ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 912 http://www.s-gabriel.org/912 *********************************** ************************************************* * * * NOTE: Some of the Academy's early reports * * contain errors that we haven't yet * * corrected. Please use it with caution. * * * ************************************************* From: 19 Apr 1998 Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked us about as a Frankish name for a woman living in southern France between 500 and 1000. You also asked us for advice on a badge showing Roman or Greek influence, perhaps including a couple of apples or a sprig of rosemary or sage. First, you have obviously done some serious research on your name and persona, so our advice will be mostly fine-tuning your ideas. In the Merovingian line, c.400-c.600, there was one , also spelled [1]. We also found the following forms [2]; based on these examples, is a reasonable spelling for your name. 774 (no explicit date) ca. 855 appears as a given name in France by the 11th century [2]. However, it is unlikely that someone in France of your period would have two given names, so we recommend that you drop the element (or ) from your name, and that you use a single given name. Your guess of as a locative byname meaning "from Tours" isn't far off. The early name for Tours was [3] or , and there are several examples of beginning in the 9th century [4]. We therefore recommend or for your name. We do not know what form the name would take in the spoken language, though would probably be the same in both Latin and Frankish. Heraldic arms and badges did not exist until centuries after your persona's time, so we cannot offer advice on authentic style. Of course, many people in the Society use armory even though their personas would not have done so: You are living in a land (the Society) where armory is used, and it is reasonable to adopt local customs. Trying to evoke Greek or Latin styles would be difficult, however, since neither culture actually had heraldry. If you do choose to use arms, one or more apples would be a fine element for your heraldry, but we recommend against using sprigs of greenery, since they weren't used in period armory and they are generally difficult to identify. We hope this has been helpful, and that we can continue to assist you. Talan Gwynek, Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn, Arval Benicouer, and Aryanhwy Prytydes merch Catmael Caermyrdin contributed to this letter. In service, --Walraven van Nijmegen Academy of S. Gabriel [1] One of our members has gathered name information from the books "History of the Franks" by Gregory of Tours and "Before France & Germany-the Creation and Transformation of the Merovingian World" by Patrick Geary. (WWW) http://www.wctc.net/~randomsf/merovence.htm [2] M.-T. Morlet, _Les Noms de Personne sur le Territoire de l'Ancienne Gaule du VIe au XIIe Siecle_ (Paris: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 1972) [3] A. Dauzat & Ch. Rostaing, _Dictionairre Etymologique des Noms de Lieux de la France_ (Paris: Librairie Larousse, 1963) [4] M. Aure/lien de Courson. _Cartulaire de L'Abbaye de Redon en Bretagne_ (Paris: Imprimerie Imperiale, 1963)