William I, Duke of Normandy
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| William I "Longsword" | |
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| Statue of William Longsword, part of the "Six Dukes of Normandy" series in Falaise. | |
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| Reign | 927–942 |
| Predecessor | Rollo |
| Successor | Richard I |
| Spouse | Luitgarde of Vermandois |
| Issue | |
| Richard I of Normandy (illegitimate) | |
| Father | Rollo |
| Mother | Poppa |
| Born | 893 Bayeux or Rouen |
| Died | 17 December 942 Picquigny on the Somme |
| Burial | Rouen Cathedral |
William I Longsword (French: Guillaume Longue-Épée, Latin: Willermus Longa Spata, Old Norse: Vilhjálmr Langaspjót) (893 – 17 December 942) was the second Duke of Normandy from his father's death until his own assassination. The title dux (duke) was not in use at the time and has been applied to early Norman rulers retroactively. William actually used the title comes (count).
[edit] Biography
Little is known about his early years. He was born in Bayeux or Rouen to Rollo, the mother being Poppa of Bayeux. All that is known of Poppa is that she was the Christian daughter of Berengar, captured at Bayeux by Rollo. She may have been daughter of Berengar of Rennes, the previous lord of Brittania Nova, which eventually became western Normandy. According to the William's planctus, he was baptised a Christian.
William succeeded Rollo sometime around 927 and, early in his reign, faced a rebellion from Normans who felt he had become too Gallicised and also from Bretons. According to Orderic Vitalis, the leader was Riouf of Evreux.[1]
After putting down the rebellion, William attacked Brittany and ravaged the territory. Resistance to the Normans was led by Alan Wrybeard and Beranger but shortly ended with the Wrybeard fleeing to England and Beranger seeking reconciliation. However, it was not through invasion that he gained Breton territory but by politics, receiving Contentin and Avranchin as a gift from Rudolph, King of France.
In 935, William married Luitgarde, daughter of count Herbert II of Vermandois whose dowry gave him the lands of Longueville, Coudres and Illiers l'Eveque. His expansion northwards, including the fortress of Montreuil brought him into conflict with Arnulf I of Flanders.
In 939 William became involved in a war with Arnulf I of Flanders, which soon became intertwined with the other conflicts troubling the reign of Louis IV. It began with Herluin appealing to William for help to regain the castle of Montreuil from Arnulf. Losing the castle was a major setback in Arnulf's ambitions and William's part in it gained him a deadly enemy. He was ambushed and killed by followers of Arnulf on 17 December 942 at Picquigny on the Somme while at a meeting to settle their differences.
By Sprota, a Breton captive and his concubine, he had a son Richard the Fearless, who succeeded him.
[edit] Sources
- Stewart Baldwin on Guillaume "Longue Épée" of Normandy
- Medieval Lands Project on Guillaume I "Longuespee" Comte de Normandie
[edit] References
- ^ Francois Neveux. A Brief History of The Romans. Constable and Robinson. 2008; p. 72
| French nobility | ||
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| Preceded by Rollo |
Duke of Normandy c. 927–942 |
Succeeded by Richard I |
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