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Charlie Magne and the... Vanilla Factory
New - 21 June 2010
Generations 125 -- 135 Charlie Magne and the... Vanilla Factory
Prior to delving into the Headliner of this particular page, we will digress momentarily into a fellow member of the 125th... but who in some respects has equal -- or for some -- slightly greater legitimacy than the reigning Star of the Age to be eulogized in royal annals. Admittedly, Charlie provided for more progeny for genealogical purposes (and then some!) than our buddy, Gill, but Guilhelm had the attention of most of the royal folk of his age. Nevertheless -- if only because of personal aggrandizement -- Charlie's lineage will be the primary lineage that will be followed... after of course, said momentary digression.
Generation No. 125 1. Guilhelm de Toulouse de Gellone [125] Theuderic IV (=Alda) [124] rectification [122-123] Childeric III [121] Childeric II (=Blichilde) (Toulousians) [120] Clovis II (=Batilde) [119] Dagobert I (=Nanthilda) [118] Lothar II (=Haldetrude) [117] Chilperic (=Fredegund) [116] Lothar I (=Aregund) [115] Clovis I (=Clotilde) [114] Childeric (=Basina II) [113] Meroveus (=Meira)[112] CLODION (=Basina I) [1-111] and 1. Guilhelm de Toulouse de Gellone [125] Alda (=Theuderic IV) [124] Charles Martel (=Rotrude) [121] Pepin II (=Alpais) [120] Ansegis (=Begga) [119] Arnulf (=Dobo) [118] Arnoald (=Dua) [117] Blitidis (=Ansbert) [116] Lothar I (=Ingund) [115] Clovis I (=Clotilde) [114] Childeric (=Basina II) [113] Meroveus (=Meira) [112] CLODION (=Basina I) [1-111] Guilhelm de Toulouse de Gellone and his lineage feature all of Charles Martel’s lineages, including Sigimerians, Arnulfings, and Carolingians), as well as Theuderic IV’s lineages (Toulousians and/or Merovingians). In effect, Guilhelm has as impressive a pedigree as the more historically known Charlemagne... albeit with some very slight difference in his divergence from Dagobert I (and/or III). On the other hand, Guilhelm’s line apparently dead ends with Bernard, Master of Aquitaine in the bottom of the 9th inning... er... century. And in genealogy, dead ends tend to be self-fulfilling events. Still... According to Laurence Gardner, Bloodline of the Holy Grail:
All of which leads to an extraordinary tale, circa 1200 - 1250:
Which the Roman church did, letting “God sort out who was innocent and who was guilty.” In fact, the butchery of innocents was so effective, that the Church conceived of the Inquisition as just the next step in stomping out the slightest threat to its narrow, restrictive, and binding upon everyone theology. Ideas like Arianism and Marcionism (or most any other ism) -- despite being far more rational and historically viable -- simply could not be tolerated by a hierarchy that esteemed raw political power above all else. Furthermore, if there is anything the church hates, it’s anyone with a brain that raises their hand (or voice) to suggest that just maybe there’s more to the mother of dogmas than just a bitch... pardon the pun.
Meanwhile, the other big name in Generation No. 125 is Charlemagne the Great. He is, in fact, sufficiently known to warrant a web page with his name up in lights (see above... sans the lights)... pretty much in the manner of his grand pappy, Charles Martel.
2. Charlemagne the Great [125] Bertrada of Leon (=Pepin III, the Short) [124] Blanche Fleur (=Flora of Hungary) [123] Dagobert III (=Saxon princess) [122] Childebert III (Edonne) [121] Theuderic III (=Clotilde) [120] Clovis II (=Batilde) [119] Dagobert I (=Nanthilda) [118] Lothar II (=Haldetrude) [117] Chilperic (=Fredegund) [116] Lothar I (=Aregund) [115] Clovis I (=Clotilde) [114] Childeric (=Basina II) [113] Meroveus (=Meira) [112] Clodion, Lord of Tournai (=Basina I) [111] Faramund (=Argotta) [110] Frotmund [109] Boaz [108] Frimutel [107] Titurel [106] Manael [105] Catheloys [104] Aminadab (=Eurgen) [103] Josue [102] Josephes [101] Jesus and Mary Magdalene [100] (Number of generations rectification) [92-99] Mary (=Joseph; or Enki) [91] Hannah (=Joachim) [90] Estha (=Joiadah) [89] Eleazer the Zadok (=Hayat) [88] Eliud [87] Achim [86] Sadoc [85] Azor [84] Eliakim [83] Abard [82] Zorobabel [81] Hadast (=Shealtiel/Pedaiah) [80] Neri [79] Melchi [78] Addi [77] Cosam [76] Elmodam [75] Er [74] Jose [73] Jorim [72] Matthat [71] (space to conform to senior line) [70] Levi [69] Semel [68] Juda [67] Joseph [66] Eliakim [65] Menan [64] Mattatha [63] Nathan [62] David (=Bathsheba) [61] Jesse (=Habliar) [60] Obed (=Abalit) [59] Boaz (=Ruth) [58] Missing