Pagan surnames have their origins in the ancient cultures and religions of Europe, particularly the pre-Christian beliefs of the Celtic, Germanic, and Slavic peoples. These surnames often reflect the religious beliefs, customs, or characteristics of the individual or family in question. In Celtic cultures, Pagan surnames were common among the druids, warriors, and tribal leaders. These surnames often referred to aspects of nature, such as trees, animals, or landscapes. They could also be based on personal qualities or skills, such as bravery or wisdom. In Germanic cultures, Pagan surnames were common among the Norse, Anglo-Saxons, and other Germanic tribes.
Pagan surname origin
Classical Folia 31(1977) 163-69
The quarrel over the evolution and use of paganus in late antiquity is a leisurely one, with new contributions about once in a generation. There are at present three principal interpretations to choose among, none of which has won universal acceptance. This paper presents a hypothesis -- nothing more than that -- which may prove more useful than the existing theories.
A bibliographical survey of the history of the quarrel would be superfluous, since the most recent major contribution has already performed that service. [1] A brief summary of the issues will suffice.
The 'modern' view observes that paganus had taken on a special sense in the early empire, coming to mean 'civil, civilian' as opposd to 'military'. [3] The most recent and circumspect defense of that view was made by B. Altaner. [4] This argument holds that the new spcial sense of paganus was much the most common in the Roman Empire and that its Christian adoption looks to the paganus as someone who is not a miles Christi.
A third view attempts to mediate between the two so far summarized; it received its classical formulation by C. Mohrmann. [5] By minute analysis of texts, this view notes that the use of paganus to mean 'civilian' was a special case of a more general use to mean 'outsider' -- whether the general or the special sense came first is not clear. [6] In that view, paganus comes to mean 'pagan' simply as a non-tendentious term for someone who is outside the Christian community; the pejorative connotations of the earlier interpretations are missing.
The three interpretations just summarized seem to suffer from two deficiencies. First, it is unwise for modern scholars to enter so fully into the late antique way of thinking that they become enmeshed in disputes over (often somewhat fanciful) etymologies. Derivation does not always govern a word's meaning. Second, all three interpretations ignore some curious features of the surviving evidence as a whole, while emphasizing certain special proof texts according to the conclusion the author wishes to draw.
Prescinding for the moment, then, from semantic interpretation, let us look at the whole dossier of surviving evidence to make an inventory of our resources.
The earliest possible texts are in Tertullian. [7] If one wants to prove that the Chrsitian sense derives through the military, one seizes upon these passages as indicative of Tertullian's usage; the argument is plausible but not certain. [8]
After Tertullian, there is silence for a century. Numerous terms are used by Christians who wish to characterize their opponents: nationes, gentes, gentiles, ethnici, occasionally Graecus. [9] Two funerary inscriptions which can with some confidence be dated to the first third of the fourth century seem to show the word in accepted use in the Christian sense. [10] The appearance of the word in literary texts follows, somewhat erratically.
The 'first appearance' of the new sense had been thought to be in the Theodosian Code, in a law dated to 370. [11] At least one author, however, predates the Code: Marius Victorinus, who converted to Christianity c. 355, died in 361. [12] Victorinus uses the term frequently in scriptural commentary, equating it to Graecus. Other late fourth-century authors to use the term include Ambrosiaster (particularly if the pseudo-Augustinian Quaestiones edited by Souter are his, for they include a whole article "against the pagans" using the term heavily), [13] Pacianus of Barcelona, Optatus of Milevis, Philastrius of Brescia, Prudentius, and, especially, Augustine. Augustine was followed by Orosius in the early fifth century and the term caught on almost universally after that, as the thing it described was dying out. Two names of particular weight are missing from that list: Ambrose and Jerome, in whose works learned searchers have not found the word used. [14]
What seems to me instructive about this pattern of us of the new term is the identity of many of the users: converts and controversialists. Against a belief that the word was lacking in pejorative connotations there stands its most frequent use in precisely those authors who held the strongest brief against 'paganism'. Such a judgment is inevitably subjective, at least in part. Two pieces of concrete evicence seem to support it to a considerable degree.
First, Augustine's practice in the De civitate Dei. Zeiller's catalogue of testimonia reveals that Augustine was an author from whose pen the word slipped easily and frequently. [15] De civitate Dei, however, was Augustine's only major work directed at an audience including non-Christians and designed to refute attacks on Chrsitianity, winning converts by persuasive force of rhetoric in the process. But Augustine's use of paganus in this work bears a strong resemblance to the curious incident of the dog in the night-time in Conan Doyle's "Silver Blaze": the word is almost never used. Almost: it appears in five passages. [16] Circumlocution, often clumsy, is a far more common way of identifying opponents. [17] The breviculus of the work's contents, which Augustine addressed to a Christian reader, contains more mentions of the term numerically than the whole body of the work's text. [18]
Second, Prudentius' practice reveals a similar discrimination. Nowhere in his most extended treatment of 'paganism', the Contra Symmachum, addressed at least formally to pagan ears, does the word itself appear. Once only its presumed etymology from the original sense of 'rustic' is alluded to with some clarity. [19] But in the preface to the first book, most likely added to the poem when it was included in a collection of the poet's works directed at a Chrsitian not pagan, audience, the word is used frankly almost at the very beginning. [20]
The evidence is both patchy and complex, requiring a more complex explanation than has been given in the past. I propose the following hypothetical reconstruction of the word's history.
