Familypedia
Register
Advertisement

Herleva of Falaise was born circa 1003 in Falaise, France to Fulbert de Falaise (c971-1017) and Doda (c976-1003) and died circa 1050 of unspecified causes. She married Herluin de Conteville (c1001-1066) 1031 JL .

Bayeux Tapestry scene44 William Odo Robert

The three sons of Herleva of Falaise: William, Duke of Normandy, in the centre, Odo, the bishop of Bayeux, on the left and Robert, Count of Mortain, on the right (Bayeux Tapestry, 1070s)

Herleva[lower-alpha 1] (c. 1003 – c. 1050) was an 11th-century Norman woman known for having been mother of William the Conqueror, born to an extramarital relationship with Robert I, Duke of Normandy, and also of William's prominent half-brothers Odo of Bayeux (c1030-1097) and Robert, Count of Mortain, born to Herleva's marriage to Herluin de Conteville (c1001-1066).

Life

Mistress of Robert II, Duke of Normandy

Herleva's background and the circumstances of William's birth are shrouded in mystery. The written evidence dates from a generation or two later, and is not entirely consistent, but of all the Norman chroniclers only the Tours chronicler and William of Malmesbury, the latter thought to have simply copied the Tours source, assert that William's parents were subsequently joined in marriage.[8][lower-alpha 2] According to Edward Augustus Freeman, the Tours chronicler's version cannot be true, because if Herleva married the Duke, then William's birth would have been legitimized, and thus he would not have been known as William the Bastard[lower-alpha 3] by his contemporaries.[8]

The earliest source to refer to Herleva's origin is the early-12th-century additions made by Norman chronicler Orderic Vitalis to the Gesta Normannorum Ducum, where Herleva's father is named as Fulbert, who would become the Duke's Chamberlain (cubicularii ducis).[10][11] Orderic reports the birth of William as occurring at Falaise, in Normandy, presumed to be Herleva's native town, apparently during its 1026/7.[10]

In a separate addition to the Gesta, Orderic relates an anecdote that has given rise to Fulbert being characterized with more humble origins, as a tanner. During his siege of Alençon, the townspeople are said to have called William peliciarius (pelterer) because his mother's kinsmen had been pollinctors. The latter is a rarely-used word, and two late-12th century poets, Wace and Benoît de Sainte-Maure, translate it differently, as parmentier (skinner/furrier/tanner) and peletier (tailor), respectively.[10][12] An alternative suggested reading of pollinctors would see Fulbert as an embalmer, apothecary, or a person who laid out corpses for burial, the latter perhaps in turn an allusion to the court official who supervised that process, the chamberlain.[10] Indirect evidence suggests that Herleva's father was not a lowly tanner but, rather, a member of the burgher class.[13] Her brothers appear in a later document as attestors for an under-age William. Also, the Count of Flanders accepted Herleva as a proper guardian for his own daughter. Both of these would have been nearly impossible had Herleva's father only been a mere tanner, which would place his social standing little above that of a peasant.

According to one legend,[14] her relationship with Robert began when he saw Herleva from the roof of his castle tower. The walkway on the roof still looks down on the dyeing trenches cut into stone in the courtyard below, which can be seen to this day from the tower ramparts above. The traditional way of dyeing leather or garments was to trample barefoot on the garments which were awash in the liquid dye in these trenches. Herleva, legend goes, seeing the Duke on his ramparts above, raised her skirts perhaps a bit more than necessary in order to attract the Duke's eye. The latter was immediately smitten and ordered her brought in (as was customary for any woman that caught the Duke's eye) through the back door. Herleva refused, saying she would only enter the Duke's castle on horseback through the front gate, and not as an ordinary commoner. The Duke, filled with lust, could only agree. In a few days, Herleva, dressed in the finest her father could provide, and sitting on a white horse, rode proudly through the front gate, her head held high. This gave Herleva a semi-official status as the Duke's concubine.[15] She later gave birth to his son, William, in 1027 or 1028.[16]

