- Herbert I of Maine
Herbert I (died 1036), called Wakedog or Evigilans Canis ("Eveille-Chien"), was the
count of Maine from 1015, the son and successor of Hugh III.Under the last
Carolingian and first Capetiankings of France , royal power declined sharply and many royal rights were amassed by the greater and lesser nobility. Herbert of Maine even struck coins with his own monogram. He purchased the loyalty of his vassals by dolling out his land to them and granting them the right to build castles, which proliferated, as atSablé ,Château-du-Loir ,Mayenne ,Laval ,La Ferté Bernard ,Saint Calais ,Sillé (after 1050),La Suze ,Malicorne ,La Milesse ,Montfort , andSourches .From the beginning of his reign, he was constrained to aid his suzerain,
Fulk III of Anjou , in a war againstOdo II of Blois , both of whom had designs on theTouraine . In 1016, following an attack on the fortress ofMontrichard , Odo met the forces of Fulk at theBattle of Pontlevoy on6 July . Despite Odo's numerical advantage, by the intervention of Herbert, the battle went to Fulk. One of the consequences of the battle was to create a balance of power in the region, which was followed by peace for several years.By marrying his son to a daughter of the count of Blois, Herbert was able to maintain himself independent of his legal suzerain. He also allied with the
count of Rennes , who threatened Fulk from the west. He made enemies with the king, Robert II, and even expelled thebishop of Le Mans ,Avesgaud of Bellème , from his diocese. Finally, on7 March 1025 , he was arrested inSaintes by Fulk, who kept him imprisoned for two years until a coalition forced his release. Herbert then did homage to Fulk.Herbert left four children:
*Hugh IV, successor, married Bertha, daughter of Odo of Blois
*Biota, marriedWalter III of the Vexin
*Paula, either wife or mother ofJohn de Beaugency , among whose children was Elias to whom Maine eventually passed
*Gersenda, married firstlyTheobald III of Blois ; divorced in 1048 and married secondlyAlbert Azzo II, Margrave of Milan External Link
* [http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/MAINE.htm#HerbertIMainedied1032B Foundation for Medieval Genealogy on Heribert (I) du Maine]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.