EFL - Enciclopedia delle Famiglie Lombarde

http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/NORMANDY.htm Charles III King of th e West Franks granted land around Rouen to Viking raiders in [911], th e territory evolving over the following century into the duchy of Norm andy. The Viking leader Rolf/Rollo accepted baptism with the name Robe rt. His alleged Norwegian ancestry is recorded only in the early 13t h century Norse sagas, whose factual accuracy, at least so far as th e early generations of the families are concerned, is dubious as it i s impossible to distinguish the precise point in the narrative where f olk-legend gives way to historical fact. The emphasis on social contin uity in the narratives of the Sagas also suggests that relationships b etween historical figures could have been simplified, or even fabricat ed, to claim that succession remained within the same family. For exam ple, Orkneyinga Saga names “Hrolf who conquered Normandy” as son o f “Earl Rognwald” and his wife “Ragnhild the daughter of Hrolf N ose” [1]. Snorre´s Harald Harfager's Saga repeats the same statemen t [2]. However, the Historia Norwegie records that, after Orkney was c onquered by "principi Rogwaldi" and his followers, "de quorum collegio … Rodulfus" captured Rouen in Normandy [3], making no reference to a ny blood relationship between Rolf/Rollo and "principi Rogwaldi". Th e question of the reliability of the Sagas is discussed more fully i n the Introduction to the document NORWAY KINGS. Guillaume de Jumiège s refers to an unnamed Danish [not Norwegian] warrior “dux” who le ft two sons “maior natu Rollo, alter... iunior Gurim” [4]. "Gurim " is not referred to in the Sagas. The alleged Scandinavian ancestry o f Rolf/Rollo is shown in square brackets in this document to emphasis e this doubt. The Viking rulers of the future duchy of Normandy used t he title count at least until the early 11th century. The title "Duk e of Normandy" is first recorded in [1015], although its adoption in p lace of count must have been a gradual process as Duke Richard II is c alled "comes" in later necrology entries which record his death in 102 6. His sons and successors, Dukes Richard III and Robert II, are consi stently recorded with the ducal title in primary sources. The early No rman rulers consolidated their position by marriages into the first le vel of French noble families. Count Guillaume I married the daughter o f the powerful Comte de Vermandois in [940], and Guillaume arranged hi s sister's marriage to Guillaume I Comte de Poitou, who was later inst alled as Duke of Aquitaine. Guillaume's son Count Richard I married th e daughter of Hugues "le Grand", ancestor of the Capetian French kings , in 960. At the same time, the early rulers clung to the Scandinavia n tradition of concubinage: the mothers of Counts Richard I and Richar d II were probably both of relatively obscure Viking descent and recor ded by the chronicler Guillaume of Jumièges as having been married "m ore Danico/à la Danoise". This appears to have presented no obstacl e to their subsequent accession as dukes. The concept of "Danish marri ages" is discussed by Freeman [5]. The dukes of Normandy sprang on t o the European political scene with the 1066 invasion of England by Du ke Guillaume II, his descendants in the male line continuing to rule a s English kings and Norman dukes until 1135. Normandy was ruled by th e English Angevin kings until 1204, when it was conquered by Philipp e II "Auguste" King of France. ROLLO ["Ganger" Hrolf], son of [RAGNVA LD "the Wise" Jarl of Möre in Norway & his wife Ragnhild ---] (-Roue n [928/33], bur ---, transferred [1064] to Rouen Cathedral [6]). The p arentage of Rollo/Rolf is uncertain and the chronology of his life con fused. Richer names "Rollone filio Catilli" as leader of the Vikings w ho raided along the Loire and against whom "Robertus Celticæ Galli