Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Names

One of the most frustrating problems associated with the compilation of medieval biographies, or biographies in general, is the abundance and variations of names.

Take for example:

  • Adelaide - also referred as: Adelheid, Adela, Adlais, Adelaise, Adeliza, Alice, Alys, Alix.
  • Blanche - Blanca
  • Hugh - Hugues
  • Constance - Constantia
  • Beatrice - Beatrix
  • James - Jacques, Jaoa
  • Henry - Henri, Enrique, Heindrich, Heindrick
Take into account all variations of the name depending on which country your source comes from, and I think you get my meaning.

Then, add to that the confusion over place names. Take for example Adelaide of Poitou - also known as Adelaide of Aquitaine (and all versions of her first name as listed above). Also, consider Alice Capet - aka: Alice of France (and again, numerous versions of her first name).

So, before you sit down and think you have a dozen different people whose lives all mirror each other, with a little more probing you may actually turn out to have just the one. Research and cross-referencing is essential.

2 comments:

cardinal_wolsey said...

Do you favour Katherine or Catherine of Aragon (or both!)?

Melisende said...

I have favoured:
Catherine of Aragon, Katherine Howard, Katherine Parr.

But then is it: Catherine, Katherine, Katharine, Caterin, Caterina, Catarina, Catrin, Yekatarina.

Might be easier just to stick with plain "Kate".