ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2459 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2459 ************************************ 5 Mar 2002 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked whether is an appropriate name for a 9th or 10th century Swedish man. Here is what we have found. Unfortunately, the name was not used in Scandinavia in your period. The earliest examples we've found are in Denmark in the mid-11th century, where we find 1047-76 and the Latinized form c.1060. The extra 'r' in the first example is typical: The typical Danish form was in the 12th and 13th century and in the late-14th and 15th centuries [1]. We did not find a period Scandinavian example of the particular spellings , , or . This data is not surprising: In general, Christian names were adopted in Scandinavia only in the late Middle Ages. Such names were typically imported from Germany to Denmark, then in Sweden and Norway; so we would expect this name to have appeared in Sweden even later than in Denmark. It's worth noting that the name shows up first in northern Germany at about the same time [2]. If you'd like to consider a name that was in use in 9th or 10th century Scandinavia, we can suggest two good sources: Viking Names found in the Landnamabok http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/landnamabok.html This article lists names used in early medieval Iceland. Not all of them were necessarily also used in Sweden; we can check specific names that interest you. Nordiskt runnamnslexikon (The Dictionary of Norse Runic Names) http://grimnir.dal.lu.se/runlex/lexikon.pdf This large PDF file is a dictionary of given names found in runic inscriptions. It's in Swedish, but fairly useful even if you don't read that language. There's an English translation available at http://www.vikinganswerlady/FTP_Files/NordisktRunnamnslexicon.zip It isn't perfect, but it's generally correct. Again, feel free to check with us to verify any particular name. is basically a fine byname, but this particular spelling is modern: Swedish sources don't show examples of for in this name in our period. In one form or another, the same byname was used from the early Middle Ages onward. In the 9th or 10th century, the typical form of the name was -- was the possessive (genitive) form of the name [4]. The symbol represents an with a small backward-comma-shaped hook hanging from the bottom. "Cristiern son of Biorn" is an excellent 14th or 15th century Swedish name [3]. Until roughly the 12th century, the Norse wrote in runes. We've represented early medieval names here in standard scholarly Roman-alphabet spellings. Once you make a final decision on your name, we'll be happy to provide an appropriate runic spelling. We hope this letter has been useful. Please write us again if any part of it has been unclear or if you have other questions. I was assisted in researching and writing this letter by Talan Gwynek, Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn, Ursula Georges, Aryanhwy merch Catmael, and Lindorm Eriksson. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 5 Mar 2002 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Knudsen Gunnar, Marius Kristiansen, & Rikard Hornby, _Danmarks Gamle Personnavne_, Vol. I: Fornavne (Copenhagen: 1936-48), s.n. Kristiarn. Forms without the second appeared in the mid-14th and 15th centuries: mid-14th C, 1434, 1434, 1467. But these were less common than and the like. and spellings were slightly more common than spellings. [2] Academy of Saint Gabriel report 2128 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2128 [3] Eva Brylla, ed., _Sveriges Medeltida Personnamn_ (WWW: Uppsala University Institute for Dialectology, Onomastics and Folklore Research, Uppsala, Sweden, 2001), s.n. Biorn. http://www.dal.lu.se/sofi/smp/smp.htm [4] Lind, E.H., _Norsk-Isla:ndska Dopnamn ock Fingerade Namn fra*n Medeltiden_ (Uppsala & Leipzig: 1905-1915, sup. Oslo, Uppsala and Kobenhavn: 1931), sn. Bio,rn.