Duchy of Gascony

Duchy of Gascony Duché de Vasconie (French) Baskoniako Dukerria (Basque)
602–1453
Top: Flag during the France and Armagnac periods Bottom: Union Gascona (12th century) Coat of arms
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 the Kingdom of France	1453
Preceded by Succeeded by Novempopulania Gascony Guyenne Armagnac Kingdom of Navarre
Today part of	France Spain

The Duchy of Gascony or Duchy of Vasconia (

.

In the Hundred Years' War, Charles V of France conquered most of Gascony by 1380, and under Charles VII of France it was incorporated into the Kingdom of France in its entirety in 1453. The corresponding portion within the Iberian Peninsula became the Kingdom of Navarre.

History

Formation

Gascony was the core territory of Roman Gallia Aquitania. This province, by the 2nd century, was extended to include much of western Roman Gaul as far north as the Loire. Thus, the name of the Aquitani came to be transferred to the territory of central-western France later known as the Duchy of Aquitaine. In 293, Diocletian re-created the original province of Caesar's Aquitania under the name of Novempopulania or Aquitania Tertia.

The

).

This military push from a stronger centralized authority in Toledo placed more pressure on the Vascones to get off the Ebro's rich farmland than those already stretching all the way to the Garonne. In this period (585),

Galactorius

, Count of Bordeaux, is cited as fighting the Vascones, who are portrayed as hiding out in the mountains, as well as the Cantabrians.

Early Frankish period (602–660)

In 602, the

.

The march of Vasconia (or Wasconia) was created with the purpose of controlling the Basques in Novempopulania, 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 in Cantabria, an area inhabited by the Basques, but c. 612, the Gothic king Sisebut 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.

.

In 626, the Basques rebelled against the Franks, with the

, which is interpreted by some as a result of this city being under Basque or Frankish control.

Personal union with Aquitaine (660–769)

In the year 660, Felix of Aquitaine, a patrician from Toulouse of Gallo-Roman stock, received the ducal titles of both Vasconia and Aquitaine (located between the Garonne and Loire 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. The Ravenna 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 dukes

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.

The

^: 22

Odo's realm passed to his son

^: 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.

Carolingian duchy (769–864)

Beginning in 778,

) 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 the Banu 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 the

.

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 around Tudela. In 806, Pamplona, still under Cordovan rule, was attacked by the Franks, and the Pamplonese, led by a certain Velasco, 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 of

, 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, the

, as Charles didn't recognize him as legitimate.

In 844,

in 864.

Basque duchy of Gascony (864–1053)

Sancho III Mitarra (or Menditarra, cited in 864) appears to be the founder of a lineage of autochthonous independent dukes ruling Gascony up to Sancho VI William (died in 1032), with loose ties, if any, to the Frankish Kingdom.^[5]: 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 rising

^{: 181–182}

While the gradual decay of the

, etc.

The Duchy of Vasconia between the Adour and the Garonne, gradually became the Duchy of Gascony, moving away from the history of the

^: 112

Within the Duchy of Aquitaine (1053–1453)

After

England lost Gascony as a result of its defeat in the Hundred Years' War, and the region thence became a permanent part of France.

Geopolitical evolution

Feudal status

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 of La 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.^[9]

According to the

Extent during the Early Frankish period

Frankish Wasconia comprised the former Roman province of Novempopulania and, at least in some periods, also the lands south of the Pyrenees centred on Pamplona.^[11] It follows that the Duchy of Vasconia comprised Basque areas north and south of the Pyrenees at least until the definite detachment of Pamplona from the Duchy in 824.

In 628, the Frankish king

^: 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.

The Ravenna Cosmographer refers to Vasconia as the whole territory stretching out to the Loire, and so does the Chronicle of Fredegar, suggesting that it lies south of the Loire.^[5]: 96 but the nature of this naming is subject to debate. At any rate, Basques on either side of the Garonne 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.

Social organisation during the Early Frankish period

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.^[6]: 7–8As for the judicial system, neither the Visigoth law nor Roman law seem to have been in use in the Duchy of Vasconia,^[6]: 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.

Dukes and counts 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 Latin sanctus, 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, where Mitarra is not the name of his father, but a nickname referring to his origin, probably "Menditarra",^[5]: 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 forms Semeno, Xemen, Ximen, or Jimeno. It may be that native Basque name based on the word seme (meaning "son", attested in Aquitanian engravings), or it may be "Seguin" (modern Gascon "Siguin"),^{[citation needed]} a name of Germanic origin based on sig, meaning 'victory' (cf modern German Sieg), and win, 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, and Frisian, 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 linguist Koldo Mitxelena. The oldest Basque medieval names reflected totemic (animal) references,^[13]: 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).

