medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
From: John Dillon <[log in to unmask]>
>Certainly the names of the ninth- through twelfth-century abbots of
Montecassino don't seem to reflect a general practice there of taking a new
name upon making one's profession.
i know of no example of the taking of "professional names" (what else to call
them?) in the Chartrain region of the 11th-12th c., among either abbots or the
Rank & File (the abbots being, presumably, better documented).
indeed the retention of [sometimes quite spectacularly unclerical] cognomenaes
seems to have been the usual practice --there's the notable example of a late
11th c. guy named Bernard _Flagellus_ [which i take to mean "The Flail"] who
was a knight in the Le Puiset (viscounts of Chartres) crew who, late in life,
entered Marmoutier and became the Panetarius of that great abbey, being
responsible for multiple oblations of property in the Chartrain to the Mother
House from amongst his former collegues-in-arms.
and, i've previously mentioned abbot Udo [*never* Odo, btw]
_Canardus/Chenardus_ of St. Peter's of Chartres [d. 1150], the cognomen being
carried by the family and probably indicative of an heraldic plant.
otOh, there may well have been a pattern (more or less) of naming a son who
was, from birth, destined for the clergy (secular or regular) being given a
name which, more or less, may have been intended to indicate his future
profession.
_Godefredus_ [sometimes, inexplicably to me, spelt _Goffredus_ or _Gaufridus_]
springs to mind.
_Goscelinus_ as well, though i forget the etymology of that name.
there may even be examples of these "clerical" names being used for
second/third sons over generations in the same family --but, i've been away
from that charter work for too many years to recall one offhand.
c
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