Other Events:

• Death: 06 Mar 1051/52, Winchester, Hampshire, England

Notes:

Emma de Normandie was born between 985 and 987 at Normandy, France. She was the daughter of Richard I, 3rd Duc de Normandie and Gunnor de Crêpon. She married, firstly, Æthelred II 'the Unready', King of England, son of Eadgar 'the Peaceful', King of England and Ælfthryth, on 5 April 1002 at Winchester Cathedral, Winchester, Hampshire, England. She married, secondly, Canute II Sveynsson, King of England and Denmark, son of Sveyn I 'Forkbeard' Haraldsson, King of Denmark and England and Gunhilda of Poland, on 2 July 1017. She died on 14 March 1052 at Winchester, Hampshire, England. She was buried at Winchester Cathedral, Winchester, Hampshire, England.

Emma (c.?985 - 6 March 1052 in Winchester, Hampshire), was a daughter of Richard the Fearless, Duke of Normandy, by his second wife Gunnora. She was Queen consort of England twice, by successive marriages: first as second wife to Æthelred the Unready of England (1002-16); and then second wife to Cnut the Great of Denmark (1017-35). Two of her sons, one by each husband, and two stepsons, also by each husband, became kings of England, as did her great-nephew, William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy.

Life

Reign of Æthelred

In 1000-1 Normandy gave shelter to a Viking army threatening England, and Æthelred may have attempted an invasion of Normandy in response, but in 1002 he changed tack and arranged to marry Emma, the sister of Richard II, Duke of Normandy, as his second wife. She was given an English name, Ælfgifu, which was used instead of her Norman name on formal occasions or on charters. She had two sons, Edward (the future Edward the Confessor) and Alfred, and a daughter, Goda. She was accorded a more prominent place in charters than his first wife. She received properties that had belonged to Queen Ælfthryth in Winchester and Rutland, and also controlled the city of Exeter, parts of Devonshire, Suffolk and Oxfordshire.

In 1013 Æthelred sent Emma and her children to her brother in Normandy to escape Sweyn's invasion, and soon followed himself, but they were able to return when Sweyn died in February 1014. Æthelred's eldest son, Æthelstan had long been recognised as heir apparent, and charter evidence shows that Edward ranked behind all Æthelred's sons by his first marriage, but Æthelstan died in June 1014, and Emma now tried to get her own son, the ten year old Edward, recognised as heir. She was an ally of her husband's most trusted adviser, the deeply distrusted Eadric Streona, ealdorman of Mercia, and he took her side, but she was opposed by Æthelred's oldest surviving son, Edmund Ironside, and his allies, who naturally regarded him as the heir.

Edmund revolted against his father, and in 1015 Sweyn's son Cnut invaded. Æthelred was able to hold out against Cnut in London, but in April 1016 Æthelred died, as did Edmund in November. Queen Emma still held out against Cnut in London, but it was finally agreed that her sons should go to live in Normandy and she would marry Cnut. The marriage probably saved her sons, as Cnut tried to rid himself of rival claimants, but spared their lives.

Reign of Cnut

During the first years of Cnut's reign, Emma was rarely called upon to act as witness to his acts. This changed around 1020, when she became more active in affairs. Like Queen Ælfthryth, she acted as patroness of the clergy and abbot Ælfsige of Peterborough was one of her closest advisors. She also befriended clergy from the continent, which added to the prestige of both herself and her husband as a Christian king.

It is thought though, due not least to the extolling of her in the Encomium Emmae Reginae, that in addition to political machinations, Cnut grew fond of Emma. In this, an affectionate marriage and the ability to keep the threat from over the channel at bay, was seen as a happy coincidence.

Reigns of Harold I, Harthacnut and Edward the Confessor

After Cnut's death, Edward and Alfred returned to England from their exile in 1036, to see their mother, and were put under their half-brother, Harthacnut's, protection. This was seen as a move against Harold Harefoot, Cnut's son by Ælfgifu of Northampton, who put himself forward as Harold I with the support of many of the English nobility. In contempt of Harthacnut, and at war with his enemies in Scandinavia, Alfred was captured, blinded, and shortly after, died from his wounds. Edward escaped to Normandy and Emma herself soon left for Bruges and the court of the Count of Flanders. It was at this court that the Encomium Emmae was written.

