Alpaida (also Alpaïde, Alpaide, Alphaida, Alpoïde, Elphide, Elfide, Chalpaida; c. 654 – c. 714) was a Frankish noblewoman who hailed from the Liège area.[1][2] She became the second wife, concubine or mistress of Pippin of Herstal and mother to a son by him, Charles Martel and possibly another, Childebrand I.[3][4][5][6][7][8]
Saint Lambert of Maastricht was a vocal critic of the relationship between Pepin and Alpaida.[10] A tradition would eventually develop that, Pepin's domesticus (manager of state domains) Dodon, whose troops would murder Lambert, was in fact the brother of Alpaida; however, the historical accuracy of Dodon being her brother has been questioned.[4][6]
Notes
According to Sara McDougall, the way many medieval sources define and use the terms "second wife", "concubine" and "mistress" are unclear and do not align with how modern audiences understand and use those same terms in modern standards so it is unclear how medieval sources would have defined Alpaida's role within Pepin II's life in terms of their relationship.[11]
It seems that in this time period, it was the mother and her lineage that shaped and determined the child's possibility to inherit from their father, so to discredit the child's claim to their father's inheritance, one must discredit the mother. This is reflected in the historiography around Alpaida, who was once called a second wife in eighth-century writings, re-labeled a concubine in later ninth century writings, and finally, as a result of possible anti-Charles Martel or anti-Carolingian sentiment, tenth-century written sources now called Charles Martel's legitimacy and claim to Pepin II's inheritance into question by challenging Alpaida's role within the Pippinid family.[12][13]
^Theuws, Frans (2001). "Maastricht as a centre of power". In Frans Theuws (ed.). Topographies of Power in the Early Middle Ages. Mayke B. de Jong, Carine van Rhijn. BRILL. pp. 190–91. ISBN9789004117341. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
^McDougall, Sara."Chapter Two: The Carolingian Example: The Sons of Concubines." Royal Bastards: The Birth of Illegitimacy, 800-1230. First Edition. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2016. Page 82. ISBN978-0-19-182763-1doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198785828.001.0001, March 2024. McDougall makes it clear that modern day interpretations of Concubine or second wives are not the same as how they were used in the Medieval era.
^Bouchard, Constance B. "Childeric III And the Emperors Drogo Magnus and Pippin the Pious." Medieval Prosopography, Vol 28(2013) https://www.jstor.org/stable/44946900 Page 4, footnote 10 clarifies eighth century sources refer to Alpaidis and Plectrude both as wives. She is also referred to in the body of the article as Pippin's "bigamous second wife."(Also page 4).
^Mcdougall, Sara."Chapter One:The Language of Illegitimacy in Medieval Europe." Royal Bastards: The Language of Illegitimacy, 800-1230Oxford, 2016. ISBN978-0-19-182763-1doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198785828.001.0001 Pages 49 and 53. Page 53 is specifically referring to and expanding upon Brigitte Kasten's research.
