ROBBINS-AGNEW:Information about Rollo Ragnvaldsson, King of Normandy
Rolo of Normandy Rollo Ragnvaldsson, King of Normandy (b. 846, d. 932)
Notes for Rollo Ragnvaldsson, King of Normandy:
Rollo Ragnvaldsson of Norway, 1st Duc de Normandie1 (M)
b. 846, d. 932, #104767
Pedigree
Last Edited=11 Jul 2005
Rollo Ragnvaldsson of Norway, 1st Duc de Normandie was the son of Ragnvald I 'the Wise' Eysteinsson, Earl of More and Ragnhild Hrolfsdottir.2 He was born in 846.2 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 886.2 He married, secondly, Gisela (?), daughter of Charles III, Roi de France and Frederuna (?), in 912.2 He died in 932.2
He was also known as Rolf (?). He was created 1st Duc de Normandie in 911.1
The Vikings had many able chieftains. One of the most famous was Rollo the Walker, so called because he was such a giant that no horse strong enough to carry him could be found, and therefore he always had to walk. However, he did on foot what few could do on horseback.
The story of Rollo is especially interesting to us, because Rollo was the forefather of that famous Duke of Normandy who, less than a hundred and fifty years later, conquered England and brought into that country the Norman nobles with their French language and customs.
Children of Rollo Ragnvaldsson of Norway, 1st Duc de Normandie and Poppa of Normandy de Valois:
Robert of Corbeil
Crespina de Normandie
Gerletta de Normandie
Kathlin de Normandie
Guillaume I 'Longsword', 2nd Duc de Normandie+b. c 900, d. 17 Dec 942
Adele de Normandie+b. c 917, d. a 14 Oct 962 Hrólfr Rögnvaldsson1
M, b. 846, d. circa 927, #4458
Father Ragnvald Eysteinsson2,3 b. circa 830, d. 890
Mother Hilda Hrolfsdotter2 b. circa 848, d. after 892
Pop-up Pedigree
Reference 6335
Name Variation Hrólfr Rögnvaldsson was also styled Hrolf.4
HTML* Br Weblinks:;
Wikipedia article.
1
Birth* He was born in 846 at Maer, Norway.2
Name Variation Hrólfr Rögnvaldsson was also styled Rollo the Dane.2
Name Variation Hrólfr Rögnvaldsson was also styled Ganger Rolf.5
Event-Misc Banished from Norway to the Hebrides circa 870.5
Marriage* He married Poppa de Valois, daughter of Count Berenger of Bayeux and Anonyma de Vermandois, in 886 Hrolf killed Poppa's father, and took her captive and as his Danish wife.2,5,4
Event-Misc* He attacked Bayeax in 890 at Bayeax, France.5
Event-Misc He received the Duchy of Normandy from Charles the Simple by the Treaty of St. Claire. Charles was hoping to use Hrolf to prevent further Viking raids on his territories. Hrolf agreed to become Christian and be a vassal to Charles. In 911.5
Marriage* He married Gisela of France (?), daughter of King Charles III of France "The Simple", in 912.2
Death* He died circa 927.5,4
Burial* He was buried at Notre Dame, Rouen, Normandy, France, which he founded.5,4
Family 1 Poppa de Valois
Marriage* He married Poppa de Valois, daughter of Count Berenger of Bayeux and Anonyma de Vermandois, in 886 Hrolf killed Poppa's father, and took her captive and as his Danish wife.2,5,4
Children Robert (?)
William of Normandy "Longsword" b. c 891, d. 17 Dec 942
Adela of Normandy b. c 920, d. c 14 Oct 962
Family 2 Gisela of France (?) d. 919
Marriage* He married Gisela of France (?), daughter of King Charles III of France "The Simple", in 912.2
Last Edited 29 Jun 2005
Citations [S348] Wikipedia, online http://en.wikipedia.org/, sub Rollo of Normandy.
[S218] Marlyn Lewis, Ancestry of Elizabeth of York.
[S168] Frederick Lewis Weis, Ancestral Roots, 121E-17.
[S347] Carl Boyer 3rd, Medieval English Ancestors of Certain Americans, p. 181.
[S168] Frederick Lewis Weis, Ancestral Roots, 121E-18.
Rollo of Normandy
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Rollo (c.860 - c.932) was the Frankish-Latin name probably taken by Hrolf Ganger (Hrolf the Walker; Old Norse: Hrólfr Rögnvaldsson and Göngu-Hrólfr, Norwegian: Gange-Rolf, Swedish: Gångerolf). His nickname came from being so big that no horse could carry him. He has also been called "Rollo the Gangler" in some works, or occasionally "Robert".
