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Birth:           890 of Poitiers, Vienne, France
Death:           934 

Notes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebalus,_Duke_of_Aquitaine
Ebalus or Ebles Manzer or Manser (c. 870 – 935) was Count of Poitou and Duke of 
Aquitaine on two occasions: from 890 to 892; and then from 902 until his death in 935 
(Poitou) and from 928 until 932 (Aquitaine).

Ebles was an illegitimate son of Ranulf II of Aquitaine. "Manzer" or "Mamzer" is a 
Hebrew word that means bastard, son of a forbidden relationship, although in the case 
of Ebles it may have been applied to bastardy in general.

Upon the death of his father (who was poisoned), Ebles assumed his father’s mantle 
and acquired the role of Count of Poitou. But Ebles could not hold on to the title for 
long. Aymar, a descendant of one of Ramnulf II’s predecessors, challenged Ebles right 
to rule, as Ebles was merely a bastard son. In 892, Aymar, who was supported by 
Eudes of France, overthrew Ebles, and Ebles fled to the safety of his father’s allies, 
Count Gerald of Aurillac and William the Pious, count of Avergne and Duke of 
Aquitaine.[1] William the Pious had taken Ebles under his care and assured the boy’s 
education after the death of Ebles’ father.[2]

In 902, Ebles, with the assistance of William the Pious, a distant relative, conquered 
Poitiers while Aymar was away, and reestablished himself in his former position. 
Charles III, who knew Ebles as a childhood companion, then formally invested Ebles 
with the title, Count of Poitou. Ebles would hold this title until his death.[2]

The comital title was the only one to which he ever had legitimate investiture. Ebles 
allotted the abbey of Saint-Maixent to Savary, Viscount of Thouars, who had been his 
constant supporter. He restructured Poitou by creating new viscounties in Aulnay and 
Melle and dissolved the title and position of Viscount of Poitou upon the death of its 
holder, Maingaud, in 925.

In 904, he conquered the Limousin.

In 911 he, with two other French commanders were aligned in opposition to Rollo, a 
Norwegian invader who had plundered the countryside. Ebles and the other two 
commanders intended to lead their armies in defense of the city of Chartres. Part of 
Rollo’s army camped on a hill (Mont-Levis) north of the city, while the rest were 
stationed on the plains outside Chartres [3]

On Saturday, July 20, 911, the battle between the French and Danish armies 
commenced. "Rollo and his forces were shamefully routed, smitten, as the legend 
tells, with corporeal blindness. A panic assuredly fell upon the heroic commander, a 
species of mental infirmity discernible in his descendants: the contagious terror 
unnerved the host. Unpursued, they dispersed and fled without resistance." At the 
end of the day, 6,800 Danes lay dead on the field of battle.[4]

Ebles was somewhat slow in arriving at Chartres, so he was unable to "take his due 
share in the conflict." His victorious partners proudly boasted of their success, and 
mocked Ebles and his tardy army. To redeem his honor and quiet the ridicule, Ebles 
accepted a challenge to confront the remant of the Danish army that remained 
camped on the Mont-Levis. But instead of driving the Danes away, Ebles’ army was 
defeated soundly. "In the dark of the night, the Northmen, sounding their horns and 
making a terrible clamour, rushed down the mount and stormed" Ebles camp. Ebles 
fled and hid in a drum in a fuller’s workshop. His cowardice and dishonor was derided 
in a popular French ballad of the Plantagenet age.[5]

When Ebles’ benefactor, William the Pious, died, William was succeeded as Duke of 
Aquitaine by William the Younger. In 927, William the Younger died, and he left his 
title to his brother Acfred; but Acfred did not live even a year. Acfred made Ebles his 
heir, and in 928 Ebles assumed the titles Duke of Aquitaine, Count of Berry, Count of 
Auvergne, and Velay[6]

In 929, King Rudolph started trying to reduce the power of Ebles. He withdrew from 
him access to Berry, then in 932 he transferred the titles of Duke of Aquitaine and 
Count of Auvergne to the Count of Toulouse, Raymond Pons. Moreover, the territory 
of La Marche, which was under the control of the lord of Charroux, vassal of Ebles, 
was transformed into an independent county.

Marriage and issue[edit]

Ebles' first wife was Aremburga, whom he married before 10 Oct 892.[2] His second 
wife was Emilienne, whom he married in 911. following Emilienne's died in 913/915, 
Ebles remarried to an Adele.[7] Some 19th century English historians identified Adele 
with Ælfgifu, daughter of Edward the Elder, [8] known to have married "a prince near 
the Alps", but there is nothing to support this identification. She has also been called 
Adela, Alaine, or Aliana.

Ebalus had one child by Emilienne, and another one by Adele :[9]
William III of Aquitaine married Gerloc, daughter of Rollo of Normandy
Ebalus, Bishop of Limoges and Treasurer of St. Hilary of Poitiers[10]

Parents
____ Ranulph II (ABT  855 - 5 Aug  890)
____ Adelaide (ABT  862 - )

Siblings
DE POITIERS Arsende (ABT  879 - )
DE POITIERS Ebles II (Ebalus Manzer) ( 890 -  934)

Marriage To ____ Elgiva (Emiliane) (Emilienne) (ABT  895 - )
    m.  911 

Notes
his 2d

Parents
____ Edward I "the Elder" ( 875 - Jul  924)
____ Aelflaed (Elfleda) (Ethelfleda) (ABT  878 - ABT  919)

Children by ____ Elgiva (Emiliane) (Emilienne) ABT  895 - 
____ William (Guillaume) III (I) "Tete d'Etoupe" (ABT  915 - 3 Apr  963)

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