85

Contrary to what some scholars have recently tried to demonstrate, the beautiful episode about Alpaida in the twelfth century Girart de Roussillon has no genetic link either to a story about elves or to German mythology. As background, the episode follows the narrative storyline of the beautiful jailer in love with her prisoner (substantiated at least twice in twelfth-century French-speaking circles before the Girart) whereas, for its proper names and certain related motifs, it was inspired by the legend of Alpaida, mother of Charles Martel (as this legend appeared in the twelfth century). In favor of this latter relationship, one should note the etymological identity, hitherto unrecognized, between Avridum "Avroy-pr?s-Li?ge," home of Alpaida, mother of Charles Martel, and (Auridum>) Auridon, the imaginary home in the Ardennes of the Girart Alpaida. Oridon in the song of Auberi le Bourguignon and, probably, Dordon(e) in the Quatre Fils Aymon, both names of imaginary castles in the Ardennes, are derived from the same place-name.