Duchy of Gascony | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 602–1453 | |||||||||||||
 The Duchy of Vasconia / Gascony (Green) in 1030 | |||||||||||||
| Capital | Bordeaux | ||||||||||||
| Common languages | Gascon Basque Middle Latin | ||||||||||||
| Religion | Catholic Christianity Basque paganism | ||||||||||||
| Duke of Gascony / Duchy of Vasconia[1] | |||||||||||||
• 602 | Genial | ||||||||||||
• 1009 | Sancho VI William of Gascony | ||||||||||||
• 1052 | William VIII, Duke of Aquitaine | ||||||||||||
• 1362 | Edward the Black Prince | ||||||||||||
| Historical era | Middle Ages | ||||||||||||
• Duke appointed by the Frankish kings | 602 | ||||||||||||
• Annexed by theKingdom of France | 1453 | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| Today part of | France Spain | ||||||||||||
TheDuchy of Gascony orDuchy of Vasconia[2] was an ethnicBasqueduchy located in present-day southwesternFrance and northeasternSpain, an area encompassing the modern region ofGascony. The Duchy of Gascony, then known asVasconia, was originally aFrankish march formed to hold sway over theBasques. However, the duchy went through different periods, from its early years with its distinctively Basque element to the merger in personal union with theDuchy of Aquitaine to the later period as adependency of thePlantagenet kings ofEngland.
Gascony was under continuous English rule for approximately 300 years, from 1152 to 1453.Charles VII of Francereconquered the territory as a final act of theHundred Years' War and the northern part of the territory was annexed by theKingdom of France in 1453. The corresponding portion within theIberian Peninsula became theKingdom of Navarre.
Gascony was the core territory of RomanGallia Aquitania. By the 2nd century this province was extended to include much of westernRoman Gaul as far north as theLoire river. Thus, the name of theAquitani came to be transferred to the territory of central-western France later known as theDuchy of Aquitaine. In 293,Diocletian re-created the original province of Caesar's Aquitania under the name ofNovempopulania orAquitania Tertia.
TheVascones were an Iberian people originally inhabiting a region between theEbro and the southwestern Pyrenees during the Roman period, but by the end of the 6th century the Vascones defined a confederacy of native tribes with similar language and traditions on both sides of the Pyrenees who had not been culturally Romanized. The name 'Vascone' is the etymological origin of 'Gascon' and 'Basque'. Whether the Vascones spread significantly north of the Pyrenees is disputed,[3] but the ruling Goths and Franks referred to the area between theGaronne and the Atlantic as Vasconia. Around 580, theKingdom of the Franks launched major campaigns against the Vascones. In 587, Vascones are cited as raiding the plains of Aquitaine, maybe to the west ofToulouse.Chilperic I sent his dukeBladastes, who was stationed in Toulouse, to deal with the raids, but he was defeated. After taking the throne,Leovigild launched a series of military campaigns around the Iberian Peninsula, taking control from the Vascones ("partes Vasconiae") in the upper reaches of the Ebro (present-dayÁlava, possibly up to the north of Castile), and founded a fortress called Victoriacum (dubiouslyVitoria-Gasteiz, possiblyIruña-Veleia).
This military push from a stronger centralized authority in Toledo placed more pressure on the Vascones to leave the Ebro's rich farmland. In this period (585),Galactorius, Count of Bordeaux, is described as fighting the Vascones, who are portrayed as hiding out in the mountains, as well as the Cantabrians.
In 602, theMerovingians created a frontier duchy to their southwest during the tripartite wars between Franks, Visigoths, and Basques. A certainGenial was then appointeddux wasconum as a way of better handling their relations with the Basques. At the same time, the Visigoths created theDuchy of Cantabria as a buffer against the Basques inhabiting west of currentNavarre.
The boundary area of Vasconia (or Wasconia) was created with the purpose of controlling the Basques inNovempopulania, but it extended at this stage to the lands south and around the axis provided by the river Garonne between Bordeaux and Toulouse. Around this period Duke Francio is reported to have vowed allegiance to the Franks inCantabria, an area inhabited by the Basques, but c. 612, the Gothic kingSisebut seems to have conquered the territory.
By the year 602, the Duchy of Vasconia, under Frankish overlordship, was consolidated in the areas around the Garonne but may have extended up to Cantabria, in the Frankish domain at the time of and before the creation of the duchy.[4]: 23–50 In the years 610 and 612 respectively, the Gothic kingsGundemar andSisebut launched attacks against the Basques. After a Basque attack in the Ebro valley in the year 621,Swinthila defeated them and founded the fortress ofOlite.
