WORD OF THE AUTHOR
Dear reader,
The Essay that follows is based on my - Essai sur l´origine des patronymes BAILLEUL-BELLE-BELS et variantes - first written in French in 1986 and first published in 1996.
Since then, although important amendments have been made to the original text, no major changes were done as far as the essence of the Essay is concerned. This essence remains:
- The Bels-Belle-Balliol (and patronymic variations) belong to one and the same lineage which has its origin in Flanders (Belgium).
- The Balliols of Scotland descend from the Balliols of Flanders and not from Normandy.
Furthermore, significant discoveries were made, indicating clearly that the Bels and Belle, along with their patronymic variations, were involved in the ephemeral and enigmatic history of the southern regions of France and northern Spain. From the Pyrenees to Albi, from Montségur to Perillos, from Dagobert II to the "reconquista" and the counts of Barcelona, from the Templars to the Cathars, from the hypocenter of "Perillos" to its epicenter of "Rennes-le-Château," all these regions and times warrant the utmost attention, as they hold the potential to rewrite the entire history of Western Europe and Christianity.
Whereas other significant European lineages fade away in the mist of time, these two lineages reappear far beyond the temporal barriers established by historians, as they appear in the Capetians and Merovingians times and may be traced back to Roman schools and administrations.
These new discoveries and some assertions are developed and constitute, also, the core of this Essay. In this Essay, I will give the reader quite another approach than the classical historical versions still considered as true.
At first glance, these versions seem to hold the road. Unfortunately, they do not, and they can only subsist thanks to the lack of serious investigation and courage to face the non-movere attitudes resulting from a comprehensible, but not acceptable, resistance to change!
Civil and religious authorities have never looked kindly on anyone questioning them or challenging their views. The slogan is well known: “Keep them poor”, said the politicians, “we'll keep them ignorant”, said the religions.
More details about this will follow in the corpus of the text.
I hope that positive criticism will emerge from the reader’s perspicacity. If the questions we ask ourselves are the motor of science, so is criticism the motor for further investigations and research.
As far as the origin of the Bels-Belle-Balliol Dynasty is concerned, the reader should be warned before consulting the classical encyclopaedias and literature on the subject. They all carry data issued from wrong assertions made by the 18th century French writer Mr. Vosgier. Assertions that were subsequently and blindly taken over by other French writers such as Mr. Blanchard and Mr. René de Belleval (1866).
So were these three writers considered as "the" references for the Balliol History! Their never-questioned assertions landed straight into the world’s biggest and most serious Encyclopaedias, such as the “Grande Encyclopedie Universelle Larousse” and the “Encyclopedia Britannica”.
An Italian encyclopedia has the following text:
“Baliol (Balliol). Famiglia feudale normanna stabilitasi in Inghilterra, all'epoca di Guglielmo il Conquistatore (1066). Insediatisi sul confine tra Scozia e Inghilterra, i - parteciparono alle lotte tra i due paesi, e acquistarono pretese alla Corona di Scozia, che fu tenuta tra il 1292 e il 1296. Tra gli ultimi membri della famiglia, estintasi nel sec. XIV, Edward (m. 1367) consegnò la Scozia al re Edoardo III d'Inghilterra.” Source: Nuovissima Enciclopedia Universale Curcio.
Only Mr Francis Bailey had the correct view of what happened in those remote times. Unfortunately, by the time his work was published (Ed. Spottiswoode. London 1881), all leading encyclopaedic works and literature had already published Mr. Vosgier’s assertions. Mr. Bailey’s study came simply too late!
To have an overall view of the History of our Bels-Belle-Balliol Dynasty and the lineages that composes it (Belles, Beyls, Bayls, Bellis, Bell, Bailleul, Bailey, etc.), I strongly suggest the reader to consult the following works:
- The Bailleuls of Flanders, written by Mr. Francis Bailey. Anno 1881.
- Robert Bell and his Early Virginia Colony Descendants (2011), Bell Roots (2012) and One Hundred & Twenty-Five Bell Families Contribution to History (2016), written by Mr James Elton Bell, Knight Ordinis Balliolensis, FSA Scot and Ms. Frances Jean Bell. Anno 2011.
- The Balliol Dynasty, written by Prof. Dr Amanda Beam. Anno 2008. AHRC Project “The Paradox of Medieval Scotland (PoMS)”. Dept. History. University of Glasgow.
Maybe this Essay will, together with plenty of others, slowly but surely allow us to better comprehend that hinge period of our common history.
This study is also to be used as a historical manual for our future Knights. It will give them sufficient historical data to have a good overview of happenings involving members of the several Lineages that constitute our Dynasty.
The Essay time span ranges from the IIIth century, for the Bels lineage, until the XVIIth century, the time when the Essay stops its enumeration of facts and description of events, in order to respect the privacy of individuals.
There are however only a few exceptions and they all concern people who had or still have a public life, such as:
- The late Princess of Réthy, Lady Liliane Baels. Born on 28 November 1916, she became the second wife of Leopold III von Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha (1901-1983), King of the Belgians.
- George Washington (1732-1799), the first president of the United States, whose mother was Marie Ball (1708-1789), of Flanders, through the Middle Age Scotland.
- Or other public figures such as Roland Belz, who bought the Castle Frankenberg, for 10.000.000 Euros, etc.
- Some facts about the author's direct lineage.
- Facts demonstrating the relationship between the Ordo Balliolensis (OB, the Traditional Order of Chivalry of the Bels-Belle-Balliol dynasty) and the Ordo Supremus Militaris Templi Hierosolymitani (OSMTH Porto - International), better known as the Knights Templar Order, and some other connections, to clarify certain trans-generational interactions.
- A few characters worth mentioning from a historical point of view, such as:
- Bels Henry, born in Horpmaal on 11.04.1791, son of Bels Henri (1745-1819) and Fastré Anne (1750-1814). He Married 23/04/1818 at Horpmaal to Sibille Driesen (1791-1867). Henry incorporated the 108th Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne, of the Napoleonic army corps, on the 18/09/1812 till the 12/03/1813. Source: Willy Bels from Leopoldsburg (Belgium).
- An artist, a soldier named Bels, is the author of this humorous cartoon from either the 7th (Wednesday) or 9th (Friday) January 1914, depicting a conversation between two soldiers in the Flanders trenches on a cold winter's day (-15* CC) during the First World War. Source: Bels Archives.
Based on the shape of the helmets, it can be inferred that the soldiers were French and not Belgian. Their helmets were identical, but the Belgians had, up front, since November 1915, the face of a Lion. “Les Capotes”, the long, double-breasted greatcoats with large lapels were typical of French infantry uniforms, especially in winter conditions. The few details in this drawing strongly suggest they are French soldiers.
