[MR] Wikipedia: Epithets or By-names

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,


I have long been intrigued with by-names or epithets applied to important
figures in the middle ages.


Some of these add-ons were badges of honor because the person in question
did something considered great. Take for example William I of England,
better known today as William the Conqueror. Unless you were an oppressed
Saxon, his accomplishment was something awesome.


Charles, Duke of Burgundy, was called “Charles the Bold” by his flatterers,
and himself. A courageous soldier, but perhaps a poor general, he was
called “Charles the Rash” by his detractors. His illegitimate
half-brother Antoine
was known to the English as “Anthony, The Bastard of Burgundy”, or simply
as “The Bastard”, a title he was apparently proud to bear (besides being
true, but there were at around 25 other illegitimate children sired by his
father “Philip the Good”). Charles’ daughter and only child, Mary of
Burgundy, was known as “Mary The Rich”, although by the time her father got
himself killed at the Battle of Nancy, Burgundy was bankrupt from her
daddy’s wars. Still, she inherited most of what is now Belgium, Holland and
Luxembourg, making her hand a rich prize indeed.


Many such names were more descriptive than honorable. Holy Roman Emperor
Charles the Bald is among the most famous, but there were a host of other
chrome-domed kings and nobles floating through European History.


Some of these fellows may have been bald, but beards were also a
distinguishing enough feature to warrant a by-name, and Europe was awash in
facial hair. How about Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor, known by some
Germans as “*Kaiser Rotbart*” (King Redbeard)? He is better known today by
the Italian version “Frederick Barbarosa” (which means the same thing).


Complexion could also trigger a byname. Among the most interesting is
Agnes, Countess of Dunbar, who was known as “Black Agnes” for her dark skin
and black hair. She is most famous for defending Dunbar Castle in Scotland
with a handful of guards and a few servants during a six-month siege by the
English Earl of Salisbury. Her defiance involved personally throwing fresh
loaves of bread down to the starving English soldiers. This led to the
embarrassing doggerel ascribed to Salisbury, “Came I early, came I late,
there was Agnes at the Gate.”


Sometimes people with unfortunate diseases or deformities are remembered
with a by-name. Consider Louis the Stammerer, King of Aquitaine. Baldwin IV
of Jerusalem was called “the Leper King”. King John of Bohemia, killed at
the battle of Crécy in a suicidal honor charge, was known as “John the
Blind”.


The by-name “Posthumous” was not uncommon, meaning that the bearers were
born after their fathers’ deaths. One example is King John I of France,
known as “John the Posthumous”.


Another type of by-name was probably applied by the subject's enemies, and
speaking that name in front of  them might just get an incautious person
chucked into a dungeon. I’ve recently posted about Charles II, King of
Navarre, known behind his back as “Charles the Faithless” for his many
betrayals of both sides during the Hundred Years’ War. He is generally
known today as “Charles the Bad”.


Among my personal favorite examples is Pedro of Castile and Leon, known
during his life as “Pedro the Just”. He probably was no better, or no
worse, than any king of his time, except that he had a bad habit of
marrying new wives and then abandoning them without a divorce. He was
betrayed by the famous French knight Bertrand du Guesclin and then murdered
by an itchy bastard half-brother named Henry of Trastámara. Upon conquering
Pedro’s kingdoms, Henry smeared Pedro’s reputation by renaming him “Pedro
the Cruel” as a way to justify the murder and usurpation.


If you are as curious as I am about epithets, or are searching for an
appropriate by-name for your persona, try exploring this Wikipedia page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_people_by_epithet . It is far from
complete, but has many interesting examples.


Yours Aye,


Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆

Continuing a crusade to keep the original Merry Rose relevant and in
business.