Mauregatus the Usurper (Spanish: Mauregato) was the king of Asturias from 783 to 788 or 789. He was an illegitimate son of Alfonso I, supposedly by a Moorish serf. He usurped the throne on the death of Silo, the husband of his half sister Adosinda, earning himself the nickname of the Usurper.[1] The nobility had elected Alfonso II at Adosinda's insistence, but Mauregatus assembled a large army of supporters and forced Alfonso into exile in Álava.
| Mauregatus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| King of Asturias | |
| Reign | 783–789 |
| Coronation | 783 |
| Predecessor | Silo |
| Successor | Bermudo I |
| Born | Asturias |
| Died | 789 Pravia, Asturias |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | Creusa |
| Issue | Hermenegildo |
| Dynasty | Astur-Leonese dynasty |
| Father | Alfonso I of Asturias |
| Mother | Sisalda |
| Religion | Chalcedonian Christianity |
According to folklore, Mauregatus and Moorish rulers agreed to the apocryphal "Tribute of the 100 Maidens," which gifted the Moors 100 Asturian virgins annually as repayment for their assistance in Mauregatus' rise to the throne. This arrangement supposedly ended after Ramiro I's defeat of the Moors at the legendary Battle of Clavijo.[2]
After six years in power, he died of natural causes in 789 and was buried in the Church of San Juan Apóstol y Evangelista in Pravia. Following his death, Bermudo I was chosen as his successor.[3]
References
edit- ^ The British Museum, Mauregatus of Asturias
- ^ Francomano, Emily C. (Autumn 2007). "The Legend of the Tributo de las cien doncellas: Women as Warweavers and the Coin of Salvation". Revista Canadiense de Estudios Hispánicos. 32 (1): 9–25 – via JSTOR.
- ^ de Caunedo, Nicolás Castor (28 May 1854). "Un cronicón del siglo IX". Semanario Pintoresco Español. 22: 171 – via Hemeroteca Digital.
External links
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