The French text, translated into English, reads as follows:
“Well, how's it going with the Boche?”
"There is a slight chill between us”.
The scene happened in the winter. The month, under the “Bels” signature, seems to be “x January 14”. Since there are never such low temperatures as -15*CC in Flanders in November nor in March, the depicted scene must have been amid the winter. This is why I think the deciphering of the month must be read as “January”.
I researched the Climatological data for this period:
1. The winter of 1914-1915 was mild and wet, leading to extremely muddy conditions in the trenches. Later in the season, temperatures dropped, and light frost became common. The average temperatures were between 0°C to 7°C, with some colder periods.
2. The winter of 1915-1916 was one of the coldest winters of the war. Heavy snowfall and frozen ground made trench warfare even more brutal. The average temperatures ranged from -9°C to 0°C.
3. The winter of 1916-1917 was an extremely cold and long winter, one of the coldest in decades. Snow and ice covered much of the front, and trenches became frozen solid. The average temperatures ranged from -15°C to -2°C.
4. The winter of 1917-1918 was slightly milder winter than 1916-17, but still cold. Trench conditions remained difficult with frost and mud cycles. The average temperatures ranged from -4°C to 4°C.
The serious political instability in Europe, which was to lead to the most terrible war ever fought - and a world war at that - culminated in the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria (of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine) and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, on June 28, 1914, in Sarajevo; At that time, a condominium of Bosnia and Herzegovina, part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Four months later, the world was at war.
Questions:
- What were these guys hanging around in trenches, in January 1914, some 4 months before the assassination of Sarajevo, and 8 months before the first World War really started in Flanders's plains?
- How come they're pictured wearing French “Adrian” helmets as early as January 1914, even though they weren't invented by the French military officer and engineer General August-Louis Adrian until 1915?
- Why is it mentionning an extremely low temperature for Belgium, that may only have occurred during the winter of 1916-1917 but not 1914?
Seen these serious inconsistencies in the cartoon, I ask myself the question to know if this cartoon was contemporaneous of the life in the trenches or if it was drawn later… Could it be a fake?
This is the way I handle historical data in this Essay. I continually question the validity of some interpretations made by historians, bearing in mind that only facts must lead to hypothesis and theories, not the other way around.
My grandfather's idea to write "one" book that would contain all our data, normally spread in "thousand" books, turned out as an objective that is impossible to achieve. So huge is the volume of information available. In my Essay, I did not copy, except for very few exceptions, historical data that appeared in other major Dynastic Historical Works such as:
- One Hundred & Twenty-Five Bell Families.
- Bell Roots, Our Early History, 825-1800.
- Sir Robert Bell and His Early Virginia Colony Descendants.
by our Dynast James Elton Bell, Knight Ordinis Balliolensis, FSA Scot
- The Bailleuls of Flanders and Willow Hall,
by our Dynast Francis Bayley.
- The Falaise Roll.
by Jackson Crisapin & Leonce Macary.
Some chapters, included in this Essay, were the writings of historians and dynasts. Their references are given at the end of their text after the word “Source:”
IMPORTANT NOTES TO THE READER
Please be aware that the people quoted under “Acknowledgment” in this Essay do not imply ipso facto that they share my views on events, happenings, thesis, and hypothesis I propose and/or put forward. On some very sensitive matters, my views and opinions engage only myself!
Some parts of this Essay follow a rather conventional survey, other constitute a quite unconventional approach to History. Theoretical historians often use this method when trying to elucidate the events from which concrete data, such as time and space, are missing or lost forever.
This sometimes-criticised unconventional “puzzling” method has already paid off many times and allowed scientists to make astonishing discoveries. After all, it has always been very difficult to reconstruct the course of ancient events except in terms of speculative theories.
Questions will unavoidably arise as to why, in such an Essay, whose aim is to provide as objective a study as possible of the history of our dynasty, I develop themes such as the mysterious happenings surrounding the small French village of Rennes-le-Château, Mary Magdalene, the Cathars, the Templar Knights, and the implication of the Roman Catholic Church in all of them?
At first glance, these themes may appear to be quite out of place. The more that the whole Rennes-le-Château affair is often presented as nothing more than a huge hoax. However, this apparent out of place will very quickly disappear when we realize that it is linked to events that concern directly our Dynastic History. Three examples:
- The events concerning the arrest of the last Languedoc Cathar Perfect, William Bélibaste (anno 1321), are mentioned in this essay because the direct actor behind this ignominious arrest was Mr Arnaud Sicre, a Dynast (someone from our Dynasty, from the Late Latin “dynastes”).
The murdering of the Dynast’s mother Sybille Baille (also Bayle) and his son Pons, by the Roman Catholic Church, had to be mentioned also, whatever our position is regarding this Church!
- The ruins of our estates in Belcastel-et-Buc and Villardebelle (Corbières - South of France), are “much too close” to the Châteaux of Villerouge-Termenès, Durfort, Blanchefort, Peyrepertuse and the mysterious “Rennes-le-Château”, to be the simple result of pure coincidences.
- The two mysterious paintings in our former hospital called “the Belle Almshouse”, in Ypres (Flanders, anno 1272) are not the product of fertile imagination or clever invention. They are physically hanging there on the walls since the XVIth century. What they show us are, at first glance, some flagrant inconsistencies (atypical background for Flanders countryside, typical Corbières Rocky Mountains, what resembles impressively the Castle of Peyrepertuse, the mother and child being neither Mary nor Jesus, intentional absence of painters’ identification, etc.). However, with increased scrutiny, we recognise in these apparent inconsistencies, the presence of an “internal coherence”, a quite unusual, but permanent “pattern”, through time and space, present in plenty of other pieces of art connected with the Rennes-le-Château mystery!
This more than usual “internal coherence” will automatically disarm the probability of the “pure chance” factor making it more than improbable to account for so many Europe-wide occurrences.
There is absolutely no doubt that we are here in the presence of a precise, skilful, and intelligent force at work behind the curtains of History, to transmit secret messages into the minds of generations to come, able to understand them.
As said earlier, some may consider the whole Rennes-le-Château (RLC) affair as a gigantic hoax, made up by the alleged falsifier trio: Plantard, de Chérisey and de Sède. This may probably be true for some of the treasures or mysteries pretended to have been discovered, although in the opaque backstage of this whole affair, confessed to have been a forgery (to avoid prosecution), could lie unpublished and authentic information.
But then, how to explain the interest and involvement of so many of Europe's great families if the whole affair was nothing but a farce? What were the Imperial lines of the Habsburgs, the royal line of the Bourbons and the Vatican interested in? What prompted the Pope to personally intervene and reverse the decision of Mgr. de Beauséjour, the Bishop of Carcassonne, to suspend the priest Béranger Saunière from his ecclesiastical duties?