Twice the Queen of the English kingdom, Emma of Normandy sits here in receipt of the Encomium Emmae, with her sons Harthacnut and Edward the Confessor in the frame.

Harthacnut prepared an invasion force after he had made his Danish Lands secure in 1040 and picked Emma up from Flanders before setting out to England. The death of Harold I in 1040 made his accession easier. Emma then held Wessex as regent for her son Edward, until he was officially made welcome in England the next year. Harthacnut told the Norman court that Edward should be made king if he himself had no sons. Edward was subsequently King of England on the death of Harthacnut, who, like Harold I, met his end in the throes of a fit. Emma was also to return to England, yet was cast aside, as she supported Magnus the Noble, not Edward, her son. It is supposed that she had no love for her children from her first marriage.

Psychological speculation

Emma of Normandy might well have seen herself as coming second to the first wife, in both of her marriages (Æthelred's first wife Ælfflaed possibly died in childbirth or from complications during labour). With her marriage to Cnut, set in the shade of his first wife, Ælfgifu of Northampton, she, at the time was known as Ælfgifu of Normandy. Her second marriage, then, in some way left her as a second Ælfgifu, which she was clearly inclined to abandon, preferring Emma. Despite her being a second wife, her noble marriages created a strong connection between England and Normandy, which was to find its culmination under her great-nephew William the Conqueror in 1066.

Emma's progeny

Emma's issue with Æthelred the Unready were:

Edward the Confessor
Goda of England
Alfred Ætheling

Her issue with Cnut the Great were

Harthacnut
Gunhilda of Denmark

Emma married Ethelred II The Redeless, King Of England 1002. Ethelred (son of Edgar The Peaceful, King Of England and Elfrida) was born Abt 968; died 23 Apr 1016; was buried Aft 23 Apr 1016, London, England. [Group Sheet]

Emma married Knut The Great, King Of Denmark And England 02 Jul 1017. Knut was born Abt 995; died 12 Nov 1035; was buried Winchester, Hampshire, England. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name:

Notes:

Richard I, 3rd Duc de Normandie was born on 28 August 933 at Fecamp, Normandy, France. He was the son of Guillaume I 'Longsword', 2nd Duc de Normandie and Sprota. He married, firstly, Emma de Paris, daughter of Hugues of Neustria, Comte de Paris and Hedwig von Sachsen, in 960. He married, secondly, Gunnor de Crêpon, daughter of unknown de Crepon, in 962. He died on 20 November 996 at age 63 at Fecamp, Normandy, France. Richard I, 3rd Duc de Normandie also went by the nick-name of Richard 'the Fearless' (French, Sans Peur). He succeeded to the title of 3rd Duc de Normandie on 17 December 942; he is considered the first to have held that title.

Birth

He was born to William I of Normandy, ruler of Normandy, and Sprota. He was 10 years old when his father died on 17 December 942. His mother was a Breton concubine captured in war and bound to William by a Danish marriage. After William died, Sprota became the wife of Esperleng, a wealthy miller; Rodulf of Ivry was their son and Richard's half-brother.

Life

When his father died, Louis IV of France seized Normandy and split the lands, giving lands in lower Normandy to Hugh the Great. Louis kept Richard in confinement at Lâon, but he escaped with the assistance of Osmond de Centville, Bernard de Senlis (who had been a companion of Rollo of Normandy), Ivo de Bellèsme, and Bernard the Dane (ancestor of families of Harcourt and Beaumont).

In 946, Richard agreed to "commend" himself to Hugh, Count of Paris. He then allied himself with the Norman and Viking leaders, drove Louis out of Rouen, and took back Normandy by 947. The rest of his reign was mainly peaceful, apart from conflict with Theobald I, Count of Blois marked by the restoration of Church lands and monasteries.