In 626, the Basques rebelled against the Franks, with theBishop of Eauze being exiled on the accusation of supporting or sympathising with the Basque rebels,[5] while in 635 a gigantic Frankish expedition led by the duke Arnebert and nine other dukes launched an attack against the Basques, forcing them to retreat to the mountains, while Arnebert's column was defeated inSubola, maybe nearTardets. However, the Basques' relish was short-lived since they were brought to heel by Dagobert (Clichy, 636).[6]: 96 By 626, it is certain that the duchy extended up to the Pyrenees and that Vasconia had replaced Novempopulania as a preferred name for the geographical area between the Pyrenees and the Garonne. In 643, there was another rebellion to the north of the Pyrenees and in 642 and 654 they battled against the Visigoths to the south, inSaragossa.[6]: 97 From 589 to 684, theBishop of Pamplona was absent from the VisigothicCouncils of Toledo, which is interpreted by some as a result of this city being under Basque or Frankish control.
.jpg)
In the year 660,Felix of Aquitaine, a patrician from Toulouse of Gallo-Roman stock, received the ducal titles of both Vasconia andAquitaine (located between the Garonne andLoire rivers), effectively ruling independently over Vasconia and at least part of Aquitaine. Under Felix and his successors, Frankish overlordship over these lands became merely nominal, and Vasconia became a prominent regional power. TheRavenna Cosmography cites "Wasconia" as extending up to the Loire, although the actual geographical extent indicated by this name is contested; it further divides the territory into Guasconia (north of the Garonne) and Spanoguasconia (south of the Garonne).
Independent dukesLupus,Odo the Great,Hunald andWaifer succeeded Felix in sequence, with the last three belonging to the same lineage. Their ethnicities and even their names are not certain, however, since historical records are not conclusive.
TheUmayyad invasion of Iberia in 711 effected drastic shifts in political and cultural trends throughout southwestern Europe. Hitherto the dukeOdo the Great had been independent, refusing to recognise the authority of either the Merovingian king or hismayor of the palace. In 714,Pamplona was captured by the Umayyads. In 721, Odo defeated the Arabian-African forces at theBattle of Toulouse.[7]: 21 However, in 732 he was utterly routed at theBattle of the River Garonne nearBordeaux, after which Muslim troops underAbdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi plundered the country and captured Bordeaux. Only by Odo submitting to the authority of his Frankish archrival, the mayorCharles Martel, could the Christians of Western Europe achieve the military unity necessary to decisively defeat the Umayyad invaders, which they finally accomplished at theBattle of Tours. Aquitaine and its attendant marches were then nominally united with Francia, but Odo probably kept ruling the Duchy of Vasconia and Aquitaine more or less independently, about the same as before, until his death c. 735.[7]: 22
Odo's realm passed to his sonHunald, who, desiring the former independence which had been his father's, attacked Martel's successors, starting a war which lasted for two generations. In 743, the situation was further complicated by the arrival ofAsturian forces attacking Vasconia from the west. In 744, Hunald abdicated to his sonWaifer, who repeatedly challenged Frankish overlordship. After a campaign against the Umayyads inSeptimania, the kingPepin the Short turned his attention to Aquitaine and Waifer, unleashing a devastatingwar on Aquitaine and Vasconia that was to have dire consequences on its population, towns and society.[7]: 27 Waifer and his Basque troops confronted Pepin several times but were defeated thrice in 760, 762, and 766, after which Aquitaine and Vasconia pledged loyalty to Pepin. Waifer was eventually murdered by desperate followers, or possibly by someone bribed by Pepin.
Beginning in 778,Charlemagne appointed counts (Bordeaux, Toulouse,Fezensac) on the bordering lands of Vasconia along the banks of the river Garonne, undermining the influence of the dukes of Vasconia.
The Basques, however, found a pivotal ally in the south in the Basque Muslim realm of theBanu Qasi (early 9th century), and enjoyed some safety from the west as the Asturians were immersed in continuous dynastic conflicts.
The time of Charlemagne's reign was rife with conflicts between Pagan Basques, Christian Franks and Arab Muslims. Most famous is theBattle of Roncevaux in 778, during which Basques ambushed and slaughtered Charlemagne's rearguard after the Franks destroyed the walls of Pamplona. Heavily mythologised from the 11th century on as a clash between Christians and Muslims, this battle became one of the most celebrated events in the legendaryMatter of France.
Muslims attacked Vasconia as well, taking possession of Pamplona for some time, but they were expelled by a rebellion in 798–801 that helped to create the Basque Muslim realm of the Banu Qasi aroundTudela. In 806, Pamplona, still under Cordovan rule, was attacked by the Franks, and the Pamplonese, led by a certainVelasco, pledged allegiance to Charlemagne again, but his tenure proved short-lived. In about 814, an anti-Frankish faction led by Enecco, allied with the Banu Qasi, seems to have taken over again. A Frankish army was sent to quash the revolt, to little effect. Furthermore, on their way north through Roncevaux an ambush was attempted, but resulted in a stalemate as the Franks had taken Basque women and children hostage.
Northern Basques, organized in the Duchy of Vasconia, collaborated with Franks during campaigns such as the capture ofBarcelona in 799 but after the death of Charlemagne in 814, uprisings started anew. The revolt in Pamplona crossed the Pyrenees north and in 816Louis the Pious deposed the Basque DukeSeguin of Bordeaux for failing to suppress or sympathising with the rebellion. This started a widespread revolt, led byGarcía Jiménez (according to late traditions, a near-kinsman ofÍñigo Arista, to be the first monarch of Pamplona) and newly appointed duke Lupus Centullo (c. 820). Meanwhile, in Aragon the pro-Frankish Count Aznar Galindo was overthrown by Enecco's allied Count Gartzia Malo, with Aznar Galindo in turn seeking refuge in Frankish-held territory. Louis the Pious received the submission of rebel Basque lords in Dax, but things were far from settled.
In 824, thesecond Battle of Roncevaux took place, when countsEblo andAznar Galindo (identified asAznar Sánchez too), Frankish vassals and the latter appointed Duke of Gascony, were captured by the joint Pamplonese and Banu Qasi forces, strengthening the independence ofPamplona. In the early 9th century, the lands around the Adour river were segregated from the Duchy under the name of County of Vasconia. Count Aznar's successor,Sans Sancion, fought againstCharles the Bald, as Charles didn't recognize him as legitimate.
In 844,Vikings invaded Bordeaux and killedDuke Seguin II. His heirWilliam was killed trying to retake Bordeaux in 848,[8] though some sources say he was only captured and later deposed by the king. By the year 853,Sans Sancion, the Basque leader, was recognised as duke by Charles the Bald. During that same year, Muza of Tudela, relative of the Basque princes, invaded Vasconia and made Sans prisoner. In 855, Sans died and was succeeded byArnold, who died fighting against theNorse in 864.
Sancho III Mitarra (orMenditarra, cited in 864) appears to be the founder of a lineage of autochthonous independent dukes ruling Gascony up toSancho VI William (died in 1032), with loose ties, if any, to the Frankish Kingdom.[6]: 137
The dukes had to face Viking inroads and unrest for over a century, an instability that brought about the destruction of existing monasteries in Gascony and a decayed urban life. The dukes of Gascony faced up against the Norsemen (Vikings), and a king of Navarre is cited as providing assistance against them near Bayonne. The Gascon ducal family became tied to the risingKingdom of Navarre by matrimonial alliances at the end of the 10th century, eventually bringing Gascony suzerain to KingSancho III of Navarre ("the Great") for a short period up to 1035.[6]: 181–182
While the gradual decay of theCarolingian dynasty would have been expected to pave the way for a reassertion of its regional identity, new borders, a more rigid structure derived from feudalization, and internal Basque divergences of culture, interest and language stopped that process.[6]: 179 Dukes parcelled out the duchy asappanages for their sons — the power of decision was gradually transferred in the 9th and 10th centuries to Gascony's smaller constituent counties, such asBéarn,Armagnac,Bigorre,Comminges,Nébouzan,Labourd, etc.
The Duchy of Vasconia between the Adour and the Garonne, gradually became the Duchy of Gascony, moving away from the history of theBasque Country asGascon (a Romance language) took hold in 'greater Gascony', stripping the name of its former ethnic connotations and lending it a political one. By the 11th-12th centuries, the Basque language is believed to have extended on the north-east up to the upper reaches of the Adour river, far short of its extension 300 years before.[6]: 112
AfterSancho the Great's reign, Gascony distanced itself again from Pamplona. By 1053, Gascony was inherited and conquered by theDuchy of Aquitania. It thus became a part of theAngevin Empire in the 12th century. The ducal title was reemployed byEdward Longshanks and it formed a base of support for the English during theHundred Years' War.Margaret Wade Labarge called it England's first foreign colony.[9]
England lost Gascony as a result of its defeat in theHundred Years' War, and the region thence became a permanent part of France.
