2

Say two lord, or lord and a lady are talking. Would they start a conversation with a person whose name they don't know? And if so, how would they ask for the other's name/introduce themselves? I'm specifically curious about French nobles in the 10th/11th century.

Edit: eg. Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. Would he say "I'm Charles Brandon." "I'm Brandon." "I'm the Duke of Suffolk." or just "I'm Suffolk." or something else?

|improve this question
  • You might want to look at Chrétien de Troyes, while remembering that this is literary convention, not real life. Apparently in C de T there was often a dramatic delay between meeting and naming. E.g., in Erec and Enide, there is a whole scene between Erec and the father, at the end of which: "Sire, you know not what guest you have sheltered here, nor do you know my estate and kin. I am the son of a rich and puissant king: my father's name is King Lac, and the Bretons call me Erec." (tr. W.W. Comfort) Erec is higher in status than the father, a vavasor who has fallen on hard times. – Ben Crowell Feb 4 at 1:12
  • Thank you, I think I will try to find more literary sources from that era to draw examples from. – Katerina Feb 4 at 21:08

Your Answer

By clicking "Post Your Answer", you acknowledge that you have read our updated terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy, and that your continued use of the website is subject to these policies.

Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.