Generations

Amazing

The table given below is derived from a segment on the TV programme QI. You will see that if we work back from Ximene’s time to the year 600 Ximene ( and everyone else in the 14th Century) will have more ancestors than there are people in Europe. By the time of Jesus the difference is staggering. Ximene must have had one trillion ancestors wheras the population of Europe was only five million.

Therefore  Ximene  (and everyone one else) must have  been descended from everyone alive at the time of Jesus. Jesus included, if he had any children. Not only that,  each individual must be repeated many times in any one family tree.

The Table

Generation Number of ancestors Year Population of Europe (M)
0 1 1380 81
1 2 1350 79
2 4 1320 76
3 8 1290 74
4 16 1260 71
5 32 1230 69
6 64 1200 67
7 128 1170 64
8 256 1140 62
9 512 1110 59
10 1K 1080 57
11 2K 1050 54
12 4K 1020 52
13 8K 990 49
14 16K 960 47
15 32K 930 45
16 64K 900 42
17 128K 870 40
18 256K 840 37
19 512K 810 35
20 1M 780 32
21 2M 750 30
22 4M 720 29
23 8M 690 27
24 16M 660 26
25 32M 630 25
26 64M 600 23
27 128M 570 22
28 256M 540 21
29 512M 510 19
30 1G 480 18
31 2G 450 17
32 4G 420 16
33 8G 390 14
34 16G 360 13
35 32G 330 12
36 64G 300 10
37 128G 270 9
38 256G 240 8
39 512G 210 6
40 1T 180 5

Qualification

There are several faults in this apparently compelling argument.

Those who are promoting the purer strain of Sangreal believe there is an unbroken Matrilineal link back to Mary Magdelene. However even those who believe that Jesus had children and had a daughter called Tamar  have never shown any evidence that Tamar had children. It does not matter how many ancestors Ximene had, if Tamar did not have children there can be no matrilineal link.

Selection

Another fault in the argument is that powerful families practiced selective breeding. It is almost impossible to calculate this effects but some bloodlines were hoarded  by a small number of families.

A counter argument is that selective breeding probably had little effect in terms of the distribution of bloodlines . Younger sons and daughters, barred from inheritance, made the best marriage they could . Often within two generations their children had no idea what their bloodlines were. This in turn then made the bloodlines available to the general population.

The Sangreal

However, the proponents of the Sangreal and those who simply wanted to take advantage of it, were concerned not just with probabilities but with proof. This segment, concerned with Ximene’ genealogy, is therefore concerned with a  specific chain of relationships extracted  from family trees. We will take information from wherever it can be found,  family records, libraries and the miriad of web sites which in general follow the old tradition of telling the story they want to tell.  Whilst reviewing Ximene’s genenealogy just remember that. The question is “is there enough evidence to suggest that those in the  14th century could have been convinced”?. It proves impossible to offer conclusive proof but events suggest that in 1350 they were convinced.

The most dangerous woman in the world

The Treasure of Trencavel

List of Characters

Table Of Contents

References

characters

List of Places

Table of Contents

Pseudo History

home

Extract from The Prisoner of Foix--Chapter 43 -The EntranceNo need to buy a Kindle. Read it on your computer or tablet

John Stanley-26th April 1355

 

'Looks like we are going to see a bit of excitement, John. The Captain tried to get an agreement from the Prince that if there is surf running across the channel to Arcachon we will turn back to Bordeaux, but the Prince would hear none of it. Instead, he has offered to provide insurance for all three ships. If they are damaged or sunk, the owners will be compensated and every sailor who makes the passage will be given a bounty payment. What none of this seems to take into account is that if we sink in rough, fast-flowing waters we might all drown.'

John raised his eyebrows. 'But that is what we are going to do?'

'Yes, despite the fact that surf running accross the entrance is not uncommon and the deep water channel moves continually. In the end, the Prince attacked their captains on their weakest point, their professional pride! He threw down the gauntlet. He offered to take the Sally first through the channel, and to take control during the passage.' He raised his brow. 'We are going into the Bay of Arcachon, come what may! '

To get access to the chapters in this book, click here then Log In
Extract from The Eagle of Carcassone -- Chapter 24-- A Real GoddessNo need to buy a Kindle. Read it on your computer or tablet

John Stanley - 22 July 1355

An hour later John walked with Ximene close to the river along the valley below St Feriole. It was the very essence of a summer’s day. The sun was fierce but in the shadow of the trees, it was cool and fragrant. The trees and shrubs along the riverbank hid their progress, from the Château, from St Feriole.

Eventually they reached a point where John thought it was safe to emerge from cover. To his satisfaction the stream extended into a pool with a sandy beach, shaded by trees. Where the stream entered the pool there was a flat grassy area, almost circular. Behind this, the bulk of two mountain ridges provided a splendid backdrop. He looked around once more ‘Not just a good training ground but a great training ground. If the Greek heroes knew about this they might be tempted to join me, to train with me’

Ximene laughed out loud. He turned to look at her. She had removed her outer clothes and was wearing a white chemise, cut short so that it barely reached her knees. Around her waist, she wore a plaited leather belt, obviously fashioned from the multitude of leather straps to be found in the tackle room.

She ran her hands down over her breasts. ‘When you were unconscious I heard you muttering about gods and goddesses, so  I have decided that from now on, for you, I will be the goddess.’

Available February 2020
The Prisoner of FoixVol 1 of the series—The Treasure of Trencavel

Aquitaine, an English possession, is in crisis. It is under threat from neighbouring nations and internal dissension.

The Black Prince, King Edward III’s eldest son has been given the task of taking command in Aquitaine.

Suddenly there is an opportunity. Ximene Trencavel is the heiress to the lands of Occitan, to the east of Aquitaine: lands controlled by the Franks. Ximene wants independence, both for herself and for Occitan.

A union between Aquitaine and Occitan would be mutually beneficial. The Black Prince undertakes a secret journey to meet Ximene to negotiate a marriage contract. It is, however, a marriage neither of them really wants.

Meanwhile, the  Franks plot to murder Ximene to prevent ,not just the marriage, but any kind of union between England and Occitan.

The Eagle Of CarcassonneVol II of the series—The Treasure of Trencavel

The loose alliance between Ximene Trencavel and the Black Prince is under threat.

The Prince invades Occitan, to show his support for Ximene but it becomes an invasion which creates more problems than it solves.

The Prince has fallen hopelessly in love with Joan of Kent and Joan is now determined to marry him and become the next Queen of England.

Joan is therefore  determined to convince Ximene that she should not marry the Prince.

Part of her strategy is to encourage Ximene’s relationship with John Stanley—one of the Princes bodyguards—not an easy task as both John and Ximene have doubts about their compatibility.

However, John is grievously injured in a battle and Ximene commits herself to nurse him back to health.