It would be remiss of us not to inquire about Nicolas Fouquet, Louis XIV's finance superintendent, who amassed immense wealth following a peculiar correspondence from his brother Louis Fouquet and the painter Nicolas Poussin, informing him of an "immeasurable fortune, which will not be equaled on earth" and "possible that no one else will ever rediscover it in the centuries to come."
We know that Louis XIV, after visiting Nicolas Fouquet's estate at Vaux-le-Vicomte, had his minister arrested and imprisoned. But how can we not become suspicious after learning that the king ordered the confiscation of his private correspondence, which he combed through with a fine-tooth comb, that he decorated his bedroom with Nicolas Poussin's painting “The Shepherds of Arcadia”, and that he dispatched his Minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert to Rennes-le-Château.
The result: Louis XIV, too, suddenly became immensely wealthy, allowing him to indulge his “Folie des grandeurs”, revealed not only by the extraordinary constructions of Versailles, but also by his financial donations to the four corners of France for the refurbishment of cathedrals, churches, abbeys, museums and so on. Where did this colossal fortune come from? From a farce?
Furthermore, it cannot be ignored that the extraordinary anomalies in and around the small church of Mary Magdalene at Rennes-le-Château, as well as the strange activities of Abbé Bérenger Saunière, preceded the so-called trio of Plantard, de Chérisey, and de Sède by at least seventy years.
Even more compelling are the controversial coded messages, such as the inscription on the tombstone of the Marquise d’Hautpoul, Marie de Nègre d’Ables, which predate the trio by nearly 180 years. How can one credibly claim that these men invented the notion of coded messages, when the very codes in question were carved into stone generations before they were even born?
To explain (in all humility) the path I, and some fellow independent researchers, have followed in seeking the roots of such strange behavior, unorthodox decisions, and unexplained events, it became necessary to delve deeply into detail. The significance of certain factors, such as the parallel history of Western Europe, the Apocrypha, the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, and the role of certain Jewish families, is simply too great to ignore. Without acknowledging them (as succinctly as possible), we would miss the essential pieces of a vast and ancient puzzle spanning more than two millennia.
Please consider that all apparent unorthodox developments in this Essay are based upon very serious historical considerations. They are not the product of an untamed fertile imagination, pure fantasy, or mental wandering. They are neither ego-driven assertions to make one more interesting than another! They are neither of the domain of sensational, just to entertain, nor money motivated because I sincerely doubt if, in one decade, 10 people will ever read this Essay!
Thus, serious historical studies oblige us to note that, from the low to the high Middle Ages, the aristocratic, noble, and patriarchal families (Leudes) maintained between them extremely close links, that they were dynastic (of ascendancy, marriage, succession), feudal, commercial, financial or security.
European politics was only a matter of big family interactions in the Middle Ages! These very strong families’ bonds rested on a secular social system that lasted until the end of the Second World War. In Western Europe, the so-called “modern age”, which witnessed the upcoming of the socialist system, played an important part in the strong intention to level out the upcoming “modern society”.
Slowly but surely, the thousand years old close dynastic links and interactions were suppressed and started to decline. Family links were forgotten and the nobility system itself, although still existing in a few countries of Western Europe, started to show signs of fraying at the edges. Today its influence, on society, is reduced to almost nothing. It will be only a matter of a few decades of years to see its definitive collapse.
On July 19, 1946, Robert IV Valère Bels fs. Valérius Bels, went to the town hall of Leers-Nord (on the Belgian - French border) to officially declare the birth of his first son, whom he wished to name Robert “Adelsohn” Bels.
The municipal secretary M. Jean Aubar (the spelling is unclear) accepts the name "Adelson" but refuses, with the support of the mayor Mr. Edmond Bourgeliou and the village warden Mathieu Vossen, the name "Adelsohn" because of its German consonance "Adel-Sohn", in English "Son of a noble". This would have been, without the addition of a title of nobility, a discreet little window opening on a prestigious past.
These people had, due to the 4 years of Nazi dictatorial occupation of Belgium, become viscerally anti-German. Mr. Mathieu Vossen (*1889 +1967), veteran of the 1914-1918 war, lived until his death with a war bullet in his body.
The “pseudo-educated” trio could no longer distinguish between a "German" and a "Nazi"! The first name of Robert IV Valère Bels' second son, who was to be named "Rüdiger", was refused for the same reason. The less Germanic name "Rudi" was accepted.
These people’s ignorance prevented them from knowing that even the personal name “Robert” is Frankish. It comes from “Hrodberht” (hruod = glory + berht = bright). The same for the first name “Rüdiger” which comes (hruod = glory + ger = spear). The name became famous through the Nibelungen saga.
In the light of what has been said, we now better realize that the presence of the Knight Hrvotland Bels, a lawman who signed as witness the Treaty of Verdun (Yutz, in anno 843), which was a purely “private” Carolingians´ Dynastic matter, was not just pure chance. Instead, it must be seen as the logical outcome of current procedures “in place”, for centuries, among these big families. This is no longer speculation, but fact! Any historian of this period will acquiesce!
In short: If the Bels Knight had such a high position (Office holder also called baronobis, see end of Chapter VIII) at the court of the Carolingians, we are practically certain that his father and grandfather did also have such a position or a similar one!
His name, Hruotland (or Hrōðland), the original form of Roland, is itself revealing. It is composed of the elements hrōð ("glory", "fame") and land ("land", "territory"). Like many early Germanic personal names, it evokes honour, prestige, and authority rather than serving as a literal description of its bearer.
Unlike most Germanic personal names, whose second element refers to weapons, animals, strength, wisdom, or other personal qualities, Hruotland uniquely incorporates the element “land”. For example:
Rüdiger (Hrōdgēr) gloire + lance arme
Robert (Hrōdberht) gloire + brillant éclat
Roger (Hrōdgār) gloire + lance arme
Rudolf (Hrōdwulf) gloire + loup animal
Roderick (Hrōdrīc) gloire + pouvoir puissance
This is an objectively noteworthy linguistic feature, as the element “land” is comparatively rare in Germanic personal names when compared with endings such as -wulf, -berht, -gēr, -hard, or -rīc.
Although “Hruotland” cannot be interpreted as proof of landed ownership, it is nevertheless remarkable that the name evokes the notions of territory, lordship, and authority rather than martial prowess or other personal attributes. Within an aristocratic or administrative milieu, such an anthroponym may well have carried connotations of landed status and social distinction.
Taken in isolation, the name cannot establish its bearer's social rank. However, when considered alongside the historical, genealogical, and socio-cultural context, it contributes to a coherent body of circumstantial evidence.
