William of Septimania facts for kids

William of Septimania (born November 29, 826 – died 850) was an important person in a time long ago. He was the son of Bernard of Septimania and Dhuoda. William became a powerful leader, known as a count, in two major areas: Toulouse starting in 844, and Barcelona from 848.

We know about William's life mostly from old writings like the Annales Bertiniani and the Chronica Fontanellensis. His mother, Dhuoda, even wrote a special book called the Liber Manualis for him and his brother. It was like a guide to life and learning, written before 842.

William's Early Life

When William was very young, he went to live with his uncle, Theodoric of Autun. After his uncle passed away around 830, William was looked after by Louis the Pious, who was the emperor of the Carolingian Empire at that time.

When Emperor Louis died in 840, William's care was passed to Charles the Bald. Charles was the king of West Francia, a large kingdom in what is now France. William spent most of his time in a place called Uzès, but he often visited his father in Toulouse.

A Request to the King

In 841, William asked King Charles the Bald for some land and titles that had belonged to his godfather, Theodoric, in Burgundy. The king agreed and even invited William to live at the royal palace. He promised William that he would become the count of Autun in the future.

However, things changed when another person, Guerin of Provence, was given the county of Autun instead. This caused problems and disagreements within the king's court.

Becoming a Count

In 842, William's father lost his lands and titles. These were not given to William. Then, in May 844, his father was executed. After this, William quickly joined a rebellion in Aquitaine. This rebellion was led by Pepin II.

In June 844, William fought in the Battle of Angoumois. Pepin II then made William the count of Toulouse. However, King Charles the Bald had already made someone else, Fredelo, the count there.

Fighting the Vikings

Around 845, it is thought that William might also have been the count of Bordeaux and possibly a duke in Gascony. At this time, fierce warriors called Vikings attacked Aquitaine. They caused a lot of damage, even reaching as far as Limoges.

In 846, William, known as Ghilyam ibn Burbat ibn Ghilyam by some, traveled to Córdoba. He and his friends asked Abd al-Rahman II, the ruler of the Emirate of Córdoba, for help against King Charles.

In 847, the Vikings attacked Bordeaux again. When William came to help the city, he was captured. He was finally set free in 848 after Pepin II signed an agreement. William then went back to a region called Gothia to lead the fight there.

Taking Control in Barcelona

In 848, William entered Barcelona and Empúries and took control. Old writings say he did this "more by cunning and lies than by force of arms." It is believed that the previous count, Sunifred I of Barcelona, died naturally. King Charles the Bald then chose Aleran to be the new count.

However, William did not accept this. He claimed the counties of Sunifred as the rightful heir of his father, Bernard. He pushed for these rights and was recognized as the ruler in those areas. Some historians think that William might have used a trick or a sudden takeover to secure his claim, especially because other leaders like Sunyer I of Empúries and Bera II of Conflent disappeared suddenly.

After his successes, William sent a thank-you letter to Abd al-Rahman. In return, Abd al-Rahman told his own leaders in the area to help William. William visited the court in Córdoba again.

King Charles Strikes Back

In the summer of 849, King Charles the Bald decided to attack Aquitaine. Fredelo, who was the count of Toulouse for Charles, welcomed the king. Charles confirmed that Fredelo was still the count. Pepin II quickly ran away.

King Charles then marched to Narbonne. There, he named Aleran as the count for Barcelona, Empúries, and Roussillon. He also made Aleran the Margrave of Septimania, which was a military leader for a border area.

Charles also gave other counties to his loyal supporters:

• Wilfred received Girona and Besalú.
• Solomon received Cerdanya, Urgell, and Conflent.

Aleran, who might have also been the count of Troyes, appointed a helper named Isembard. This was to protect against William's plans to take more land. In the end, King Charles's new leaders did not have much trouble taking over their new roles.

William's Final Battle

In February 850, King Charles the Bald marched into Aquitaine again. Many nobles switched their loyalty back to Pepin II. Sancho II Sánchez of Gascony took control of Bordeaux, and William marched across Catalonia.

King Charles sent more soldiers, and William was defeated in battle. William ran away to Barcelona, but he was caught there. He was then killed by the king's supporters. It is said that William still had his mother's special book, the Liber Manualis, with him when he died.

In Barcelona, Sancho and his brother-in-law Emenon were captured by Musa ibn Musa of the Banu Qasi. In 851, a group called the Moors took over Barcelona, and many people living there were killed. In September 852, Sancho was set free after a peace treaty was signed.

See also

In Spanish: Guillermo de Septimania para niños