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Archiver > GEN-MEDIEVAL > 1996-11 > 0849206981


From: ic < >
Subject: Re: The Merovingian are among us !!!
Date: Thu, 28 Nov 1996 18:49:41 +0000
In-Reply-To: <329B601F.81F@po.cwru.edu>


On Tue, 26 Nov 1996, Todd A. Farmerie wrote:

> Yoshiko & Laurent OHIER wrote:
> >
> > 4 years ago, I read a book in which is given a quite "strange"
> > lineage. This book is " The holy blood and the Holy Grail" by Michael
>
> > *Merovee, Frank chieftain of Sicambrian origin in 417. m. Siegse . their
> > son is:
>
> As far as I know, there is no good evidence for any parentage for King
> Merovee (as he is called here. I have seen Clodio in places, but doubt
> it. That his father was Merovee is news to me.
>
> > *Merovee "the young" King of the Franks 448-458, (adopted by the 2nd
> > husband of Siegse, Clodion VI, King of Cambrai (438-448), from Salian

Gregory of Tours says (Bk II, 9) "Some say that Meroveus father of
Childeric descends from Clodio". There is an expression of doubt here
implied by Gregory. Most genealogists however have ignored this and made
Clodio father of Meroveus. Isn't there a more interesting account in
the much later Liber Hist. Francorum (or is it Fredegar?), which
says Meroveus was conceived after his mum went swimming in the Channel
and encountered a sea serpent?

snip
>
> > *Sigisbert IV 676-758, Count of Rhedae. From him exists the new lineage
> > called " Plant-Ard". m. Magdala, Heiress of Narbonne and Carcassone. Their
> > son is:
>
> There is no evidence this person ever existed.
>

Plantard: this is the name of the ex con man who foisted all this
stuff upon Lincoln back in the 1970's. Plantard ran an anti-semitic
newsletter during WW2 (though in his interview with Lincoln, he claimed
links with the Resistance). Later with an obscure aristocrat he wrote the
documents which formed the basis of those quoted by Lincoln in his first
book, placed them in the Bibliotheque Nationale (I think) where Lincoln
conveniently found them. The documents are written on paper common in
the 1940's. This was exposed in a BBC tv program some time ago. There's
a marvelous bit in the origianl interview which Lincoln did with
Plantard (in 1974?) where he asks him: "So you are the REAL King of
France!" Priceless.

>> *Sigisbert V ca.695 -ca.768, Count of Rhedae. He has 2 sons: the first on
>>is Thierry count of Narbonne, father of St Guillaume de Gellone (ancestor
>>of Aquitania dukes). The second one is:
>
> Ditto. The father if Thierry is a matter of HOT
debate, but most > traditional Merovingian Claims trace through his mother.

St.William of Gellone did exist, and did have a father called Theoderic
but there is no Theirry of Narbonne mentioned in any source, nor any
proof of his ancestry.

snip
>
>>*Bera IV 755-813, founder of The abbey of Alet, m. Romille. Their son is:
>
> No evidence.

There is a charter in the Histoire du Languedoc collection (vol II),
which records the foundation of Alet by Ct Bera and Romilla in 813. This
was proved a 10th cent forgery by E.Magnou-Nortier in her book on the
diocese of Narbonne (I forget the French title), p99-100.

> > > *Argila 775-836 Count of Rhedae, m. Reverge. Their son is: >
> Ditto.
>

Argila "son of the late Ct Bera" sells land in Razes & Roussillon to
his son Bera in 844 (HL, II, Preuves no 126). Neither of them are called
count.

>> *Bera V 794-860 Count of Rhedae. He has 2 sons: Bernard "Planta-Velu" or
>>"Planta-Pilus" Count of Limoux d.877 founder of the Aquitania Duche, and:
>
> Bernard "Planta-Velu" has other parents. No evidence that this Bera
> ever existed.
>

Presumably this is meant to be the Bera mentioned in 844. In 846 a
Count Bera gave Exalata to the abbey of Cuxa (HL, II, 129). However
I suspect this may also be a forgery of the 10th century since it
exhibits many of the features that led Magnou-Nortier to disprove
the one of 813 (eg, formulae, wording, titles). However I am not
an expert on this, so he may have been count in 846.

