Raoul de Guînes
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Raoul de Guînes (c. 992-30 May 1036), or Ralph, Rodolphe, or Rudolph, was the third Count of Guînes. He was the son of Ardolf, Count of Guînes and Matilda, the daughter of Count Erniculus of Boulogne. He had one brother, Roger, who died young.[1]
According to Lambert of Ardres, Raoul "lived too prodigally, was unjust and hateful to his people, and died not a timely but a miserable death through their rebukes."[2] Raoul stands out for being a tyrant of a ruler. According to Lambert, Raoul did not have enough of his own property to apportion to his retinue, so he "rampaged among his subjects," demanding unjust exactions and constantly plundered, slandered, and oppressed them.[2]
He died in a tournament in Paris. Lambert goes into detail describing Raoul's death: after receiving a wound to his stomach, Raoul was thrown off his horse by arrows coming from archers (which also pierced his right eye). Then, they seized the count, "who was only half alive, and despoiled him."[3] After he was clearly dead, "they were moved by no mercy and threw him unmercifully into the Seine, whereupon he was never seen again."[3]