Gilbert (Giselbert), Count of Maasgau was a Frankish noble in what would become Lotharingia, during his lifetime in the 9th century. The Carolingian dynasty created this "middle kingdom" and fought over it, and he is mentioned as playing a role on both sides.
After the death of Louis the Pious in 840, Gilbert was a vassal of Charles the Bald in the western kingdom which later became France, but he switched sides to join Charles' brother Lothar I, who would become first king of the future Lotharingia. Gilbert later offered to switch sides again.
Various proposals have been made about his family connections and exact titles, though most of these are considered uncertain.
Based upon a contemporary description of him as "comes Mansuariorum", it is proposed that he held the Maasau [nl] on the lower Meuse.
He is sometimes seen as a count who held the Pagus Lomacensis, which included the pagus of Darnau.
In 840 after the death of Louis the Pious, a Giselbert is described by Nithard as one of those who defected by not coming when called upon by Charles the Bald to fight his brother Lothar. Nithard's comment indicates that while subjects were faithful to Charles between the Seine and Meuse rivers, men from beyond the Silva Carbonaria, Herenfrid, Giselbert, Bovo and others, broke the pledges of allegiance to Charles.[1]
In 841, after Charles' victory at the Battle of Fontenay-en-Puisaye, Nithard describes a Gilbert who was "Gislebertus comes Mansuariorum", literally Gilbert count of the Mansuarians - who would be an unknown people. This Gilbert was among the northern notable who Charles the Bald was keen to gain to his side after his victory, and Nithard said that Gilbert offered to join Charles, if Charles should enter his country.[2]
The Annals of Fulda Abbey also make two mentions of a Count Gilbert in subsequent years, who is generally thought to be the same person.
In 846, the annals mention a Count Gilbert who abducted an unnamed daughter of Lothar I and his wife Ermengarde of Tours.[3] He took her to Aquitaine and married her in an attempt to force Lothair to reinstate him.[4]
In 848, a few years later, the same Annals of Fulda say that Count Gilbert and Lother were reconciled.
In 870, the Treaty of Meerssen was made, which ceded much of Lotharingia to Charles the Bald. A Count Gilbert was mentioned in some later records from this time:
In 863, Soye, near Namur is named as a place in the pagus of Darnau, in the county of Count Giselbert.
In 877, the year of Charles the Bald's death, a Count Giselbert was one of a group of counts from the area towards the Meuse who could support the son of Charles the Bald, Louis the Stammerer.[5]
In 880, the Treaty of Ribemont conceded all of Lotharingia to be once again under the eastern Frankish kingdom ("Germany"). From 884 until his death in 887, the eastern king, Charles the Fat even ruled the western kingdom ("France"). Another possible record of Gilbert is sometimes proposed:
In 885, a senior Count Gislebert ("illustrissimus comes") had the emperor grant one of his vassals a manse in the villa of "Alnith", including common rights in the forest of "Halsinas", in the pagus of Condroz.[6]
Mansuariaedit
As explained above, the few records which exist are enough to demonstrate that Count Gilbert was associated with the region between the Silva Carbonaria and the Meuse. However, as is typical for this period, it is difficult to assign exact counties to him in the way that medieval lords would typically be described from the 11th century. The description as comes Mansuariorum, has been the subject of much discussion.
Mansuaria has been given various explanations, which note that the spelling "Masuarinsis" (without "n") is found in another medieval document, the Gesta of the Abbey of St Truiden, which was describing places near modern Diest.[7] It is therefore considered to come from somewhere in that region, probably closer to the Meuse (Maas). There are two main variants:
A common proposal is that Mansuaria is simply derived from a spelling variation of the early Frankish "Masau" or Maasao, a gau on both sides of the Meuse (Maas) river north of Maastricht. (One of the surviving manuscripts omits the "n".) Although Diest is not very close to the Meuse, and is not within the area normally described as being in the Masao, another medieval document describes Susteren as being in pago Mosariorum, showing another similar spelling.
Alternatively, given that the record from St Truiden is not referring to an area near the Meuse, this term is seen as the name of a larger jurisdiction whose definition is no longer known, probably connected to the Hesbaye and possibly also the Meuse gau. Variants have been argued by Maurice Gysseling, Gorissen, Eugen Ewig, Ulrich Nonn and others, and these also note that there was a "Via Mansuarisca [nl; fr; de]" in the Ardennes, distant from both the Hesbaye and the Meuse/Maas.[8]
Familyedit
Gilbert's background is not known. The similarity of his apparent son's name to the name "Ragnar" has been used as an argument to suggest a Viking connection.[9] Another possibility is that he was related to a man named Reginar, son of Meginhere (a nobleman from the court of Charlemagne).
