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The fortified cité of Carcassonne dates from Roman times, each century adding on to it. In 725 it was
held by the Sarassins. Charlemagne beseiged it for 5 years without success. A certain Dame Carcas, a Sarassin princess, took control of the city upon the death of her husband. She ordered an inventory of the remaining supplies and was told that there remained but one pig and a sack of grain. On hearing this bad news, she decided to take the pig and grain to the highest rampart and show Charlemagne that there was enough food left that she could squander it on a pig.
Seeing this, the Emperor abandoned his seige. Dame Carcas ordered all the bells in the city to be rung. On hearing them, one of Charlemagne's men responded with the phrase "Carcas sonne" (Carcas is ringing). Whether this, in fact, was the origin of the name is debatable, but it is a nice story.