  1. William I, King of England (1027-1087) - Duke of Normandy, AKA: "William the Bastard", AKA: "William the Conqueror"
  2. Adelaide of Normandy (c1026-c1090) - Adelaide married three times; each a potential alliance to help her brother's political ambitions.
    • first to Enguerrand II, Count of Ponthieu (died 1053) by whom she had issue: Adelaide, living 1096. A powerful a
    • She married secondly Lambert II, Count of Lens (died 1054), they had a daughter: Judith of Lens, m. Waltheof Earl of Huntingdon and Northumbria.
    • Adelaide married thirdly in 1060 Odo, Count of Champagne (d. aft. 1096), by whom she had a son: Stephen, Count of Aumale.


Marriage to Herluin de Conteville

Ancient Abbey od Grestain in Normandy

13th-century façade of the Abbey of Grestain, which was founded in 1050 by Herluin and Herleva

Herleva later married Herluin de Conteville (c1001-1066) in 1031. Some accounts maintain that Robert always loved her, but the gap in their social status made marriage impossible, so, to give her a good life, he married her off to one of his favourite noblemen.[17]

From her marriage to Herluin she had at least four children: Both became prominent during William's reign.

  1. Odo of Bayeux (c1030-1097), who later became Bishop of Bayeux, Earl of Kent, and probable creator of the famous Bayeux Tapestry.
  2. Robert, who became Count of Mortain.
  3. Emma of Conteville (c1032-), who married Richard le Goz, Viscount of Avranches,
  4. Muriel de Burgo1 (c1033-) - She married Eudo de Capello, Vicomte de la Côtentin.2 She was buried at Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England
  5. Isabella de Burgo (c1034-) - She married Henry, Count of Séez.2
  6. a daughter of unknown name who married William, lord of la Ferté-Macé.[18]

Death

William the Conqueror's mother, born in HUY, Belgium

Statue of Arlette in Huy, Belgium, where the mother of William the Conqueror is considered a child of the country[19]

According to Robert of Torigni, Herleva was buried at the abbey of Grestain, which was founded by Herluin and their son Robert around 1050. This would put Herleva in her forties around the time of her death.[lower-alpha 4]




Children


Offspring of Robert I, Duke of Normandy (c1000-1035) and Herleva
Name Birth Death Joined with
William I of England (1027-1087) 1027 Falaise, Normandy, France 9 September 1087 Priory of Saint Gervase,, Rouen, Normandy, France Matilda of Flanders (c1031-1083)
Adelaide of Normandy (c1026-c1090) 1026 Calvados, France 1090 Enguerrand de Ponthieu (c1033-1053)
Lambert II de Lens (?-1054)
Eudes II de Troyes (c1040-1115)


Offspring of Herluin de Conteville (c1001-1066) and Herleva
Name Birth Death Joined with
Odo of Bayeux (c1030-1097) 1030 Normandy, France January 1097 Palermo, Italy
Robert de Mortain (c1031-1090) 1031 1090 Matilda of Montgomery (c1050-c1085)
Almodis (bef1085-)
Emma of Conteville (c1032-)
Muriel de Burgo1 (c1033-)
Isabella de Burgo (c1034-)
Unknown Daughter of Conteville (c1033-)



Siblings


Offspring of Fulbert de Falaise (c971-1017) and Doda (c976-1003)
Name Birth Death Joined with
Herleva of Falaise (1003-1050) 1003 Falaise, France 1050 Robert II, Duke of Normandy (c1000-1035)
Herluin de Conteville (c1001-1066)
Reynold de Falaise (1008-1059)
Osbern de Falaise (1012-1040)
Gauthier de Falaise (c1014-1035)
Beatrice de Falaise (c1022-)