Generations [55-57] Salma (=Rachab) [54] Nashon (=Simar) [53] Aminadab (=Thehara) [52] Kiya-tasherit (=Ram) [51] Akhenaten (Moses) (=Mery-kiya, Miriam) [50] Amenhotep III (=Tiye) [49] Tuthmosis IV (=Mutemwiya) [48] Amenhotep II (=Tiaa) [47] Tuthmosis III (=Meryetre-Hatshepsut) [46] Tuthmosis II (=Iset) [45] Tuthmosis I (=Mutnofret) [44] Amenhotep I (=Ahmose-Meritamon) [43] Ahmose I (=Ahmose-Nefertari) [42] Missing Generations [33 - 41] Amenemhet IV (=Sobeknefru, d. of Igrath) [32] Amenemhet III (=Aat) [31] Senusret III (=Mereret) [30] Senusret II (=Nofret) [29] Amenemhet II (=Keminebu) [28] Senusret I (=Nefru) [27] Tohwait (=Amenemhet I) [26] Nefert (=Senusret of Elephantine) [25] Missing Generations [15-24] Ham (=Neelata-mek) [14] Tubal Cain (=Nin-banda) [13] Lamech (=Zillah) [12] Methusael (=Edna?) [11] Mehujael (=?) [10] Irad (=Baraka?) [9] Enoch (=Edna?) [8] Cain (=Luluwa) [7] Enki and Eve [6] Enki and Nin-khursag [5] Anu and Antu (OR Ki) [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1] or in abbreviated (divine interventionist) form: 2. Charlemagne the Great [125] Bertrada of Leon (=Pepin III, the Short) [124] Blanche Fleur (=Flora of Hungary) [123] Dagobert III (=Saxon princess) [122] Childebert III (Edonne) [121] Theuderic III (=Clotilde) [120] Clovis II (=Batilde) [119] Dagobert I (=Nanthilda) [118] Lothar II (=Haldetrude) [117] Chilperic (=Fredegund) [116] Lothar I (=Aregund) [115] Clovis I (=Clotilde) [114] Childeric (=Basina II) [113] Meroveus (=Meira) [112] Clodion (=Basina I) [111] Faramund (=Argotta) [110] Frotmund [109] Boaz [108] Frimutel [107] Titurel [106] Manael [105] Catheloys [104] Aminadab (=Eurgen) [103] Josue [102] Josephes [101] Jesus and Mary Magdalene [100] (Number of generations rectification) [92-99] Enki (=Mary) [5] Anu and Antu (OR Ki) [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1] Alternatively, there is also: 2. Charlemagne the Great [125] Bertrada of Leon (=Pepin III, the Short) [124] Blanche Fleur (=Flora of Hungary) [123] Dagobert III (=Saxon princess) [122] Childebert III (Edonne) [121] Theuderic III (=Clotilde) [120] Clovis II (=Batilde) [119] Dagobert I (=Nanthilda) [118] Lothar II (=Haldetrude) [117] Chilperic (=Fredegund) [116] Lothar I (=Aregund) [115] Clovis I (=Clotilde) [114] Childeric (=Basina II) [113] Meroveus (=Meira) [112] Clodion (=Basina I) [111] Argotta (=Faramund) [110] Genobaud, Lord of the Franks [109] Dagobert [108] Clodius [107] Theodomir [106] Richemir [105] Dagobert (c. 317 CE) [104] Sicambrian Franks [1-103] ... as well as: and so forth and so on... connecting with luminaries such as Sigimaerus I, Carolman of Brabant, as via Eurgen (=Aminadab): Lieiffer Mawr, Brutus of Britain, Claudius, Romulus, Dardanus... and astoundingly, perhaps even Sargon the Great, Gilgamesh, and Mes-ki-agga-sher. All the above will be defined as CHARLEMAGNE [1-125] Emperor Charlemagne d'Occident, Roi des Francs was born on April 2, 742 in Aix-la-Chapelle, Aachen, German Roman Empire, the son of King Pépin I LE BREF of the Franks (aka Pepin III) and Princess Bertha. He became... consecutively... beginning in 768 (and until his death in 814): King of the Northern Franks in Austrasia, Neustria, and northern Aquitaine; from 771, King of the Franks; from 774, and King of the Franks and the Lombards... the latter by occupying northern Italy in 774 at the pope's request, dethroning his ex-father-in-law Desiderius, subjugating the Lombards, and assuming the crown. From 800, he was a Holy Roman Emperor of the West. Coronated by Pope Leo III... who, for the only time in Papal history... bowed before an earthly king. In 813, Charlemagne delegated power to his only surviving son Louis. He died on January 28, 814 in Aix-la-Chapelle, Aachen, Rhineland, Western Empire. He was buried after January 28, 814 in Munster, Germany, Western Empire... where he was later known as the Big Cheese. To the Romans -- who were often the last to get the word -- he was known as Carolus Magnus (aka “Big Cheese”) To the Germans, he was known as Karl der Gross, King of the First Reich, and Crude Big Cheese. Wikipedia describes Charlemagne’s Family Ties That Bind:: Charlemagne had twenty children over the course of his life with eight of his ten known wives or concubines. Nonetheless, he only had four legitimate grandsons, the four sons of his third son Louis, plus a grandson who was born illegitimate, but included in the line of inheritance in any case (Bernard of Italy, only son of Charlemagne's third son Pippin of Italy). In this way, the claimants to his inheritance remained few.
