the Cock of Ferrara: "The Este rulers of Ferrara were a colourful and eccentric family. Duke Ercole's father Niccolo III had been married three times and had had countless extra-marital liaisons that had produced sixteen children (twelve of them illegitimate) and earned him the nickname 'Cock of Ferrara'. . . ." (The Cardinal's Hat)
Odinette
the Little Queen (Fr. la Petite Reine): She was called la petite reine ("the little queen") by Charles and contemporaries.
Hunger, Hungry (Fr. le Famelique): " . . . Olaf succeeded to the throne of Denmark. The idea that Cnute had been a saint began to be bruited among the people not much thereafter, for the years of famine which marked the beginning of Olaf's rule was associated, in the popular mind, with King Canute's murder. The none-too-flattering epithet 'Hungers' (Starveling), was soon attached to Olaf's name." (Holy Rulers and Blessed Princesses: Dynastic Cults in Medieval Central Europe: 151)
--"Olaf's reign, which is counted from Knud's murder in 1086, and lasted till 1095, was a very unhappy one on account of the grievous famine which troubled the land all the years he ruled, and which gained for him the unpleasant surname of 'Hunger'. . . ." (Otte: 97)
Donna Maria Beatrice Olga Alberta Caracciolo
Olga Caracciolo, Baroness de Meyer
Mahrah de Meyer
the Woman Champion of Europe.
Oliba Cabreta: ". . . Oliba was given the surname 'Cabreta' (Goat). Whenever he spoke with anyone while irritated or felt angry for any reason, he would always move one foot in the manner of a goat trying to paw a hole in the ground. For this reason people named him Oliba Cabreta. He was great both in wisdom and among the barons of his land." (Nelson: 44)
the Butcher:
--" . . . Du Guesclin was accompanied in this expedition by the famous Olivier de Clisson, afterward Constable, a stern warrior, who, in his fierce enmity to the English, had sworn never to grant quarter to one of that detested race, and had acquired in consequence the surname of the Butcher. . . ." (Jervis: 218)
--" . . . According to one tradition, Olivier de Clisson, wielding his battle axe in the best Breton manner, earned that day the nickname of 'Butcher' and lost an eye. He is said to have taken only one prisoner -- Bertrand du Guesclin, who would surrender only to a fellow countryman. . . ." (The Flower of Chivalry: 78)
Madame le Comtesse
the Precious Pearl (by Louis XIV):
the Precious Pearl (by Louis XIV):
Olivia Hunt.
the Brainy Blonde:
the Tribute King (Skotkonung):
--"The surname of Skotkonung, or Tribute-king, was given him on account of a yearly tax he paid to the pope to carry on the war against the infidels." (Crichton & Wheaton: 106)
--"Olof Skcetkonung, the son of Eric and Sigrid, succeeded his father. His surname is supposed to mean "the lap king," but he was no longer a minor at the death of King Eric. King Olof was not a powerful or energetic ruler, like the father. He let go, one after the other, the lands of his crown. Denmark regained its independence, and he lost also the scat-paying dominions south of the Baltic...." (Nilsson: 57)
Oswald of Bernicia
Oswald of the Bounteous Hand. " . . . In a battle which was fought at Haledon. . ., Oswald obtained a complete victory over his enemies. . . The imperial sceptre of Britain was now transferred to the possessor of the two thrones of Bernicia and Deira, to both of which he was entitled of right, as the heir of his father and of his uncle. For about eight years after this he reigned in great glory, being distinguished as much for his piety as for his power, and calling himself, according to Bede, sovereign lord not only of the English, but also of the Welsh, the Picts, and the Scots. So popular did he render himself by his liberality, that the Britons themselves are said to have bestowed upon him the appellation of Oswald of the Bounteous Hand. . . ." (Cunningham, Vol. 1: 20)
the Fair-Hand (Gae. Lamnguin): " . . . He was also charitable to the poor. . . The story goes that once while dining with St. Aidan . . . a 'thegn' (army-officer) came in and told the king that the poor were crying out for alms, to which Oswald responded by giving the food prepared . . . to the poor. This prompted St. Aidan to take hold of the king's right hand and prophesy that his hand would never perish because of his generosity to the poor, from which episode derives Oswalds epithet 'Fair-Hand' ('Lamnguin'). . . ." (Hughes: 255)
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