House of Bellême

Bellême was a noble family which existed in Normandy and Maine from the 10th to the late 11th century. Adding to the descendants in the female line to the bore the name Bellême, but belonged to the house of Montgomery, the family reached the zenith of their power even in the 12th century.

History

As the house Tosny, according to the historian Lucien Musset also suspected by the house Bellême and coming from the French heartland and not from the Norman nobility. Ancestor was Yves de Creil, which was well off on the Oise in the 10th century. Gérard Louise has proved a conjecture due to J. Boussards that their home was the county of Maine, and here the Saosnois

From the turn of the millennium it was possible the family, some members as bishop of Le Mans ( Sigefroi I. de Bellême, Avesgaud de Bellême ) and Bishop of Sées ( Sigefroi II de Bellême, Yves de Bellême ) to establish, some of which their diocese robbed to supply their relatives. In the 11th century the lords of Bellême possessed by an extensive area along the borders of Normandy and Maine. They created a quasi- independent principality by undergone a seesaw policy between its powerful neighbors (Normandy, Maine, but also Blois and Anjou ). At the beginning of the 11th century fought Guillaume I de Bellême against Count Herbert I of Maine, and in 1027 he revolted against the Norman duke Robert I.

From 1050 followed due to the marriage of the heiress Mabile de Bellême and a confidant of the Duke William II, Roger II de Montgomery, a time of peace with the Normandy, but no clashes with neighboring gentlemen, as the Giroie family and the Count excluded from Mortagne. The height of their power reached the Lords of Bellême under Robert de Bellême, Mabiles son, who is also known as Robert de Montgomery.

The Norman historian Orderic Vitalis and William of Jumièges describe several family members as cruel and sneaky, what the family has a total introduced a negative reputation. The most famous episode is the mutilation of Guillaume Giroie by Guillaume II de Talvas Bellême. Guillaume Giroie, a vassal Bellêmes, was invited to the second marriage of his feudal lord; after his arrival in Alençon he was fixed and mutilated: his eyes were gouged out, cut off the nose and ears, he was emasculated. Guillaume Talvas was indeed in this campaign not there ( he was on the hunt ), but the client was this act.

Orderic Vitalis Further recalls the violent death of many family members, how to prove that poor Christians are always punished: Robert I was killed, his brother strangled Arnoul ( after he had stolen a pig), Mabile de Bellême was beheaded, Robert II spent the last at least 15 years of his life in prison.

In later times, the historian darkened the image of the family or by the fact that they gave the members evocative nickname: Guillaume II Talvas was " the Cruel " (le Cruel ) called Mabile de Bellême " the poisoner " ( l' Empoisonneuse ), Robert II "the devil " (le Diable ). Even the epithet " Talvas ", which was borne by several family members can be understood pejoratively: Gérard Lousie following it comes from talevassier, among which a robber baron is to be understood. Only Yves de Bellême, Bishop of Sées seems to have found in the eyes of posterity grace.

Nevertheless, writes Lucien Musset: " It would be unfair to judge the family only because of the very partisan statements Orderic Vitalis ', and to see their relatives only as warlords, castle builders and cruel people "; elsewhere has Musset on their effective measures relating to the management and the case law towards

Master list (excerpt )

The beginning of the root list consists of three fragments, it is conceivable because of traditional kinship relations of the bishops of Le Mans with each other that they are three brothers in Sigefridus, Fulcuich and Yves de Creil.