https://forum.grammontclub.com/ Thu, 12 Nov 2026 03:59:23 +0000 MyBB https://forum.grammontclub.com/showthread.php?tid=54 Wed, 11 Nov 2026 16:32:22 +0000 Marconi]]> https://forum.grammontclub.com/showthread.php?tid=54 The Abbey of Lieu-Croissant (Latin: Locus Crescens), known under the name of the Abbey of the Three Kings (Latin: Trium Regum), founded in the 12th century, was subordinate to Lucelle Monastery and flourished throughout the Middle Ages due to the patronage of the region's noble houses: the Counts of Montbéliard, the Counts of Montfaucon and de la Roche, the Lords of Granges and de Grammont, the Counts of Ferrette, and the Lords of Neuchâtel.
        The abbey was located in the valley formed by the Ruisseau de l'Abbaye stream, a small right-bank tributary of the Doubs. The Latin name (Locus crescentis — "The Growing Place") is connected with the special veneration of the Virgin Mary by the Cistercians, to whom the abbey belonged. An inscription in Gothic script on a stone mounted into the northern wall of the monastery in the 14th century read: "Crescat in te, pia, semper locus iste, Maria" ("May this place ever grow in Thy name, O merciful Mary").
          In 1163, during the transfer of the relics of the Three Magi (Three Kings) from Milan to Cologne, organized by order of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, the procession made a stop at the Abbey of Lieu-Croissant. Because of this event, the monastery later became known as the Abbey of the Three Kings. In gratitude for the warm reception, the monks were given a particle of the relics of one of the Three Magi.
          The history of the abbey is very rich. However, it was this very event that was the basis for the depiction of the three kings on the ancestral coat of arms of de Grammont, as it looked in its original form (before being altered due to an error by Gothic-style artists).
        I would appreciate it if any of the forum members could supplement the article with historical facts related to the abbey.]]> The Abbey of Lieu-Croissant (Latin: Locus Crescens), known under the name of the Abbey of the Three Kings (Latin: Trium Regum), founded in the 12th century, was subordinate to Lucelle Monastery and flourished throughout the Middle Ages due to the patronage of the region's noble houses: the Counts of Montbéliard, the Counts of Montfaucon and de la Roche, the Lords of Granges and de Grammont, the Counts of Ferrette, and the Lords of Neuchâtel.
        The abbey was located in the valley formed by the Ruisseau de l'Abbaye stream, a small right-bank tributary of the Doubs. The Latin name (Locus crescentis — "The Growing Place") is connected with the special veneration of the Virgin Mary by the Cistercians, to whom the abbey belonged. An inscription in Gothic script on a stone mounted into the northern wall of the monastery in the 14th century read: "Crescat in te, pia, semper locus iste, Maria" ("May this place ever grow in Thy name, O merciful Mary").
          In 1163, during the transfer of the relics of the Three Magi (Three Kings) from Milan to Cologne, organized by order of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, the procession made a stop at the Abbey of Lieu-Croissant. Because of this event, the monastery later became known as the Abbey of the Three Kings. In gratitude for the warm reception, the monks were given a particle of the relics of one of the Three Magi.
          The history of the abbey is very rich. However, it was this very event that was the basis for the depiction of the three kings on the ancestral coat of arms of de Grammont, as it looked in its original form (before being altered due to an error by Gothic-style artists).
        I would appreciate it if any of the forum members could supplement the article with historical facts related to the abbey.]]> https://forum.grammontclub.com/showthread.php?tid=36 Sun, 25 Oct 2026 17:29:53 +0000 Marconi]]> https://forum.grammontclub.com/showthread.php?tid=36 Chivalric Roots 

We all know that any information requires verification. Even when dealing with popular resources like Wikipedia, the materials must be scrutinized meticulously. While it is a valuable platform created for the public good, its open-ended nature allows almost any contributor to add unverified facts or heavily romanticized biographies. By the time site moderators get around to reviewing and correcting such articles, search engines have already indexed these inaccuracies and spread them across the web.
Let’s take a look at what they have on Michel de Grammont.

The first thing that catches the eye is a "magnificent" engraving, where the main character, dressed in his finest doublet and shoes, walks over a pile of corpses with a sword clenched between his teeth. Has anyone ever tried to grip a regular knife blade that way? Painful and unpleasant, isn't it? And here, one is supposed to run around the deck, dodging bullets and sabers. A theater of the absurd! But oh well, let’s leave the illustrator with a dagger in his own teeth.

Back to the text.

What we actually find in these widespread articles is a contradiction of historical terms and meanings, often compiled without deep chronological analysis. Popular sources—and superficial AI summaries—tend to mix small-estate nobility, pirates, buccaneers, and privateers into a single narrative, ignoring the distinct legal and social boundaries of the era. Instead of structured history, we get a chaotic compilation that falls apart under close examination.
Shall we break down a few specific concepts where these errors are most prominent?

Small-estate nobility.

What were nobles proud of? Not new weapons, nor money, nor estates, nor a sword belt. Not even their titles: baron, count, marquis—these are inheritances from the land. They were proud of the antiquity of their lineage. Therefore, to me personally, the concept of "small-estate nobility" is rather ill-defined. Did he just lack a few acres to qualify as a major landowner? Did the King grant him a small plot? The Grammont lineage traces its roots back to 12th-century feudal lords. And this is minor nobility?
Next—Chevalier.
Everyone knows that this term (not to be confused with a noble title) referred to the younger sons of a lineage who did not inherit the estate. Michel was the only male child in the family. What kind of chevalier is he?

