medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
From: John Briggs <[log in to unmask]>
> Does anyone know why Saint-Martin-des-Champs (Paris) was so named - bearing
in mind that there are several places in France with that name? The question
arose on the English Place-Name List in connection with St
Martin-in-the-Fields (London, or rather Westminster.)
i've worked with some of the early SMdC charters but can't recall why this
(eventually) Cluniac priory was so named.
i've always assumed that it was because of its placement, out there in the
Champs, in the same way that Saint Germain was in the Prezes.
the present church there is a reasonably spectacular "early gothic" one, and
there is a magnificent "Court Style" (c. 1240s?) refectory, so there has been
some interest in the place by Art Hysterians, but those guys are never
concerned with such Fundamental questions.
i've not come across any secondary works on it, but there's a possibility that
Joseph Depoin might say something about the question in the opening lines of
the introduction to his edition of the charters, which is available on
Gallica
Depoin, Joseph (1855-1924)
Titre(s) : Recueil de chartes et documents de Saint-Martin-des-Champs [Texte
imprimé] : monastère parisien / par J. Depoin,...
Publication : Ligugé : Abbaye ; Paris : A. Picard et fils, 1912-1921
Description matérielle : 5 vol. ; in-8°
Collection : Archives de la France monastique ; 13, 16, 18, 20, 21
http://gallica.bnf.fr/Catalogue/noticesInd/FRBNF34192075.htm
Ooouppps, i see now that there is no introduction to the first volume of that,
though he does make reference to one in a footnote. but i'll be jiggered if i
can find it at the beginning of *any* of the five volumes.
the first charter Depoin publishes is of Childebert III, and mentions, in
passing, something ad Parisius civetate, inter sancti Martini et sancti
Laurente baselicis...
in the (re?)foundation charter of Henri I (1159/60) it is styled ante
Parisiace urbis portam, in honore confessoris Christi Martini abbatia...
Depoin's summary of his charter 7 mentions the gift of a "terre des Champs,"
but i can't see anything in the text itself except _terram quam juxta Sti
Martini aecclesiam_.
in 1060/61 it's still a question of Sancti Martini aecclesiam (ch. 9).
in 1065 ecclesie Beati Martini quam ante Parisiensem urbem construxerat (11).
ahhh, here we go:
12. 1067. Charter of Philip I noting the completion of the reconstruction of
the church of SMdC which had been begun by his father, Henry I:
ecclesiam Sancti Martini prope Parisius sitam que vocatur de Campis(a)...
p. 29, note a: "que vocatur de Campis" may be an interpolation, as the charter
of 1070 carries no such qualification to "monasterium Sancti Martini," while
that of 1079 adds "ad Campos."
charter 17 is the "vers 1079" charter which carries aecclesiae Sti Martini de
Campis --but it may be worth noting that the original is lost, the text known
only from an 1118 cartulary copy.
charter 18 is by Philip I, dated 1078 (1079, n.s.) and is known from a
"contemporary copy" apparently made for Cluny: Sancti Martini ad Campos...
20. (1079) ...Deo Stoque Petro Cluniacensis ecclesie ad obedientiam Sti
Martini de Campis...dederunt
22. (1081-2) (act of Bishop Godfrey I of Chartres). ...domnus Ursio prior
Sancti Martini Parisiensis, de Campis quod dicitur...
25. (1079-85). aecclesiae Beati Petri Cluniacensis, sub qua et Sti Martini de
Campis...
etc.
looking at these, it appears to me that _Campos/Campis_ was the name of a
*place* --Depoin is a good text editor, but i wouldn't rely upon his
consistent capitalisation of it.
the earliest cartulary, the _Liber Testamentorum_ of 1118 was published by him
previously, and is on the Ecole Nationale des Chartes site
http://www.enc.sorbonne.fr/
as one of their "Cartulaires numérisés d'Ile-de-France"
http://elec.enc.sorbonne.fr/cartulaires/smchamps/
a nice site, though a bit ill-behaved and frustrating to use, since one may
only "Feuilleter page à page" and can't download the whole thing at once.
(the original Hard Copy, btw, is a lovely thing, printed on handmade paper
with beautiful typography, engraved headpieces and culs-de-lamps, etc.).
but it *does* have an introduction.
http://elec.enc.sorbonne.fr/cartulaires/smchamps/pageV/
"...erigee par Henri I...en 1039...s'elever dans un lieu alors appele _les
Champs_.
voila.
it's called "of the Fields" because it was built on a place which was called
"Fields," no doubt because that place was "in the fields."
simple.
c
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