- AKA: Richard I of Normandy
- AKA: Richard the Fearless
Biography
Richard I, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Normandy, was born 28 August 933 in Fécamp, Upper Normandy, France to William Longsword, 2nd Duke of Normandy (893-942) and Sprota (c898-c950) and died 20 November 996 Fécamp, Upper Normandy, France of unspecified causes. He married Emma de France (c943-968) 960 JL . He married Gunnora, Duchess of Normandy (c936-1031) .
Richard I, also known as Richard the Fearless (French: Richard Sans-Peur; Old Norse: Jarl Rikard), was the count of Rouen from 942 to 996.[1] Dudo of Saint-Quentin, whom Richard commissioned to write the "De moribus et actis primorum Normanniae ducum" (Latin, "On the Customs and Deeds of the First Dukes of Normandy"), called him a dux. However, this use of the word may have been in the context of Richard's renowned leadership in war, and not as a reference to a title of nobility.[2][3] Richard either introduced feudalism into Normandy or he greatly expanded it. By the end of his reign, the most important Norman landholders held their lands in feudal tenure.[4]
Birth
Richard was born to [William Longsword, princeps (chieftain or ruler)[5] of Normandy, and Sprota (c898-c950),[1] a Breton concubine captured in war and bound to William by a more danico marriage.[6] He was also the grandson of the famous Rollo. William was told of the birth of a son after the battle with Riouf and other Viking rebels, but his existence was kept secret until a few years later when William Longsword first met his son Richard. After kissing the boy and declaring him his heir, William sent Richard to be raised in Bayeux.[7] Richard was about ten years old when his father was killed on 17 December 942.[1] After William was killed, Sprota became the wife of Esperleng, a wealthy miller. Rodulf of Ivry was their son and Richard's half-brother.[8]
Life
Coin of Richard I
With the death of Richard's father in 942, King Louis IV of France installed the boy, Richard, in his father's office. Under the influence of Arnulf I, Count of Flanders, the king took him into Frankish territory[9]:32–4 and placing him in the custody of the count of Ponthieu before the king reneged and seized the lands of the Duchy of Normandy.[10] He then split up the duchy, giving its lands in lower Normandy to Hugh the Great. Louis IV thereafter kept Richard in close confinement at Lâon,[11] Upon hearing that Richard was being held in captivity, the boy's foster Osmond de Centville alongside Bernard the Dane had formed a mob of knights and peasants across town and marched to the King's palace where they threatened the king to return him.[12] Louis had protested that he had kept Richard in his domain to train him in courtliness.[12] He subsequently addresses the mob by holding Richard up in his arms into the crowd's view and returning him.[13] Bernard de Senlis and Ivo de Bellèsme also assisted in Richard's release, along with pagan Norse forces led by Harald of Bayeux.[14][15]
In 946, at the age of 14, Richard allied himself with the Norman and Viking leaders in France and with men sent by King Harold of Denmark. A battle was fought after which Louis IV was captured. Hostages were taken and held until King Louis recognised Richard as Duke, returning Normandy to him.[9]:37–41 Richard agreed to "commend" himself to Hugh, the Count of Paris, Hugh resolved to form a permanent alliance with Richard and promised his daughter Emma, who was little more than a girl, as a bride; the marriage would take place in 960.[9]:41–2
Louis, working with Arnulf, persuaded Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor to attack Richard and Hugh. The combined armies of Otto, Arnulf, and Louis were driven from the gates of Rouen, fleeing to Amiens and being decisively defeated in 947.[9]:41–2[16] A period of peace ensued, Louis dying in 954, 13 year old Lothair becoming king. The middle-aged Hugh appointed Richard as guardian of his 15-year-old son, Hugh Capet in 955.[9]:44
In 962, Theobald I, Count of Blois, attempted a renewed invasion of Rouen, Richard's stronghold, but his troops were summarily routed by Normans under Richard's command, and forced to retreat before ever having crossed the Seine river.[17][18] Lothair, the king of the West Franks, was fearful that Richard's retaliation could destabilize a large part of West Francia so he stepped in to prevent any further war between the two.[19] In 987, Hugh Capet became King of the Franks.
For the last 30 years until his death in 996 in Fécamp, Richard concentrated on Normandy itself, and participated less in Frankish politics and its petty wars. In lieu of building up the Norman Empire by expansion, he stabilized the realm and reunited the Normans, forging the reclaimed Duchy of his father and grandfather into West Francia's most cohesive and formidable principality.[20]
Richard's grave
Richard died of natural causes in Fecamp, France, on 20 November 996.[21]
It was reported that the remains in his grave were not his.[22]
Relationships with France, England and the Church
Richard used marriage to build strong alliances. His marriage to Emma of Paris connected him directly to the House of Capet. His second wife, Gunnor, from a rival Viking group in the Cotentin, formed an alliance to that group, while her sisters formed the core group that were to provide loyal followers to him and his successors.[23]
His daughters forged valuable marriage alliances with powerful neighboring counts as well as to the king of England.[23] Emma married firstly Æthelred the Unready and after his death in 1016, the invader, Cnut the Great. Her children included Edward the Confessor, Alfred Aetheling and with Cnut, Harthacnut, so completing a major link between the Duke of Normandy and the Crown of England that would add validity to the claim by William the Conqueror to the throne of England.
