Popponids

The Popponids were a Frankish dynasty flourising in the early 9th century that originated from Grabfeld. They are named after their descent from Poppo of Grapfeld, who in turn descended from the Robertians. The Popponids gradually evolved into the Elder (or Franconian) House of Babenberg. They were related to the Luitpoldings.

Various dynasties are thought to be descending from them, most importantly the Younger (or Austrian) House of Babenberg, who named themselves after the Elder House of Babenberg although their precise linkage cannot yet be proven. But the Wittelsbach, the Henneberg, the Schweinfurt and the Babonids are also thought to be descending from the Popponids.

The oldest known ancestor of the Frankish Babenbergs was Poppo I of Grapfeld (died 839/841), after whom the dynasty is named. He was the grandson of Count Heimrich of the Upper Rheingau (740–795), a son of Count Cancor (died 771). This makes Poppo part of an early collateral line of the Robertians related to the French royal family of the Capetians. Poppo was count in the Grapfeld (Grabfeld) region from 819 to 839, on the border between modern-day Bavaria and Thuringia. Poppo was married to a daughter of the Hattonid dynasty, bringing in possessions in positions in Saxony and Austrasia.

A Christian I, Hesso I and II, Burkhard and Liutolf are known to be counts in Grabfeld (and direct relatives thereof), but their affiliation to the Popponids is not proven. Christian I with his wife Heilwig is sometimes placed between Poppo (~770-839/841) and his (grand-)son Henry (~830-886) to explain a time gap between the two, but his name is not repeated in following generations.

Poppo's (grand-)sons continued the dynasty. Instead of Popponids, they are increasingly called Babenberger onwards.

Henry I of Franconia (died 886) is described by the Annals of Fulda as the "leader of the army" (princeps militiae) of Louis the Younger in 866 during his rebellion against his father King Louis the German. During the reign of Charles the Fat, who favored the family, Henry's career is a succession of battles with Viking raiders. He was variously called marchio francorum (Margrave of the Franks) and dux austrasiorum (Duke of the Austrasians).

He was eventually killed in battle during the Viking Siege of Paris in 886. His death may have enabled his distant cousin Count Odo to carve out an increasingly important role for his descendants, the House of Capet. Furthermore, his death and inability to protect his family may have enabled the later Babenberger Feud and the death of his children.

Henry's wife may have been Ingeltrude, the daughter of Eberhard of Friuli. They had at least three sons and one daughter, all of whom died during the Babenberger Feud;