Auda of France
Auda, Aida, Alda, Aldana or Adalne (c. 722 – before 755?) was wife of Frankish nobleman Thierry IV, count of Autun and mother of Saint William of Gellone.[1]
Marriage and children
[edit]She was married to Thierry IV, perhaps a nephew, grandson or grand-nephew of Bertrada of Prüm, in 742 and in 750. From this marriage were born:
- Theodoen (died before 826), count of Autun, mentioned in 804, whose son Thierry was active in the 810s.
- Adalhelm
- William, count of Toulouse and founder of the Abbey of Gellone.
- Abba and Berta, mentioned as nuns in 804. One of them was probably married to a Nibelungid, Childebrand II or Nibelung II.
Debated Parentage
[edit]There are no direct primary sources claiming Auda to be a daughter of Charles Martel and secondary evidence is scarce. Sources from Aquitaine name one of her sisters as “Hiltrudis,” a name shared by one of Charles Martel’s daughters. Additionally, scholars have noted that Auda’s son, William of Gellone, named one of his sons “Bernard,” a Carolingian name. Auda being a daughter of Charles Martel could explain how a Carolingian name became accepted by the family. However, scholar Constance Brittain Bouchard argues that such evidence is weak and circumstantial at best.[2]
Notes
[edit]- ^ Bouchard, Constance Brittain (2010). Those of My Blood : Creating Noble Families in Medieval Francia. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 185. ISBN 9780812201406.
- ^ Bouchard, Constance Brittain (2010). Those of My Blood : Creating Noble Families in Medieval Francia. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 186–187. ISBN 9780812201406.
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- ^ Bouchard, Constance Brittain. Those of My Blood : Creating Noble Families in Medieval Francia. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2010.