2. BRIEF REVIEW OF TRADITIONAL CONCEPT OF ENGLISH HISTORY
2.2. What were the medieval names for modern cities, nations and countries according to ancient English chronicles?
Many people use to think that medieval chronicles refer to such well-known areas (regions) as England, London, Russia, Kiev etc. with just the same names as today, and so in general there is no problem to recognize what place old documents are speaking about. Sometimes, in more new documents, it is actually the case. But in more old, original documents such situation seems to be rather an exception then a rule. Old chronicles very often use absolutely different geographical names and it is a nontrivial task to understand what regions (areas, towns et cetera) they are really speaking about.
It is also a problem that old documents in general use many different names for each country, land, nation etc. Very often these names have nothing to do with those we use today. The names of ancient nations, countries and cities which are known today, were fixed only in 18-20th centuries. But before that time there were various opinions concerning what names to use. These opinions were often quite different from each other. It is a very interesting question to analyse the names which were used in medieval English documents for cities, nations and countries which are so well-known today with their modern names. It turns out after such analysis, that medieval authors seem to have quite different views on old and ancient history. That is why modern specialists in history usually claim that almost all medieval people were "extremely wrong" in history, that they had "fantastic concepts" about it, "confused and mixed historical epochs", "did not distinguish antiquity and medieval epoch" and so on.
In a following list some medieval "synonyms" of modern accepted names and terms are presented. Each entry of the list shows a modern term and is followed by it's medieval synonyms.
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AZOV SEA =
Meotedisc lakes, ALANIA =
Valana,
Meotedisc fen, Alania,
Maeotidi lacus, Valana,
Maeotidi paludes, Valvy,
palus Maeotis, Polovtzy ?! - see below.
paludes Maeotis,
paludes Maeotidae,
Paluz Meotidienes.
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ALBANIANS = AMAZONS LAND =
Liubene, Maegda land,
Albani. Maegda londe,
Amazonia.
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BULGARIANS = BUG RIVER =
Wlgari, Armilla.
Bulgari,
Bougreis.
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VANDALS = HUNGARY =
Wandali, Hungaria,
Sea-cost Slavs. Hunia,
Ungaria,
Minor Ungaria.
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BYZANTINE EMPIRE = VALACHIANS =
Graecia, Coralli,
Constantinopolis, Blachi,
Ilac,
Blac,
Turks ! (see below).
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VALACHIA = VOLGA RIVER =
Balchia. Ethilia.
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GALITZK-VOLYNSK RUSSIA = GERMANY =
Galacia, Gothia,
Gallacia. Mesia,
Theutonia,
Germania,
Allemania,
Jermaine.
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HIBERNIC OCEAN = HIBERNIA =
The English Channel Ireland (!)
Hibernicum occeanum.
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GOTHIA = GUNNS =
Germany, Hunni,
Island Gotland, Huni,
Scandinavia, Hun.
Tavrida (=old name of Crimea).
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DACKS = DENMARK =
Dani, Denemearc,
Daneis. Dacia,
Dania,
Desemone.
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DUTCH = DARDANELLES (the strait) =
Daci, St. Georg strait =
Dani, branchium Sancti Georgii.
Norddene,
Denen.
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DERBENT (passage) = DNEPR RIVER =
Alexander gates = Aper.
Alexandres herga,
Porta ferrea Alexandri,
claustra Alexandri.
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DOGI = DON RIVER =
Russians (see below). Danai,
Thanais,
Tanais.
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MEDIEVAL RUSSIA = DANUBE RIVER =
Susie, Danubius,
Russie, Hister,
Ruissie, Danuvius,
Rusia, Damaius,
Russia, Deinphirus,
Ruthenia, Danube.
Rutenia,
Ruthia,
Ruthena,
Ruscia,
Russcia,
Russya,
Rosie.
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IRON GATES = IRELAND =
see "Derbent". Hybernia.
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ICELAND = CAUCASUS =
Ysolandia. beorg Taurus,
Caucasus.
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CASPIAN SEA = CASSARIA =
Caspia garsecge, Chasaria (! (see below)
mare Caspium.
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KIEV = CHINESE =
Chyo (!), Cathaii.
Cleva (!),
Riona (!),
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CORALLS = RED SEA =
Wlaches (see above), mare Rubrum.
Turks (see above),
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ENGLISH CHANNEL = MARBURG =
Hibernic ocean = Merseburg.
Hibernicum occeanum.
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MESIA = MONGOLIANS =
Moesia = Germany (see above), Moal,
Tatars (see above),
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NARVA = GERMANS =
Armilla. Germanici=
Germani,
Teutonici,
Theutonici,
Allemanni.
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NETHERLANDS = NORMANS =
Frisia, Arise. Nordmenn.
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OCEAN= PECHENEGS (medieval
neighbours of Russians) =
Garsecg, Getae.
Oceano,
Oceanus,
Occeanus,
Ocean.