Richard cemented his alliance with Hugh by marrying his daughter Emma. When Hugh died, Richard became vassal to his son Hugh Capet who became king in 987. Although married to Emma, they produced no offspring. His children were from his relationship with Gonnor, a woman of Danish origin who gave him an heir, Richard.

He quarrelled with Ethelred II of England regarding Danish invasions of England because Normandy had been buying up much of the stolen booty.

Richard was bilingual, having been well educated at Bayeux. He was more partial to his Danish subjects than to the Franks. During his reign, Normandy became completely Gallicized and Christianized. He introduced the feudal system and Normandy became one of the most thoroughly feudalized states on the continent. He carried out a major reorganization of the Norman military system, based on heavy cavalry.

Marriages

His first marriage (960) was to Emma, daughter of Hugh "The Great" of France, and Hedwiga de Sachsen. (She is not to be confused with Emma of France.) They were betrothed when both were very young. She died 19 March 968, with no issue.

Richard & his children

According to Robert of Torigni, not long after Emma's death, Duke Richard went out hunting and stopped at the house of a local forester. He became enamoured of the forester's wife, Seinfreda, but she being a virtuous woman, suggested he court her unmarried sister, Gunnor, instead. Gunnor became his mistress, and her family rose to prominence. Her brother, Herefast de Crepon, may have been involved in a controversial heresy trial. Gunnor was, like Richard, of Norse descent, being a Dane by blood. Richard finally married her to legitimize their children:

Richard II "the Good", Duke of Normandy (996), died 1026.
Robert, Archbishop of Rouen, Count of Evreux, died 1037.
Mauger, Earl of Corbeil, died after 1033
Robert Danus, died between 985 and 989
another son (On tapestry name looks like Lillam, Gillam, Willam)
Emma of Normandy (c.985-1052) wife of two kings of England.
Maud of Normandy, wife of Odo II of Blois, Count of Blois, Champagne and Chartres
Hawise of Normandy (b. ca. 978), d. 21 February 1034. m. Geoffrey I, Duke of Brittany

Mistresses

Richard was known to have had several other mistresses and produced children with many of them. Known children are:

Geoffrey, Count of Eu, (b. ca. 970)
William, Count of Eu (ca. 972-26 January 1057/58)[2] m. Leseline de Turqueville (d. 26 January 1057/58).
Beatrice of Normandy, Abbess of Montvilliers d.1034 m. Ebles of Turenne (d.1030 (divorced)
Robert
"Papia" m. Gilbert de St Valery (based on a claim his wife as a daughter of "Richard of Normandy" -- the only Richard who chronologically fits is Richard I. Name is not confirmed in any source. ref)

Possible other children

Late chroniclers claimed that two of the De Hautevilles of Naples/Sicily were nephews of "Duke Richard". As the two were children of Tancred of Hauteville by different mothers, this would mean that both of Tancred's wives had been sisters of a Duke Richard, and by chronology, of Richard II, although this is not backed up by contemporary source. If true, Richard would have had at least two more illegitimate children:

Fressenda (ca. 995-ca. 1057)
Muriella

Death

He died in Fecamp, France on 20 November 996 of natural causes.

Richard I of Normandy (933-996), also known as Richard the Fearless (French, Sans Peur), was the Duke of Normandy from 942 to 996. He was called dux by Dudo of Saint-Quentin, who Richard commissioned to write his De moribus et actis primorum Normanniae ducum (Concerning the Customs and Deeds of the First Dukes of the Normans), but this use of the word dux may have been in the context of a war leader and not a title. If he didn’t introduce feudalism into Normandy he greatly expanded it. By the end of his reign most important landholders held their lands in feudal tenure.

