A medieval relic that's shrouded in legend.
Ismeria is certainly obscure, but it's a name
that asks many questions.
Origin: |
The origins of Ismeria or Ismérie are very mysterious, and any attempt at examining the etymology of this name can only be done by tracking back through folklore to look for a common point of origin. The name Ismeria is now most frequently found in association with the legend of St Ismeria, an obscure figure who dates back to 12th century European folklore. According to Jacobus de Voragine's The Golden Legend (c.1260) — commonly referred to as a 'medieval bestseller' — and other sources that derived from it, Ismeria was the sister of St Anne, the mother of Mary and grandmother of Jesus. Ismeria herself was the mother of Elizabeth, and therefore grandmother of St John the Baptist. In other 14th century Florentine accounts, Ismeria is the mother of St Anne. Though scholar's widely recognise that this hagiography is one of medieval inventon, it is important to note that Jacobus de Voragine's main intention was to provide a traditional lore for the medieval saints that were venerated at the time. So who was the St Ismeria that was given this biblical makeover? In the Middle Ages, the village of Liesse in Picardy developed around the devotion to a Black Madonna, presenting the child Jesus with his arms open. She was known as Notre Dame de Liesse , Our Lady of Liesse, or more directly "Our Lady of Joy." According to legend, French knights from the Order of St John in Jerusalem were captured by the Sultan of Egypt. Three brothers of the house of Eppes, in Picardy, were singled out to be converted to Islam. The Sultan sent his beautiful daughter Ismeria to convert them, but during the night an image of the Madonna appeared in their prison and the princess was converted to Christianity. She helped the knights to escape and when night fell they were transported by angels back to France with the statue. Upon the site on which they woke up they built a chapel to house the Madonna, who they named Notre Dame de Liesse (Our Lady of Joy). The princess remained in Picardy and was baptised at Laon. It is certainly a fanciful tale for how the statue (which was destroyed during the French Revolution) ended up in Picardy, but further digging finds some grains of truth. History has record of French nobleman, Robert d'Eppes who married a woman from Sudan named Ismeria. Their son, Jean, was a companion of St. Louis, King of France, during the Crusades, who in 1236 was described as a "son of a negress." Ismeria seems to have been quite notable in her time and when she died she was enshrined as a Black Madonna. All the folklore surrounding the name Ismeria appears, therefore, to derive from just one woman. It is easy to see the links between the Sudanese Ismeria, wife of Robert d'Eppes and the Princess Ismeria, daughter of the Sultan who saved the knights of Eppes. Perhaps the story came about as a fanciful way to explain Ismeria and Robert's marriage (maybe even promoted by Jean himself to put a positive spin on his mixed parentage during the Crusades) or a way to explain how Ismeria became the inspiration for the Madonna of Notre Dame de Liesse. And, as veneration of the Lady of Liesse became widespread, so did the ideal of St Ismeria and eventually the designation as the sister of St Anne. Which then begs the question, where did Ismeria's name come from? Ismeria of Picardy was clearly a North African woman, either from Sudan or neighbouring Egypt. She most likely therefore was a woman of the Ayyubid Dynasty (1171–1341), a Muslim kingdom centred in Egypt which spread across North Africa and the Middle East. The main language spoken was Arabic so it seems likely Ismeria's birth name was Arabic in origin. That still leaves many unanswered questions. Did she have an Arabic name which became Latinised after she married? Was her birth name 'translated' into Langue d'Oil, and did her Arabic birth name bear any resemblance to her "Picard" name? The frustrating fact is there is no evidence that gives us a clue. We don't even know if history has preserved the name Ismeria / Ismerie correctly from the time she actually lived. Perhaps Ismeria is a misspelling of Ismenia (another name with a complicated story) that was simply attributed to Robert d'Eppes' wife and bore no resemblance to her actual name. Her legend tells of her baptism by Barthélemy de Vir, the Bishop of Laon, so perhaps Ismérie was her adopted baptismal name. Another problem is that there is very little surviving evidence of Arabic feminine names in the Middle Ages. The closest Arabic name to Ismeria is Isma, an uncommon Arabic name meaning "protection," which I cannot find in early Arabic records, and Asma, meaning "supreme," which does appear in medieval records. |
Usage: |
Though the name has never been common, Ismérie has been used in France regularly since the Middle Ages. Records from 19th century Québec also show the variants Isméria, Ismérianna, Ismérianne, Ismaria, Ismérienne, Ismériette, Ismérina and Ismérine in use. From the 15th century onwards, Ismeria appears in records across Europe, notably in Spain but also Portugal, Germany and Switzerland. Spanish playwright Cristóbal de Virués used the name Ismeria for a principle character in his play Elisa Dido (1580); a lady-in-waiting whose love is spurned by the governor Seleuco, The name Ismeria has been rare in Britain though an interesting pocket of girls named Ismary appears in baptisms from St Giles Cripplegate, London: Ismary Colman in 1561, Ismary Broadway in 1573, Ismary Hasselwood in 1642 and Ismary Lee in 1644. Only two girls named Ismeria are recorded in the 19th century: one in 1871 and one in 1876. Ismérie appears occasionally for French nationals living in Britain. Since 1901, only two Ismeria's have been registered: 1969 and 1997. In contrast, Ismérie has had far more frequent usage in France. Over the last century, the name has been used consistently in France each year, at a peak from 1900 to 1910 when between 10 and 21 birth were registered in each year. The name declined in use from the 1930s to 1960s, but between 1975 and 2009 between 3 and 12 births were registered each year. |
Famous Bearers: |
History: * Ismeria (fl. 12th century), African wife of Robert d'Eppes who became venerated as a Black Madonna. Literature and Other Media: * Ismeria, a character in Cristóbal de Virués' play Elisa Dido (1580). Other: * Melitaea ismeria, is a genus of butterfly |
Variants: |
Ismérie, Ismery, Ysmeria |
Pronunciation: |
iz-MAIR-ee-ə; EEZ-mə-rhee (Ismérie) [key] |
Possible |
Esme, Isme, Izzy, Merry, Mia, Mina, Miri, Ria, Siri, Zia |
Sibling Names: |
Melusine Rosamund Araceli Meliora Eulalia Belisent |
Name Lists: |
If you like Ismeria you may also like: |
Thanks to Shelby for requesting Ismeria.