In the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France, on the ancient road that connected the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, stand proudly the magnificent walls of one of the most beautiful cities in France that have been preserved from the Middle Ages.
Within the well-fortified walls, which were used, among other things, for the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, countless stories and legends have been woven over the years, the most famous of which is the legend of the brave woman Caracas, who gave her name to the city.
Legend has it that after conquering almost all of Spain, the Muslims (the Saracens as they were called by the Christians during the 732th century) who came from North Africa crossed the Pyrenees and reached the land of France. On their way north, they stopped at the fortress of Carcassonne, and despite the locals’ fierce attempts to defend the city, the fortress fell to the Muslims. In XNUMX, after his victory at Poitiers, Charles Martel tried to drive the Arabs to Spain, but failed in his attempts to conquer Carcassonne.
The Franks continued to dream of conquering the fortified city. And it was none other than Martel's famous grandson, Charlemagne, who made his way to the Aude River and positioned himself in front of the fortress with a huge army that included 1200 knights and countless warriors.
When the ruler of the Muslim fortress of Balak saw Charlemagne's many soldiers descending from the mountains, he sealed the city gates and asked for help from his cousin, the sheikh of the city of Narbonne. Balak, who was willing to sacrifice his life and the lives of his warriors, gathered them and addressed them in these words: "The more successful the harvest, the more satisfied the angel of death." In the name of God, my comrades in arms today will reap well..." The Muslims tried to harvest their enemies and fought bravely, but Charlemagne and his knights outnumbered them, and in the bloody battle, Balak and his soldiers died. Balak's widow, whose name was Carcass, was a soldier's wife, and after mourning her husband's death, she took his sword and stood at the head of the few knights remaining in the fortress. The siege of the city lasted five years, a period during which Charlemagne learned to appreciate Carcass' courage and steadfastness. War has many faces, and surprisingly, one of Karl's close friends - Olivon, was captivated by the charms of the Torch Woman.
As the siege entered its sixth year, famine began to take its toll on the last defenders of the wall. To create the impression that many defenders remained, Lady Carcass gave weapons to the women and children, and placed straw dolls on top of the walls, which she dressed in the clothes of the dead. Carcass appeared in several places at the same time, and surprised the Franks by shooting the remaining arrows from her bows at the besieged army. However, the next day, Lady Carcass saw that only one small pig remained in the besieged city and a single sack of wheat for medicine, which was not enough to feed the starving inhabitants of the city. As an act of desperation or resourcefulness, you decide!, the lady drowned the pig with all the remaining wheat, and from the high tower she threw it over the walls towards the enemy soldiers. The flying pig's stomach, which hit the ground, opened and a flood of good grain poured out.
Charlemagne's stunned advisors understood: that only in a place abundant in food would they give wheat to a despicable beast. Charlemagne himself, realizing that the siege could last for many years, decided to end the pointless siege and began to prepare his soldiers for an immediate retreat. Legend has it that when the soldiers began to march, Charlemagne marched with the force of the marshal, while to his right walked the infatuated Olivon, who turned his gaze for the last time towards the receding walls of the city. Suddenly, bells rang from the tower, announcing the joy and, apparently, the desire of Carcass to reach a peace agreement with the Frankish leader. The excited Olivon exclaimed "Carcass sonne" (literally, Carcass is ringing), and Charlemagne responded that this name was appropriate for the proud city, which would henceforth be called Carcassonne.
And so, a flying pig and the resourcefulness of a woman brought an end to the difficult siege and saved the city. Charles left the city, not before making his faithful friend Olivon the patron saint of the city, and giving him Caracas to the woman who had taken on the burden of Christianity.
Caracas became a legend and its story was passed down from generation to generation, and its image carved in stone can be seen at the entrance to the fortress to this day. And if you haven't had the chance to visit this charming place yet, you are invited to take a virtual trip there using the following video: