BOURDEAUX Medieval Festival
August 15th, 2023
The Legend of Alberte de Poitiers
Alberte, daughter of the Lord of Bourdeaux, had two suitors, Alfrédis de Mornans and Hérald de Bézaudun.
Alfrédis and Alberte were dating in secret. They had been in love for a long time, and the Sire of Poitiers decided to marry them off. Mad with grief, Hérald soon found an ally in Beatrix. An old relative of Alberte's and the local suzerain, she dreamed of uniting the Poitiers and the Bézaudun.
Hérald finally agreed to renounce his love only in exchange for a souvenir from Alberte. Beatrix promised him the scarf that Alberte had embroidered for Alfrédis, on condition that he went to fight in the Holy Land.
On the wedding day, a tournament was held. To everyone's astonishment, Alfrédis' first opponent was none other than Hérald. The latter, who was wearing Alberte's scarf, cried out: "See by my colours who my Lady is!”. Alberte fainted. Alfrédis fought the felon but died in the same assault.
A general battle ensued. And that day, the river turned blood red all the way to the Rhône.
Alberte did not survive her husband.
Based on the poem by Alexis Muston
Alexis Muston (1810-1888)
A Franco-Italian pastor and historian of Waldensian Protestantism, Alexis Muston was also a doctor. He arrived in Bourdeaux in 1835 and ministered there from 1840 until the end of his life.
In 1838, he wrote the poem Alberte de Poitiers and a collection of poetry entitled "Néolyres" in homage to the villagers who had welcomed him so warmly on his arrival.
A talented poet, draughtsman and watercolourist, he frequented the great writers of his time, including Alphonse de Lamartine, Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas and George Sand. The latter, breaking with Catholicism, called on him in 1864 to celebrate the religious marriage of her son Maurice and the baptism of her grandson, Marc-Antoine.
Alexis Muston rests in a small family cemetery in Bourdeaux.