Rösch suggests that Gilbert's wife was named Ermengarde, but there is no conclusive evidence that this is correct.[10]
Children may include:
Reginar I (c. 850–916). There is no primary source unequivocally stating that Reginar was Gilbert's son.
Albert is mentioned as a brother of Reginar, probably Reginar I or a relative.[11]
^"Veterum scriptorum et monumentorum historicorum, dogmaticorum, moralium, amplissima collectio. Tomus 1. 9. ... Prodiit nunc primum studio & opera Domni Edmundi Martene, & Domni Ursini Durand, presbyterorum & monachorum benedictinorum e Congregatione S. Mauri Tomus 2. In quo continentur vetera monumenta imperialis monasterii Stab". apud Franciscum Montalant, ad ripam Sequanae Augustinianam, prope pontem S. Michaelis. 1724.
Gysseling, Maurice (1975), "Malmédy en de via Mansuarisca", Naakunde, 7
Gorissen, P (1964), "Maasgouw, Haspengouw, Mansuarië", Revue belge de Philologie et d'Histoire Année, 42 (2): 383–398, doi:10.3406/rbph.1964.2516
Nonn, Ulrich (1983), Pagus und Comitatus, pp. 92–95
Ewig, Eugen, Die Stellung Ribuariens in der Verfassungsgeschichte des Merowingerreichs, vol. 1, pp. 450–471
^McKitterick, R. (1983) Frankish Kingdoms under the Carolingians, 751–987 (Longman, London and New York) p. 230.
^Rösch, S. (1977) Caroli Magni Progenies (Verlag Degener & Co, Neustadt an der Aisch)
^Halkin, J. and Roland, C. J. (eds.) (1909) Recueil des Chartes de l'abbaye de Stavelot-Malmédy, Tome I (Brussels)
October 28, 2023
gilbert, count, maasgau, gilbert, giselbert, count, maasgau, frankish, noble, what, would, become, lotharingia, during, lifetime, century, carolingian, dynasty, created, this, middle, kingdom, fought, over, mentioned, playing, role, both, sides, after, death, . Gilbert Giselbert Count of Maasgau was a Frankish noble in what would become Lotharingia during his lifetime in the 9th century The Carolingian dynasty created this middle kingdom and fought over it and he is mentioned as playing a role on both sides After the death of Louis the Pious in 840 Gilbert was a vassal of Charles the Bald in the western kingdom which later became France but he switched sides to join Charles brother Lothar I who would become first king of the future Lotharingia Gilbert later offered to switch sides again Various proposals have been made about his family connections and exact titles though most of these are considered uncertain Based upon a contemporary description of him as comes Mansuariorum it is proposed that he held the Maasau nl on the lower Meuse He is sometimes seen as a count who held the Pagus Lomacensis which included the pagus of Darnau He is believed to be a likely ancestor or close relative of Reginar I and the Reginarid dynasty Contents 1 Attestations 2 Mansuaria 3 Family 4 ReferencesAttestations editNithard a near contemporary mentions him twice In 840 after the death of Louis the Pious a Giselbert is described by Nithard as one of those who defected by not coming when called upon by Charles the Bald to fight his brother Lothar Nithard s comment indicates that while subjects were faithful to Charles between the Seine and Meuse rivers men from beyond the Silva Carbonaria Herenfrid Giselbert Bovo and others broke the pledges of allegiance to Charles 1 In 841 after Charles victory at the Battle of Fontenay en Puisaye Nithard describes a Gilbert who was Gislebertus comes Mansuariorum literally Gilbert count of the Mansuarians who would be an unknown people This Gilbert was among the northern notable who Charles the Bald was keen to gain to his side after his victory and Nithard said that Gilbert offered to join Charles if Charles should enter his country 2 The Annals of Fulda Abbey also make two mentions of a Count Gilbert in subsequent years who is generally thought to be the same person In 846 the annals mention a Count Gilbert who abducted an unnamed daughter of Lothar I and his wife Ermengarde of Tours 3 He took her to Aquitaine and married her in an attempt to force Lothair to reinstate him 4 In 848 a few years later the same Annals of Fulda say that Count Gilbert and Lother were reconciled In 870 the Treaty of Meerssen was made which ceded much of Lotharingia to Charles the Bald A Count Gilbert was mentioned in some later records from this time In 863 Soye near Namur is named as a place in the pagus of Darnau in the county of Count Giselbert In 877 the year of Charles the Bald s death a Count Giselbert was one of