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in: Of Normandy (surname), Born in 950, Died in 1031,
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Gunnora, Duchess of Normandy (c936-1031)

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Gunnora, Duchess of Normandy was born circa 950 in Normandy, France and died circa 1031 Normandy, France of unspecified causes. She married Richard I, Duke of Normandy (933-996) .

Gunnor or Gunnora (c. 950[1] – c. 1031) was Duchess of Normandy by marriage to Richard I of Normandy, having previously been his long-time mistress. She functioned as regent of Normandy during the absence of her spouse, as well as the adviser to him and later to his successor, their son Richard II.

Life

The names of Gunnor's parents are unknown, but Robert of Torigni wrote that her father was a forester from the Pays de Caux and according to Dudo of Saint-Quentin she was of noble Danish ancestry.[2] Gunnor was probably born c.  950.[1] Her family held sway in western Normandy and Gunnor herself was said to be very wealthy.[3] Her marriage to Richard I was of great political importance, both to her husband[lower-alpha 1] and her progeny.[4] Her brother, Herfast de Crepon, was progenitor of a great Norman family.[3] Her sisters and nieces[lower-alpha 2] married some of the most important nobles in Normandy.[5]

Robert of Torigni recounts a story of how Richard met Gunnor.[6] 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, Gunnor. Richard, it is said, was pleased that by this subterfuge he had been saved from committing adultery and together they had three sons and three daughters.[lower-alpha 3][7] Unlike other territorial rulers, the Normans recognized marriage by cohabitation or more danico. But when Richard was prevented from nominating their son Robert to be Archbishop of Rouen, the two were married, "according to the Christian custom", making their children legitimate in the eyes of the church.[7]

Gunnor attested ducal charters up into the 1020s, was skilled in languages and was said to have had an excellent memory.[8] She was one of the most important sources of information on Norman history for Dudo of St. Quentin.[9] As Richard's widow she is mentioned accompanying her sons on numerous occasions.[8] That her husband depended on her is shown in the couple's charters where she is variously regent of Normandy, a mediator and judge, and in the typical role of a medieval aristocratic mother, an arbitrator between her husband and their oldest son Richard II.[8]

Gunnor was a founder and supporter of Coutances Cathedral and laid its first stone.[10] In one of her own charters after Richard's death she gave two alods to the abbey of Mont Saint-Michel, namely Britavilla and Domjean, given to her by her husband in dower, which she gave for the soul of her husband, and the weal of her own soul and that of her sons "count Richard, archbishop Robert, and others..."[11] She also attested a charter, c. 1024–26, to that same abbey by her son, Richard II, shown as Gonnor matris comitis (mother of the count).[12] Gunnor, both as wife and countess,[lower-alpha 4] was able to use her influence to see her kin favored, and several of the most prominent Anglo-Norman families on both sides of the English Channel are descended from her, her sisters and nieces.[8] Gunnor died c. 1031.[1]

Marriage and Family

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 enamored with the forester's wife, Seinfreda, but she was a virtuous woman and suggested he court her unmarried sister, Gunnor, instead. Gunnor became his mistress and her family rose to prominence. Her brother, Herfast de Crepon, may have been involved in a controversial heresy trial. Gunnor was, like Richard, of Viking descent, being part Danish by blood. Richard finally married her to legitimize their children:[lower-alpha 5]

  1. Richard II "the Good", Duke of Normandy[13]
  2. Robert, Archbishop of Rouen, Count of Evreux[13] [14]
  3. Mauger, Count of Corbeil[13]
  4. another son[14]
  5. Emma of Normandy, wife of two kings of England, mother of two kings of England, and step-mother of another two kings of England[13]
  6. Maud of Normandy, wife of Odo II of Blois, Count of Blois, Champagne and Chartres[13]
  7. Hawise of Normandy m. Geoffrey I, Duke of Brittany[13]




Children


Offspring of Richard I, Duke of Normandy (933-996) and Gunnora, Duchess of Normandy
Name Birth Death Joined with
Richard II, Duke of Normandy (963-1027) 23 August 963 Normandy, France 28 August 1027 Normandy, France Judith of Brittany (982-1017)
Papia of Envermeu
Robert of Normandy (?-1037) 1037 Herlève (bef1037-)
Mauger, Earl of Corbeil (?-aft1033)
Robert of Normandy (?-c988)
Hawise of Normandy (977-1034) 978 21 January 1034 Geoffroi I de Bretagne (980-1008)
Maud of Normandy (?-?)
Emma of Normandy (c985-1052) 985 21 February 1052 Winchester, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom Æthelred the Unready (c968-1016)
Cnut (c990-1035)
Beatrice of Normandy (c980-1034) 980 1034 Ebles I de Comborn (953-1030)
Pappa of Normandy (c990-?) 990 Gautier de Saint-Valery (c977-?)
Fressenda of Normandy (c995-c1057)



Siblings


See Also

Bibliography

  • 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.
  • Alison Weir, Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy (London, U.K.: The Bodley Head, 1999), page 39. Hereinafter cited as Britain's Royal Families.
  • Richard Glanville-Brown, online <e-mail address>, Richard Glanville-Brown (RR 2, Milton, Ontario, Canada), downloaded 17 August 2005.
  • Royal Genealogies Website (ROYAL92.GED), online Hereinafter cited as Royal Genealogies Website.
  • Marek, Miroslav. "Genealogy of the Dukes of Normandy". Genealogy.EU. http://genealogy.euweb.cz/normandy/normandy.html. 

External Links

Ancestry Trees

Contemporary Resources

Richard the Fearless was a prominent figure in the history of Normandy and France during the 10th century. While there are many historical sources that provide information about his life and legacy, some of the best contemporary references include:

  1. The Chronicle of Dudo of Saint-Quentin: Dudo was a Norman historian who wrote a history of the Norman dukes, including Richard the Fearless. His work, which was completed around 1015, is considered one of the most important sources on early Norman history.
  2. The Annals of Flodoard: Flodoard was a chronicler who lived in the late 10th and early 11th century. His annals cover the period from the reign of King Louis IV to the year 966, and provide some valuable insights into Richard's early years.
  3. The Gesta Normannorum Ducum of William of Jumièges: William of Jumièges was a Norman chronicler who wrote a history of the dukes of Normandy in the 11th century. His work covers the period from the founding of Normandy to the reign of William the Conqueror, and includes a detailed account of Richard's life.
  4. The Life of Edward the Confessor by Aelred of Rievaulx: Aelred of Rievaulx was a 12th-century English chronicler who wrote a biography of the English king Edward the Confessor. While the focus of the work is on Edward, it includes some important information about Richard, who was a significant figure in Norman-English relations during this period.
  5. The Bayeux Tapestry: This famous tapestry depicts the events leading up to the Norman Conquest of England, including the reign of Richard the Fearless. While it is not a written source, it provides a valuable visual representation of the period and the people who lived during it.

Royal Succession Charts

Preceded by
Emma of Paris 		Duchess of Normandy
989–996 		Succeeded by
Judith of Brittany

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c Elisabeth Van Houts, The Normans in Europe (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2008), p. 40 n.56
  2. ^ Elisabeth Van Houts, The Normans in Europe (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2008), p. 58
  3. ^ a b David Crouch, The Normans; the History of a Dynasty (London, New York: Hambledon Continuum, 2007), p. 26
  4. ^ K.S.B. Keats-Rohan, 'Poppa of Bayeux and Her Family', The American Genealogist, Poppa of Bayeux and Her Family, Vol. 74, No. 2 (July/October 1997), pp. 203–04
  5. ^ David Crouch, The Normans; the History of a Dynasty (London, New York: Hambledon Continuum, 2007), pp. 26–27
  6. ^ Elisabeth Van Houts, The Normans in Europe (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2008), p. 95
  7. ^ a b Elisabeth Van Houts, The Normans in Europe (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2008), p. 96
  8. ^ a b c d Elisabeth Van Houts, The Normans in Europe (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2008), p. 59
  9. ^ Elisabeth M. C. Van Houts, Memory and Gender in Medieval Europe: 900–1200 (Toronto; Buffalo: University of Toronto Press, 1999), p. 72
  10. ^ Elisabeth Van Houts, The Normans in Europe (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2008), p. 40 & n. 56
  11. ^ Calendar of Documents Preserved in France, ed. J. Horace Round (London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1899), p. 250
  12. ^ Calendar of Documents Preserved in France, ed. J. Horace Round (London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1899), p. 249
  13. ^ a b c d e f Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ES79
  14. ^ a b Elisabeth van Houts, The Normans in Europe, p. 191


Footnotes (including sources)

MainTour
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