Birth

He was born to William I of Normandy, princeps[4] or ruler of Normandy, and Sprota. He was also the grandson of the famous Rollo.He was about 10 years old when his father was killed on 17 December 942. His mother was a Breton concubine captured in war and bound to William by a Danish marriage. William was told of the birth of a son after the battle with Riouf and other Viking rebels, but his existence was kept secret until a few years later when William Longsword first met his son Richard. After kissing the boy and declaring him his heir, William sent Richard to be raised in Bayeux. After William was killed, Sprota became the wife of Esperleng, a wealthy miller; Rodulf of Ivry was their son and Richard's half-brother.

Life

When his father died, Louis IV of France seized Normandy, installed the boy Richard in his father's office, then placed him in the care of the count of Ponthieu. The king then split the lands, giving lands in lower Normandy to Hugh the Great. Louis kept Richard in confinement at Lâon, but he escaped with the assistance of Osmond de Centville, Bernard de Senlis (who had been a companion of Rollo of Normandy), Ivo de Bellèsme, and Bernard the Dane (ancestor of families of Harcourt and Beaumont).

In 946, Richard agreed to "commend" himself to Hugh, Count of Paris. He then allied himself with the Norman and Viking leaders, drove Louis out of Rouen, and took back Normandy by 947.

In 962 Theobald I, Count of Blois attacked Rouen, Richard’s stronghold, but his army was defeated by the Normans and retreated never having crossed the Seine. Lothair king of the West Franks stepped in to prevent any further war between the two.

Afterwards and until his death in 996 Richard concentrated on Normandy itself and had less dealings in Frankish politics and petty wars. He built up the Norman Empire not by expansion, but by stabilizing and uniting his followers into a cohesive and formidable principality.

Richard used marriage to build strong alliances . His marriage to Emma connected him to the Capet family. His wife Gunnor, from a rival Viking group in the Cotentin, formed an alliance to that group, while her sisters form the core group that was to provide loyal followers to him and his successors. His daughters provided valuable marriage alliances with powerful neighboring counts as well as to the king of England.

He also built on his relationship with the church, restoring their lands and insured the great monasteries flourished. His reign was marked by an extended period of peace and tranquility.

Marriages

His first marriage (960) was to Emma, daughter of Hugh "The Great" of France, and Hedwiga de Sachsen. They were betrothed when both were very young. She died after 19 March 968, with no issue.

Richard & his children

According to Robert of Torigni, not long after Emma's death, Duke Richard went out hunting and stopped at the house of a local forester. He became enamoured of the forester's wife, Seinfreda, but she being a virtuous woman, suggested he court her unmarried sister, Gunnor, instead. Gunnor became his mistress, and her family rose to prominence. Her brother, Herefast de Crepon, may have been involved in a controversial heresy trial. Gunnor was, like Richard, of Norse descent, being a Dane by blood. Richard finally married her to legitimize their children:

Richard II "the Good", Duke of Normandy
Robert, Archbishop of Rouen, Count of Evreux
Mauger, Earl of Corbeil
Emma of Normandy, wife of two kings of England
Maud of Normandy, wife of Odo II of Blois, Count of Blois, Champagne and Chartres
Hawise of Normandy m. Geoffrey I, Duke of Brittany
Papia of Normandy
William, Count of Eu

Mistresses

Richard was known to have had several other mistresses and produced children with many of them. Known children are:

Geoffrey, Count of Eu
William, Count of Eu (ca. 972-26 January 1057/58), m. Lasceline de Turqueville (d. 26 January 1057/58).
Beatrice of Normandy, Abbess of Montvilliers d.1034 m. Ebles of Turenne (d.1030 (divorced)
"Papia"

Other claims

The two wives of Tancred of Hauteville were claimed to be daughters of 'Richard of Normandy' (either I or II), although sources are late and considered untrustworthy.

Fressenda or Fredesenda (ca. 995-ca. 1057)
Muriella

Death

He died in Fecamp, France on 20 November 996.

Richard married Gunnora, Duchess of Normandy 962. Gunnora (daughter of unknown de Crepon) was born Abt 936, Normandy, France; died 1031. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name:

Notes:

Gunnor de Crêpon was born circa 936 at Normandy, France. She is the daughter of unknown de Crepon. She married Richard I, 3rd Duc de Normandie, son of Guillaume I 'Longsword', 2nd Duc de Normandie and Sprota, in 962. She died in 1031. She was also known as Gunnora.

