A Small Stack of Charlemagne

     . . . . I wake, push my toes painted a pretty pink into my sparkly Italian leather flip flops,

I love sparkly!

put on my glasses -- and beam at my escape reading, as I start the tea. I pet the books while ye pooter boots.





- Capetian France 987 - 1328 (1980) by Elizabeth M. Hallam
- Charlemagne (1998) by Roger Collins
- Towns and Trade in the Age of Charlemagne (2000) by Richard Hodges
- Charlemagne (2005) by Derek Wilson
- Charlemagne (2016) by Johannes Fried

By golly, one way or another, I am vowed to learn how and why 'Louis" as a name for the ruling family showed up -- seemingly, to my ignorance, out of nowhere -- as a name in the Carolingian dynasty, first as the name of one of Charlemagne's sons.  Really how we get from all those Pippins to Louis? Pippins are still generally goth.  But Louis, Louis now, that's pure French.  It's a mystery.

Throne of Charlemagne in Aachen Cathedral.

I have vowed as well to discover the how and why the Carolingians then became a dynasty called 'Capetian'.  (I am entirely unclear as to how and when Capetian gave way to Valois as well, though a bit more clear re 'Bourbon' because that's more related to Spanish history, which I know rather a bit better than French.)

I have gotten clear, which was one of my goals, on how the Gothic Long-Haired Kings got to be the Merovingian dynasty, and then dissolved into the Carolingian dynasty, the members of which by the late 600's, were already holding the reins of actual Frankish power in the position of mayor of the palace ( maior palatii or majordomo -- maior domus) for the ineffective by now ineffective Merovingians kings of the northeastern kingdom of Austrasia.

Pope Leo III Crowns Charlemagne Emperor of Rome.
This event sets the stage for centuries of  invasion and conflict among
the Austrias, Germanies, the Italies, France and Spain.

Viking siege of Paris 845.

Another of my goals is to achieve a better, detailed knowledge of of Charlemagne and the Capetians and the Viking invasions of Frankia.  One thing about which I am now clear is that the Saxons, Avars and Danes were of far greater concern to the king, crowned Emperor of the Romans by Pope Leo III on Christmas Day in 800, than ever were any Saracens from anywhere -- contrary to the Legend of Charlemagne.