Richard also built on his relationship with the church, undertaking acts of piety,[24]:lv restoring their lands and ensuring the great monasteries flourished in Normandy. His further reign was marked by an extended period of peace and tranquility.[23][25]
Fecamp Castle
Ruins of Fecamp Castle, home of the Dukes of Normandy.
Fecamp Castle (aka: Château de Fécamp) is a 10th century castle built for use by the Dukes of Normandy as a principle residence in the town of Fecamp, Normandy. Today its ruins are located near the abbey church of La Trinité in the center of the town of FeCamp. Its design was a simple structure surrounded by a moat.
According to Dudon de Saint-Quentin , Richard I, Duke of Normandy (933-996) was born around 932, between the walls of the “ Fiscanni castri ”, the castle of Fécamp[26] .The place was abandoned in favor of Caen with William the Conqueror and Robert the Magnificent, and is no longer mentioned after 1162 [27] .
Marriages and issue
Family tree
Richard and his children, from a 13th-century genealogical tree
1st Marriage: Emma of Paris
Richard's first marriage in 960 was to Emma, daughter of Hugh the Great,[1][28] and Hedwige of Saxony.[28] They were betrothed when both were very young. She died after 19 March 968, with no issue.[1]
2nd Marriage: Gunnor
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 1]
- Richard II "the Good", Duke of Normandy[1]
- Robert, Archbishop of Rouen, Count of Evreux[1] [29]
- Mauger, Count of Corbeil[1]
- another son[29]
- Emma of Normandy, wife of two kings of England, mother of two kings of England, and step-mother of another two kings of England[1]
- Maud of Normandy, wife of Odo II of Blois, Count of Blois, Champagne and Chartres[1]
- Hawise of Normandy m. Geoffrey I, Duke of Brittany[1]
Illegitimate children
Richard was known to have had several other mistresses and had children with many of them. Known children are:
- Geoffrey, Count of Eu[1][30]
- William, Count of Eu (ca. 972 – 26 January 1057 or 58),[30] m. Lasceline de Turqueville (d. 26 January 1057 or 1058).
- Beatrice of Normandy, Abbess of Montivilliers d.1034 m. Ebles of Turenne[1] (d.1030 (divorced)
Possible children
- Muriella, married Tancred de Hauteville[1][31][32]
- Fressenda or Fredesenda (ca. 995-ca. 1057), second wife of Tancred de Hauteville.[1][32][33]
- Guimara (Wimarc(a)) (b. ca. 986), died Montivilliers Abbey, Seine-Inferieure, Normandy, wife of Ansfred (Ansfroi) II "le Dane" le Goz, vicomte of Exmes and Falaise, mother of Robert FitzWimarc[34]
- Papia
Children
| 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) | |||
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Godefroi de Brionne (962-aft1023) | 962 Brionne, Eure, Normandie, France | 1023 Fécamp, Normandie, France | Hawise de Guines (c958-1015) |
| Guillaume I of Eu (985-1058) | 985 | 1058 | Lanceline of Harcourt (1003-1069) |
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Richard I, Duke of Normandy (933-996) | 28 August 933 Fécamp, Upper Normandy, France | 20 November 996 Fécamp, Upper Normandy, France | Emma de France (c943-968) Gunnora, Duchess of Normandy (c936-1031) |
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
- wikipedia:en:Richard I of Normandy
- Richard I, 3rd Duc de Normandie at thePeerage
- Richard I, 3rd Duc de Normandie - Geni.com
- Richard I, 3rd Duc de Normandie at Find A Grave
- English Kings 1066-1603 - Foundation for Medieval Genealogy
- Norman Dukes 911-1204 - Foundation for Medieval Genealogy
- The Henry Project: Richard I of Normandy
- Richard I 'the Fearless', Duke of Normandy at Genealogics
- Europe Web Genealogy
Ancestry Trees
- Rollo Family Ancestry
- Duke of Normandy
- House of Normandy
- Statue of William the Conqueror and the other Dukes of Normandy located in Falaise, Calvados, Normandy.
- Henry II of England's ancestor, number 96.
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
| French nobility | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by William I |
Count of Rouen 942–996 |
Succeeded by Richard II |
Footnotes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Detlev Schwennicke, Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten, Neue Folge, Band II (Marburg, Germany: J. A. Stargardt, 1984), Tafel 79
- ^ Eleanor Searle, Predatory Kinship and the Creation of Norman Power, 840–1066 (University of California Press, Berkeley, 1988), pp. 125–6
- ^ For different meanings of Latin word dux (pl. duces).