Under the Basque line of dukes that began in 864, Gascony became effectively independent of the Frankish kings. In 1004,Abbo of Fleury, when visiting the monastery ofLa Réole, claimed to be more powerful there than the king, since nobody recognised his power. Charters of La Réole are dated by the reign of the duke of Gascony and not that of the king of France. Nonetheless, charters from elsewhere in Gascony continued to be dated by the reigns of the Frankish kings down to the acquisition of Gascony by Aquitaine.[10]
According to thecartulary of Saint-Seurin at Bordeaux in 1009, "the custom is that no count [of Gascony] can legitimately govern in this city of Bordeaux if he has not received the charge of the consulate, eyes lowered, from the most holy saint bishop Seurin and if he does not make an annual tribute." A later notice from between 1160 and 1180, says specifically that the would-be count must lay his sword onSaint Seurin's altar and then only take it up again after receiving the saint's standard. These practices parallel the practice of the French kings of receiving their kingdom fromSaint Denis and carrying his banner, theOriflamme. It is possible, however, that the notices in the cartulary of Saint-Seurin, which both elevate that religious house and at the same time distance the dukes of Gascony from any French vassalage, were forged in the late 12th century to advance the cause of the Plantagenets.[11]
FrankishWasconia comprised the formerRoman province ofNovempopulania and, at least in some periods, also the lands south of the Pyrenees centred onPamplona.[12] It follows that the Duchy of Vasconia comprised Basque areas north and south of thePyrenees at least until the definite detachment ofPamplona from the Duchy in 824.
In 628, the Frankish kingDagobert I made arrangements for his brotherCharibert II to rule over the territories between the Loire and the Pyrenees (limes Spaniae) 'in the general area of Vasconia', includingSaintes,Perigueux,Cahors,Agenais, etc.[13]: 94–96 In the following years, the same king is reported to have subjugated the whole of Vasconia, meaning that it extended beyond the Pyrenees as well.
TheRavenna Cosmographer refers to Vasconia as the whole territory stretching out to theLoire, and so does theChronicle of Fredegar, suggesting that it lies south of the Loire.[6]: 96 but the nature of this naming is subject to debate. At any rate, Basques on either side of theGaronne are cited in the last independent years of the Duchy up to 768, but this year, its northern boundary was pinpointed on the river Garonne. Several authors have put down this large geographical extent of the 7th-8th centuries to an expansion of the Basques from their assumed original habitations around the Pyrenees.
Unlike neighbouring regions, counts did not play a role in Vasconia's power share. Moreover, they were absent, and dukes are mentioned as the main figures of the Basques, immediately followed on the hierarchy by tribal chiefs and families, at least until the rise of the Carolingian dynasty.[7]: 7–8 As for the judicial system, neither the Visigoth law nor Roman law seem to have been in use in the Duchy of Vasconia,[7]: 8 and a native order may have prevailed at least until the Carolingian takeover in 768-769.
As of 778, Charlemagne started appointing counts (Bordeaux, Toulouse, Fezensac) on the bordering lands of Vasconia along the banks of the river Garonne, undermining the grip on power of the dukes of Vasconia.
The names of the dukes are recorded under a bewildering number of variants, which makes identification very difficult. These dukes and counts were leaders of the Basque clans that dominated Gascony and so their native names were Basque. However, as the Gascon language gradually replaced Basque, their names are also recorded in Gascon. Indeed, eventually the dukes of Gascony probably themselves adopted Gascon, which is reflected in the declining use of authentically Basque names by the last dukes.
In written documents, their names were usually recorded in Latin, which was the favored written language at the time. Today, their names are also frequently found in their French version, and also sometimes in their Spanish version. One example: the Basque name Otsoa (meaning "wolf") was literally translated Lop in Gascon, Lupus in Latin, Loup in French, and Lobo in Spanish. Thus, Duke Otsoa II of Gascony can be known by any of these names, which confuses people not used to the local linguistic situation. Furthermore, even within a set language, there exist many different written variants, as for the Basque name Santso (from Latinsanctus, meaning "holy"), which can be found in Basque documents written Antso, Sanzio, Santio, Sanxo, Sancio, and so on.
