Самый древний текст на Западе, в котором упоминается игра в шах­маты, написан на каталанском языке и датируется началом XI века: распоряжением 1008 года граф Урхельский Эрменгол I завещает свои шахматные фигуры «церкви святого Эгидия[1]». Несколько десятилетий спустя, в 1061 году, великий богослов Петр Дамиан, в то время кардинал Остии, доносит папе на епископа Флоренции, которого он якобы ви­дел играющим в шахматы (Murray 1913: 408–415). Тем самым он кладет начало длинной череде диатриб, которыми Церковь почти до самого конца Средневековья клеймила эту игру. И тщетно. Начиная со вто­рой половины XII века возрастает число текстуальных, археологиче­ских и иконографических свидетельств, демонстрирующих, насколько быстро распространялась эта игра, несмотря на враждебность Церк­ви. Теперь шахматами увлекаются не только князья и прелаты: теперь в них играет все благородное сословие во всех католических странах, от Сицилии до Исландии, от Португалии до Польши.

Комментарий 1: Каталанский язык - это язык басков, на нем писал и Нострадамус. То, что он близок армянскому языку и послужил взаимосвязям между волнами прибывающих в Южную Францию и Испанию катаров и местным населением в 7-12 веках, доказывается во многих источниках. Один из них мы приведем выше.

Но именно эта близость, с одной стороны, послужила фундаментом для появления баскско-армяно-катарских государств Прованс и Лангедок, а с другой стороны, вызвала животную ненависть у Католической церкви, которая сотнями тысяч сжигала катаров на кострах (см. книгу З.Ольденбург. Костры Монсегюра), не потому, что они - еретики (хотя еретиками в ту эпоху были именно приверженцы Католической церкви), а потому что именно армяне-катары могли вывести на чистую воду мошенничество и ложь Католической церкви и ее участие во многих преступлениях того времени. Чего стоит придуманная этой церковью казнь сжиганием на кострах живых людей!

Комментарий 2: Аrmengol I, Count of Urgell

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Saint Ermengol (also Armengol or Armengod) or Hermengaudius (died 1035) was the bishop of Urgell from 1010.

Possibly born in the village of Ayguatébia, he was the son of Bernat I, viscount of Conflent, and of his wife Guisla de Lluçià, and also the nephew and successor of Bishop Sal·la and a member of the family of the counts of Conflent.^[1] He began his episcopate by reforming the cathedral canons, along the lines of the life of Saint Augustine of Hippo, and granting them land in Vallespir, Cerdanya, and Alt Urgell. In 1012, he travelled to Rome for an audience with Pope Benedict VIII,^[2] who confirmed the possessions of his bishopric and its jurisdiction, including over Ribagorza. In 1017, he consecrated Borrell as bishop of Roda and received recognition by that bishop of his superiority in the local hierarchy.

He was often at odds with the nobility of Urgell and he assisted in the construction of many public works. He built the cathedral of Urgell, which was consecrated in 1040 by his successor, Eribau. For these public acts, he is celebrated annually in the Fair of Saint Ermengol. He died at his new El Pont de Bar in 1035. He was canonised and his feast day is 3 November.

Notes[edit]

1. Jump up ^ Catalunya Romànica, vol. VII, "La Cerdanya, El Conflent", Enciclopedia Catalana, Barcelona, 1995, p. 265.
2. Jump up ^ Or possible 1011 for an audience with Sergius IV.

Ermengol (or Armengol) I (974–1010), called el de Córdoba, was the Count of Urgell from 992 to his death. He was the second son of Borrell II of Barcelona and his first wife, Letgarda. He was the second of the counts of Urgel and famous mainly for his participation in the Reconquista.

Borrell II (died 993) was Count of Barcelona, Girona, and Ausona from 945 and Count of Urgell from 948.

