OF THE DISPERSION AND THE VARIOUS NAMES OF THE WALDENSES OR FOLLOWERS OF PETER WALDO.

When Peter Waldo with his adherents, through the cruel hatred of the papists, had to leave the city of Lyons, on account of his faith, they became distributed and scattered into different parts of the world, and, hence, received various appellations, with regard to the places where they resided, as well as with regard to their faith, and to the accusations brought against them, especially by the Romanists. In the History of the Waldenses, by D. Balthasar Lydius, 

1st book of the first part, cap. 3, page 4, col. 2, and page 5, col. 1, the following account is found of the various names of said people: “They, in the first place, called them Waldenses, after Waldo, who was a citizen of Lyons; and, after the district of Albi, they called them Albigenses. “And because those who adhered to the doctrine of Waldo left Lyons, stripped of all human means, having had to leave behind most of their goods, they were derisively called, The Poor Men of Lyons.” “In Dauphine, they were by way of derision called Chaignards, that is, Dogs. “Also, because a part of them crossed the Alps, they were called Transmontani. “After Joseph, one of Waldo’s disciples who preached in the bishopric of Dijon, Lower Dauphine, they were called Josephists. “In England, they were called Lollards, after Lollardus, one of those who preached there. “After two priests, Henry and Esperon, who taught the doctrine of Waldo in Languedoc, they were called Henricians and Esperonists. “After Arnold, one of their pastors or teachers, who preached in Albigeois, they were called Arnoldists. “In Provence, they were called, in an unknown tongue, Siccars. “In Italy, they were called Fratricellii, that is, Little Brothers, because they lived like brothers in true unity. “Also, as they observed no other day of rest or holiday than Sunday, they were styled Insabbathi or Insabbathas, that is, Sabbathless, or not observing Sabbaths. “Because they were continually subject to, and underwent sufferings, they were called Patarins or Patariens, that is, Sufferers, from the Latin word pati, to suffer. “Because they, as poor wanderers, fled and traveled from country to country, they were termed Passagenes, that is, Travelers or Vagrants. “In Germany, they were called Gazares, which signifies, Accursed and Abominable; but thus the Pope of Rome has always been accustomed to call those who oppose the Roman faith. “In Flanders, they were called Turilupini, that is, Dwellers with Wolves, because, on account of persecution, they were often compelled to hide and live in wildernesses and forests, in close proximity to wolves. “Sometimes they were named after the region or district where they lived, as Albigenses, from Albi; Toulousians, from Toulouse; Lombards, from Lombardy; Picards, from Picardy; Lyonists, from Lyons; Bohemians, from Bohemia.” Thereafter, the origin and cause of said names, according to Jean Paul Perrin Lyonnois, who has noted the same, is further explained by D. Balthasar Lydius, in his treatise on the Various names of the Waldenses, 3rd chapter of Perrin, from page 48, col. 1, to page 82, col. 2; in which the true innocence and uprightness of said people, though they were sometimes called bad names, is demonstrated in all simplicity and clearness. But that nothing may be wanting here, we will, for additional information, subjoin several other names of the Waldenses, passed over by B. Lydius (from J. P. Perrin), but mentioned by Abr. Mellinus, in his History of the Persecutions and Martyrs, for A. D. 1619, fol. 449, col. 3, 4, by misprint, but, properly, fol. 439, col. 3, 4, and some of them, further explained. For, among other things, he writes there that said people were also “called Catharists, that is, Heretics, because they were called heretics by their opponents. “They were called Publicans, because they were compared by the Romanists to publicans or open sinners. “From the Latin word lolium, signifying weed, they were called Lollards; though, as stated above, this name was also given them from Lollardus, a teacher; however, they were likened to lolium, a weed that grows among the corn, because they, (the papists said) ought to be rooted out like the tares from among the corn; this name they also retained in Germany, Sarmatia, Livonio,” etc. “They were called Runcari because they lived near Runcalia, not far from Piacenza. “They were called Barrini, from Mount Barrio or Barian, a place in the district of Crema, in Italy. Also, Cotterellos, because they lived in the mountains known as the Cottian Alps. They were also called Comists, because they lived in the city of Como, in Italy. “In Germany, they were called Grubenheimer, that is, Cave-dwellers, because necessity compelled them to live underground, in pits and caves. “In France, they were termed Texerants, that is, 267Weavers, because there were many weavers among them.” These and similar names have been given the Waldenses in former times, which we have deemed necessary to notice briefly, in order that the readers, in the sequel of our history, whenever these or similar persons are spoken of, may know who and of what belief they were.

van Braght, Thieleman J.. THE BLOODY THEATER OR MARTYRS MIRROR (pp. 931-934). Welsh Tract Publications. Kindle Edition.