Where Is Stella - Tracing The Ground Behind A Medieval Misreading

This article is available in a blog-reader friendly version via The Neapolis Forgotten Paths Project: https://theneapolisforgottenpaths.com/the-oligamus-trilolgy-part-3/https://theneapolisforgottenpaths.com/the-oligamus-trilolgy-part-3/ 

This study concludes the investigation into the figure known as “Oligamus Stella, dux” by shifting the analytical focus from textual misreading to geographic and prosopographical reconstruction. Building upon the argument advanced in Part I—that “Oligamus Stella” represents a phantom construct—and the linguistic demonstration in Part II—that the phrase nos obligamus may have been missegmented into a personal name—this paper examines the toponymic and documentary evidence for “Stella” as a locational designation rather than a personal identity. Through analysis of Provençal charter material, landscape features in the Draguignan corridor, and the recurrence of individuals styled de Stella, this paper argues that the historical referent behind the misreading is not a duke, but a network of place-based actors embedded within a real and traceable geographic system.

Related Works In This Series: 

The Phantom Duke: zenodo.org/uploads/19535218

The Phantom Founder: zenodo.org/uploads/19547370

Before The Templars: zenodo.org/uploads/19589798

Rise Of Miles Christi: zenodo.org/uploads/19621640

The Scribal Error: zenodo.org/uploads/19635408