Charlemagne was the eldest child of Pippin the Short and his wife Bertrada of Laon, the latter the daughter of Caribert of Laon and Bertrada of Cologne. His younger siblings included: Carolman, Gisela, and a short-lived child named Pippin. Curiously, Pippin (aka Pippin the Hunchback, the son of Charlemagne, and Pippin the genetic grandson of Pepin the Short and Pepin the Fat) was the inspiration for a Pippin musical by Stephen Schwartz, Roger O. Hirson, and Bob Fosse. The tales of Charlemagne can be a study into themselves (See Wikipedia, for starters). For our purposes, we might mention Charlie and one bit about this home life:
Despite such touching domesticity, Charlemagne is known primarily for his more worldly affairs (not counting all the wives, mistresses, concubines, liaisons, and assorted wild flings). He expanded the Frankish kingdoms into a Frankish Empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned Imperator Augustus by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800... and therefore became a rival of the Byzantine Emperor in Constantinople. His rule is also associated with the Carolingian Renaissance, a revival of art, religion, and culture through the medium of the Catholic Church. Through his foreign conquests and internal reforms, Charlemagne helped define both Western Europe and the Middle Ages. He is numbered as Charles I in the regnal lists of France, Germany, and the Holy Roman Empire.
Charlemagne succeeded his father and co-ruled with his brother Carolman I. The latter got on badly with the future Holy Roman Emperor... possibly due to the fact that Charlie tended to act holier than thou... a trait Carolman found wanting. The brothers might have taken their sibling rivalry to the extreme of war, but the latter was prevented by the sudden death of Carolman in 771. For some, the idea of assassination or just convenient terminations of a single individual does sound preferable to the slaughter to thousands in wars whose only real purpose stems from Holier than thou rivalries. Charlemagne continued the policy of his father towards the papacy and became its protector, removing the Lombards from power in Italy, and waging war on the Saracens, who menaced his realm from Spain. It was during one of these campaigns that Charlemagne experienced the worst defeat of his life, at the Battle of Roncesvalles (778)... memorialized in the Song of Roland. He also campaigned against the peoples to his east, especially the Saxons, and after a protracted war subjected them to his rule. By forcibly converting them to Christianity, he integrated them into his realm and thus paved the way for the later Ottonian dynasty.
Today Charlie is regarded not only as the founding father of both French and German monarchies, but also as the father of Europe: his empire united most of Western Europe for the first time since the Romans, and the Carolingian renaissance encouraged the formation of a common European identity. [The European Common bit had, however, proved to be somewhat superficial as of late.] The birth date of Charles (only later dubbed Charles le Magne - Charles the Great) is a matter of modern controversy... with dates as early as 742, and as late as 748. 742 was calculated from his age at his death, while 2 April 747 later became important in that it coincided with Easter... leading some of the more skeptical observers to suggest that the Easter birthday was a pious fiction concocted as a way of honoring the Emperor. The current best guesses include April 1, 747, after April 15, 747, or April 1, 748, in Heristal (where his father was born, a town close to Liège in modern day Belgium).
Finally, one might suspect that Charlemagne's notoriety and his extraordinary place in history was for the most part a massive PR effort by the Catholic Church in order to laud the achievements of someone who blindly massacred thousands upon thousands in his quest to enforce an horrific religion upon independent and thinking peoples.
On that note, we’re pretty well set up for the next step in the MOAFT saga, Charlie’s (little) Angels (i.e., daughters and their kids)... more precisely, one of the few survivors: Louis I. Figure 1. Charlie's Angels
Generation No. 126 Louis I (the Pious) [126] Charlemagne the Great (=Hildegard) [1-125] Louis I, aka Louis the Pious (778 – 20 June 840), also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781 and co-Emperor (as Louis I) and King of the Franks with his father, Charlemagne, from 813. As the only surviving adult son of Charlemagne, he became the sole ruler of the Franks after his father's death in 814... i.e., King and Emperor, a position which he held until his death, save for the period 833–34, during which time he was deposed... or just indisposed... or perhaps lost in the wilderness of Karjumeling.
