medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
The Complete Peerage (Volume XI, Appendices, p 141) discussed the
meaning of the Plantagenet name as follows:-
This famous nickname occurs as Plantegenest, in John of
Marmoutier's Preface to the "Gesta Consulum Andegavorum"
(Chroniques des Comtes d'Anjou, p 170), and as Plante Genest in
Wace, Roman de Rou (ed. Andresen), vol ii, p 437, ll 10300-02,
10305. The most likely explanation is the traditional one, that
Geoffrey was accustomed to wear a sprig of broom (planta genista)
in his cap or helmet (Norgate, England under the Angevin Kings, vol
i, p 261).
On the other hand, an on-line French surname Dictionary cites an
impressive list of authorities:-
http://www.jtosti.com/noms/biblio.htm
and has entries for various Plant-like names
http://www.jtosti.com/noms/p6.htm
including Plantegenet. Its conclusions are largely summarised by the
statement:-
The existence of names like Plantegenet, Plantegenest demonstrates
especially that the favoured sense is "from a planted place (e.g.
planted with broom" rather than "one who plants (e.g. broom)".
Thus, for example, Planterose becomes someone "from a place planted
with roses" rather than a "gardener".
Personally, I am inclined to look more closely at medieval beliefs
rather than at diverged sense from modern French and English words.
My view that Plant has a "soul implant" or "child" meaning is
outlined on the Oxford Ancestors web site:-
http://www.oxfordancestors.com/stories.htm
as well as on my own web site:-
http://www.keele.ac.uk/depts/cc/helpdesk/plants/
I am only too aware that my own views are somewhat unconventional
(aided somewhat by new DNA findings, which do not support a
traditional English "gardener" interpretation for such names, as
described on the Oxford Ancestors web site). However, I should
appreciate expert comments on the medieval spritual aspects of this
matter.
The old Gaelic word cland meaning "family" is traditionally compared
with the Welsh word plant meaning "children" (singular is plentyn)
and there is also an (archaic) "young person" meaning of plant
listed in the OED. Such may be related to a "soul implant" sense.
This might be related, for example, to a Celtic tradition of soul
implanted in the head, the Welsh myth of Bran the Blessed whose
severed head continued to talk, and still later the talking severed
head of the Green Knight in "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight", a
tale associated with the 14th century homeland of the Plants in east
Cheshire. There are also widespread carvings, on 11th-15th century
churches and tombs, of so-called "Green Man" heads with vegetation
spewing from the mouth -- these have been explained by some as the
uttering of the creative planted Word (associated with rebirth or
regeneration) --- these carved heads are generally taken to be an
assimiliation of old pagan beliefs into Christian buildings and
teachings. The 12-13th century scholastic Robert Grossetetste, for
example, described a particular model of a unified soul with
vegetative operations of the nutritive, augmentative, and
generative. There are also 14th century Middle English references
to the planted Word (of God), planted virtue, and the planted grace
of noble lineage.
Such a "soul implant" set of senses can be extended. For example,
the name Plantard is found mainly in Brittany and, in Breton,
plantan can mean to implant while ard means "art" or "craft"
yielding, in a medieval context, an "implant(er) of skill or magic".
Even Planterose can mean an "implant(er) of rose spirits" since the
healing powers of the rose were believed to be many. The other name
cited by English authorities to support a "gardener" interpretation
is Plantebene but this can be interpreted instead as an "implanter
of bene esse" (after Scotus Erigenea). The historically important
name Planteveleu then could mean an "implant(er) of the hairy"
since, according to the contemporary scholastic Scotus Erigena, hair
contained vegetative life. A similar tradition may have survived for
Plantagenet -- the sprig of broom is hairy and, according to the
Middle English Agnus Castus, the "vertue" of broom is that it knits
together broken bones and sinews (which also were believed to
contain vegetative life). The (miraculous) power of mending broken
bones could have been important to a War Lord such as Bernard
Planteveleu (aka Plantapilouso), the 9th century founder of the
duchy of Aquitaine, and such tradition could have carried on into
the ethos of the 12th century Counts from the same region, the
so-called "Plantagenets".
Comments should be welcome.
John
--
.
. John S Plant PhD MBCS MIDI KLUO
. Chartered Information Systems Practitioner
.......unifying cerebral creativity with intelligent algorithms
Tel.(01782)58 3064 : [log in to unmask] :: Computing Services,
Fax.(01782)58 3636 : [log in to unmask] ::: Keele Information Services.
.....Dr.J.S.Plant,Computing Services,Keele University,Staffordshire,ST5 5BG.
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