Bremagne
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In the fictional universe of the Deryni novels of Katherine Kurtz, Bremagne is a kingdom located across the Southern Sea from the Kingdom of Gwynedd. It is a prosperous land with a mild climate, and it has enjoyed a relatively peaceful history with its neighboring realms.
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[edit] Geography
The Kingdom of Bremagne is situated at the western tip of the southern half of the continent that is home to the Eleven Kingdoms. The Southern Sea to the north separates Bremagne from the Gwyneddan Duchy of Carthmoor and the United Kingdoms of Howicce and Llannedd. The northeastern border of Bremagne runs along the Kingdom of Fallon and the Principality of Jáca, while the desert lands of the Anvil of the Lord lie to the east and south. Off to the west, the vast expanse of the Atalantic Ocean stretches away to the horizon. The capital of the kingdom is the city of Millesfleurs, which is located on the shore of the Baie des Fleurs on the western coast of the realm.
[edit] History
The lands of Bremagne were conquered by the Byzantyun Emperor Augoustos I in 9 BC, who named the region Britannia Magna and placed his capital in the city of Augoustopolis. By the year 200, Byzantyun control had expanded to include the lands of Bremagne, Fallon, and Jáca. However, when the Byzantyun Empire began to collapse in the fifth century, the Byzantyun forces were forced to withdraw from the region, and the last settlers departed the area in 466. The land was quickly divided into several individual warring states, the largest of which was the County of Magne. Over the next century, the Counts of Magne succeeded in conquering the neighboring lands, and Count Erispoé Méen declared himself Roi de Bremagne (King of Bremagne) on December 1, 555.
Like many other realms in the Eleven Kingdoms, Bremagne was Christianized by Rûman missionaries, and Bremagni religious influence soon spread to neighboring kingdoms. By the beginning of the seventh century, the Bremagni Church had gained nominal control of the ecclesiastical hierarchies of several neighboring lands. This state of affairs eventually prompted Count Augarin II of Haldane to form his own kingdom in 645, when he sought to secure the independence of the local clergy from Bremagni control. Augarin's realm would later become the Kingdom of Gwynedd.
Upon the death of King Ryol I in 793, the throne of Bremagne passed to the House of Faucon, a cadet branch of the royal family. The Bremagni province of Fallon rebelled in 842 and succeeded in defeating all attempts by King Gérard to reclaim the land. Fallon formally declared its independence on July 27, 843, becoming a sovereign state under the rule of King Hennequin d'Albéric.
Although King Manassès moved the capital of the kingdom to the city of Millesfleurs in 910, the Patriarch of the Bremagni Church retains his seat of power at the old capital of Augusteville. While many of the kingdoms surrounding Bremagne engaged in recurring military conflicts over the next two centuries, Bremagne remained relatively peaceful, successfully avoiding the warfare that often plagued many of its neighbors. In 1104, King Charibert witnessed the marriage of his eldest son's daughter, Princess Jehana, to King Brion Haldane of Gwynedd. Jehana's brother, Ryol II, ascended to the throne of Bremagne in 1118, while her son, Kelson Haldane, was crowned King of Gwynedd two years later in 1120.
[edit] Kings of Bremagne
- HOUSE OF ERISPOÉ
- (555 – 577): Erispoé Méen
- (577 – 598): Hoël le Magne
- (598 – 609): Meyric I
- (609 – 635): Gurmhaillon
- (635 – 645): Judicaël
- (645 – 651): Chilperich
- (651 – 673): Pléon
- (673 – 680): Mériadec
- (680 – 701): Ursion I
- (701 – 722): Gisloald
- (722 – 762): Adalbéron I
- (762 – 777): Ursion II
- ((777 – 793): Ryol I
- HOUSE OF FAUCON
- (793 – 820): Faucon I
- (820 – 822): Déodat
- (822 – 841): Faucon II
- (841 – 855): Gérard
- (855): Quintin
- (855 – 886): Enguerrand
- (886 – 893): Théofrid I
- (893 – 894): Adalbéron II
- (894 – 919): Manassès
- (919 – 942): Leothéric
- (942 – 944): Valentin
- (944 – 947): Joscerand I
- (947 – 977): Théofrid II
- (977 – 989): Raculphe I
- (989 – 1006): Harduin
- (1006 – 1031): Théofrid III
- (1031 – 1033): Otton
- (1033 – 1050): Joscerand II
- (1050 – 1055): Théofrid IV
- (1055 – 1076): Raculphe II
- (1076 – 1107): Charibert
- (1107 – 1118): Meyric II
- (1118 – 1130+): Ryol II
[edit] Sources
- Katherine Kurtz and Robert Reginald, Codex Derynianus, ISBN 0-89370-011-8
- Katherine Kurtz and Robert Reginald, Codex Derynianus (Second Edition), ISBN 1-877424-96-2