According to Wikipedia, Louis was born while his father Charlemagne was on campaign in Spain, at the Carolingian villa of Cassinogilum, near Poitiers. He was the third son of Charlemagne by his wife Hildegard. Louis was crowned king of Aquitaine as a child in 781 and sent there with regents and a court. Charlemagne constituted the sub-kingdom in order to secure the border of his kingdom after his devastating defeat at the hands of Basques in Roncesvalles in (778). During his reign in Aquitaine Louis was charged with the defense of the Empire's southwestern frontier. He re-conquered Barcelona from the Muslims in 801 and re-asserted Frankish authority over Pamplona and the Basques south of the Pyrenees in 813. As emperor he included his adult sons -- Lothair, Pepin, and Louis the German -- in the government and sought to establish a suitable division of the realm between them. The first decade of his reign was characterized by several tragedies and embarrassments, notably the brutal treatment of his nephew Bernard of Italy, for which Louis atoned in a public act of self-debasement. In the 830s his empire was torn by civil war between his sons, only exacerbated by Louis's attempts to include his son Charles II by his second wife in the succession plans. Though his reign ended on a high note, with order largely restored to his empire, it was followed by three years of civil war. Louis is generally compared unfavorably to his father, though the problems he faced were of a distinctly different sort. Louis was one of Charlemagne's three legitimate sons to survive infancy, and, according to Frankish custom, Louis had expected to share his inheritance with his brothers, Charles the Younger, King of Neustria, and Pepin, King of Italy. In the Divisio Regnorum of 806, Charlemagne had slated Charles the Younger as his successor as emperor and chief king, ruling over the Frankish heartland of Neustria and Austrasia, while giving Pepin the Iron Crown of Lombardy, which Charlemagne possessed by conquest. To Louis's kingdom of Aquitaine, he added Septimania, Provence, and part of Burgundy. However... Charlemagne's other legitimate sons died — Pepin in 810 and Charles in 811 — and Louis alone remained to be crowned co-emperor with Charlemagne in 813. On his father's death in 814, he inherited the entire Frankish kingdom and all its possessions (with the sole exception of Italy, which remained within Louis's empire, but under the direct rule of Bernard,) One of Louis' primary counselors was Benedict of Aniane, a Septimanian Visigoth and monastic founder, who helped Louis (the Pious) reform the Frankish church. One of Benedict's primary reforms was to ensure that all religious houses in Louis' realm adhered to the Rule of St Benedict, named for its creator, the First Benedict, Benedict of Nursia (480–550). [And curiously enough, yet another Benedict is now in 2010 CE, the Pope. The latter's choice of name might suggest a great deal about his philosophical leanings.] Louis had attempted at one point to spilt the king among his sons, but had inexplicably left out Bernard. This led ultimately to Bernard revolting, being defeated, and then tried and condemned to death for treason. Louis did have the sentence commuted to blinding -- which was duly carried out -- but Bernard failed to appreciate Louis' generosity and failed also to survive the ordeal of blinding, dying after two days of agony. Others also suffered, albeit only Bernard and his fate apparently troubled Louis. In 822, as a deeply religious man, Louis performed penance for causing Bernard's death, at his palace of Attigny near Vouziers in the Ardennes, before Pope Paschal I, and a council of ecclesiastics and nobles of the realm. This act of contrition, partly in emulation of Theodosius I, had the effect of greatly reducing his prestige as a Frankish ruler, for he had also recited a list of minor offences about which no secular ruler of the time would have taken any notice. He also made the egregious error of releasing his forgiven enemies. It was not a strategy calculated to instill obedience. The end result was a son, Lothair, with the support of Pope Gregory IV, whom he had confirmed in office without his father's support, joined a revolt in 833. While Louis was at Worms gathering a new force, Lothair marched north to meet Louis... who conveniently was marching south at the time. The armies met on the plains of the Rothfeld. There, Gregory met the emperor and the Pope may have tried to sow dissension amongst his ranks. Soon much of Louis's army had evaporated before his eyes, and he ordered his few remaining followers to go, because "it would be a pity if any man lost his life or limb on my account." The resigned emperor was taken to Saint Médard at Soissons, his son Charles to Prüm, and the queen to Tortona. The despicable show of disloyalty and disingenuousness earned the site the name Field of Lies, or Lügenfeld, or Campus Mendacii. We won't mention Pope Gregory's part in creating this field of lies... wherein Louis' field of dreams came crashing headlong into medieval reality. On November 13, 833, Ebbo of Rheims presided over a synod in the Church of Saint Mary in Soissons which deposed Louis and forced him to publicly confess many crimes, none of which he had, in fact, committed. In return, Lothair gave Ebbo the Abbey of Saint Vaast. Men like Rabanus Maurus, Louis' younger half-brothers Drogo and Hugh, and Emma, Judith's sister and Louis the German's new wife, worked on the younger Louis to make peace with his father, for the sake of unity of the empire. The humiliation to which Louis was then subjected at Notre Dame in Compiègne turned the loyal barons of Austrasia and Saxony against Lothair, and the usurper fled to Burgundy, skirmishing with loyalists near Châlons-sur-Saône. Louis I was restored the next year, on 1 March 834. Blessed are the pious, for they shall be restored to their previous posts... maybe. There is just the minor matter of various and sundry revolts and insurrections to keep the pot boiling for the next six years or so. Accordingly, Louis, in a final flash of glory, rushed into Bavaria to forced a younger Louis into the Ostmark. The empire now settled, Louis returned in July to Frankfurt am Main, where he disbanded the army. In 840 the final civil war of his reign was over. However, shortly thereafter said settlement, in 20 June 840, Louis died... followed by a civil war that was not settled until 843 by the Treaty of Verdun -- splitting the Frankish realm into three parts, to become the kernels of France and Germany, with Burgundy and the Low Countries between them. The dispute over the kingship of Aquitaine was not fully settled until 860. And thus for the first time, one could almost see the future maps that would overlay world wars.