See Also


References

  1. ^ Douglas, William the Conqueror, p. 15
  2. ^ Freeman, Edward A. The history of the Norman conquest of England, its causes and its result . Volume I. p. 530
  3. ^ Palgrave, Sir Francis. The History of Normandy and of England (1864), p. 145
  4. ^ Abbott, Jacob. William the Conqueror (1903), p. 41
  5. ^ Trapnell. The Norman Conquest. p. 2
  6. ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (January 1, 2006). A Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780198610601.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1. https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780198610601.001.0001/acref-9780198610601-e-232. 
  7. ^ Quinion, Michael (August 13, 2004). Port Out, Starboard Home: And Other Language Myths. Penguin. ISBN 9780140515343. https://books.google.com/books?id=KJ16AAAAIAAJ&q=harlot+herleva. 
  8. ^ a b c Edward Augustus Freeman,The History of the Norman Conquest of England: II 2nd Ed. The reign of Eadward the Confessor. Note U: The Birth of William 1, p. 615.
  9. ^ Bates,Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  10. ^ a b c d van Houts, The Origins of Herleva, pp. 399–404.
  11. ^ Crouch, David, The Normans - The History of a Dynasty, Hambledon 2002 at pp.52–53 and p.58
  12. ^ Herleve is referred to as filia pelletarii burgensis in the Chronicle of St-Maxentius, with the transaltion of pelletarii being likewise somewhat uncertain (Freeman, The History of the Norman Conquest of England, 2nd ed. vol. 2, p. 629.
  13. ^ McLynn, Frank. 1066: The Year of the Three Battles. pp. 21–23 (1999) ISBN 0-7126-6672-9
  14. ^ Hirschman; Yates. The Early Jews and Muslims of England and Wales: p. 62
  15. ^ Harper-Bill. Anglo-Norman Studies: Proceedings of the Battle Conference 1998. pp. 24-25
  16. ^ Bates.William the Conqueror. p. 33.
  17. ^ Tracy Borman. Matilda: Wife of the Conqueror. p. 22
  18. ^ Douglas, William the Conqueror, p. 381
  19. ^ Freddy Van Daele-Arlette daughter of Huy ED. by Alfred Van Daele / Hosdent-on-Mehaigne / 2004
  20. ^ Douglas, William the Conqueror, p. 382
  • "William I (known as William the Conqueror)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/. http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/29448?docPos=2.  (subscription or UK public library membership required)
  • Bates, David (2001). William the Conqueror. Stroud, UK: Tempus. ISBN 0-7524-1980-3. 
  • Borman, Tracy (2011). Matilda: Wife of the Conqueror, First Queen of England. London: Jonathan Cape. ISBN 978-0-0995-4913-0. 
  • Douglas, David C. (1964). William the Conqueror. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. 
  • Damian-Grint, Damian (1999). "EN NUL LEU NEL TRUIS ESCRIT: RESEARCH AND INVENTION IN BENOIT DE SAINT MAURE'S CHRONIQUE DES DUCS DE NORMANDIE". In Harper-Bill, Christopher. Anglo-Norman Studies: Proceedings of the Battle Conference 1998. 21. Woodbridge,Suffolk: Boydell Press. ISBN 0-8511-5745-9. 
  • Freeman, Edward August (1867). The History of the Norman Conquest of England: its cause and results. I. Oxford: Clarendon Press. OCLC 499740947. 
  • Freeman, Edward August (1870). The History of the Norman Conquest of England: The reign of Eadward the Confessor. Revised. II (2 ed.). Oxford: Clarendon Press. OCLC 971506352. 
  • Hirschman, Elizabeth Caldwell; Yates, Donald N. (2013). The Early Jews and Muslims of England and Wales: A Genetic and Genealogical History. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co. ISBN 978-0-7864-7684-8. 
  • van Houts, Elisabeth M. C. (1986). "The Origins of Herleva, Mother of William the Conqueror". The English Historical Review 101: 399–404. 
  • Trapnell, Deverell W. (1870). "The Norman conquest ; or the land question regarded from an historical standpoint". 


External links

  • Life of Harlette, or Herleva, mother of William the Conqueror (with images)



Footnotes (including sources)


Cite error: <ref> tags exist for a group named "lower-alpha", but no corresponding <references group="lower-alpha"/> tag was found

Advertisement