2005 Holy Blood

 

slide4 Despite the change of emphasis in Hugh Capet’s claim to the Frankish throne, every member of the male descendents of the Dagobert line saw themselves as potential contenders for the position of “King of all the Franks”. Initially this encompassed the throne of France and also the Holy Roman Empire, an enormous area, all of Western Europe. After “Prince Ursus Revolt” (Sigibert IV) none of them made a meaningful challenge, but they were all treated with great respect. The male lineage continued beyond Geoffrey de Buillion but was finally disrupted when Pharamus of Boulogne failed to produce a male heir.

His daughter, Sybil married Enguerrand de Fiennes. One of their descendants was Roger Mortimer (see The She Wolf).

Geoffrey’s brother Eustace of Boulogne also failed to produce a male heir and his daughter Matilda married Stephen of Blois, a future King of England. The most famous of the female descents from this line was Blanche d’Artois.

Despite the apparent strength of the Capet claim, The Kings of Europe decided to acquire the “Dagobert Blood” through marriage and thereby strengthen their own claims to thrones they already held.  The brother of Saint Louis, Robert of Artois married Matilda of Brabant and their daughter became famous for possessing and distributing the desirable blood line.

What we do not know is how many male descendants simply dropped off the record because they were not the ancestor of someone famous.

 

 

blanche-dartois Robert d’Artois’ nephew Phillipe III married Marie of Brabant and their daughter Marguerite of France who married the elderly Edward I of England.

 

 

dartois-heritage Blanche also married into the English royal family, but the early death of her husband Edmund resulted in a second marriage to Henry of Navarre.

Blanch d’Artois grandaughter Isabelle married another English king, Edward II. Isabelle carried with her into England genealogical knowledge which would distract and torment the English for the next three hundred years.

 

slide 5 Fig 5 Phillipa d'AsvesnesIsabella’s son, Edward III married Phillipa d’Asvenses, a product of yet another branch of the Dagobert line. Thus three successive English kings married wives with Dagobert credentials.

 

 

comtes de razes As investigations continued, attention fosusses back on Giselle of Razes. Why had Dagobert selected her as his partner? was it just convenience, a by product of his flight from danger? Or alternatively was there something special about her own bloodline? ( see The Sangreal)

In the later Roman Empire , which had for a long time espoused the concept of “universal citizenship” it had become a requirement for citizens or those aspiring to citizenship to be “ confessing” Christians.

The Visigoths did not comply. They were Arian Christians. Perhaps in retribution, in the areas where they had influence, which still included the majority of the areas south of the Loire and west of the Rhone, they forbade marriages between “Gothia” and other races. The other races in their territories were Romans, Celts, Iberians and Franks.

This embargo was only released in 652. Giselle was born in 658. Her mother was a Visigothic Princess, her father was the grandson of Sigonius, a prefect of Rome. It would have have been one of the first authorized mixed marriages.

It suited those with only the Dagobert line to support their claims to speculate on wether Gizelles parentage, perhaps on both sides, included some form of the “Holy Blood” from a totally different lineage. Combined with the Dagobert heritage this would have created a most powerful conjoin.

As well as the main Dagobert line to Geoffrey de Bouillon, and the Kings of france and england there were multiple lineages through female branches.

 

 

slide 6 Fig 6 Meanwhile in OccitanAs well as the lineages to Godfoid de Boillon and Hugh capet there was also line to the Comtes de Carcassonne. this line is male decent for many generations but untimately depends on the marriage of Arsinde de Carcassonne to Arnold de Couserans.

As families sought to find their own right to rule another source of “holy blood’ was located. In Septimania (see Occitan/ The Trencavel Inheritance when Pepin ejected the moors from Septimania he invited the A Jew from the middle east to help set up Frankish trading partners. This person is known variously as Theodoric of Septimania, Thierry of Autun or Makir Theodoric Aymeri and he is said to have married Pepin’s sister Aude.

The significance of Theodoric is that he is purported to have direct descent from King David, by passing Jesus, a very different concept of “Holy Blood”

This line joins along with the Dagobert line passes  to the Comtes of Carcassonne and probably this is where the original Trencavel inheritance comes from.

 

 

slide 7 Fig 7 The Trencavels

The same line extends into the Foix family, though they also have bloodlines from the famous “El Cid” the inspiration for the thrust for Aragonese independence






.

 

slide 8 Fig 18 Almodois de la Marche

The second Creation of a compte de razes, which resulted in the exiled Comptes de Razes to adopt the name of Joinville generates a multiplicity of lines all of which share the Dagobert line heritage, albeit through female links. This distribution of the “holy blood” caused a search for something different, even more exclusive and the search stated with the capet inheritance from Wormsgau.

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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! '

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.’

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.