While the name alone cannot determine its bearer's exact position, it suggests that he was more likely to have belonged to the free or noble strata of society than to the servile class. If this interpretation is correct, Hruotland may well have served as a scribe, counsellor, or lawman, functions traditionally entrusted to educated and trusted members of a ruler's entourage, and may therefore have occupied an important position at the king's court.
The name Hruotland (Hrōðland) is not of specifically Scandinavian origin. Rather, it is a common Germanic personal name, attested across several branches of the Germanic languages, including Frankish, Old High German, and Old Saxon. Although Scandinavians during the Viking Age also bore names of similar structure, this does not make Hruotland a distinctively Old Norse name.
One further detail deserves attention. He is recorded simply as “Hruotland” (or Hrvotland in certain spellings), not as “Hruotlandsson” ("son of Hruotland"), the patronymic form commonly used in Old Norse and later Scandinavian naming practice, as in Eriksson, Hrolfsson, or Rögnvaldsson. This is consistent with the interpretation that “Hruotland” was his own personal name rather than a patronymic identifying him as the son of a man named Hruotland.
This name nevertheless fits perfectly within the naming conventions of this pivotal period in European history. Although “Hruotland” itself is of broader Germanic origin, it occurs within a family whose anthroponymy is overwhelmingly Scandinavian, including names such as Hrolfr, Hrollaugr, Thorir, Ragnhildr, Ásnfríðr, and others recorded in The Falaise Roll, Table III.
Since he received the personal name Hruotland from his father at birth, it is reasonable to assume that he belonged to a hereditary family tradition in which names, social status, and functions were transmitted from one generation to the next. Such continuity is consistent with what is known of the Leudes and later the Vassi, among whom offices and responsibilities were frequently exercised within the same families over successive generations. These questions will be explored in greater depth throughout the present Essay.
In this context, it is conceivable that Hruotland inherited not only his family's naming tradition but also its social position and, possibly, the estate or benefice associated with it. This example illustrates how certain hereditary lineages of administrative and intellectual functions, teachers, notaries, jurists, scribes, and advisers, could preserve their socio-cultural status over long periods.
Modern historians of international renown, such as the German historian and author Dr. Prof. Timothy Reuter (1947-2011), go even further. They proved that these transitions from one ruling family (dynasty) to another, were not isolated events, but rather the logical result of the perennial status and education of a certain class of society, called "Leudes"!
The Belgian historian Godefroid Kurth (1847-1916) was Professor Reuter's predecessor, and he is recognized as one of Europe's greatest historians of the Middle Ages. While working as a professor at the University of Liège (Belgium), he laid the groundwork for the scientific study of the Middle Ages. Mr. Kurth became in 1894, full member of the « Académie royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique. »
It follows, therefore, that if the Bels lineage is found exercising office under the Carolingian rulers around the year 843, and again in northern Spain at Vacarisses in 1014, one may reasonably infer that their position of authority had even earlier roots under the Merovingians. Offices of this nature were rarely ephemeral: once entrusted to a family, they tended to become hereditary, transmitted from father to son in the same way that crafts and trades, those of masons, bakers, or weavers, were perpetuated within urban and rural communities.
In this sense, the Bels may be seen as belonging to that early class of “baronobis”, a noble by baronial dignity, whose functions were both official and dynastic, linking Merovingian service aristocracy with the Carolingian administration and the emerging frontier nobility of the Spanish March.
Another brilliant historian and world specialist on the history of the Merovingians, the Knight Dr. Enrico Paust Freiherr von Lipstadt, of the German Friedrich-Schiller-Universität of Jena (D), breaks the out-posted time barrier when he asserts that the Bels Lineage must have occupied these functions already as Roman public officers. For more developments on this subject, read Chapter XIII.
Please approach the apparent unorthodox developments, you will encounter in the Essay, with a free and open mind, from different perspectives, but above all, with an attitude liberated from any educational or dogmatic conditioning. Turn away from most classical and traditional teachings, ideologies, and fixed pseudo-certainties. They only tell you what some manipulative and conspiratorial political and religious “authorities”, via the media, want you to believe and to know, for whatever purposes!
History much more than any other science has been and still is the subject of incredible manipulations and falsifications. We are daily, despite us, the “credulous” victims of gigantic, perfectly orchestrated, and worldwide conspiracies! The machinery to deaden our minds and enslave the human race is so perfectly tuned that most of us do not even suspect it to be in place!
However, many daily happenings should challenge us because of their high factor (index) of strangeness, inconsistencies, and suspicions. By posing the right question, the right answer will appear! As I wrote somewhere in the Essay, concerning the Rennes-le-Château affair:
“...As there is no smoke without fire, we must ask the right questions to receive the right answers! Who is lying to whom? Who wants to inform indirectly the public about a gigantic manipulation of historical events and who wants, at all costs, to prevent the spread of this information? To whom would profit or damage the publication of the information... ?”.
I am not an “active” adept of the Worldwide Conspiracy Movements, which sees the shadow of State, Church, and some Jewish families’ manipulations in everything that happens. However, we all must recognise that many “happenings” give us some cause for serious concern and compel us to interrogate ourselves. They are much more than just coincidences!
In those times, some people knew exactly what was going on - and left, for the prosperity, secret messages in the form of a transposition telling us the real stories. In this case, the hidden message is: “Les rois fait néants” or “The kings reduced to silence”! However, the message addressed to the common was: “Les rois fainéants” or “The lazy kings” A clever play on words that says a lot about the reality of events and that is aimed at those who can understand.
Another very significant play of words, in French, is: “Pas dedans” for “Pas de dents” that stands for “not in” and “no teeth”. Or the sentence “Je suis Robert” which can mean “I am Robert”, if the verb is “to be”, or “I follow Robert”, if the verb is “to follow”.
This kind of transposition is feasible in English as well: “I will come with the night” could be understood as “I will come with the knight”. Only a few languages lend themselves wonderfully to these turns of phrase and wordplay. However, only a few of them were used to encode ultra-secret events affecting the very foundations of Western civilization. Only France has had to face these imperatives!
These messages inform us indirectly of the conspiracy set up by the Church and the Mayors of the Palaces, to get rid of the Merovingian dynasty, which was no longer interested in expanding its territories.
This was the same constellation of the events, which took place almost 700 years later, with the conspiracy of the Church and the King of France against the Templars. We find the same kind of transposition in the church of Rennes-le-Château where the text “Par ce signe tu vaincras” has been encoded into “Par ce signe tu (le) vaincras”. We will come back to this later.
We should become much more alert and pay much more attention to what happens around us. Only then will we be able to discern some abnormalities and allow them to become the subjects of our preoccupations and speculations! We must develop a questioning if not an investigative attitude if we do not want to end like a bunch of caws looking at a rolling train without understanding what they see!