Generation No. 127 Charles II (the Bald) [127] Louis (=Judith of Bavaria) [126] Charlemagne the Great (=Hildegard) [1-125] Charles II was the Western Emperor from 840, King of France from 843, and Holy Roman Emperor from 867 to 877. It is not known the date on which he was officially crowned... proclaimed "bald".
According to Wikipedia: Charles II, the Bald (13 June 823 – 6 October 877), was the youngest son of the Emperor Louis the Pious by his second wife Judith. He was born on 13 June 823 in Frankfurt, when his elder brothers were already adults and had been assigned their own regna, or subkingdoms, by their father. The attempts made by Louis the Pious to assign Charles a subkingdom, first Alemannia and then the country between the Meuse and the Pyrenees (in 832, after the rising of Pepin I of Aquitaine) were unsuccessful. The numerous reconciliation with the rebellious Lothair and Pepin, as well as their brother Louis the German, King of Bavaria, made Charles's share in Aquitaine and Italy only temporary, but his father did not give up and made Charles the heir of the entire land which was once Gaul and would eventually be France. At a diet near Crémieux in 837, Louis the Pious bade the nobles do homage to Charles as his heir. This led to the final rising of his sons against him and Pepin of Aquitaine died in 838, where upon Charles received that kingdom, once and for all. The line of Pepin would be a perpetual thorn in his side. The death of the emperor in 840 led to the outbreak of war between his sons. Charles allied himself with his brother Louis the German to resist the pretensions of the new emperor Lothair I, and the two allies defeated Lothair at the Battle of Fontenay-en-Puisaye on June 25, 841. In the following year, the two brothers confirmed their alliance by the celebrated Oaths of Strasbourg. The war was brought to an end by the Treaty of Verdun in August 843. The settlement gave Charles the Bald the kingdom of the West Franks, which he had been up till then governing and which practically corresponded with what is now France. Louis received the eastern part of the Carolingian Empire, known as the East Francia and later Germany. Lothair retained the imperial title and the Iron Crown of Lombardy. He also received the central regions from Flanders through the Rhineland and Burgundy as king of Middle Francia. The first years of Charles's reign, up to the death of Lothair I in 855, were comparatively peaceful. During these years the three brothers continued the system of "con-fraternal government", meeting repeatedly with one another, at Koblenz (848), at Meerssen (851), and at Attigny (854). In 858, Louis the German, invited by disaffected nobles eager to oust Charles, invaded the West Frankish kingdom. Charles was so unpopular that he was unable to summon an army, and he fled to Burgundy. He was saved only by the support of the bishops, who refused to crown Louis king, and by the fidelity of the Welfs, who were related to his mother, Judith. In 860, he in his turn tried to seize the kingdom of his nephew, Charles of Provence, but was repulsed. On the death of his nephew Lothair II in 869, Charles tried to seize Lothair's dominions, but by the Treaty of Mersen (870) was compelled to share them with Louis the German. Besides these family disputes -- which from the viewpoint of the vast majority of the participants might more accurately be described as "no-holds-barred" wars -- Charles had to struggle against repeated rebellions in Aquitaine and against the Bretons. The Bretons were in fact successful in obtaining a de facto independence. Charles also fought against the Vikings, who devastated the country of the north, the valleys of the Seine and Loire, and even up to the borders of Aquitaine. Several times Charles was forced to purchase their retreat at a heavy price. Charles led various expeditions against the invaders and, by the Edict of Pistres of 864, made the army more mobile by providing for a cavalry element, the predecessor of the French cavalry so famous during the next 600 years. In 875, after the death of the Emperor Louis II (son of his half-brother Lothair), Charles the Bald, supported by Pope John VIII, traveled to Italy, receiving the royal crown at Pavia and the imperial insignia in Rome on December 29. Louis the German, also a candidate for the succession of Louis II, revenged himself by invading and devastating Charles' dominions, and Charles had to return hastily to Francia. After the death of Louis the German (28 August 876), Charles in his turn attempted to seize Louis's kingdom, but was decisively beaten at Andernach on October 8, 876. In the meantime, John VIII, menaced by the Saracens, was urging Charles to come to his de fence in Italy. Charles again crossed the Alps, but this expedition was received with little enthusiasm by the nobles, and even by his regent in Lombardy, Boso, and they refused to join his army. At the same time Carolman, son of Louis the German, entered northern Italy. Charles, ill and in great distress, started on his way back to Gaul, but died while crossing the pass of Mont Cenis at Brides-les-Bains, on 6 October 877. Travel in foreign lands can in fact be quite deleterious to one's health... even fatal. Charles was succeeded by his son, Louis II. Charles had been a prince of education and letters, a friend of the church, and had always been very conscious of the support he could find in the episcopate against his unruly nobles. It has been suggested that Charles was not in fact bald, but that his epithet was applied ironically -- that, in fact, he was extremely hairy. In support of this idea is the fact that none of his enemies commented on what would be an easy target. However, a text from Fontanelle dating from possibly as early as 869, and a text without a trace of irony, names him as Karolus Caluus ("Charles the Bald"). Certainly, by the end of the 10th century, Richier of Reims and Adhemar of Chabannes refer to him in all seriousness as "Charles the Bald". An alternative or additional interpretation is based on Charles' initial lack of a regnum. "Bald" would in this case be a tongue-in-cheek reference to his landlessness, at an age where his brothers already had been sub-kings for some years.
Generation No. 128 Louis II (the Stammerer) [128] Charles II, the Bald (=Ermentrude) [127] Louis I, the Pious (=Judith of Bavaria) [126] Charlemagne the Great (=Hildegard) [1-125] Louis II, aka Louis the Stammerer (November 1, 846 — April 10, 879; French: Louis le Bègue), was the King of Aquitaine and later King of West Francia. He was the eldest son of Charles the Bald and Ermentrude of Orléans. He succeeded his younger brother in Aquitaine in 866 and his father in West Francia in 877, though he was never crowned Emperor.
The first wife of Louis II, Ansgarde of Burgundy, had two sons: Louis (born in 863) and Carolman (born in 866), both of whom became kings of France, and two daughters: Hildegarde (born in 864) and Gisela (865–884), who married Robert, Count of Troyes. With his second wife, Adelaide of Paris, Louis II had one daughter, Ermentrude (875–914) — who was the mother of Cunigunde, wife of the Count Palatine Wigerich of Bidgau; they were the ancestors of the House of Luxembourg —, and a posthumous son, Charles II, the Simple, who would become, long after his elder brothers' deaths, king of France. He was crowned on 8 December 877 by Hincmar, archbishop of Rheims, and was crowned a second time in September 878 by Pope John VIII at Troyes while the pope was attending a council there. The pope may even have offered the imperial crown, but it was declined. Louis the Stammerer was said to be physically weak and outlived his father by only two years. He had relatively little impact on politics. He was described as "a simple and sweet man, a lover of peace, justice, and religion". [And thus making him suspect of being someone else's child... not exactly attributes obtained from the Charlies.] In 878, he gave the counties of Barcelona, Gerona, and Besalú to Wilfred the Hairy. His final act was to march against the Vikings who were then the scourge of Europe. He fell ill and died on 10 April or 9 April 879 not long after beginning his final campaign. On his death, his realms were divided between his two sons, Carolman and Louis.
Generation No. 129 Charles III (the Simple) [129] Louis II, the Stammerer (=Adelaide of Paris) [128] Charles II, the Bald (=Ermentrude) [127] Louis I, the Pious (=Judith of Bavaria) [126] Charlemagne the Great (=Hildegard) [1-125] Charles III (September 17, 879 – October 7, 929), called the Simple or the Straightforward, was a member of the Carolingian dynasty who ruled as King of Western Francia from 893 to 922. He was the posthumous son of King Louis II (the Stammerer) and his third wife Adelaide of Paris. Charles first married Frederonne who died in 917 and then Eadgifu, the daughter of Edward the Elder of England, on October 7, 919. Charles III was King of France from 893 until he was deposed in 922.
As a child, Charles was prevented from succeeding to the throne at the time of the death in 884 of his half-brother Carolman or at the time of the deposition of the Holy Roman Emperor, his uncle Charles the Fat, in 887. Instead, Odo, Count of Paris, succeeded Charles the Fat. Nonetheless, Charles was crowned by some nobles in 893. Charles became sole king at the age of nineteen upon the death of Odo in 898. In 911 Charles gave the lower Seine area, eventually known as Normandy, as a fief to the Norse leader Rollo in the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte, thereby ending the series of Viking raids into France. In 922 some of the barons (including Herbert II of Vermandois) revolted and crowned Robert I, brother of Odo, king. In 923, at the battle of Soissons, King Robert was killed, but Charles was also defeated. Rudolph, Duke of Burgundy was elected king, and Charles was imprisoned. Serious Bummer! When Charles was deposed and the next year taken prisoner by Count Herbert II of Vermandois, an ally of the present King, Eadgifu, to protect her son's safety, took him to England in 923 to the court of her half-brother, Athelstan of England. Because of this, Louis IV of France became known as Louis d'Outremer of France. He stayed there until 936, when he was called back to France to be crowned King. Eadgifu accompanied him. She retired to a convent in Laon. Then, in 951, she left the convent and married Herbert III, Count of Vermandois. [Obviously life in a convent is not always what it is cracked up to be.] Charles died on October 7, 929, in prison at Péronne (Somme, France) and was buried there at the abbey of St. Fursy. His son with Eadgifu would eventually be crowned in 936 as Louis IV of France and his daughter Gisela was married in 911 to Rollo of Normandy.
Generation No. 130 Louis IV (from Overseas) [130] Charles III, the Simple (=Eadgifu of England) [129] Louis II, the Stammerer (=Adelaide of Paris) [128] Charles II, the Bald (=Ermentrude) [127] Louis I, the Pious (=Judith of Bavaria) [126] Charlemagne the Great (=Hildegard) [1-125] Louis IV (10 September 920 – 30 September 954), called d'Outremer or Transmarinus (both meaning "from overseas"), reigned as King of Western Francia from 936 to 954. He was a member of the Carolingian dynasty, the son of Charles III and Eadgifu of England, a daughter of King Edward the Elder.
Descendants of King Louis IV are therefore Descendants of Henry I (the Fowler) of Germany (but not of King/Holy Roman Emperor, Otto I). Meanwhile, Louis IV's ancestry include such interesting names as: Louis the Pious, Charles the Bald, Judith of Bavaria, Louis the Stammerer; Odo I, Count of Orléans; Ermentrude of Orléans, Engeltrude of Paris, Charles the Simple, Wulfhard von Argengau, Adalhard of Paris, Susanna of Paris, Adelaide of Paris, Æthelwulf of Wessex, Alfred the Great, Osburga of Isle of Wight, Edward the Elder, Æthelred Mucil, Ealhswith of Mercia, Eadburga of Mercia, Eadgifu of England, Æthelhelm of Wiltshire, Ælfflæd, Æthelwulf of Mercia, and Æthelglyth of Mercia... in addition to the host of the previous 130 generations. Louis IV was only two years old when his father was deposed by the nobles, who set up Robert I in his place. A year later, Robert died and was replaced by Rudolph, duke of Burgundy. Rudolph's ally, a Carolingian himself, Count Herbert II of Vermandois, took Charles captive by treachery. Fortunately, Louis' mother took her son "over the sea" to the safety of England. Subsequently, Charles died in 929, but Rudolph ruled on until 936, when Louis was summoned back to France unanimously by the nobles, especially Hugh the Great, who had probably organized his return to prevent Herbert II, or Rudolph's brother Hugh the Black, taking the throne. He was crowned king at Laon by Artald, archbishop of Rheims, on Sunday 19 June 936. Reporting from the Beaches of Boulogne:
Unfortunately, Louis' sovereignty was limited to the town of Laon and to some places in the north of France, Louis displayed a keenness beyond his years in obtaining the recognition of his authority by his feuding nobles. Nonetheless, his reign was filled with conflict; in particular with Hugh the Great, count of Paris. And then as so often happens, Louis IV fell from his horse and died September 10, 954, at Rheims, in the Marne, and is interred there at Saint Rémi Basilica. And with his passing, the king bit in the lineage upon which we will continue our fruitless quest will be passing from the scene, to be replaced by Dukes, Counts, Misters... and occasionally, Doctors. Sigh. Cest la vie dans la ruelle rapide.
Generation No. 131 Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine [131] King Louis IV of France (=Gerberga of Saxony) [130] Charles III, the Simple (=Eadgifu of England) [129] Louis II, the Stammerer (=Adelaide of Paris) [128] Charles II, the Bald (=Ermentrude) [127] Louis I, the Pious (=Judith of Bavaria) [126] Charlemagne the Great (=Hildegard) [1-125]
Generation No. 132 Gerberga of Lower Lorraine [132] Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine [131] King Louis IV of France (=Gerberga of Saxony) [130] Charles III, the Simple (=Eadgifu of England) [129] Louis II, the Stammerer (=Adelaide of Paris) [128] Charles II, the Bald (=Ermentrude) [127] Louis I, the Pious (=Judith of Bavaria) [126] Charlemagne the Great (=Hildegard) [1-125]
Generation No. 133 Mathilda Van Leuven [133] Gerberga of Lower Lorraine [132] Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine [131] King Louis IV of France (=Gerberga of Saxony) [130] Charles III, the Simple (=Eadgifu of England) [129] Louis II, the Stammerer (=Adelaide of Paris) [128] Charles II, the Bald (=Ermentrude) [127] Louis I, the Pious (=Judith of Bavaria) [126] Charlemagne the Great (=Hildegard) [1-125] Mathilda Van Leuven (Gerberga of Lower3 Lorraine, Duke of Lower Lorraine2 Charles, King Louis IV of1 France) was born 1006 in Louvain, Brabant, Belgium, and died 1049 in Boulogne, Vendee, France.
It must be noted that Eustace I, count of Boulogne, was descended from Count Baldwin II of Boulogne and Adeline of Holland. In fact, his lineage was really rather impressive... i.e.: Eustache I is believed to have descended from none other than Charlemagne the Great via Princess Bertha (sister of Louis I) and her husband, Bernard, Comtes de Razes. From this marriage, a line extends via their great grandson William, Ernicuile I (Comte de Boulogne), Maud, Guy (Blanc-barbe), Baldwin (Comte de Boulogne)... and possible Ernicule II (Comte de Boulogne). The latter is mentioned in part because of Ernicule II’s marriage to Agnes de Jumieges, whose first husband, Huges (des Plantard) was descended from Charles II (the Bald) via Rotilde, Guilhelm II, Guilhelm III, Arnaud, Bera VI, Sigebert VI, Hughes I, and Jean I. The latter seven, descendants of Rotilde, were also descended from Sigebert V, who could trace his lneage back a fair number of generations (and intervening ancestors) all the way to Dagobert I, aka Dagobert the Great. It’s a bit complicated, but these lines were critical to those involved and in fact were often part and parcel of the almost continual warfare among the extended family members.
Generation No. 134 Eustace II De Boulogne [134] Mathilda Van Leuven (=Eustache I, Count of Boulogne)[133] Gerberga of Lower Lorraine [132] Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine [131] King Louis IV of France (=Gerberga of Saxony) [130] Charles III, the Simple (=Eadgifu of England) [129] Louis II, the Stammerer (=Adelaide of Paris) [128] Charles II, the Bald (=Ermentrude) [127] Louis I, the Pious (=Judith of Bavaria) [126] Charlemagne the Great (=Hildegard) [1-125] Eustace II of De Boulogne was born between 1015 - 1020, and died 1087. He
Eustace II, (circa 1015-1020 – 1087) was count of Boulogne from 1049-1093. He fought on the Norman side at the Battle of Hastings, and afterwards received some rather substantial rewards in England. He was the son of Eustace I. His first wife provided his only enduring legacy, in the form of William de Boulogne. From his second marriage with Ida (daughter of Godfrey III, Duke of Lower Lorraine), Eustace II had three sons, Eustace III, the next count of Boulogne, and Godfrey of Bouillon and Baldwin, both later monarchs of Jerusalem. When Eustace III failed to survive the crusades, William did the stand-in routine (which is the primary reason for extra sons... other than for slave labor, cannon fodder, and sibling rivalries). In 1048 Eustace joined his father-in-law's rebellion against the Emperor Henry III. The next year Eustace was excommunicated by Pope Leo IX for marrying within the prohibited degree of kinship... but in reality, it seems likely the pope's action was at the behest of Henry III. Curiously, the act of excommunication was taken somewhat seriously in those days. In any case, the rebellion failed, and in 1049 Eustace and Godfrey submitted to Henry III. Eustace paid a visit to England in 1051, and was honorably received at the Confessor's court. Edward and Eustace were former brothers-in-law and remained allied politically. On the other hand the dominant figure in England, Earl Godwin, had recently married his son Tostig to the daughter of Eustace's rival the count of Flanders. Furthermore Godwin's son Sweyn had been feuding with Eustace's stepson Ralph the Timid.
A brawl in which Eustace and his servants became involved with the citizens of Dover led to a serious quarrel between the king and Godwin. The latter, to whose jurisdiction the men of Dover were subject, refused to punish them. His lack of respect to those in authority was made the excuse for outlawing himself and his family. They left England, but returned the next year (1052) with a large army, aided by the Flemish. In 1052 William of Talou rebelled against his nephew William of Normandy. Eustace may well have been involved in this rebellion, although there is no specific evidence, for after William of Talou's surrender he fled to the Boulonnais court. The following years saw still further advances by Eustace's rivals and enemies. Count Baldwin of Flanders consolidated his hold over territories he had annexed to the east. In 1060 he became regent of France during the minority of his nephew Philip I of France. In contrast Eustace's stepson Walter of Mantes failed in his attempt to claim the County of Maine. He was captured by the Normans and died soon afterwards in mysterious circumstances. These events evidently caused a shift in Eustace political allegiances, for he then became an important participant in the Norman conquest of England in 1066. He fought at Hastings, although sources vary regarding the details of his conduct during the battle. Eustace received large land grants afterwards, which suggests he contributed in other ways as well, perhaps by providing ships. In the following year, probably because he was dissatisfied with his share of the spoil, he assisted the Kentishmen in an attempt to seize Dover Castle. The conspiracy failed, and Eustace was sentenced to forfeit his English fiefs. And just when his descendants were thinking in terms of a really cool inheritance. Darn! Subsequently he was reconciled to the Conqueror, who restored a portion of the confiscated lands. [Oh, good. Now where is that blasted deed?] Eustace died in 1093, and was succeeded by his son, Eustace III... until of course Eustace coughed it up and William came into his own.
Generation No. 135 William De Boulogne [135] Eustace II De Boulogne (=Mary of Scotland) [134] Mathilda Van Leuven (=Eustache I, Count of Boulogne)[133] Gerberga of Lower Lorraine [132] Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine [131] King Louis IV of France (=Gerberga of Saxony) [130] Charles III, the Simple (=Eadgifu of England) [129] Louis II, the Stammerer (=Adelaide of Paris) [128] Charles II, the Bald (=Ermentrude) [127] Louis I, the Pious (=Judith of Bavaria) [126] Charlemagne the Great (=Hildegard) [1-125] William De Boulogne was born in 1050 in France. His contemporaries included some major luminaries; e.g., Godefroi De Bouillon, Baldwin I, and Eustache III... all of whose history in Jerusalem in the time of the Crusades was a story unto itself. Only none of them appeared to be really good at the genealogical bit.
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