- ^ Emily Zack Tabuteau, 'Ownership and Tenure in Eleventh-Century Normandy', The American Journal of Legal History, Vol. 21, No. 2, (Apr. 1977), p. 99
- ^ The Annals of Flodoard of Reims; 916–966, ed. & trans. Steven Fanning and Bernard S. Bachrach (University of Toronto Press, 2011), p. 32
- ^ The Normans in Europe, ed. & trans. Elisabeth van Houts (Manchester University Press, 2000), p. 47 n. 77
- ^ Eleanor Searle, Predatory Kinship and the Creation of Norman Power, 840–1066 (University of California Press, Berkeley, 1988), p. 95
- ^ Detlev Schwennicke, Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten, Neue Folge, Band III Teilband 4 (Marburg, Germany: J. A. Stargardt, 1989), Tafel 694A
- ^ a b c d e Duncan, Jonathan (1839). The Dukes of Normandy from the time of King Rollo to the expulsion of King John. Joseph Rickerby and Harvey & Darton.
- ^ Pierre Riché, The Carolingians; A Family who Forged Europe, trans. Michael Idomir Allen (University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, 1993) pp. 262–3
- ^ Eleanor Searle, Predatory Kinship and the Creation of Norman Power, 840–1066 (University of California Press, Berkeley, 1988), p. 80
- ^ a b The History of the Norman People: Wace's Roman de Rou. Boydell and Brewer Incorporated. 2006.
- ^ Dudo,Historia Normannorum
- ^ The Gesta Normannorum Ducum of William of Jumieges, Orderic Vatalis, and Robert of Torigni, Vol. I, ed. & trans. Elisabeth M.C. van Houts (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1992) pp. 103, 105
- ^ Flodoard, Annales, s.a. 943, p. 88.
- ^ Eleanor Searle, Predatory Kinship and the Creation of Norman Power, 840–1066 (University of California Press, Berkeley, 1988), pp. 85–6
- ^ Eleanor Searle, Predatory Kinship and the Creation of Norman Power, 840–1066 (University of California Press, Berkeley, 1988), p. 86
- ^ The Annals of Flodoard of Reims; 916–966, ed. & trans. Steven Fanning and Bernard S. Bachrach (University of Toronto Press, 2011), p. 66
- ^ Pierre Riché, The Carolingians; A Family who Forged Europe, trans. Michael Idomir Allen (University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, 1993), p. 265
- ^ Eleanor Searle, Predatory Kinship and the Creation of Norman Power, 840–1066 (University of California Press, Berkeley, 1988), p. 89
- ^ François Neveux. A Brief History of The Normans (Constable & Robbinson, Ltd, London, 2008), p. 74
- ^ "Skeletal shock for Norwegian researchers at Viking hunting". 23 November 2016. http://norwaytoday.info/culture/skeletal-shock-norwegian-researchers-viking-hunting.
- ^ a b c A Companion to the Anglo-Norman World, ed. Christopher Harper-Bill, Elisabeth Van Houts (The Boydell Press, Woodbridge, 2007), p. 27
- ^ Stapleton, Thomas (1840). Magni rotuli scaccarii Normanniæ sub regibus Angliæ.
- ^ François Neveux. A Brief History of The Normans (Constable & Robbinson, Ltd, London, 2008), pp. 73. 74
- ^ Stéphane William Gondoin, "Fortified castles in the time of William the Conqueror ", Norman Heritage , no . 94 , July-August-September 2015, p. 36 ( ISSN 1271-6006 ).]
- ^ [Norman Worlds]
- ^ a b Detlev Schwennicke, Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten, Neue Folge, Band II (Marburg, Germany: J. A. Stargardt, 1984), Tafel 10
- ^ a b Elisabeth van Houts, The Normans in Europe, p. 191
- ^ a b David Douglas, 'The Earliest Norman Counts', The English Historical Review, Vol.61, No. 240 (May 1946), p. 140
- ^ Detlev Schwennicke, Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten, Neue Folge, Band II (Marburg, Germany: J. A. Stargardt, 1984), Tafel 204
- ^ a b Thierry Stasser, 'Mathilde, Fille du Comte Richard: Essai d'identification', Annales de Normandie, Vol. 40, Iss. 40-1 (1990), p. 50
- ^ Detlev Schwennicke, Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten, Neue Folge, Band II (Marburg, Germany: J. A. Stargardt, 1984), Tafel 205
- ^ K.S.B. , Keats-Rohan. Domesday People: A Prosopography of Persons Occurring in English Documents 1066-1166 vol I. Boydell Press , 1999.
Footnotes (including sources)
Elrondlair, Rtol, Thurstan, Phlox, MainTour
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