I studied decades of years, apocryphal texts. These over 50.000 mysterious documents were all discovered, here and there, by a mere stroke of fortune, in the Mediterranean region and in the Middle East’s most deserted and remote places. They all report events that happened in the very early times of Christianity. In the light of their deciphering, we must be very assertive: the Roman Catholic Church has outrageously and purposely manipulated the whole History of Christianity with the complicity of the rulers in place in those times.
Didn't they include four gospels in the Bible when there were more than fifty, held in great secrecy in their archives? What could be so dangerous for Roman Catholic dogma that they had to resort to such historical manipulations?
Since Christianity is mainly the teaching of precepts created by the follower Paul, we should rather call it “Paulinism”. The German historian, philologist and philosopher Wilhelm Nestle (1865-1959), wrote, “Christianity is the religion founded by Paul, it replaced Christ’s Gospel with a Gospel about Christ”.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST
I personally financed this Essay over a period of more than 40 years, without receiving a single euro of financial assistance, from any individual, institution, or foundation, that might have supported such an ambitious and costly undertaking.
It is, however, appropriate to mention one exception to the foregoing: the sudden appearance of five Knight-Patrons. Since the year 2023, these noble Brothers, mentioned previously, have made a decisive contribution to the completion of the work which I have the honour of presenting to you today.
The research required considerable financial investment, amounting to several tens of thousands of euros, in order to finance numerous journeys and investigations throughout Western Europe. Yet not even the slightest contribution, however modest, was received from the many families and lineages that constitute our Dynasty, despite the fact that this Essay is, in the final analysis, dedicated to them.
This almost complete lack of interest is perhaps a sign of the times. It is my sincere hope that one day this situation will be reversed.
I must admit, however, that I never actively sought financial support. Perhaps that fact alone offers an explanation.
To complete this vast and demanding study, I chose to live modestly, refraining from intellectually enriching journeys to other parts of the world. Noblesse oblige. I also imposed certain financial constraints on my family, sacrifices that would have been unnecessary had this project been supported or sponsored, even partially. For this, I am profoundly grateful to my family members, who, à contrecoeur, allowed me the space and time to pursue this goal.
This enduring lack of support illustrates, ad perfectum, the general attitude of most members of our distinguished lineages, united under the Bels-Belle-Balliol Dynasty and now scattered across the continents.
The Bels lineage is, as of 2026, at least some 1.966 years old. Of course, this is relatively young compared to the Massimo of Italy, who are at least 2.200 years old! They descend from Maximus (Massimo) Decimus (Decimo) Meridius (Meridio), a Roman general of the legions Felix, commander of the northern army, and a loyal servant of the emperor Marcus Aurelius.
After extensive research, the Bels were identified as Morini or Menapii, belonging to Celtic tribes who lived in Flanders when the Roman troops arrived in 56 BCE.
In the official documents of the Ordo Balliolensis, under the coat of arms of Mgr. Fra. Robert Adelsohn Bels, the term "multisecular cognationes" is used, in place of the supposed year of the patronymic's first appearance. The purpose of these words is to prevent endless criticism and polemics that are caused by jealousy, envy, or negative attitudes towards the antiquity of the Bels branch in the history of our lineages and in general.
In response to the legitimate question of how and why a very ancient dynasty such as ours, whose branches reach so deeply into the past, could have passed almost unnoticed through the meshes of the historians’ net, while other lineages are more or less well known, it is fitting to sketch a few reflections.
Could it be the consequence of a long succession of acts of discretion, sometimes deliberate, sometimes imposed by circumstance, that allowed us to slip through the winding courses of History’s great tribulations? To the point that, more than two millennia later, we are still here, still standing?
Might the almost total indifference shown toward certain members of our lineages not, in the end, have been a blessing in disguise?
I should also like to quote two other giants of history, whose contributions profoundly influenced our understanding of the past not without having shaked the very foundations of the history our Western historical civilisation and thought.
The first man belonged to one of the oldest dynasties in Europe who sought to transmit messages that had remained shrouded in secrecy, and securely guarded for centuries, if not millennia. Let me be permitted to quote him, in paraphrase:
“To those who, in whatever manner, say NO to these pages: they will never know the service they render us, for indeed, the most effective way for us to continue to exist is to be denied.” Dixit : Pierre VI Plantard de Sinclair.
The second was the writer Henry Lincoln (Henry Soskin,*1930-†2022), Knight Templar and Honorary Knight of our Order, whose remarkable insight enabled him to recognize the high significance of a series of seemingly insignificant clues. His pioneering work inspired the publication of more than eight hundred books, essays, and scholarly studies, read by well over two billion people throughout the world, on a subject of which he had been one of the principal pioneers as early as 1982.
And yet, this mystery remains unresolved to this very day and may well never be conclusively resolved. To the considerable benefit of what is arguably the most influential multinational institution on Earth: the Roman Catholic Church. The reasons for this will, I trust, become apparent as the reader progresses through the selected passages devoted to this subject.
The time has now come to appeal to the reader's indulgence for any typographical, orthographical, grammatical, phraseological, or historical errors that may be encountered throughout these pages. Were I to be condemned for every one of them, I would scarcely survive the opening pages of this Essay.
I should also make it clear that the grammar and style of this work have never been professionally revised or corrected by anyone other than myself, and I am far from being perfekt.
I regard my command of several languages as one of the greatest advantages I have acquired in the course of my life. It was not a gift bestowed by Providence, but the fruit of many years of perseverance, disciplined study, and sustained personal effort.
My knowledge of foreign languages proved indispensable in the preparation of this Essay. Many of the oldest documents that came into my possession were written in Latin, Old French, German and Flemish (archaic form of German), French, and English, languages that I was able to read and understand without significant difficulty. This constituted an invaluable advantage and enabled me to consult numerous original sources directly, without relying on translations or intermediaries.
It should also be noted, though without bearing on the present Essay, that my linguistic formation included Russian as well as Middle Egyptian (2000-1600 BCE).
Non Nobis, Domine, Non Nobis …
Fra. Robert Adelsohn Bels.
A version of this Essay was sent/deposed to:
- The University of St. Andrews (Scotland), (Version 5, June 2014) as a potential information source for the project (2013) called “Scotland and the Flemish People”, conducted by the St. Andrews Institute of Scottish Historical Research under Dr. Brown Michael, Dr. Fleming Alex, Mr Irvine John, Prof Dr. Mason Roger, Dr. Stevenson Katie, Dr. Woolf Alex, and research student Eberlin Amy. Professor Dr. Mason Roger, of the University of St. Andrews, is the head of the recently launched program called: Scotland and the Flemish People. More about it in Chapter I, §C.
- The Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique (Bruxelles, Belgium). Magasin-Bibliographie de Belgique, Dépôt légal by Robert Adelsohn Bels/ Auteur/ Editeur. See page 6-7.