Another one—Buccaneer.
Can anyone actually picture the legendary Michel de Grammont—whose ancient lineage could rival royal dynasties—earning his living by hunting wild boars?

  knight.jpg (Size: 88.17 KB / Downloads: 11) ]]> Chivalric Roots 

We all know that any information requires verification. Even when dealing with popular resources like Wikipedia, the materials must be scrutinized meticulously. While it is a valuable platform created for the public good, its open-ended nature allows almost any contributor to add unverified facts or heavily romanticized biographies. By the time site moderators get around to reviewing and correcting such articles, search engines have already indexed these inaccuracies and spread them across the web.
Let’s take a look at what they have on Michel de Grammont.

The first thing that catches the eye is a "magnificent" engraving, where the main character, dressed in his finest doublet and shoes, walks over a pile of corpses with a sword clenched between his teeth. Has anyone ever tried to grip a regular knife blade that way? Painful and unpleasant, isn't it? And here, one is supposed to run around the deck, dodging bullets and sabers. A theater of the absurd! But oh well, let’s leave the illustrator with a dagger in his own teeth.

Back to the text.

What we actually find in these widespread articles is a contradiction of historical terms and meanings, often compiled without deep chronological analysis. Popular sources—and superficial AI summaries—tend to mix small-estate nobility, pirates, buccaneers, and privateers into a single narrative, ignoring the distinct legal and social boundaries of the era. Instead of structured history, we get a chaotic compilation that falls apart under close examination.
Shall we break down a few specific concepts where these errors are most prominent?

Small-estate nobility.

What were nobles proud of? Not new weapons, nor money, nor estates, nor a sword belt. Not even their titles: baron, count, marquis—these are inheritances from the land. They were proud of the antiquity of their lineage. Therefore, to me personally, the concept of "small-estate nobility" is rather ill-defined. Did he just lack a few acres to qualify as a major landowner? Did the King grant him a small plot? The Grammont lineage traces its roots back to 12th-century feudal lords. And this is minor nobility?
Next—Chevalier.
Everyone knows that this term (not to be confused with a noble title) referred to the younger sons of a lineage who did not inherit the estate. Michel was the only male child in the family. What kind of chevalier is he?

Another one—Buccaneer.
Can anyone actually picture the legendary Michel de Grammont—whose ancient lineage could rival royal dynasties—earning his living by hunting wild boars?

  knight.jpg (Size: 88.17 KB / Downloads: 11) ]]> https://forum.grammontclub.com/showthread.php?tid=33 Sat, 24 Oct 2026 11:47:59 +0000 Marconi]]> https://forum.grammontclub.com/showthread.php?tid=33 In my  website  article, I  asked a question: why Michel de Grammont?

Here on the forum, I will try to answer.
I didn't need to choose the main character for the game Sea Dogs: A Pirate's Story. It's just that when I was preparing to write the script, I realized I would be writing about Michel de Grammont, period. The game was released in 2008, and I dare to hope that the French storyline resonated with the corsairs of our time.
       Perhaps this borders on mysticism, but the main character found me himself. It is all the more strange because I have no connection to France, I have never studied French, and I have never been to the country, even just passing through.
      However, in some places, my destiny and Michel's did cross paths. In the '90s, I worked on fishing vessels of the USSR Ministry of Fisheries and visited the Caribbean. We entered the very heart of the Bermuda Triangle and saw the sargassum seaweed, which was easily ground up by our vessel's propellers.
      We missed each other by nearly four centuries, but perhaps that is for the best. I would not want to cross paths with the legendary Captain de Grammont when he was in a warlike mood.
      Especially since back then, he certainly didn't know yet that a guy from Ukraine would write scripts and dedicate twenty years of creative activity to books about him.

  Av@Gr.jpg (Size: 137.54 KB / Downloads: 16) ]]> In my  website  article, I  asked a question: why Michel de Grammont?

Here on the forum, I will try to answer.
I didn't need to choose the main character for the game Sea Dogs: A Pirate's Story. It's just that when I was preparing to write the script, I realized I would be writing about Michel de Grammont, period. The game was released in 2008, and I dare to hope that the French storyline resonated with the corsairs of our time.
       Perhaps this borders on mysticism, but the main character found me himself. It is all the more strange because I have no connection to France, I have never studied French, and I have never been to the country, even just passing through.
      However, in some places, my destiny and Michel's did cross paths. In the '90s, I worked on fishing vessels of the USSR Ministry of Fisheries and visited the Caribbean. We entered the very heart of the Bermuda Triangle and saw the sargassum seaweed, which was easily ground up by our vessel's propellers.
      We missed each other by nearly four centuries, but perhaps that is for the best. I would not want to cross paths with the legendary Captain de Grammont when he was in a warlike mood.
      Especially since back then, he certainly didn't know yet that a guy from Ukraine would write scripts and dedicate twenty years of creative activity to books about him.

  Av@Gr.jpg (Size: 137.54 KB / Downloads: 16) ]]>