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POLOVTZY (medieval
neighbours of Russians) =
PRUSSIA =
Planeti, Prutenia (!).
Captac, (P-Rutenia = P-Russia).
Cumani, PRUSSES =
Comanii, Prateni,
Alani, Pruteni,
Values, Pructeni,
Valani. Prusceni,
(See Comment 1.) Praceni,
Pruceni.
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RIONA = RUGS =
Kiev (see above) Russians, , Sea-cost
Slavs (see below)
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RUSSIANS = RUTHENS =
Russii, Russians (see above)
Dogi (!),
Rugi (!),
Rutheni (!),
Rusceni.
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THE ARCTIC OCEAN = SITHIA =
Scith ocean = Sciffia garsecg, Scithia (see above)
Occeanus Septentrionalis,
mare Scythicum.
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SCANDINAVIANS = SCITHIA =
Gothi. Sithia,
SCYTHS Barbaria,
Scithes, Scithia,
Scythae, Scythia,
Cit (!). Sice (!).
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SEA-SIDE SCLAVI = TAVR =
Winedas, Caucasus (see above)
Wandali, TAVRIDA (CRIMEA) =
Roge. Gothia (!!!)
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TANAIS = TATARS (MONGOLS) =
Don (see above) Tartareori,
gens Tartarins,
TYRRHENIAN SEA = Tartari,
mare Tyrene. Tartariti,
Tartarii,
Tattari,
Tatari,
Tartarii,
Thartarei.
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TURKS = URAL MOUNTAINS =
Coralli, Riffeng beorgum,
Thurki, Hyberborei montes,
Turci, montes Riph(a)eis,
Blachi, Ilac, Blac (!!!). Hyperborei montes.
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FRANCE = FRISIA =
Gallia, The Netherlands (see
Francia. above.)
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CHASARIA = CHASARS =
Cassaria, Chazari.
Cessaria (!!!).
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CHIO = BLACK SEA =
Kiev (see above) Euxinus,
Pontius,
SCOTLAND = mare Ponticum,
Scotia, mare Majus.
Gutlonde.
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CHINGIS-CHAN = JAROSLAV THE WISE
Cingis, (Kiev Princeps Magnus) =
Churchitan, Malesclodus,
Zingiton, Malescoldus.
Chircam, Juriscloth (= Jurius-
Cliyrcam Georgius),
Gurgatan, Juliusclodius (= Julius-
Cecarcarus, Clodius).
Ingischam, Julius Claudius.
Tharsis (!),
DAVID (!),
PRESBYTER IOHANNES (!!).
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One remark about Jaroslav the Wise. He was known in medieval England as "Malescoldus". According to M.N.Alexeev [12] there were also some other names which were applied to Jaroslav the Wise in Western historical tradition:
Juriscloht (from Jurius-Georgius),
Juliusclodius (!), (the last form of Jaroslav's name was used by Norman historian of 12th century - Gijom),
Julius Claudius, (this form used by Orderic Vitali).
Let us present a typical example of old English historical text: "He escaped to the kingdom of Dogs, which we prefer to call RUSSIA. When the king of [this] land - MALESCLODUS - learned about him, he was given a great honor" ([13],[14]).
Here is a Latin original text: "Aufugit ad regnum Dogorum, quod nos melius vocamus Russiam. Quem rex terrae Malescoldus nomine, ut cognovit quis esset, honeste retinuit" [13].
Imagine please reading this old text without looking at the modern comments which suggest that Dogs Kingdom means the same as Russia. The text would look like this:
"He escaped to the Kingdom of Dogs. When the king of that land learned about him, he was given a great honor."
Most probably such text would be understood as a story treating some medieval events in England or Scotland. The word "Dogs" seems to designate a population in some part of England or Scotland and the name "Malescoldus" very much looks like a name of medieval English or Scottish king. Such an interpretation looks rather natural. One knows from Scottish history, for example, that there were several kings with a name "Malcolm", close to "Malescoldus": Malcolm I (943-958), Malcolm II (1004-1034), Malcolm III (1057-1093) etc.
But such interpretation of this text would definitely transform some of ancient Russian events into English ones, i.e., into ones which are thought to happen on the land of modern England. Could these names hide the identities of the Scithian Czars (Khans) or their European representativies from the epoch of the "Mongolian" Empire?
This example suggests that even a direct understanding, not to say about an interpretation, of an old historical text could be rather ambiguous.
Differences between medieval English writer's opinion and modern way of understanding and interpretation of medieval terms occur for texts written in 10-15th centuries (not so old texts, from the point of view of modern tradition). It means that there exist several possibilities to interpret medieval documents. The way of such interpretation which is in general use now, proves to be not unique. It is only one of possible ways, maybe not the best one. We are going to show here that this standard way is really not enough supported by original documents. The above vocabulary of synonyms (medieval terms-duplicates) is very useful for our analysis of English history.
