Seguin I of Gascony

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Seguin I Lupo^[1] was Duke of Gascony from 812 to 816,^[2] when Louis the Pious deposed him.

He was originally appointed count of Bordeaux (the pagus Burdegalensis) by Charlemagne around 781. He was probably of Gascon lineage, though, an alleged son of Adalric, a possible duke of Gascony, or of Lupus II, a definite duke of Gascony. He may have been a brother of Sancho I, Lupus III, and Garsand, and probably was the father of Seguin II. He was not, as has been alleged from time to time, the forefather of the Jiménez dynasty which ruled the kingdom of Navarre (905 – 1234). He may have had the alleged Spanish ancestry, though.^[3]

After his deposition, he rebelled and Louis crushed his insurrection at Dax. The emperor crossed the Pyrenees and "settled matters"^[4] in Pamplona. This could imply that the Gascony of Seguin's day was transpyrenean.

[edit] Notes

^ Seguin is but one of several possible variations on this duke's name. Seguin is a Gascon name. It is of Germanic origin (sig-, that is, "victory", cf. modern German sieg, and -win, that is, "friend", related to modern English "win"). Alternate spellings are Sigiwinus, Siguvinus, Siguinus, Siguin, Sigiwin, Sigwin, or Sigoin. Semen is a Basque name. It is either the Basque version of the biblical name Simon or a native Basque name based on the word seme (meaning "son"). It is also spelled Scimin, Skimin, Scemenus, Semen, Semeno, Xemen, or Ximen and gave rise to the Castilian Ximeno and Jimeno. Both Semen and Seguin, unrelated names, are found in sources. Lupo is Lupus in Latin, Loup in French, Lop in Gascony, Otsoa Basque, and Lobo or Lope in Spanish.
^ Monlezun gives 814/815.
^ Astronomus calls him ex gente Francorum, "of the race of Franks."
^ Collins, relying on the Vita Hludowici.