Frankish and native dukes

• Genial (602-626)
• Aeghyna (626-638)
• Felix (660s)
• Lupus I (670-676 or possibly until 710 in Vasconia only^[14])
• Odo the Great
  (or Eudes) (688-735), his reign commenced perhaps as late as 692, 700, 710 or 715, unclear parentage.
• Hunald I
  (735-748), son of previous, abdicated to monastery, may have returned later (see below).
• Waifer
  (or Gaifier) (748-767), son of previous.
• Hunald II
  (767-769), either Hunald I returning or a different Hunald, fled to Lupus II of Gascony and was handed over to Charlemagne.

House of Gascony

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 Centullo Wasco	818-819/23[14]	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 . Duchy, as Frankish vassal: Seguin II Seguin Mostelanicus (819/23-846), son or grandson of Seguin I, also Count of Bordeaux. William I of Septimania (846-848 or 852[14] ), son of Dhuoda, daughter of Sans I; died with no descendants. County, as Frankish rebel: Aznar Sans (820-836), son of Sans I, as count of Vasconia. Sans II (836-855 or 864), fought against the Franks since 848 and eventually became Duke of Vasconia. In 852, Sans II, from the rebel county, eventually reunited Gascony and regained the ducal title.
Sans II Sancion	852-855/64	Unmarried	Son of Aznar Sans, and the new duke from 852.
Arnaut	855/64[14]		Son of Sansa Sancion, daughter of Sans I.
Sans III Sancion the Terrible (Sans Mitarra)	864-893	Unknown one child	Son of Sans II.
Gassia II Sans the 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 II. Some historians believe his name was instead Gassia.[15]
Guilhem II Sans	c.961-996	Urraca Garcés of Navarre c.972 one child	Brother of the predecessor. Might have been him who fought the Vikings in Galicia, in 970.
Bernat I Guilhem	996-1009	Unmarried	Son of the predecessor.
Sans VI Guilhem	1009-1032		Brother of the predecessor.

House of Poitiers

• Eudes (1032–1039)

House of Armagnac

• Bernat II
  (1039–1052)

House of Poitiers

After 1053, the title of duke of Gascony was held by the

.

• Guy Geoffrey (William VIII of Aquitaine)
  (1052–1086)
• William IX of Aquitaine
  (1086–1126)
• William X of Aquitaine
  (1126–1137)
• Eleanor of Aquitaine (1137–1204)

House of Plantagenet

After 1204, the title of duke of Gascony was held by the

.

The Lord Edward, son of Henry III and later to become 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.

Footnotes

See also

• History of the Basque people
• Vascones
• Gascony
• French Basque Country
• Kingdom of Navarre

Bibliography

• Collins, Roger (1990). The Basques (2nd ed.). London: Blackwell.
• Dunbabin, Jean (2000). France in the Making, 843–1180. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Higounet, Charles (1963). Bordeaux pendant le Haut Moyen Âge. Bordeaux.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• James, Edward (1977). The Merovingian Archaeology of South-West Gaul. Oxford: British Archaeological Reports.
• Jaurgain, Jean de [in French] (1898). La Vasconie: Étude historique et critique sur les origines du royaume de Navarre, du duché de Gascogne, des comtés de Comminges, d'Aragon, de Foix, de Bigorre, d'Alava et de Biscaye, de la vicomté de Béarn et des grands fiefs du duché de Gascogne. Vol. 2 vols. Pau: Garet.
• Labarge, Margaret (1980). Gascony: England's First Colony, 1204–1453. London: Hamish Hamilton.
• Lewis, Archibald (1965). The Development of Southern French and Catalan Society, 718–1050. Austin: University of Texas Press.
• Taylor, Claire (2005). Heresy in Medieval France: Dualism in Aquitaine and the Agenais, 1000–1249. Woodbridge: Boydell and Brewer.
• Zimmerman, Michel (1999). "Western Francia: The Southern Principalities". In Timothy Reuter (ed.). The New Cambridge Medieval History: Volume 3, c. 900 – c. 1024. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 420–55.

External links

• Auñamendi Encyclopedia: Ducado de Vasconia.
• Sedycias, João. História da Língua Espanhola.