- Selected Readers interested in the History of our Lineages.
Patrons :
His Excellency Fra. Herbert Class, Honorary Knight and Consul General of the Ordo Balliolensis in Belgium, and Knight of the Order of Saint Stanislas, ranks among the most distinguished and venerable patrons of our Order and, in particular, of my own scholarly endeavours. The honour and prestige enjoyed by our Institution, as well as the advancement of my historical research, owe much to his noble generosity, discerning judgment, unwavering guidance, steadfast support, and exemplary fidelity, all of which he has demonstrated with remarkable constancy. Fra. Herbert was also instrumental in the establishment of BELS College and translated my book Seigneur et Chevalier, written in 1995, into both German and English.
Four other patrons of equal distinction deserve to be honoured with the same gratitude: our Brothers and Sister in Chivalry,
Fra. Prof. Dr. Reinhard Latza, Honorary Knight of the Ordo Balliolensis and Prior of the OSMTH Priory of Western Germany, is a recipient of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. He ensured the publication of the German edition of Seigneur et Chevalier and was also instrumental in the establishment of BELS College.
Fra. Thomas Block, Baron du Castel-du-Cerf-Noir, Grand Cross Officer and Magisterial Councillor of our Order, whose unwavering support and loyal friendship likewise contribute to the success of my historical research and to the renewed vitality and growing prestige of our Dynastic Order.
The most significant discoveries ever made concerning the great antiquity of the Bels lineage in the Pyrenean regions were made possible solely through the spontaneous and generous assistance of the Knights Templar Fra. Ralf Theilenberg and Sor. Beate Koslowski. Their timely support, unwavering commitment, and readiness to assist proved instrumental in bringing to light evidence of Exceptional Historical Significance, thereby contributing decisively to the successful completion of the present research.
Through their constant encouragement, steadfast friendship, and unfailing support, these noble Knights have made an invaluable contribution to the advancement of the historical research devoted to the founding lineages of the Bels-Belle-Balliol Dynasty, which constitute the historical foundation of our House, as well as to the vitality, prestige, and enduring radiance of our Dynastic Order.
May all five be assured of my profound, heartfelt, and fraternal gratitude.
The mecenas, according to the noble tradition inherited from Antiquity and transmitted through the centuries of Christendom, is the selfless protector of the arts and letters, the one who fosters their growth through his assistance, faith, and generosity.
He acts not out of personal interest, but from an inner conviction, because he believes in the value of what he supports: art, culture, science, research, the preservation of heritage, and the enduring continuity of the values, usages, and customs that form the living foundation of our Western civilization.
ABBREVIATIONS, REFERENCES AND TERMINOLOGIES
A.N.
The abbreviation “A.N.” means « Ancienne noblesse », or “Old Nobility”. Being noble does not automatically imply holding a title (baron, count, etc.). Example: Charles van Renynghe de Voxvrie, and some lineages of our dynasty.
abt. / ca. / * / †
The letters abt. means about or around. Ex: John, born in Ypres abt. 1120. Idem for ca. (circa). The letters aft. mean after. Ex: *aft. 1200. The signs * and †, stand for *Birth and † Dead or Burial.
Aft.
The letters aft. mean after. Ex: *aft. 1200.
BCB
Refers to Belcastel-et-Buc. Village in the Aude (France).
BC/AD and BCE/CE
The abbreviations BC and AD, standing for Before Christ and Anno Domini, have been changed, to get out of the grip of the Roman Catholic Church, into BCE and CE standing for: Before Common Era and Common Era.
Baronobis
The origin of the word “baronobis” is detailed of Chapter VIII.
Belcastel / Belcastel-et-Buc
Throughout your Essay, the words ‘Belcastel’ and ‘Belcastel-et-Buc’ will always be interpreted as synonymous. Sometimes also shortened as BCB.
ca. = See “abt.”
Châtelain / Châtellenie
The word Châtelain stands for Castellan, the lord of a castle, the castle owner. The word Châtellenie stands for Castellani, a domain, an estate that belongs to a castle.
City Names
Some Flemish cities are named in Flemish (Diets), French, or Latin. Ex: Belle (Diets), Bailleul (French) and Balliol (Latin). The cities of Brugge may become Bruges (French). The city of Ieper may become Ypres (French). Idem for most of the Flemish cities: Gent (Ghent) becomes Gand (French), Tournai (Doornik), etc.
CM
The letters CM refer to a Communication Magistrale. That is a type of correspondence emitted by the Grand Master of the Ordo Balliolensis. The number of the Document follows it: CM (CM 1225 on 19 December 2025).
CP
The letters CP refer to Personal Correspondence. It is used by the Grand Master for all his correspondence not implying directly the Ordo Balliolensis, but likely to interest it. CP 295 on 19 December 2025).
Dynast(s)
The word Dynast(s) means Member(s) of all the lineages carrying one of the numerous patronymics originated from the Bels-Belle and Balliol. Ex: The Dynast Julius Belle. By extension, the word Dynast is taken in its Latin understanding originating from the word “dynastes” which also means Prince, Seignior, Little sovereign.
Estate
The Estate (in French: propriété, domaine, dépendance) is a property consisting of an extensive area of land comprising usually a forest, some wood, a meadow, a field, a river, a lake, and the Seignior’s living place such as a house, a farm, a manor, or a castle. An important Estate may also consist of a (or several villages) village with all its elements (school, mill, hospital, church, cemetery, etc.). At a time when there were no names, a Seigneur (Seignior, a Feudal lord) took the name of one of his estates. It became a Seigneurie (Lordship).
Frater (Fra.) - Filus (fs.) / Soror (Sor.) - Filia fa).
The noun Frater (Fra.) and Soror (Sor.) are the Latin synonyms for fs. (filius) or fa. (filia). And mean Brother or Sister in the Knighthood. Ex: Baudouin fs. Enguerrand.
Froechel / Froechelen
The noun Froechel is a Flemish general term that originated in the Flemish Brussels´ regional dialect. As verb Froechelen, it means to concoct, scheme, plot, and arrange something not necessarily to harm another. The person who performs the action is called a “Froecheleir”! Its meaning is close to the Flemish word “Frutselen”! As it can easily be transposed into English, I used it also as an English word in this Essay : James was Froecheling - He Froecheled with the maid (Honi soit qui mal y pense). He intended to Froechel something, etc.
Geographical coordinates
The search for a location with coordinates having a dot [.] at the end, will not work. Therefore, I only use numbers: 54.543454, -1.926490 (without the end dot). These are the coordinates for our “Barnard Castle” in England.
Grand Arms
The Grand Arms is the main Coat of Arms of dynasties. Such as the Bels-Belle-Balliol dynasty.