If etymology is necessary, the original derivation of the term from the later military sense of paganus (= 'civilian') seems the most likely; whether Tertullian by his use of the word exemplifies that derivation precisely, he seems at least to be aware of it. What is striking, however, if this view of the origin is correct, is the long period in which the word hardly appears. If paganus was used to mean someone who was not a miles Christi, it may have appealed originally only to the relatively sophisticated. Alternatively but without contradiction (and the state of the evidence does not allow certainty -- as with so much of third century history) the usage may have survived strictly in common speech. What is known is that the word was not, so far as we can tell, part of the literary vocabulary of Christians in the third century.
Whether the word lapsed completely from use or passed exclusively into common parlance, the effect was the same: the sophisticated, witty derivation of the word was forgotten. When Chrsitianity finally found itself in a position to sneer at paganism (after Constantius II had begun the first acts of genuine repression) the word was recovered from the oblivion of either erudition or ignorance and pressed into common use with new connotations. For the fourth century authors who pause to tell us what they think the word means are unanimous in attributing its origin to paganus ('rustic'); there is no reason to suspect that they may not have been as wrong on this etymology as their contemporaries were on so many others.
The pertinence of the word was in its particularly humorous connotations. Even when the laughter was hollow (as under Julian's brief apostasizing reign), it was Christian practice to mock its non-Christian enemies. [24] It is therefore beside the point to argue, as scholars have done, whether paganism was more tenacious in the senatorial class of the cities or in the poorer and more ignorant class of farmers: for the whole point of the word's usage by late fourth-century Christians, I suggest, was to lump those two groups together eliberately to the discomfiture of the proud senatorial pagans. To address someone like Vettius Agorius Praetextatus as a 'hick' on the ground of a worship shared with men whose boots squished with more than mud was both funny and biting. The late fourth century (recalling that our first literary testimony comes from c. 360) was the great age of pompous, sophisticated, rich man's paganism. These connoisseurs of the old religion were called 'hicks' behind their backs and, for deliberate and (I should think) devastating effect, to their faces in the heat of controversy; but when they were being cajoled to accept Christianity the word was discreetly avoided. (Some authors, Ambrose and Jerome being the best examples, abided in discretion at all times, whether by choice or by habit.)
What followed then was the final, neglected stage in the development of ancient words and their meanings: the period of bogus etymology. In this case particularly, the claim that Greek pagos lay behind the origins of paganus seems so precisely opposed to the true sense of the term as it was in common use that one has to suspect deliberate, humorous perversion of the facts for literary purposes. The role of word play in ancient etymological speculations deserves further attention.
James J. O'Donnell
The Catholic University of America
Washington DC
Pagan Surname
To know more about the Pagan surname is always to know more about the individuals who probably share typical origins and ancestors. That is one of the reasoned explanations why it is normal that the Pagan surname is more represented in one or maybe more countries associated with globe compared to others. Right Here you will find down in which countries of the planet there are many people who have the surname Pagan.
In Germanic cultures, Pagan surnames were common among the Norse, Anglo-Saxons, and other Germanic tribes. These surnames often referred to gods, goddesses, or mythical creatures from their mythology. They could also be based on personal attributes, such as strength or intelligence.
The surname Pagan into the globe
Globalization has meant that surnames distribute far beyond their nation of origin, such that it is achievable to get African surnames in Europe or Indian surnames in Oceania. Exactly the same happens when it comes to Pagan, which as you are able to corroborate, it may be stated it is a surname which can be present in the majority of the countries associated with world. In the same way you will find nations in which truly the thickness of individuals aided by the surname Pagan is more than in other countries.
In Slavic cultures, Pagan surnames were common among the Slavic tribes and later among the medieval Slavic nobility. These surnames often referred to natural phenomena, such as rivers, mountains, or animals. They could also be based on personal characteristics, such as beauty or courage. With the spread of Christianity in Europe, many Pagan surnames were replaced or modified to reflect the new religion. However, some Pagan surnames survived and are still in use today, particularly in regions with strong cultural and linguistic traditions. In modern times, people with Pagan surnames may still feel a connection to their ancient roots and may seek to explore and embrace their ancestral heritage. Some individuals may even adopt Pagan practices or beliefs as part of their spiritual or cultural identity. Overall, Pagan surnames are a reminder of the rich and diverse religious and cultural history of Europe. They offer a glimpse into the beliefs and customs of our ancestors and can serve as a source of pride and connection for those who bear these names today..
Reviews for "The Evolution of Pagan Surnames: From Paganism to Christianity"
1. Jessica - 1 star
I was extremely disappointed with "Pagan surname origin". As someone who has been researching my family history, I was excited to find a resource that claimed to provide information on pagan surnames. However, this book fell short of my expectations. The information provided was very limited and vague, without any concrete examples or references. It felt like a collection of random tidbits rather than a well-researched and comprehensive guide. I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for accurate and informative information on pagan surnames.
2. Michael - 2 stars
I have to say that "Pagan surname origin" was a letdown for me. While it did include some general information on surnames that could potentially be of pagan origin, the lack of depth and detail left much to be desired. The book didn't go into any specific examples or provide any historical context, which I believe is crucial when discussing the origin of surnames. Additionally, the writing style was dry and monotonous, making it difficult to stay engaged. Overall, I felt like I didn't gain any new knowledge or insights from reading this book.
3. Sarah - 2 stars
I was intrigued by the concept of "Pagan surname origin", but it ultimately left me feeling unsatisfied. The book lacked cohesiveness and structure, jumping from one topic to another without any clear direction. The information provided was also very basic and superficial, without any in-depth analysis or exploration. I was hoping for a more comprehensive examination of pagan surnames and their significance, but this book failed to deliver. I would recommend looking elsewhere for a more thorough and informative resource on this topic.