Borrell was first seen acting as Count during the reign of his father Sunyer in 945 at the consecration of the nunnery church of Sant Pere de les Puelles in Barcelona. In 947, Sunyer retired to monastic life and ceded the government of his realms jointly to his sons Borrell and Miró I. In 948, Borrell inherited Urgell from his uncle Sunifred II.^[1] Sunyer died in 950, and Miró died in 966, leaving Borrell sole ruler of more than half of Old Catalonia, a status which led outsiders and flatterers to refer to him as dux Gothiae, "Duke of Gothia". His own documents almost all refer to him merely as comes et marchio, "Count and Marquis".^[2]

Borrell was the son of Sunyer. In 967 he married Letgarda, who is speculated to have been daughter of a Count of Toulouse or Rouergue based on the names given to her children. By her Borrell had two sons and two daughters: Ramon Borrell (972-1017), Ermengol (974–1010), Ermengarda and Richilda. After Letgarda's death circa 986, he married Eimeruda of Auvergne in 987.

From 988, Borrell's sons Ramon Borrell and Ermengol appear as rulers in a divided territory, with Ramon Borrell being count of Barcelona, Girona, and Osona and Ermengol being count of Urgell.^[14] Borrell II continued to issue documents and tour his domains, however, and when he was taken ill in 993 in Castellciutat near la Seu d'Urgell, the will that he made provided for him outliving his executors.^[15] It was not to be, however, and his death followed soon afterwards.^[16]

A man of culture, Ermengol was open to influences from wider Europe and he made two voyages to Rome, in 998 and 1001. He was a stimulus to his nobles in making pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela or Le Puy. He also reformed the judiciary of his county to make justice more available to all.^[1] He also began to reassert his authority over the outlying castles of his realm, whose lords were acting independent of his power.^[1]

He also maintained an intense war against the Caliphate of Córdoba. In 1003, Urgell was invaded by Abd al-Malik al-Muzaffar. Aided by Raymond Borrel of Barcelona, Bernard I of Besalú, and Wifred II of Cerdagne, Ermengol defeated them at the Battle of Torà, followed by the tighter Battle of Albesa.^[2] He was captured by Abdelmelik, the Córdoban hajib, during reprisals in the summer, but was free by March 1004. In 1008, he led several successful expeditions against the Moors.^[3] In 1010, he participated in the expedition of his brother Raymond Borrel of Barcelona against Córdoba itself. He died nearby at Castell de Bacar, thirty seven years of age.

His testament, dated around 1010, includes the first attested mention of chess in Western Europe.

Family

Before 10 July 1000, Ermengol married Tetberga, presumably a daughter of Artaud I, Count of Forez, by his wife Tetberga of Limoges. Tetberga died between 7 April and 3 November 1005, when Ermengol's second wife is first mentioned. As his second wife, Ermengol married Guisla (Gisela), whose family is not known, but who could be the homonymous daughter of Gausfred I of Roussillon, named in her father's will in February 989. She survived him and was still alive on 18 November 1010. From this second union came two children:

• Ermengol II, his successor
• Ermesinda, married before 1029 Raymond III, Count of Pallars-Jussà

Notes[edit]

1. ^ Jump up to: ^{a b} Lewis, Archibald R. The Development of Southern French and Catalan Society, 718–1050. University of Texas Press: Austin, 1965, p 379.

2. Jump up ^ Carl Erdmann (1977), The Origin of the Idea of Crusade (Princeton: Princeton University Press), 99–100.

3. Jump up ^ Erdmann, based on Adhemar de Chabannes.

Sources[edit]

• Lewis, Archibald R. The Development of Southern French and Catalan Society, 718–1050. University of Texas Press: Austin, 1965.
• Aurell i Cardona, Martin. "Jalons pour une enquête sur les stratégies matrimoniales des comtes catalans (IXe-XIe s.)" Symposium Internacional sobre els Origens de catalunya (Segles VIII-XI), 2 vol, Barcelona 1991–2; vol 1, pp 282–364.
• Stasser, Thierry. "Origine familiale de trois comtesses de Pallars." Anuario de Estudios Medievales, 26/1, 1996, pp 3–16.