Gunnora (or Gunnor) (c. 936 - 1031) was the wife and consort of Richard I of Normandy. Her parentage is unknown, earliest sources reporting solely that she was of Danish ancestry and naming siblings including brother Herfast de Crepon who is sometimes erroneously given as her father.

She was living with her sister Seinfreda, the wife of a local forester, when Richard, hunting nearby, heard of the beauty of the forester's wife. He is said to have ordered Seinfreda to come to his bed, but the lady substituted her unmarried sister, Gunnora. Richard, it is said, was pleased that by this subterfuge he had been saved from committing adultery, and the two became lovers. Gunnora long acted as Richard's mistress or wife by more danico, but when Richard was prevented from nominating their son Robert to be Archbishop of Rouen, the two were married, making their children legitimate in the eyes of the church.

Gunnora, both as mistress and duchess, was able to use her influence to see her kin favored, and several of the most prominent Conquest-era Norman magnates, including the Montgomery, Warenne, Mortimer, Vernon/Redvers, and Fitz Osbern families, were descendants of her brother and sisters.

Richard and Gunnora were parents to several children:

Richard II "the Good", Duke of Normandy (966)
Robert, Archbishop of Rouen, Count of Evreux, died 1037.
Mauger, Earl of Corbeil, died after 1033.
Robert Danus, died between 985 and 989
Emma of Normandy (c. 985-1052) wife of two kings of England.
Maud of Normandy, wife of Odo II of Blois, Count of Blois, Champagne and Chartres
Hawise of Normandy, wife of Geoffrey I of Brittany

Other Events:

• Name:

Notes:

Guillaume I 'Longsword', 2nd Duc de Normandie was born circa 900 at Normandy, France. He was the son of Rollo Ragnvaldsson, 1st Duc de Normandie and Poppa of Normandy de Valois. He married Sprota circa 932 in a Normandy marriage. He married Luitgarda de Vermandois, daughter of Heribert II, Comte de Vermandois and Liégarde de France, in 935. He died on 17 December 942 at Normandy, France, murdered. He succeeded to the title of 2nd Duc de Normandie in 925.

From Wikipedia

William I Longsword (French: Guillaume Longue-Épée, Latin: Willermus Longa Spata, Old Norse: Vilhjálmr Langaspjót) (893 - 17 December 942) was the second Duke of Normandy from his father's death until his own assassination. The title dux (duke) was not in use at the time and has been applied to early Norman rulers retroactively. William actually used the title comes (count).

Biography

Little is known about his early years. He was born in Bayeux or Rouen to Rollo and his wife Poppa. All that is known of Poppa is that she was a Christian, and the daughter to Berengar of Rennes, the previous lord of Brittania Nova, which eventually became western Normandy. According to the William's planctus, he was baptised a Christian.

William succeeded Rollo sometime around 927 and, early in his reign, faced a rebellion from Normans who felt he had become too Gallicised and also from Bretons. According to Orderic Vitalis, the leader was Riouf of Evreux.

After putting down the rebellion, William attacked Brittany and ravaged the territory. Resistance to the Normans was led by Alan Wrybeard and Beranger but shortly ended with the Wrybeard fleeing to England and Beranger seeking reconciliation. However, it was not through invasion that he gained Breton territory but by politics, receiving Contentin and Avranchin as a gift from Rudolph, King of France.

In 935, William married Luitgarde, daughter of Herbert II of Vermandois whose dowry gave him the lands of Longueville, Coudres and Illiers l'Eveque. His expansion northwards, including the fortress of Montreuil brought him into conflict with Arnulf I of Flanders.

