu:r Hessen, 1974).