> > *Hilderic Ier d.867, Count of Rhedae. His son is:
>
> No Evidence.
>
>> *Sigisbert VI "Prince Ursus" d.884 or 885, Last Merovingian count of
>>Rhedae, m.Rotilde, dau. of Charles II of France. He tries to revolt against
>>Louis II of France but Fails. He must escape in Brittany. Their son is:
>

I do remember seeing an Ursus mentioned in one of the volumes of the HL
covering this period. I cannot at the moment recall the details or their
authenticity. But its easy to mix some genuine historical figures with
a lot of trash.

It is possible with the help of the Histoire du Languedoc, (vol II p312)
to work out the family relationship of "the Bera's", as I suppose they
must be called.

The Ct Bera mentioned as the late father of Argila in 844 is not
some mythical ct of Razes, or a founder of Alet, but the historical
Bera Ct of Barcelona 801 (or 803) until 820: in that year he was accused
of treason, lost a trial by combat, but was pardoned by Louis the Pious
and exiled to Rouen (Astron. Life of Louis).

He had a son called Willemund who in 827 joined the rebellion of Aizo
in the Spanish March (RFA).

He also had a son Argila 844, and a grandson Bera (II) 844. This Bera (II)
may have been a count in 846. At this time it is thought
that Razes lay under the Counts of Toulouse until after the revolt
of Hunfrid of Gothia (863-4). After Hunfrid went into exile, Razes may
have been detached from toulouse and given to a Count Bernard: a Bernard
is called _comes Redonensi_ in the letters of Hincmar of Reims as
recorded in the work of Flodoard "History of the Church of Reims",
BK III, ch 26 (MGH edition, SS, 13, p526?). Most historians, while they
may disagree over the recipient of these various letters, think they were
written about 865-877. The centre of the county was not Rhedae/Arettis
(the so-called 'lost city of the Visigoths') but in a nearby hilltop
village - the much abused Rennes la Chateau.

Bernard was ct of rennes la Chateau (not Rennes in Brittany for this had
been ceded to the Britons in 851 by Charles the Bald): this does not mean
he was a descendant of Jesus. Possibly in an exchange of counties, as
Bernard got promoted to be Marquis of Gothia, Razes passed into the hands
of the family of Oliba of Carcassone. This is one of many interpretations
of the _historical_ evidence. Other suggestions see Bernard as Ct of Rodez
the centre of Rouergue, though this does fit semantically. Bernard was not
a member of the Bera family: Bernards descent was worked out by K.Werner
many years ago - he was related to the Rorgonids of Maine/Glanfeuil, and
a Poitevin/Perigord family. I won't go into the question of who
Bernard 'Plantavelue' or Hairyfeet was: thats an essay in itself.

The _historical_ family of the Bera's can be extended a little further.

A Miro son of Bera rebelled in Gothia in 877, and his lands were granted
to Ct Oliba by Charles the Bald (HL II, 191, = Tessier no 428). It's
possible that this Miro was the son of the Bera (II) of 844-46.

Bera (I) of Barcelona, as well as 2 sons, also had a daughter, Rotrude
who married a man called Alaric. Both of them seem to have been dead
in 868 and 876 when their daughter Anna made several land grants, one
to the abbey of Cuxa 18.8.868 (HL II, 169), and in 876 (HL II, 190) to
Radulf and his wife. In this Anna's mother Rotrude is called daughter
of Ct Bera, and her father is named as Alaric. I do remember that
a document exists whihc names an Alaric Ct of Ampurias in 843: I also
seem to remember that it may be a forgery - however I have not yet
located it. There is though, a viscount Alaric who sits as one of
the judges in the court of Ct Udalric of Narbonne, Marquis of Gothia
(HL II, 139 - dated 852 by these editors) in a record (of a judgement)
that looks OK.

However there are a number of other Bera's who appear in the charters of
Languedoc in the ninth century. One or more Bera's acts as a judge in
court proceedings of the following years 832 at Elnes (HL II, 80),
852 at Crespian, Narbonne 852 (HL II, 139), 865 at Narbonne (HL II, 165)
868 (at Cuxa?, HL II, 169), 873 at St.Sernin de Verneto (HL II, 185).
This should act as a warning to all those who crave gapless lineages.

However, as its thanksgiving, a possible outline stemma can be drawn
so:

Bera (I) Ct of Barcelona 801-20
|
_______________|__________________________
| | |
Willemund Argila Rotrude m. Alaric
827 844 |
| |
| |
Bera (II) Anna
844-46 868-76
|
Miro
877

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