a group of counts from the area towards the Meuse who could support the son of Charles the Bald Louis the Stammerer 5 In 880 the Treaty of Ribemont conceded all of Lotharingia to be once again under the eastern Frankish kingdom Germany From 884 until his death in 887 the eastern king Charles the Fat even ruled the western kingdom France Another possible record of Gilbert is sometimes proposed In 885 a senior Count Gislebert illustrissimus comes had the emperor grant one of his vassals a manse in the villa of Alnith including common rights in the forest of Halsinas in the pagus of Condroz 6 Mansuaria editAs explained above the few records which exist are enough to demonstrate that Count Gilbert was associated with the region between the Silva Carbonaria and the Meuse However as is typical for this period it is difficult to assign exact counties to him in the way that medieval lords would typically be described from the 11th century The description as comes Mansuariorum has been the subject of much discussion Mansuaria has been given various explanations which note that the spelling Masuarinsis without n is found in another medieval document the Gesta of the Abbey of St Truiden which was describing places near modern Diest 7 It is therefore considered to come from somewhere in that region probably closer to the Meuse Maas There are two main variants A common proposal is that Mansuaria is simply derived from a spelling variation of the early Frankish Masau or Maasao a gau on both sides of the Meuse Maas river north of Maastricht One of the surviving manuscripts omits the n Although Diest is not very close to the Meuse and is not within the area normally described as being in the Masao another medieval document describes Susteren as being in pago Mosariorum showing another similar spelling Alternatively given that the record from St Truiden is not referring to an area near the Meuse this term is seen as the name of a larger jurisdiction whose definition is no longer known probably connected to the Hesbaye and possibly also the Meuse gau Variants have been argued by Maurice Gysseling Gorissen Eugen Ewig Ulrich Nonn and others and these also note that there was a Via Mansuarisca nl fr de in the Ardennes distant from both the Hesbaye and the Meuse Maas 8 Family editGilbert s background is not known The similarity of his apparent son s name to the name Ragnar has been used as an argument to suggest a Viking connection 9 Another possibility is that he was related to a man named Reginar son of Meginhere a nobleman from the court of Charlemagne Rosch suggests that Gilbert s wife was named Ermengarde but there is no conclusive evidence that this is correct 10 Children may include Reginar I c 850 916 There is no primary source unequivocally stating that Reginar was Gilbert s son Albert is mentioned as a brother of Reginar probably Reginar I or a relative 11 References edit Nithard ii 2 p 656 of the MGH edition Nithard iii 2 p 663 of the MGH edition Annales Fuldenses under year 846 p 36 in MGH version Eric Joseph Goldberg Struggle for Empire Kingship and Conflict under Louis the German 817 876 Cornell University Press 2006 Capitulary of Quierzy p 359 in the MGH edition Veterum scriptorum et monumentorum historicorum dogmaticorum moralium amplissima collectio Tomus 1 9 Prodiit nunc primum studio amp opera Domni Edmundi Martene amp Domni Ursini Durand presbyterorum amp monachorum benedictinorum e Congregatione S Mauri Tomus 2 In quo continentur vetera monumenta imperialis monasterii Stab apud Franciscum Montalant ad ripam Sequanae Augustinianam prope pontem S Michaelis 1724 p 371 in the MGH edition Gysseling Maurice 1975 Malmedy en de via Mansuarisca Naakunde 7 Gorissen P 1964 Maasgouw Haspengouw Mansuarie Revue belge de Philologie et d Histoire Annee 42 2 383 398 doi 10 3406 rbph 1964 2516 Nonn Ulrich 1983 Pagus und Comitatus pp 92 95 Ewig Eugen Die Stellung Ribuariens in der Verfassungsgeschichte des Merowingerreichs vol 1 pp 450 471 McKitterick R 1983 Frankish Kingdoms under the Carolingians 751 987 Longman London and New York p 230 Rosch S 1977 Caroli Magni Progenies Verlag Degener amp Co Neustadt an der Aisch Halkin J and Roland C J eds 1909 Recueil des Chartes de l abbaye de Stavelot Malmedy Tome I Brussels Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gilbert Count of the Maasgau amp oldid 1159614835, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
