Introduction:
This text has been brilliantly analyzed by Stephen White in his article
"Feuding and Peace-Making in the Touraine around the Year 1100," Traditio
42 (1986): 195-263. As White shows, the case of Acharias of Marmande
is inextricably linked to the fratricidal struggle for control of the castle
and lordship of L'Ile-Bouchard. On its own, however, it reveals much
about aristocratic attitudes towards feud, violence, absolution of sin,
and the role of monastic intermediaries. The text comes from the
cartulary of the monastery of Noyers, located in the southern Touraine.
Acharias of Marmande went to war against the viscount of Chatellerault [Castrum Adraldi], Aimery lord of Faye-la-Vineuse, and Geoffrey Fodialis lord of L'Ile-Bouchard. These three joined together against Acharias and destroyed his castle and Rupem, and took all of his land away from him. Acharias, lacking any lands, came to le Nouatre where he dwelled for a great number of days fighting against L'Ile-Bouchard, Faye-la-Vineuse, and Chatellerault. In time it happened that Peloquinus, son of Borellus, seized the castle of L'Ile-Bouchard, so Acharias went there and made peace with him. He lived at L'Ile-Bouchard and from it began to wage war against Chatellerault and le Nouatre. Having set out one night for the purpose of looting, he came with his men to the hills they call de Griziaco, and there, in the house of a certain rustic [rusticus] he found some men gathered together; and he began to attack them [expugnare eos], and those inside concealed themselves in the cellar [in rupe]. Those outside [ie., Acharias' men] set fire to the house above the cellar and killed all those who were within. In this way were killed the sister of Walter de Podiis montibus with her sons, and the mother of Bernard brother of Hubert de Podiis; many others, both women and children, were also killed there. On the same night, the same Acharias was captured by his nephew and brought to le Nouatre, where he remained for a while in captivity. After this, moreover, becoming aware of [his] great sin since he had caused this to befall them, he asked Abbot Rainer and the monks of St Marie de Noyers to pray to God for him; in return, he set free three of the monks' fishermen whom he was holding in chains.
Once Acharias had been freed from prison, he asked the aforesaid Abbot Rainer and his monks if they would seek peace on his behalf with those men whose relatives he had killed. The Abbot and monks freely agreed, and they led those men whose kin had been killed to L'Ile-Bouchard, where the monks reconciled those men with Acharias through the following agreement: Acharias would cause two hundred masses to be sung for the souls of their dead kin. And Acharias then asked the same Abbot and the monks of Noyers to sing the two hundred masses; the monks freely agreed to do this, and in turn Acharias gave them half of the portus [trading community] which Stephen the seneschal of Faye-la-Vineuse had already given them. That portus is found above Noyers against the church which is called la Porte. Even though he had formerly disputed possession of this half of the portus with the monks, Acharias, who had been freed from the the sin of homicide by the intervention of the Blessed Mother of God, affirmed the portus to God, to the Blessed Mary, and to the monstery of Noyers. All this was done at L'Ile-Bouchard, and Abbot Rainer and Lisiard the monk heard [his affirmation].
Witnesses: William the Plunderer [William Tira-Praedam], Bernard de Fraxinis, Gerard the provost, Walter de Podiis, and his brother Hubert de Podiis.
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