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From: William Lemay <>
Subject: Re: Counts/Earls
Date: Tue, 4 Jul 95 15:09:40 -0500


Herbert Stoyan () began this
thread by asking:

> When is somebody an Earl, and when a Count? Is the latter
> title used at all?

Here's a little more detail:

In English, "count" is the word used to *translate* French "comte"
or German "Graf" or Dutch "graaf" (and probably similar words in
other languages). In modern British usage, it is regarded as
equal in rank to the native English "earl." The word is cognate
to similar words in Scandinvaian languages.

The difference is more than linguistic, however.

The other important title from that time was "duke," from the
Latin "dux," meaning "leader." German has "Herzog," Dutch
"hertog," and French "duc." Most of the early dukes were
self-proclaimed, although kings eventually began to dispense the
title. In both of these respects, "earl" is closer to "duke"
than to "count."

"Count" is from the Latin "comes," meaning "companion," and was
originally an official (a buddy of the emperor) sent out by the
emperor Charlemagne (and perhaps also by the mayors of the
palace and kings that preceded him) to supervise a particular
region, as a central-government counterweight to the local and
self-proclaimed dukes. As a territorial offices, it eventually
became hereditary. Due to its imperial origins, it was not used
outside the (widest) extent of the so-called Holy Roman Empire.
(There was also an extension of imperial terminology to southern
Italy, where the popes were often trying to create opposition to
emperors they didn't like.) Unlike "duke," the title "count" was
rarely self-proclaimed (or, if you prefer, usurped), and those
few times (that I know of) came in the 11th century or later.

I'm splitting a hair here. It was not so unusual for someone
to claim or usurp an *existing* title of "count." What was rare
was to "invent" a new county. One instance that came to my
attention in the last few weeks was that the keeper of the
castle of St-Pol, in Artois, had a fortified place and a mint,
and began to call himself "count of St. Pol." He and his heirs
had to power to keep the title. This was about the year 1000.

A third title very old on the Continent is "marquis" (Latin
"marchisus," French "margrave" or "marquis," Dutch "markgraaf").
This is very specific, however, and designates the person
appointed to organize the defense of a "march" or border
region. It, too, became hereditary. I do not recall *any*
instance of someone adopting this title, possibly because of
the specific obligation it carried.

Sorry if I am overwhelming you with detail, but it seems like
appropriate detail for s.g.medieval.

- Bill Lemay,

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