Sancho III Mitarra of Gascony
Encyclopedia
Sancho III called Mitarra (from the Arabic
for "terror" or "the terrible"), Menditarra (meaning "the mountaineer"), or Handia (meaning "the great" in Basque), was the Duke of Gascony
in a very obscure period of its history between 864
and 893
. He was probably duke from 872
to 887
. He is shrouded in mystery and legend, but is regarded as a great fighter of the Reconquista
elected to his post as Carolingian
power waned by the native Gascons.
His genealogy is obscure, but he was probably a son of Sancho II Sánchez
. There is much confusion among the sources about the identity of Sancho Mitarra. Some give that sobriquet to Sancho II, while some give it to Sancho III. Some call the latter Mitarra Sancho and call him a son of the former. It seems likely that these two Sanchos are related. Genealogies of a "phantasmagorical" character assign to him a Castilian
parentage.
During the reign of Sancho III, Gascony became de facto independent, owing no allegiance to the King of France. He settled the Vikings at the mouth of the Adour
and brought them under control. He was succeeded by either his son (most likely) or his brother, García II Sánchez
.
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
for "terror" or "the terrible"), Menditarra (meaning "the mountaineer"), or Handia (meaning "the great" in Basque), was the Duke of Gascony
Duke of Gascony
The Duchy of Vasconia , later known as Gascony, was a Merovingian creation: a frontier duchy on the Garonne, in the border with the rebel Basque tribes...
in a very obscure period of its history between 864
864
Year 864 was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* July 25 – Edict of Pistres: Charles the Bald orders defensive measures against the Vikings....
and 893
893
Year 893 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Council of Preslav: Simeon I succeeds Vladimir as prince of Bulgaria; the capital is moved from Pliska to Preslav....
. He was probably duke from 872
872
Year 872 was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Battle of Hafrsfjord: Harald Fairhair becomes the first king of Norway....
to 887
887
Year 887 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* The city of Toledo rises against the Umayyad leader....
. He is shrouded in mystery and legend, but is regarded as a great fighter of the Reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
elected to his post as Carolingian
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The name "Carolingian", Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German *karling, kerling The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the...
power waned by the native Gascons.
His genealogy is obscure, but he was probably a son of Sancho II Sánchez
Sancho Sánchez of Gascony
Sancho II Sánchez or Sans II Sancion succeeded his brother Aznar Sánchez as count of Vasconia Citerior in 836, in spite of the objections of Pepin I, King of Aquitaine.After Pepin's death in 838, confusion enveloped southern Gaul...
. There is much confusion among the sources about the identity of Sancho Mitarra. Some give that sobriquet to Sancho II, while some give it to Sancho III. Some call the latter Mitarra Sancho and call him a son of the former. It seems likely that these two Sanchos are related. Genealogies of a "phantasmagorical" character assign to him a Castilian
Castilian people
The Castilian people are the inhabitants of those regions in Spain where most people identify themselves as Castilian. They include Castile-La Mancha, Madrid, and the major part of Castile and León. However, not all regions of the medieval Kingdom of Castile think of themselves as Castilian...
parentage.
During the reign of Sancho III, Gascony became de facto independent, owing no allegiance to the King of France. He settled the Vikings at the mouth of the Adour
Adour
The Adour is a river in southwestern France. It rises in High-Bigorre , at the Col du Tourmalet, and flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Bayonne. It is long, of which the uppermost as the Adour du Tourmalet. At its final stretch, i.e...
and brought them under control. He was succeeded by either his son (most likely) or his brother, García II Sánchez
García II Sánchez of Gascony
García II Sánchez , called the Bent, was the duke of Gascony from sometime before 887 to his death....
.
Sources
- Collins, RogerRoger CollinsRoger J. H. Collins is an English medievalist, currently an honorary fellow in history at the University of Edinburgh.Collins studied at the University of Oxford under Peter Brown and John Michael Wallace-Hadrill. He then taught ancient and medieval history at the universities of Liverpool and...
. The Basques. Blackwell Publishing: London, 1990. - Higounet, Charles. Bordeaux pendant le haut moyen age. Bordeaux, 1963.
- Sedycias, João. História da Língua Espanhola.