Christophe Butkens was a Cistercian abbot from Antwerp, historian and genealogist.

Butkens developed his own hatching system

Hatching system

The system of heraldry has two main methods to designate the tinctures of arms in uncolored illustrations: hatching and tricking. Hatching, i.e. patterns of lines and dots, is the most common method to designate colours on uncoloured surfaces, like engravings, seals and coins.The present day...

 but it was used by him in an inconsequent way which led to the misunderstandings and the resultant sudden disappearance of this method. His hatching method is published in the book Annales genealogiques de la maison de Lynden (Antwerp, 1626), which was seen flagrant as it falsified the House of Lynden

Van Lynden

The House of Lynden is one of the oldest families of the Dutch nobility, originating in the Duchy of Guelders. This family later gave rise to different branches. Most remained in the Netherlands and gave several Dutch politicians, ministers and military leaders...

 genealogy that was revealed already by Baron van Linden in 1891. However, his later work is seen as authentic. Spener maintained that the first heraldic hatching system was invented by Butkens. He was one of the censors of the 1636 book of Juan Caramuel Lobkowitz titled Declaración Mystica de las Armas de España which contains another hatching system.

Works

• Annales genealogiques de la maison de Lynden. Antwerp, 1626
• Christophe Buthkens, Trophées tant sacrés que prophanes de la duché de Brabant. Tome I. Contenant l'origine, succession et descendance des ducs et princes de ceste maison avec leurs actions plus signalées, ensemble des genealogies de plusieurs ducs, princes, comtes, barons, seigneurs et nobles, leur vassals et subiects avec les preuves servantes à entiere verification... Antwerp, 1641. Frontispiece
  Book frontispiece
  A frontispiece is a decorative illustration facing a book's title page. The frontispiece is the verso opposite the recto title page. Elaborate engraved frontispieces were in frequent use, especially in Bibles and in scholarly books, and many are masterpieces of engraving...
  
   engraved by Mathieu Borrekens after the drawing of Abraham van Diepenbeke. Another edition: F. C. Butkens, Trophées tant sacrés et profanes du Duché de Brabant. 1724-1726