In 939 William became involved in a war with Arnulf I of Flanders, which soon became intertwined with the other conflicts troubling the reign of Louis IV. It began with Herluin appealing to William for help to regain the castle of Montreuil from Arnulf. Losing the castle was a major setback in Arnulf's ambitions and William's part in it gained him a deadly enemy. He was ambushed and killed by followers of Arnulf on 17 December 942 at Picquigny on the Somme while at a meeting to settle their differences.

By Sprota, a Breton captive and his concubine, he had a son Richard the Fearless, who succeeded him.

William married Sprota Abt 932, Normandy, France. Sprota was born Abt 911, Bretagne, France. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name:

Notes:

Rollo Ragnvaldsson, 1st Duc de Normandie was born circa 846 at Maer, Norway. He was the son of Ragnvald I 'the Wise' Eysteinsson, Earl of More and Ragnhild Hrolfsdottir. He was also reported to have been born in 870 at Norway. He married, firstly, Poppa of Normandy de Valois, daughter of Berenger of Bayeaux de Senlis, Count of Bayeaux, in 886. He married, secondly, Gisela, daughter of Charles III, Roi de France and Frederuna von Sachsen, in 912. He died circa 931 at Rouen, Caux, France. He was also known as Rolf. He was created 1st Duc de Normandie in 911.

Rollo (c. 846 - c. 931), baptised Robert and so sometimes numbered Robert I to distinguish him from his descendants, was a Norse nobleman of Norwegian or Danish descent and founder and first ruler of the Viking principality in what soon became known as Normandy. His descendants were the Dukes of Normandy.

The name "Rollo" is a Latin translation due to the clerics from the Old Norse name Hrólfr, modern Scandinavian name Rolf (cf. the latinization of Hrólfr into the similar Roluo in the Gesta Danorum), but Norman people called him Rouf, and later Rou too (see Wace's Roman de Rou). He married Poppa. All that is known of Poppa is that she was a Christian, and the daughter to Berengar of Rennes, the previous lord of Brittania Nova, which eventually became western Normandy.

Historical evidence

Rollo was a powerful Viking leader of contested origin. Dudo of St. Quentin, in his De moribus et actis primorum Normannorum ducum (Latin), tells of a powerful Danish nobleman at loggerheads with the king of Denmark, who had two sons, Gurim and Rollo; upon his death, Rollo was expelled and Gurim killed. William of Jumièges also mentions Rollo's prehistory in his Gesta Normannorum Ducum, but states that he was from the Danish town of Fakse. Wace, writing some 300 years after the event in his Roman de Rou, also mentions the two brothers (as Rou and Garin), as does the Orkneyinga Saga.

Norwegian and Icelandic historians identified Rollo instead with Ganger Hrolf (Hrolf, the Walker), a son of Rognvald Eysteinsson, Earl of Møre, in Western Norway, based on medieval Norwegian and Icelandic sagas. The oldest source of this version is the Latin Historia Norvegiae, written in Norway at the end of the 12th century. This Hrolf fell foul of the Norwegian king Harald Fairhair, and became a Jarl in Normandy. The nickname "the Walker" came from being so big that no horse could carry him.

The question of Rollo's Danish or Norwegian origins was a matter of heated dispute between Norwegian and Danish historians of the 19th and early 20th century, particularly in the run-up to Normandy's 1000-year-anniversary in 1911. Today, historians still disagree on this question, but most would now agree that a certain conclusion can never be reached.

De moribus et actis primorum Normannorum ducum

Raids along the Seine

In 885, Rollo was one of the lesser leaders of the Viking fleet which besieged Paris under Sigfred. Legend has it that an emissary was sent by the king to find the chieftain and negotiate terms. When he asked for this information, the Vikings replied that they were all chieftains in their own right. In 886, when Sigfred retreated in return for tribute, Rollo stayed behind and was eventually bought off and sent to harry Burgundy.

Later, he returned to the Seine with his followers (known as Danes, or Norsemen). He invaded the area of northern France now known as Normandy.

