The selected listing will appear here. Select an item from the menu above.
Very preliminery version of introduction, subject to frequent change. It's better than nothing, I guess.
In this section of the website, the textual output is in focus, compared to the focus
on maps in the corresponding section. A great inspiration to organize the source-material of Regnum Francorum
this particular way, is of course the Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England (PASE) datebase,
strongly recommeded even if you are not interested in Anglo-Saxon Britain.
However, a small map is used here too, appearing in between the left item-list and the table output of events to the right.
The map will display places situated in a pagus, or places of events, like charter issuing, and other events.
The concept of event
Names
Names are attached to individuals of both sexes, gentile groups,
latin gens, e.g. Franci, Alamanni and families or clans, latin stirps.
The names of families are often modern concepts, e.g. Merovingians, Carolingians,
however there are a few evidence of contemporary names of families, like the Agilolfings, who are reffered to as de gente nobili Ayglolfinga in 624.
Another example from contemporary sources is the Burgundofarones. The spelling of the names in the sources differ alot depending on the time-period and place of origin of the source.
There was also a certain development in how the names were transformed during the long period of our interest. The names transformed from their germanic origin,
to the early medieval languages of French and German. The variety in spelling alos came from the transformation of the germanic names into the language of the sources, that is, latin.
Germanic personal names are often constructs of two different parts (lemma), each carrying a meaning.
Ernst Wilhelm Förstemann introduced a system of classification of the germanic names, by identifying their
components. He used the entire body of source-editions that was available at his time, and published his work in
Altdeutsches Namenbuch. Erster Band. Personennamen in 1856. There was a second rewritten edition published in 1900.
Försteman's classification of names are still used and modern applications are found in
Liber memorialis von Remiremont (1970) and Das Verbrüderungsbuch der Abtei Reichenau (1979).
The names are also used in Regnum Francorum Online, allowing us to identify linguistically identical names from various sources.
For example, the Merovingian name Chlodwig is identical to the Carolingian Ludwig (Louis) and is referred to as HLUD-WIG. There are names of latin and biblical origin as well.
So, every individual found in the events are identified with his or her name according to the names listed Förstemanns publication,
using a modified version found in the modern scholarly works concerning Reiuchenau and Remiremont, mentioned above.
Selecting Names from the above menu will display a submenu with the letters A-Z, which in turn gives you all the names
beginning with the selected letter.
Persons
Historical persons identified in the events, mainly the Frankish kings and dukes, and the head of the church, the bishops and abbots.
Here, I use a normalized version of the name, but this is not without problem because the names differ from English, French and German secondary sources.
I will often use the German (and sometimes English) version of the names, that is, Förstemann's THEUDRIK is referred to as a person
named Theoderic, never Thierry,
because it's closer to the medieval form of the name appearing in the sources.
Furthermore, Ludwig is preferred above Louis, Karl above Charles, for the same reasons.
Sources
The events are listed from their sources.
Locations
A list of locations found in events. A submenu will display showing the letters A-Z,
from which you choose locations beginning with the selected letter. In the table (appearing to the right)
of the selected location you will find locations classified according to their function in the event, i.e. place of event, place mentioned as a geographic location,
a location mentioned as property, an institution, or territory.
Institutions
Institutions found in the events are listed here. Institutions like bishopric, monastery, nunnery, but also county and non-geographic institutions
like the offices of the Frankish court, e.g. Maior of the palace.
Pagi
A listing of Frankish pagi with evidence of locations situated in a pagus are found here.
Evidences of comitatus, i.e. county, are found among the institutions above.
Officies
A listing of individuals with a title reffering to a lay or eccleastical office.
events
A listing of events by type.
Map