Contents [hide]
1 Historical evidence
2 Invasion of France
3 Settlement
4 Death
5 Legacy
6 See also
7 References and external links
[edit]
Historical evidence
Rollo was a Viking leader, probably (based on Icelandic sources) from Norway, the son of Ragnvald, Earl of Moer; sagas mention a Hrolf, son of Ragnvald jarl of Moer. However, the latinization Rollo has in no known instance been applied to a Hrolf, and in the texts which speak of him, numerous latinized Hrolfs are included. Dudo of St. Quentin (by most accounts a more reliable source, and at least more recent and living nearer the regions concerned), in his Gesta Normannorum Ducum, tells of a powerful Danish nobleman at loggerheads with the king of Denmark, who then died and left his two sons, Gurim and Rollo, leaving Rollo to be expelled and Gurim killed.
It should be noted that for Franks, Scandinavians were called Danes irrespective of their precise origin in Scandinavia. This happened for instance in the case of Hygelac, a king of the Geats, who is called Danish, something that has caused many a Danish scholar to state that he is the first historical "king of Denmark". That Dane was confused with Dacia does not make the sources less confusing, and likewise the Geat Hygelac was not only called Danish but also Gothic and Getic depending on the manuscript.
[edit]
Invasion of France
In 885, he was one of the lesser leaders of the Viking fleet which besieged Paris under Sigfred. 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 Normans, or Northmen). He invaded the area of northern France now known as Normandy. Wace, writing some 300 years after the event, gives a Scandinavian origin, as does the Orkneyinga Saga, with Danish or Norwegian being most likely.
Unlike most Vikings whose intentions were to plunder Frankish lands, Rollo's true intentions were to look for lands to settle. Upon arrival in France, and after many battles with the Vikings, the French King Charles the Simple understood that he could no longer hold back their advances, and decided as a tempory measure to give Rollo land around Rouen under the condition that he would convert to Christianity and defend the Seine River from other raiding Vikings.
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, and in admission of defeat, King Charles granted Rollo the lower Seine area (today's upper Normandy) and the titular rulership 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, in conformity with general usage, to kiss the foot of King Charles, he refused to stoop to what he considered so great a degradation; yet as the homage could not be dispensed with, he ordered one of his warriors to perform it for him. The latter, as proud as his chief, instead of stooping to the royal foot, raised it so high, that the King fell to the ground.
[edit]
Settlement
Rollo stayed true to his word of defending the shores of the Seine river in accordance to the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte, but in time he and his followers had very different ideas. 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. With these settlements, Rollo began to further raid other Frankish lands, now from the security of a settled homeland, rather than a mobile fleet. Eventually, however, Rollo's men intermarried with the local women, and became more settled as Frenchmen. At the time of his death, Rollo's expansion of his territory had extended as far west as the Vire River.
[edit]
Death
Rollo's grave at the cathedral of RouenSometime around 927, Rollo passed the Duchy of 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 worshiped, 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 pagan roots surfaced at the end.
[edit]
Legacy
He is a direct ancestor of William the Conqueror. Through William, he is a direct ancestor of the present-day British royal family, including Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The "clameur de haro" on the Channel Islands is, supposedly, an appeal to Rollo.
Rollo Ragnvaldsson, 1st Duc de Normandie1 (M)
b. circa 846, d. circa 931, #104767
Pedigree
Last Edited=20 Aug 2005
Rollo Ragnvaldsson, 1st Duc de Normandie was born circa 846 in Maer, Norway.3 He was the son of Ragnvald I 'the Wise' Eysteinsson, Earl of More and Ragnhild Hrolfsdottir.2 He was also reported to have been born in 870 in Norway. He married, firstly, Poppa of Normandy de Valois, daughter of Berenger of Bayeaux de Senlis, Count of Bayeaux, in 886.2 He married, secondly, Gisela, daughter of Charles III, Roi de France and Frederuna, in 912.2 He died circa 931 in Rouen, Normandy, France.3
Rollo Ragnvaldsson, 1st Duc de Normandie was also known as Rolf. He was created 1st Duc de Normandie in 911.1
Children of Rollo Ragnvaldsson, 1st Duc de Normandie and Poppa of Normandy de Valois
Robert of Corbeil
Crespina de Normandie
Gerletta de Normandie
Kathlin de Normandie
Guillaume I 'Longsword', 2nd Duc de Normandie+ b. c 900, d. 17 Dec 942
Adele de Normandie+ b. c 917, d. a 14 Oct 962
Citations
[S38] John Morby, Dynasties of the World: a chronological and genealogical handbook (Oxford, Oxfordshire, U.K.: Oxford University Press, 1989), page 86. Hereinafter cited as Dynasties of the World.
[S106] Royal Genealogies Website (ROYAL92.GED), online
[S125] Richard Glanville-Brown, online
More About Rollo Ragnvaldsson, King of Normandy:
Date born 2: 846
Died 2: 927, Notre Dame, Rouen, Normandy, France.
More About Rollo Ragnvaldsson, King of Normandy and of France Gisela:
Marriage: 912
Children of Rollo Ragnvaldsson, King of Normandy are:
- +Guillaume I 'Longsword', 2nd Duc de Normandie, b. 900, d. 942.
- Crespina de Normandie.
- Gerletta de Normandie.
- Kathlin de Normandie.
- +Adele de Normandie, b. 920, d. 12 Oct 962.
- William of Normandy, "Longsword".