In 911 Rollo's forces launched a failed attack on Paris before laying siege to Chartres. The Bishop of Chartres, Joseaume, appeals for help were answered by the Robert, Marquis of Neustria, Richard, Duke of Burgundy and Manasses, Count of Dijon. On 20 July 911, at the Battle of Chartres, they defeated Rollo despite the absence of many French barons and also the absence of the French King Charles the Simple.

The Principality of Normandy

In the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte (911) with King Charles, Rollo pledged feudal allegiance to the king, changed his name to the Frankish version, and converted to Christianity, probably with the baptismal name Robert. In return, King Charles granted Rollo land between the Epte and the sea as well as Brittany and the hand of the Kings daughter, Gisela. He was also the titular ruler of Normandy, centred around the city of Rouen. There exists some argument among historians as to whether Rollo was a "duke" (dux) or whether his position was equivalent to that of a "count" under Charlemagne.

According to legend, when required to kiss the foot of King Charles, as a condition of the treaty, he refused to perform so great a humiliation, and when Charles extended his foot to Rollo, Rollo ordered one of his warriors to do so in his place. His warrior then lifted Charles' foot up to his mouth causing the king to fall to the ground.

After 911, Rollo stayed true to his word of defending the shores of the Seine river in accordance to the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte, however he also continued to act like a Viking chief with attacks on Flanders.

After Charles was deposed by Robert I, Rollo considered his oath to the King of France to be over. It started a period of expansion westwards. Negotiations with French barons ended with Rollo being given Le Mans and Bayeux and continued with the seizure of Bessin in 924. The following year saw the Normans attack Picardy.

Rollo began to divide the land between the Epte and Risle rivers among his chieftains and settled there with a de facto capital in Rouen. Eventually Rollo's men intermarried with the local women, and became more settled as Normans. At the time of his death, Rollo's territory extended as far west as the Vire River.

Family

Rollo married twice:

1. Poppa, the daughter of Berengar II of Neustria and had issue:

William Longsword
Gerloc
Crispina, who married Grimaldus I of Monaco
Gerletta
Kadlin, who married a Scottish King called Bjolan, and had at least a daughter called Midbjorg, she was taken captive by and married Helgi Ottarson.

2. Gisela of France (d.919), the daughter of Charles III of France.

Death

Sometime around 927, Rollo passed the fief in Normandy to his son, William Longsword. Rollo may have lived for a few years after that, but certainly died before 933. According to the historian Adhemar, 'As Rollo's death drew near, he went mad and had a hundred Christian prisoners beheaded in front of him in honour of the gods whom he had worshipped, and in the end distributed a hundred pounds of gold around the churches in honour of the true God in whose name he had accepted baptism.' Even though Rollo had converted to Christianity, some of his prior religious roots surfaced at the end.

Legacy

Rollo is the great-great-great-grandfather of William the Conqueror. Through William, he is an ancestor of the present-day British royal family, as well as an ancestor of all current European monarchs and a great many pretenders to abolished European thrones. A genetic investigation into the remains of Rollo's grandson Richard I and great-grandson Richard II has been announced, with the intention of discerning the origins of the famous Viking warrior.

The "Clameur de Haro" in the Channel Islands is, supposedly, an appeal to Rollo.

Rollo married Poppa of Bayeux 886. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name:

Notes:

Poppa of Normandy de Valois is the daughter of Berenger of Bayeaux de Senlis, Count of Bayeaux. She married Rollo Ragnvaldsson, 1st Duc de Normandie, son of Ragnvald I 'the Wise' Eysteinsson, Earl of More and Ragnhild Hrolfsdottir, in 886. As a result of her marriage, Poppa of Normandy de Valois was styled as Duchesse de Normandie.

Poppa of Bayeux was the mistress or wife (perhaps by more danico) of Norman conqueror Rollo. She was the mother of William I, Duke of Normandy, and Gerloc. Chronicler Dudo of Saint-Quentin relates that she was the daughter of a count named Berenger, captured at Bayeux by Rollo in 885 or 889. This has led to speculation that she was the daughter of Berengar II of Neustria. A statue of Poppa stands at Place de Gaulle in Bayeux.