As discussed in the previous blog post, the oldest known references to the van Eessen surname (as a byname in the 11th century), show that the most logic explanation for the surname is a geographical one: it is a toponymic surname referring to the toponym Esen (Eessen in the old spelling), now part of Dixmude (Diksmuide) in West Flanders, but previously an independent municipality.
In the 11th century the toponym Esen was already well established. It first appears in 961 in a charter of Count Arnulf I of Flanders, in the phrase "ecclesia de Esna cum capellis suis Diccamutha et Clarc". In those early times Dixmude ("Diccamutha") and Klerken ("Clarc", near Houthulst) still were subsidiary chapels of the mother parish Esen. Over the coming decades Esen would become the center of a real shire, Esen-Ambacht, within the Franc of Bruges, an administrative circumscription headed by a sheriff (schout). Its jurisdiction covered Esen, Klerken (Houthulst) and initially also Woumen. Back then this was all together a sizeable forested region on the southern shore of a big tidal cove with creek system flowing out into the North Sea, the Yser river estuary (see map below).
Together with Torhout, the shire of Esen was the only one in the Franc of Bruges known to have had only hereditary sheriffs, and no council of Aldermen (schepenbank) for judicial matter. According to E. Warlop, the first castellan of Dixmude (around 1088), the Ingran (or Ingelram) mentioned in the previous blogpost, was probably already hereditary sheriff of Esen-Ambacht by the time he was appointed castellan of Dixmude by the Count of Flanders, something he deducts from the fact that Ingran had assumed the byname van Eessen.
During the past one thousand years, the toponym of Esen has been spelled in quite a number of different ways. Some other references are Esnes (1066, 1096, 1106, 1208), Hesnes (1088), Hesna (1089, 1146), Esne (1100), Esna (1110, ±1115, 1127, 1161), Esene (1112, 1296, 1744), Esne (1225), Essen (1266), Essine (1292), Eessine (1368), Essenes (1419), Eessene (1512), Eessen (1903), and finally the current official spelling Esen (as of 1946).
But what exactly is the origin of the name Esen? There are diverging etymological explanations, of which the most recent ones are believed to be more plausible.
The 19th century West Flemish chronicler Pieter Lansens speculated that the name originated from the old verb eeschen (eisen in modern Dutch), which means to sue for something as a plaintiff in court. He refers to the old jurisdiction of Esen-Ambacht which according to him must have had its roots way back before the Middle Ages.
Later, around WWII, the Belgian toponymist Albert Carnoy thought that the actual word stem of the name Esen(e) was hees- or heis- which etymologically means undergrowth (kreupelhout), coppice (hakhout) or light woods (licht bos), combined with the word end -ene which etymologically means a collection. Together this meant wood of undergrowth (bos van kreupelhout).
Finally, after WWII, the Belgian historical linguist Maurits Gysseling explained the name Esen as a pre-medieval hydronym, a water related name, based on the earliest reference and name variant Esna, without further specifying the meaning of the rather broad term 'pre-medieval'.
In the 11th century the toponym Esen was already well established. It first appears in 961 in a charter of Count Arnulf I of Flanders, in the phrase "ecclesia de Esna cum capellis suis Diccamutha et Clarc". In those early times Dixmude ("Diccamutha") and Klerken ("Clarc", near Houthulst) still were subsidiary chapels of the mother parish Esen. Over the coming decades Esen would become the center of a real shire, Esen-Ambacht, within the Franc of Bruges, an administrative circumscription headed by a sheriff (schout). Its jurisdiction covered Esen, Klerken (Houthulst) and initially also Woumen. Back then this was all together a sizeable forested region on the southern shore of a big tidal cove with creek system flowing out into the North Sea, the Yser river estuary (see map below).
 |
| Foundation of parishes on the tidal border land between the Franc of Bruges (west of the thick quasi vertical dark grey solid line) and the shire of Furnes (Veurne-Ambacht, east of that line) during the 12th century. The mother parishes are underlined and connected with red lines to their daughter parishes. The thin horizontal solid black line on top is the current coast line, while the thin fanciful and irregular solid black lines to the left and right depict the 10th-11th-12th century coast line. In between them is the big tidal channel that flows out in the North Sea and that would later evolve into the current Yser river, which is also depicted on the map with a blue solid line. Esen as well as Diksmuide were on the southern shore of the channel and looked out on the sea (source: A. Verhulst, Historische ontwikkeling van het kustlandschap, 2000). |
Together with Torhout, the shire of Esen was the only one in the Franc of Bruges known to have had only hereditary sheriffs, and no council of Aldermen (schepenbank) for judicial matter. According to E. Warlop, the first castellan of Dixmude (around 1088), the Ingran (or Ingelram) mentioned in the previous blogpost, was probably already hereditary sheriff of Esen-Ambacht by the time he was appointed castellan of Dixmude by the Count of Flanders, something he deducts from the fact that Ingran had assumed the byname van Eessen.
During the past one thousand years, the toponym of Esen has been spelled in quite a number of different ways. Some other references are Esnes (1066, 1096, 1106, 1208), Hesnes (1088), Hesna (1089, 1146), Esne (1100), Esna (1110, ±1115, 1127, 1161), Esene (1112, 1296, 1744), Esne (1225), Essen (1266), Essine (1292), Eessine (1368), Essenes (1419), Eessene (1512), Eessen (1903), and finally the current official spelling Esen (as of 1946).
But what exactly is the origin of the name Esen? There are diverging etymological explanations, of which the most recent ones are believed to be more plausible.
The 19th century West Flemish chronicler Pieter Lansens speculated that the name originated from the old verb eeschen (eisen in modern Dutch), which means to sue for something as a plaintiff in court. He refers to the old jurisdiction of Esen-Ambacht which according to him must have had its roots way back before the Middle Ages.
Later, around WWII, the Belgian toponymist Albert Carnoy thought that the actual word stem of the name Esen(e) was hees- or heis- which etymologically means undergrowth (kreupelhout), coppice (hakhout) or light woods (licht bos), combined with the word end -ene which etymologically means a collection. Together this meant wood of undergrowth (bos van kreupelhout).
Finally, after WWII, the Belgian historical linguist Maurits Gysseling explained the name Esen as a pre-medieval hydronym, a water related name, based on the earliest reference and name variant Esna, without further specifying the meaning of the rather broad term 'pre-medieval'.
Given that Esen in the 10th century was located at the coast line, on the border land between a tidal area and a vast forest, it is reasonable to assume that the name refers to both a pre-medieval water related name, as well as a forest of undergrowth and coppice.
Sources:
- Lansens, P. Alouden staet van Vlaenderen. Brugge, 1841.
- Koch, A. C. F. De rechterlijke organisatie van het graafschap Vlaanderen tot in de 13e eeuw. Antwerpen-Amsterdam, 1951.
- Warlop, E. De vorming van de grote schepenbank van het Brugse Vrije (11e-13e eeuw). Standen en Landen, vol. 44, 1968.
- Warlop, E. The Flemish nobility before 1300. Kortrijk, 1975, 4 volumes.
- Verhulst, A. Historische ontwikkeling van het kustlandschap. Vlaanderen, jg. 49, 2000.
- Gysseling, M. Toponymisch woordenboek van België, Nederland, Luxemburg, Noord-Frankrijk en West-Duitsland (vóór 1226). z.p. (Leuven), 1960.
- Carnoy, A. Origines des noms des communes de Belgique (y compris les noms des rivieres et principaux hameaux). Louvain, 1948 (vol. I), 1949 (vol. II)
No comments:
Post a Comment