Alain Canhiart

Alain Canhiart (* around 1000, † 1058) was Count of Cornouaille between 1020 and 1058 .

etymology

Vows of Alain Canhiart - Stained glass windows in the Saint-Corentin Cathedral in Quimper

The surname Canhiart is derived from the old Breton Kann Yach with the meaning of healthy, powerful fighter , bellator fortis in Latin - referring to his fiery, passionate fighting style.

Origin and family

Alain Canhiart was born around the year 1000 as the son of Benoît de Cornouaille († between 1008 and 1019), the Count and Bishop of Cornouaille . His father was called to the bishopric of Quimper after 990 under unknown circumstances and at the same time held the title of count. His mother Guigoëdon (or Guiguoedon) was the daughter of Orscand le Grand , Bishop of Vannes , of the royal family of Alain I. belonged. This is where the first name Alain comes from, which is actually not in use by the Cornouaille family.

Around 1026 Alain Canhiart married Judith , the daughter of Judicaël de Nantes and heiress of the county of Nantes . After the traditional wedding, he gave his bride five villages in Quistillic and half of the church in Cluthgual with tithe , cemetery and all associated rights.

Alain Canhiart had at least six children with Judith. He was the father of Hoël II , who rose to be Duke of Brittany . He also had three other sons, Guérech II. De Cornouaille , Bénoît de Cornouaille and Budic († 1091). Also two daughters, Hodiern, abbess of Locmaria , and Orguen / Agnes, wife of Éon I of Penthièvre .

According to Pierre Le Baud , Alain Canhiart was a descendant of Rivallon Mur Marzou and thus belongs to the male line of the kings of Brittany. It is much more certain, however, that it came from the line of vice counts and counts who had exercised their hereditary power in Cornouaille from the middle of the 10th century .

Count of Cornouaille

Around 1020 Alain Canhiart became Count of Cornouaille, as his father had resigned from the office of Count and in 1022 had handed over his bishopric to his second son Orscand. Relations between the two brothers and their wives were sometimes a bit tense, but Alain was always able to assert himself against his episcopal brother.

A dispute brought him to confront Duke Alain III. de Bretagne , who accused the count of supporting rebels. As a punishment, the Duke confiscated Alain estates, including Belle-Île-en-Mer (Île de Guadel). But after Alain Berthe de Blois had kidnapped the daughter of Count Odo II on behalf of the duke and this traditionally married Berthe, Alain returned to the duke's course and got back his confiscated island, which had once been his mother Guigoëdon's trousseau.

The increase in power brought about by his marriage apparently again attracted the attention of Duke Alain III. drawn upon itself, because a ducal army had marched into Cornouaille, but according to a legendary tradition it was pushed back in 1031 at Locronan thanks to the heavenly intervention of Saint Ronan . After a second reconciliation with Alain III. Alain Canhiart was forced uprisings of his own vassals in Léonais to counter that under the leadership of Vice counts of Léon Guyomarch I had raised. But he was able to prevail against the insurgents very quickly.

After recovering from a very serious illness, Alain Canhiart founded the Abbey of Sainte-Croix de Quimperlé in 1029 together with his brother Bishop Orscand as a thank you and handed over its management to Saint Gurloës . As an encore, the abbey received Belle-Île.

After the death of Count Mathias I of Nantes in 1050, Alain Canhiart reported his wife's claims to the title of duke against Conan II and in 1054 was actually able to take over the county of Nantes for his son and heir Hoël.

Count Alain Canhiart died in 1058 and was buried in the Abbey of Sainte-Croix de Quimperlé. His grave, where he was represented figuratively with the clothing, short sword, shield and all other weapons, was destroyed during the French Revolution .

literature

• André Chédeville and Noël-Yves Tonnerre: La Bretagne féodale XIe-XIIIe siècle . Ouest-France Université Rennes, 1987, ISBN 2-7373-0014-2 .
• Coop Breizh and Institut culturel de Bretagne: Les noms qui ont fait l'histoire de Bretagne . 1997.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Joëlle Quaghebeur: La Cornouaille you IXe siècle au XIIe siècle, Mémoire, pouvoirs, noblesse . Presses Universitaires Rennaises, 2002, ISBN 2-86847-743-7 , pp. 114-116 .
2. ↑ Joseph Loth: L'émigration Bretonne en Armorique . Slatkine Reprints, Paris-Geneva 1980, ISBN 2-05-100102-2 , pp. 224 .