Besides being hereditary among the Counts of Angoulême, the name Taillefer occurs prominently in two other families, namely the Counts of Toulouse, and the Viscounts of Thouars and Poitou. Both these families were connected by marriages with the Counts of Angoulême, Vulgrin, grandfather of William Taillefer I. of Angoulême, married a sister of William, Duke of Toulouse, who was slain in 850.[1] William Taillefer II. of Angoulême married Gerberge, sister of Arsinde (Blanche) who wedded William III. (Taillefer) Count of Toulouse.[2] Odo, Viscount of Thouars and Poitou, married Alixa daughter of William Taillefer (? II.) of Angoulême.[3]
It is possible that the name Taillefer passed from family to family by these inter-marriages; and perhaps also from godfather to godson, the custom of taking the name of a godfather being very common.[4]
It seems likely that when Taillefer de Léon is called the son of Raon (Raoul) King of Burgundy, it is from a confusion, intentional or indifferent, with William Taillefer, son of Raimund Pontius, Count of Toulouse and Duke of Aquitaine, who died about 950. There is not, it is true, much likeness of name between Raimundus and Rodulphus, but enough perhaps for such an historian as the compiler of Tote Listotre; and both were famous for resistance to the heathen foe, Rodolph routing the Normans,[5] about the same date as Raimund was driving the Hungarians from Gothia, in their incursion of 924.[6] It will be remembered that among Taillefer de Léon's exploits was that of driving the Hungarians out of Germany.
- ↑ Adémar, bk. iii., c. 20.
- ↑ Doc. Hist, sur l'Angoumois, p. 355; Dom Bouquet, xi., 41S, note.
- ↑ Fragm. Chron. Pict. in Dom Bouquet, xi., 372.
- ↑ Freeman, Nature of Hist. Evidence, p. 126.
- ↑ Dom Bouquet, ix., 144, note.
- ↑ Flodoard, in Dom Bouquet, viii., 131, and note; Martin, Hist. de France, ii., 510.
