In the early 9th century, Charlemagne — the most powerful ruler in Europe — brought his mighty army to besiege Carcassonne. The city was held by a Saracen lord named Balaak, but Balaak had died during the siege, leaving his wife, a noblewoman named Carcas, to defend the fortress alone.
0%
Crowns & Conquests·1/1·1′
The place
Carcassonne
Dame Carcas and the Pig
...s cunning defeated Charlemagne and gave the city its name
Early 9th century (Carolingian period)Carcassonne
Moral of the Story
“Cunning can defeat the mightiest army — when all seems lost, the cleverest stratagem is the one your enemy never suspects.”
Characters
D
Dame CarcasC
CharlemagneB
Balaak (Saracen lord)Source
Medieval chronicle "Historia de la Guerre de Navarre"; Languedocian oral tradition; bust of Dame Carcas at Narbonne Gate