Talk:Æthelthryth
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I suggest that this article be moved to 'Etheldreda' as "the name that is most generally recognisable" in accordance with Wikipedia:Naming conventions (people). Walgamanus 21:03, 29 August 2006 (UTC)
- You're sure it's more recognisable ? She's called Æthelthryth in Stenton's Anglo-Saxon England, in the Blackwell Encyclopedia of Anglo-Saxon England (she has her own article there which could be used to improve this one), and in Yorke's Conversion of Britain and also her Kings and Kingdoms of Early Anglo-Saxon England. She's Aethelthryth in Kirby's Earliest English Kings (seems that Unwins couldn't afford decent type). Æthelthryth in Higham's Convert Kings and Kingdom of Northumbria. What does the DNB say ? Angus McLellan (Talk) 21:21, 29 August 2006 (UTC)
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- No, I'm not sure. I suspect that she will be Æthelthryth in works of history and Etheldreda in works on saints and Christianity. Personally, I don't like 'Etheldreda' very much and I know it's out of favour in an historical context, but I do think it's more recognisable to the general reader, because she is best known as the patroness of Ely Cathedral and that's the form they use [1]. I'll see if I can find any other refs. Walgamanus 07:41, 30 August 2006 (UTC)
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- I have done some more research and it is clear that, in an historical context, the preferred modern-usage name for this lady is the Anglo-Saxon 'Æthelthryth' as Angus has shown above. My research brought similar results. However, in a Religious context, she is always referred to as 'Etheldreda' or occasionally 'Etheldreda of Ely' as there are several other Saint Etheldredas. This occurs in Orme's English Church Dedications (1996); Farmer's The Oxford Dictionary of Saints (2004); Holden's Saints of the English Calendar (2004); Attwater's The Penguin Dictionary of Saints (2005). It is interesting that in an historical work on a religious subject, such as Coulstock's Collegiate Church of Wimborne Minster (1993), the name Etheldreda is used. There seem to be two (all be it minor) works on this lady currently in print: Sneesby's Etheldreda: Princess, Queen, Abbess and Saint (1998) and Caldecott's Etheldreda (2005). I could find none about 'Æthelthryth'. There are apparently twelve ancient dedications to Saint 'Etheldreda' in England (and no doubt many more recent ones). I could find no evidence of any dedicated to 'Æthelthryth'. The 'Etheldreda' name is particularly well known because of the dedication of Ely Cathedral and St Etheldreda's Church, Ely Place, London. I would suggest that "the name that is most generally recognisable" (in accordance with Wikipedia:Naming conventions (people)) is that used in her church dedications, which are seen in everyday life, rather than that used in historical works, largely read by academics or history enthusiasts. However, having said that, I'm quite happy to leave it where it is, if it's just Angus and I in this debate. Walgamanus 18:22, 2 September 2006 (UTC)
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- A reasonable compromise would be to move the page to Etheldreda and to begin "Æthelthryth, known as Saint Etheldreda and Saint Audrey, ...", and then refer to her as Etheldreda for the rest of the piece. Angus McLellan (Talk) 18:59, 2 September 2006 (UTC)
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