Heraldry (Shield / Arms)
In Heraldry, the Shield is the form used to support the blazon. The latter is composed of the representation of different objects and colors. The Arms or Coat of Arms includes all the components that are grouped around the blazon, such as the banner, the crest, the helmet, the mantle, the motto, etc. The Grand Arms is the Coat of Arms of the Bels-Belle-Balliol dynasty and other big dynasties.
High Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages (ca.476 - ca.1000), known in French as Haut Moyen Âge and in German as Frühmittelalter, conventionally begin with the deposition of the last Western Roman emperor in 476.
The High Middle Ages (ca.1000 - ca.1300), referred to as Moyen Âge central in French and Hochmittelalter in German, constitute the classical apex of medieval society.
The Late Middle Ages (ca.1300 - ca.1500), or Bas Moyen Âge and Spätmittelalter, mark a period of crisis and transition. Dynasties such as the Valois dynasty and the Habsburg dynasty dominated the political landscape amid prolonged warfare, dynastic conflicts, and profound demographic disruption, most notably caused by plague.
Finally, the Renaissance and Early Modern Period (ca.1450 -1600) overlaps chronologically with the closing centuries of the Middle Ages and should not be understood as an abrupt rupture. Symbolic developments such as the invention of printing, notably exemplified by the Gutenberg Bible (1452-1454), accelerated cultural transmission and intellectual change. Humanist thought, technological innovation, and the gradual reconfiguration of political authority collectively mark the transition from medieval structures to a new civilisational framework.
IC
The letters (IC) mean “Internal Coherence”.
L’Ormier
The name “Lormier,” attributed to the “navis sive dominium” de Lormier, symbolically restored to memory and dignity through the act known as Relève du Fief in the year of grace 1995, by the knight Robert V Adelsohn Bels, native of Leers-Nord in Flanders (*19.7.1946), Grand Master and founder of the Chivalric Order called Ordo Balliolensis, was thereafter amended and rendered as “l’Ormier.” This emendation was made knowingly and deliberately, in concordance with the said act of Relève, so as to avert any confusion or wrongful assimilation with a family name still borne and lawfully used by certain living lineages, and to preserve the distinction between symbolic lordship and hereditary nomen.
Livre (Flemish / Parisis / Tournois), see « Search Symbols - #3 ».
Ligne de terre / Mesure de terre
In thirteenth-century Flemish practice, particularly in Ypres, a “Measure of land” corresponded approximately to 0.45-0.60 hectare (4,500 to 6,000 m²), while a “Line of land” represented a fraction of this measure, generally ranging between 200 and 300 m². These values remain indicative and depend on local customary usage.
Lord / Lorship/ Seigneur / Sire
The word Lord is a synonym of Seigneur.
The word Lordship is, in this Essay, a synonym of Seigneurie. It was a title used in addressing or referring to a man with the rank of Lord, a judge, or a bishop.
The title Sire is given to a Lord of the Middle Ages or Feudal Lord.
(x) = Married
The word Married is replaced by the letter x. Ex: Baudouin x Emlride. The abbreviations x1. and x2. means first and second marriage.
Messire
The title Messire is an old title of honour given to any noble person, or a very distinguished person.
Mgr.
Mgr. stand In French for Monseigneur (one word), for Monsignor in English and for Monsignore in German. It is used to address higher church ranking people, eg. a Chaplain of His Holiness, a Prelate of Honour and Protonotary Apostolic. Note that the style “Eminence” is reserved to Cardinals only. In the Traditional Knighthood, to address a Grand Master, a Commandeur Général (Chevaliers de France) and a Maître Général (Ordre du St. Sauveur du Mont-Réal).
There is a second form of « Monseigneur » - « Mon Seigneur » (two words). The latest was widely used in the Middle Ages used for « à celui à qui l’on doit hommage, redevances et obéissance féodale ». Exemple : « Je, Pierre, reconnais tenir ces terres de mon seigneur le vicomte de Foix ».
The English used “My lord” for the « Mon seigneur”. “I hold these lands of my lord, the Earl of Gloucester.”
The German use “Mein Herr” Thus, in French, there is a substantial difference between Monseigneur and Mon Seigneur. They sound exactly the same, but they are not the same.
MH – M.H.
The letters MH refer to the Mahabharata. M.H. to Member of honour of the ordinis balliolensis.
MM
The letters MM refer to Marie-Madeleine (Mary Magdalene).
N*
The letter N*** sometimes replaces the word Unknown. Ex: John N*** Bels.
n.c.
The letters n.c. stands for Non-Communicated.
NDM
The Letters NDM refer to the church of Notre-Dame de Marceille, near Limoux (F).
OB
The letters OB refer to the Dynastic Knight Order “Ordo Balliolensis”.
OM
The letters OM refer to a Magistral Order. This document is issued by the Grand Master. It has an enforceable dimension. It is followed by the document number: OM (OM 61 on 15 July 2024). An OM is always issued for the Greater Good of the Ordo Balliolensis.
OSMTH
The letters OSMTH refer to the “Ordo Supremus Militaris Templi Hierosolymitani”, better known as the Knights Templar Order. The word, in parentheses (Porto or International) refers to the official and traditional OSMTH under the 51st Grand Mastership of dom Fernando Campello Pinto Pereira de Sousa Fontes (†2018). The seat of the Magnum Magisterium was, since the Second World War, in Porto, Portugal. The Grand Master is elected for life. See Volume II
OSSM
The letters OSSM refer to the Dynastic Knight Order “Ordre du St Sauveur du Mont-Real”.
OStS
The letters OStS refer to the Order of Saint Stanislas.
Our Dynasty
The word Our Dynasty refers to the Dynasty of the Bels-Belle-Balliol. Our Institution took as starting date, the commemoration’s year of the change of the patronymic of the Lord “de Gramines” to “Balliol” (anno 960). He took the name from his new seigneury, which was centered on the Flemish town of Belle (Balliol). This turned out to be plagiarism, because the toponymic patronymic already existed. More about it in the texts.
Patronymic Variants
People’s names are written as they were found in ancient texts. So will one encounter Geoffrey as Godefroid, Godefricus, Godefridus, Godefroy, Godfried, Gottfried, etc. Same fir the Bels, Bels and Balliol and they numerous phonetical variants. Personal names are reproduced according to the form in which they are attested in the ancient sources. Consequently, a single individual may appear under multiple orthographic or linguistic variants, such as Geoffrey, rendered in the texts as Godefroid, Godefricus, Godefridus, Godefroy, Godfried, Gottfried, and similar forms, depending upon language, scribe, and period. The same principle applies to the name Bels, likewise encountered in the sources under diverse phonetic and graphic variants, including Bels - Belle - Balliol, and related forms, none of which should be construed as indicating distinct lineages unless explicitly stated by the documents themselves.