Usually, the dukes and counts of Gascony had two names, the first one being their given name, the second one being the given name of their father (for example, Duke Sans I Lop, which means this is Duke Sans I, son of Lop). This custom later generated the Spanish family names, with the adding of suffix -ez meaning "son of". "Juan Sánchez" literally means "John, son of Sancho". For a few dukes of Gascony, the second name is not the given name of their father, but it is a nickname that they gained over time and that replaced the given name of their father, such as the famous duke Sans III Mitarra, whereMitarra is not the name of his father, but a nickname referring to his origin, probably "Menditarra",[6]: 173 with a typical Basque-tarra suffix to express origin.
There is one duke of Gascony subject to a historiographical discussion, and that is Duke Seguin I (Segiwin, Sihimin,...). It has been contended that it actually hides a Basque "Semen"—written formsSemeno, Xemen, Ximen, orJimeno. It may be that native Basque name based on the wordseme (meaning "son", attested in Aquitanian engravings), or it may be "Seguin" (modern Gascon "Siguin"),[citation needed] a name of Germanic origin based onsig, meaning 'victory' (cf modern GermanSieg), andwin, meaning 'friend'.
It has been suggested that some apparently Basque names are merely corruptions of late Germanic names. For example, Garsinde leading to Garsean, Gendolf or Centulf to Centule, Aginald or Hunnald to Enneko (in Flanders, andFrisian, still a short form of the first two frank names), Aginard to Aznar, Belasgytta or Wallagotha to Velasquita, Belasgutho to Velasco, Arnoald to Arnau, Theuda to Toda, Theudahilda to Dadildis or Dedadils. While some of them may be so, many of them—Andregoto, Amunna, Aznar(i), Velasco, Garcia, Ximen(o), Enneco—have well explained forms according to consistent linguistic rules and etymologies, as described by linguistKoldo Mitxelena. The oldest Basque medieval names reflected totemic (animal) references,[14]: 37 and family links.
In the list below, the dukes and counts of Gascony are listed according to their Gascon names (based on the current spelling of Gascon, not the medieval spelling, which was fluctuating).
| Ruler | Dates | Consort | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lop II | 768/70-778/801 | Numabela of Cantabria five children | Probably the founder of a Gascon line of dukes. | ||
| Sans I Lop | 778/801-812 | Unknown five children | Son of the predecessor. | ||
| Seguin I Lop | 812-816 | Unknown one child | Brother of the predecessor, rebelled against the Franks. | ||
| Gassia I Semen | 816-818 | Unknown | Son of the predecessor. Rebelled against the Franks. | ||
| Lop III CentulloWasco | 818-819/23[15] | Unknown two children | Son of the predecessor, or of Centullo, brother of Sans I. Rebelled against the Franks. | ||
After Lop Centullo's death the duchy was divided: the County of Vasconia temporarily segregated from the Duchy. See:Northern Basque Country.
In 852, Sans II, from the rebel county, eventually reunited Gascony and regained the ducal title. | |||||
| Sans II Sancion | 852-855/64 | Unmarried | Brother of Aznar Sans, and the new duke from 852. | ||
| Arnaut | 855/64[15] | Son of Sansa, sister of the previous. | |||
| Sans III Sancionthe Terrible (Sans Mitarra) | 864-893 | Unknown one child | Son of Sans II. | ||
| Gassia II Sansthe Bent (Gassia Okerra) | 893-930 | Amuna of Angoulême c.875 six children | Son of the predecessor. | ||
| Sans IV Gassia | 930-c.950 | Unknown two children Unknown five children | Son of the predecessor. | ||
| Sans V Sancion | c.950-961 | Unmarried | Son of Sans IV. Some historians believe his name was instead Gassia.[16] | ||
| Guilhem II Sans | c.961-996 | Urraca Garcés of Navarre c.972 one child | Brother of the predecessor. Might have been him who fought theVikings inGalicia, in 970. | ||
| Bernat I Guilhem | 996-1009 | Unmarried | Son of the predecessor. | ||
| Sans VI Guilhem | 1009-1032 | Brother of the predecessor. | |||
After 1053, the title of duke of Gascony was held by thedukes of Aquitaine.
After 1204, the title of Duke of Gascony was held by thekings of England.Lord Edward, son ofHenry III and later King Edward I, was named Duke of Gascony in 1249. On his accession to the throne in 1272, the title was reunited with the kingdom of England and treated as another name for theDuchy of Aquitaine, generally inclusive ofGuyenne.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)[permanent dead link]{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)