Normans
and Normandy changed world history. They testified to the openness of the
Vikings to assimilate yet maintained their ferocity in battle that brought them
success in many areas. And it all began with one Viking leader named Rollo.
Explore how Rollo founded Normandy?
The Vikings and Rollo
The
Vikings were ferocious Scandinavian warriors that descended into Europe in the
Medieval Age to search for plunder, trade, and land. Overpopulation drove them
searching for better prospects elsewhere. Their attack in Lindisfarne in 793
signaled the start of the Viking Age, which was to last for about 400 years.
Their
exploits scattered across the continent and beyond, from the Black Sea up to
Northern Atlantic and into the waters of North America. They inspired fear and
uncertainty to the people with their overwhelming bravery, brutality, and
greed. Series of Viking earl or chiefs and kings enriched themselves from the
gold, silver, and slaves they took from Europe. But also, the Vikings also
inspired admiration with their skills as explorers and colonizers as well as
their open mindedness to other culture and religion. In this line arose Rollo,
the founder of Normandy.
Rollo
Rollo
was a mysterious Viking Earl or chief that probably came either from Denmark or
Norway. Historians speculated Rollo was Hrolfr the Walker from some Viking
Sagas, like the Orkneyinga Saga. The Orkneyinga Saga noted Rollo or Hrolfr
rather as a son of a Norwegian Earl under King Harald Finehair. Further, the
Saga described him as a huge man, so tall and heavy that no horse abled to
carry him.
Dudo
St. Quentin, the writer of the History of the Normans, on the other hand
pointed out Rollo was of Danish descent and he and his brother Gurim went to
war with the king of Dacia (the old region of Denmark and Sweden) after their
father’s demise. The war ravaged for 5 years until the King of Dacia deceived
them with peace. The King offered amity to which both sides agree, but he
mobilized his army secretly and attacked Rollo and Gurim’s city. A battle
ensued and ended with a huge defeat for Rollo, especially after his brother
fell. Rollo fled Dacia to Scandza (believed to be Scandinavia).
Dudo
stated that Rollo stayed long in Scandza until he dreamt of a voice urging him
to go to England. He followed the voice and went to England. Upon his arrival
he met resistance but he fought hard, won victories, and stood undefeated. Even
though a successful commander, he remained confused of his next move: to return
to Dacia, to go to Francia, or continue to fight in England.
Eventually,
Rollo continued to stayed in England and befriend a Christian King named
Athelstan, who was said to be the Viking lord Guthrum, the warlord of the Great Heathen Army that fought Alfred the Great of Wessex. He then sailed to modern
day Netherlands and wreaked havoc on the Lotharingians. In 867, Dudo commented
Rollo sailed towards the Seine River, after he heard a voice in his dream
urging him to sail to Francia where great rewards awaited him.
He
and his followers, mostly from Denmark and Danes from Britain, raided the
fertile and rich coastlines of Northern France and the important Seine Valley,
where Paris, the capital of Western Francia was. For years his raids devastated
the landscape as well as the economy, taking the attention of Frankish King
Charles III the Simple.
Francia of Charles
the Simple
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| Charles the Simple Imprisoned |
West
Francia was one of the three kingdoms that emerged from the division of the
Holy Roman Empire. From the fruits of Charlemagne’s labor, it disintegrated
into internal rivalry. A situation ripe for Viking’s to gain.
Charlemagne
expanded the lands of his Frankish kingdom to cover modern France, Central
Europe, West Germany, and Northern Italy by the turn of the 9th century. His
conquest resulted to the creation of the Holy Roman Empire, which brought
political unity and stability since the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th
century. However, Frankish tradition of dividing lands to offspring, sibling
rivalry, and ambitious and power magnates divided the Empire. By the 900, the
Holy Roman Empire remained split into 3 kingdoms: West Francia, Middle Francia,
and East Francia.
West
Francia in particular faced tremendous political infighting between members of
the ruling Carolingian Dynasty and politicking of local magnates. By 898,
Charles III the Simple ruled the Kingdom after his rival King Odo passed away.
King
Charles III’s was elusive. Not much was known about his reign. Certainly, the
problem of Viking raids continued and post as a major challenge to his reign.
With kingdoms divided from within and without, no one posed strong resistance
against the terrifying and quick raids of the Vikings. Charles’ challenge was
to find a way to pacify them as fast as possible.
Rollo and Charles the
Simple
Dudo
stated Rollo arrived near Rouen to the horrors of the populace. However, Rollo
received word from the Bishop of Rouen named Franco that the people of the city
were unarmed and wanted peace with them. The Viking leader choose peace and
from that point Rouen served as his foothold in West Francia.
Rollo
then proceeded to raid the Seine Valley that menaced King Charles and his court.
Rollo’s raid escalated around 910, when he made a daring raid on Paris. The
outcome of the attacked determined his faith and that of Normandy.
Decades
before, Vikings attacked villages and communities along Europe’s major rivers.
The River Seine and Paris itself suffered several Viking strikes, the most
famous was in 845 by the legendary Ragnar Lodbrok. Rollo aimed to follow this
success.
Charles,
on the other hand, tried to stop Rollo. He negotiated a 3 month truce, and on
that period both sides would discuss Rollo’s conversion into Christianity in
exchange for land grants.
King
Charles III saw land grants to the Vikings as a means to end many challenges he
faced. Political turmoil remained a major problem. Maintenance of an army and
rebuilding the kingdom resulted into dire financial situation. And Viking raids
in fertile farm lands in the Seine land disrupted food production and the cost
of defending villages in the region further burdened his kingdom. Danegeld or payment of gold and silver
to the Vikings in exchange for truce was out of the question. Charles then
looked for another bargaining chip to offer. Eventually, he offered Rollo one
thing that Vikings also sought – land.
However,
the Frankish nobility outraged by the proposal ended the ceasefire and Rollo continued
his raids and targeted the great religious and cultural city of Chartres.
But
Rollo’s strike on Chartres failed and he returned to Rouen. At that point, the
Bishop of Rouen met with King Charles and served as a mediator for the
prospects of an everlasting peace with Rollo. In 911, Rollo agreed to talk with
a King for a settlement in a place called Saint Clair near the Epte River.
Treaty of St. Clair
Once
again, Rollo was presented a land proposal from King Charles III. He saw it as
a lucrative bargain as Vikings valued fertile land tremendously, especially
when the harsh Scandinavian climate limited their farmlands and farming season
back in their homes. Danish, themselves, proved themselves as enthusiastic
settlers before in Britain during the conquest of the Great Heathen Army in the
9th century. The deal allowed them to settle and provide for their families
with a new homeland without a war of conquest.
However,
a questioned remained that hampered the talks: Where would Rollo and his Viking
party settle? King Charles III made several offers, like the region of
Flanders, which Rollo rejected. Then, finally, both sides agreed with Rollo
receiving the lands in the mouth of the Seine River and areas surrounding
Rouen. In exchange, Rollo only needed to pledge his fealty to the Carolingian
Kings and defend his lands against other Viking raids. As a sign of good faith
from the Franks, he also received a princess to marry, Gisela, provided he
converted to Christianity first.
For
Charles, the agreement removed tremendous problems for West Francia. It
eliminated their responsibility to defend the northern coastlands and the Seine
River. It freed many of their resources from fighting the Vikings to
maintaining internal stability. Lastly, having Rollo helped them to have an
insight on the culture, tactics, and politics of the Vikings.
And
so with both sides benefiting, they agreed and fulfilled the agreement. Rollo
would receive his lands and serve as its lord. He would then convert into
Christianity and received Charles the Simple’s daughter to wed. Finally, he
only needed to pledge his loyalty to Charles by one controversial act – kissing
the king’s foot.
The
humiliating act aimed to symbolically show the submission of a Lord to the
King. Rollo, a proud Viking leader, refused and the deal went close to a waste.
Both side eventually came with a compromise. They agreed to a proxy, a man from
Rollo’s ranks, to perform the demeaning act. Stories narrated, during the
ceremony, the chosen Viking acted in a way that lessened the embarrassment of
the ceremony to his honor. Instead of kneeling and bowing to kiss the feet of
the King, the warrior pulled up the feet, sliding down the monarch, bringing it
to his face and kissed it. Although the act was submissive in nature, the
warrior’s action brought laughter and somewhat embarrassment to King Charles as
well.
In
912, Rollo made true to his word to convert into Christianity and to marry
Charles III’s daughter Gisela. The Bishop of Rouen Franco baptized Rollo who
took the Christian name of Robert. He then married Princess Gisela, who many
questioned whether truly existed or perhaps an illegitimate daughter of Charles
III. If indeed illegitimate, Charles III then it can be suggest the Frankish
King did not want one of her legitimate princess to marry a heathen.
Rollo
and his followers settled in the land what the Franks called as land of the
Northmen, which evolved to become Normandy. Rollo continued to lead the Vikings
in Normandy until his death in 930. His descendants expanded Normandy’s
territory as West Francia once again descended into political chaos.
Eventually, Normandy grew to become one of the most powerful duchies in France,
becoming a virtual kingdom within a kingdom.
Normandy in European
History and Politics
Normandy
grew into a powerhouse. The Vikings that occupied it in the beginning
assimilated into the local populace and evolved into European Normans. Normandy
expanded under Rollo’s offspring within the midst of political upheaval of
Medieval France. Their expansion bought them prestige and prominence.
 |
| William the Conqueror |
In
1066, Duke William, a descendant of Rollo, took for himself the quest of taking
the English crown, which he claimed to be rightfully his by agreement. On that
year, he landed with his Norman army and fought the English army in the famous
Battle of Hastings. William won a decisive battle, where his archers shot and
killed the English King. William won England by conquest and forever became
known as William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy and King of England. His rule
of England influenced English culture with Norman and French ones.
Following
Duke William’s, Normans also expanded their reach to the Mediterranean. Norman
lords and knight fought in Sicily as mercenaries but later on settled and
established their own principalities. Eventually their might and power grew to
the point that their descendants played major roles in the politics of the
Italian Peninsula. Normans earned more land and power by fighting or supporting
Popes. In 1130, the Norman lord Roger II unified Sicily and Southern Italy and
established the Kingdom of Sicily.
More
Norman states followed with the dawn of the First Crusade during the last
decade of the 11th century. Norman lords and knights fought the Muslims for the
control of the Holy Land Jerusalem and the Levant. Norman Lords established
themselves in the region, like the Principality of Antioch and the Principality
of Galilee. The Normans of both France and Italy contributed to Crusades and
earned land, riches, and prestige as well as the blessing of Popes.
From
Rollo’s acceptance of the deal with King Charles III in St. Claire led to the creation
of a principality that exerted great influence and power. Their reach went as
far as England and Italy, creating changes in politics and culture that paved
away to developments in both countries.
See also:
Bibliography:
Encyclopedias
Glenn,
Jason. “Charles III, the Simple (879-929).” In Medieval Germany: An
Encyclopedia. New York, New York: Garland Publishing, Inc., 2001.
“Normans.”
In Encyclopedia European Peoples. By Carl Waldman and Catherine Mason. New
York, New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006.
Websites
“The
Founding of Normandy.” In Durham World Heritage Site. Accessed on January 27,
2017. URL: https://www.durhamworldheritagesite.com/history/normans/founding-normandy
“The
Orkneyingers’ Saga.” In Sacred-Text.com. Accessed on February 7, 2017. URL: http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/ice/is3/is302.htm
Book
Dudo
of St. Quentin. History of the Normans. Translated by Eric Christiansen.
Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell Press, 1998.
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