Red Capes
The use of the red cloak (cape) is exclusively reserved for the magistrates of a Supreme Court of Justice, princes of royal blood, Mary Magdalene, descendants of great dynastic houses, cardinals, Merovingian kings and Knights of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
If a dynastic House possesses its own Traditional Order of Knighthood, its knights may then wear the red cloak even if they do not descend from the lineage. Example: The Order of St. Stanislaus and the Ordo Balliolensis.
Relève du fief
The words “relève du fief” denote symbolic, memorial, and patrimonial reactivations without legal effect, and without any claim to rights or ownership. as defined in the notarised Latin text included hereafter :
Evocatio memoriae loci antiqui
ad usum privatum et traditionem equestris
In nomine Dei aeterni et memoriae viventis.
Universis praesentibus et futuris notum sit quod ego Robertus Adelsohn Bels, sana mente et libera ac deliberata voluntate, hanc scripturam memorialem fieri et publice declarari volui.
Non ad litem movendam, nec ad usurpationem faciendam, nec ad aliquam potestatem vel ius acquirendum, sed solummodo ad memoriam maiorum meorum honorandam et ad traditionem servandam.
Idcirco antiquum nomen cuiusdam loci in memoriam revoco, qui olim Bellum Castellum et Bucus vocabatur, in pago qui dicitur Razesium, sicut a veteribus traditum est, maxime inter saecula nonum et decimum.
Secundum traditionem historicam, chronicas atque alia monumenta antiquitatis, memoria huius loci ad familiam meam referri dicitur, cuius maiores per longa tempora in eodem territorio mansisse, ipsum locum custodisse atque gubernasse memorantur, iuxta morem et consuetudinem illius temporis.
Quapropter ego, per hoc praesens scriptum, sensu tantummodo symbolico et memoriali, declaro memoriam illius antiqui feodi ad genus meum referri, quod est Valerii Eduardus Bels de Flandria, meque ipsum protectorem huius memoriae profiteri.
Haec autem scriptura nullum ius, nullum titulum, nullam possessionem, nullum vinculum feudale vel reale continet, nec contra Ecclesiam, nec contra res publicas, nec contra ullam personam, praesentem vel futuram, aliquid intendit. Sed solummodo declarat:
- memoriam historicam ac dynasticam servandam esse;
- hoc scriptum ad transmissionem familiarem constitui;
- fundamentum huius memoriae in corpore privato traditionis equestris et ordinis dynastici poni.
Per hunc igitur actum memorialem et symbolicum, ex quo nullum ius nascitur, recordatio loci antiqui renovatur, non ad rem aliquam repetendam, sed ad memoriam eius fideliter custodiendam.
Colloquia ad emptionem loci a possessore hodierno peragenda nunc aguntur.
Quapropter peto ut haec declaratio pro scripto fideli habeatur, rite consignata atque in archivis tuto servetur ad perpetuam recordationem.
Actum et datum hoc scriptum memoriale anno ab Incarnatione Domini MMXXV, die XII mensis Decembris, in loco Bipontino.
In cuius rei testimonium, manu mea subscripsi et signum apposui.
✠ Signum et nomen
Roberti Adelsohn Bels
RLC
The letters RLC indicate the village of Rennes-le-Château (Aude - France).
Search symbols (#1, #2, #3, #4)
In the Search function of Winword, the symbol (#) serves as an internal pointer allowing immediate access to the paragraphs dealing with the Bels of Belcastel-et-Buc, Villardebelle, Baillessats as well as to the entries devoted to the areas of Vacarisses, Castelbel i el Vilar, Osona, and Vic.
- The search symbol (#1) will direct to the paragraphs dealing with the “Baronobis” term.
- The search symbol (#2) will direct to the origine of the “Buc” appellation.
- The search symbol (#3) will direct to the values of the “Livres tournois” or “Livres de Flandres” as of 2025.
- The search symbol (#4) will direct to the weddings (mariages) of the Bels of BCB and Villardebelle.
S.A.S /H.S.H./S.D.
The letters S.A.S (in French) standing for Son Altesse Sérenissime. His Serene Highness becomes H.S.H, in English and S.D. Durchlaucht in German. It is an honorific predicate placed in front of the names or titles of certain members of royal or princely, sovereign or formerly sovereign families. In Traditional Knighthood, it is used only to address the Grand Master of OSMTH International.
S.E.
S.E. stands for Son Excellence (His Excellency. H.E.). It is an honorific style traditionally used in diplomatic corps and for Bishops. For archbishops, the form “Your Grace” is traditionally used.
In the Traditional Knighthood, it is used to address an Ambassador, a General Consul, and from the title of Grand Prior upwards (Magistral Grand Prior, Marshal, Seneschal). It is recalled that the Grand Master holds the style of His Serene Highness.
Sgr./Seigneur/Seigneurie/.
The French word Seigneurie (Sgr.) refers to a Seigniory, that is, an estate (domain, dependency or property) belonging to a Seigneur. See also Estate. A seigneur was a lord of a seigneury (seigneurie), meaning a person who exercised rights over land and people, derived from custom, contract, and hierarchy, not from abstract sovereignty. He was defined by function, not by rank.
So could a Seigneur be: a king, a prince, a count, a baron, a knight, sometimes also bishop and, in rare cases, a bourgeois landholder with jurisdictional rights, such as the Belle family in the city of Ypres (Flanders) for centuries.
Difference between Style and Title. If it answers, “how do I address him?”. It is a Style if it answers “what is he?”, it is a Title.
(Sic)
The word “Sic” (used between brackets) is a Latin adverbial locution for: so - it is - such - indeed - really - as is written: often with an ironic or fatalistic sense of humour. Also, as a Lapalissade. It indicates also strangeness, an orthographic or a typographic peculiarity. Lapalissade is French for a statement of the obvious, a truism.
Vicar versus Vicarius (vicarious)
The word vicar (vicaire in French) is potentially ambiguous because, although it now generally refers to a member of the clergy acting on behalf of a bishop or parish priest, the medieval Latin term vicarius had the much broader meaning of a person exercising authority on behalf of another. Depending on the context, a vicarius could therefore be an ecclesiastical vicar, an administrative representative, a judicial officer, or a territorial delegate of a count or lord.
In the context of Vacarisses and Olesa, however, the term did not designate a churchman: Guillem was the vicarius of Olesa, a secular comital officer exercising judicial, administrative, and possibly military authority as the count’s local representative. Retaining the Latin title vicarius, accompanied by this clarification, thus avoids the misleading modern impression that he was a parish priest. In my Essay I use vicar for an ecclesiastic and vicarius for a comital officer.
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