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Birth:          ABT  893 Rouen, France
Death:          17 Dec  942 France
Cause of Death: murdered

Notes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_I_Longsword
William Longsword (French: Guillaume Longue-Épée, Latin: Willermus Longa Spata, 
Old Norse: Vilhjálmr Langaspjót), (c. 893 – 17 December 942) was the second ruler of 
Normandy, from 927 until his assassination in 942.[1]

He is sometimes anachronistically dubbed "Duke of Normandy", even though the title 
duke (dux) did not come into common usage until the 11th century.[2] Longsword was 
known at the time by the title Count (Latin comes) of Rouen.[3][4] Flodoard—always 
detailed about titles—consistently referred to both Rollo and his son William as 
principes (chieftains) of the Norse.[5]


Predecessor
Rollo 

Successor
Richard I 


 

Born
c. 893
Bayeux or Rouen 

Died
17 December 942
Picquigny on the Somme 

Burial
Rouen Cathedral 

Spouse
Luitgarde of Vermandois 

Issue
Richard I of Normandy 

House
House of Normandy 

Father
Rollo 

Mother
Poppa 

William Longsword (French: Guillaume Longue-Épée, Latin: Willermus Longa Spata, 
Old Norse: Vilhjálmr Langaspjót), (c. 893 – 17 December 942) was the second ruler of 
Normandy, from 927 until his assassination in 942.[1]

He is sometimes anachronistically dubbed "Duke of Normandy", even though the title 
duke (dux) did not come into common usage until the 11th century.[2] Longsword was 
known at the time by the title Count (Latin comes) of Rouen.[3][4] Flodoard—always 
detailed about titles—consistently referred to both Rollo and his son William as 
principes (chieftains) of the Norse.[5]



Contents  [hide] 
1 Birth
2 Life
3 Family
4 Notes
5 References
6 External links


Birth[edit]

William Longsword was born "overseas"[a][6] to the Viking Rollo (while he was still a 
pagan) and his Christian wife Poppa of Bayeux.[7][8] Dudo of Saint-Quentin in his 
panegyric of the Norman dukes describes Poppa as the daughter of a Count Beranger, 
the dominant prince of that region.[9] In the 11th century Annales Rouennaises 
(Annals of Rouen), she is called the daughter of Guy, Count of Senlis,[10] otherwise 
unknown to history.[b] Despite the uncertainty of her parentage she was undoubtedly 
a member of the Frankish aristocracy.[11] According to the Longsword's planctus, he 
was baptized a Christian probably at the same time as his father,[12] which Orderic 
Vitalis stated was in 912, by Franco, Archbishop of Rouen.[13]

Life[edit]

Longsword succeeded Rollo (who would continue to live for about another 5 years) in 
927[14] and, early in his reign, faced a rebellion from Normans[15] who felt he had 
become too Gallicised and too soft.[16] According to Orderic Vitalis, the leader was 
Riouf of Evreux,[16][17][18] who was besieging Longsword in Rouen. Sallying forth, 
Longsword won a decisive battle, proving his authority to be Duke.[19]:25-6 At the 
time of this 933 rebellion Longsword sent his pregnant wife by custom, Sprota, to 
Fécamp where their son Richard was born.[20]

In 933 Longsword recognized Raoul as King of Western Francia, who was struggling 
to assert his authority in Northern France. In turn Raoul gave him lordship over much 
of the lands of the Bretons including Avranches, the Cotentin Peninsula and the 
Channel Islands.[21][22][23]:lii The Bretons did not agree to these changes and 
resistance to the Normans was led by Alan Wrybeard, Duke of Brittany and Count 
Berenger of Rennes but ended shortly with great slaughter and Breton castles being 
razed to the ground.[19]:24 Alan fleeing to England and Beranger seeking 
reconciliation.[24]

In 935, Longsword married Luitgarde,[1] daughter of Count Herbert II of Vermandois 
whose dowry gave him the lands of Longueville, Coudres and Illiers l'Eveque.[18] 
Longsword also contracted a marriage between his sister Adela (Gerloc was her Norse 
name) and William, Count of Poitou with the approval of Hugh the Great.[25] In 
addition to supporting King Raoul, he was now a loyal ally of his father-in-law, Herbert 
II, both of whom his father Rollo had opposed.[26] In January 936 King Raoul died 
and the 16 year old Louis IV, who was living in exile in England, was persuaded by a 
promise of loyalty by Longsword, to return and became King. The Bretons returned to 
recover the lands taken by the Normans, resulting in fighting in the expanded Norman 
lands.[23]:lii

The new King was not capable of controlling his Barons and after Longsword's brother 
in law, Herluin II, Count of Montreuil, was attacked by Flanders, Longsword went to 
their assistance in 939,[19]:28-9 Arnulf I, Count of Flanders retaliated by attacking 
Normandy. Arnulf captured the castle of Montreuil-sur-Mer expelling Herluin. Herluin 
and Longsword cooperated to retake the castle.[27][28] Longsword was 
excommunicated for his actions in attacking and destroying several estates belonging 
to Arnulf.[29]

Longsword pledged his loyalty to King Louis IV when they met in 940 and, in return, he 
was confirmed in lands that had been given to his father, Rollo.[30] [23]:liii In 941 a 
peace treaty was signed between the Bretons and Normans, brokered in Rouen by 
King Louis IV which limited the Norman expansion into Breton lands.[23]:liii The 
following year, on 17 December 942 at Picquigny on an island on the Somme, 
Longsword was ambushed and killed by followers of Arnulf while at a peace 
conference to settle their differences.[18][28] Longsword's son, Richard becoming the 
next Duke of Normandy.

Family[edit]

Longsword had no children with his wife Luitgarde.[31] He fathered his son, Richard 
the Fearless, with Sprota [c] who was a Breton captive and his concubine.[32] 
Richard, then aged 10, succeeded him as Duke of Normandy in December 942.[31]

Parents
RAGNVALDSSON Rolf (Rollo) (Rollon) (Granger Rolf) "the Viking" (ABT  865 -  925)
DE BAYEUX (OF RENNES) Poppa ( 872 - BEF  930)

Siblings
____ William I "Longsword" (ABT  893 - 17 Dec  942)
OF NORMANDY Adele (Gerloc) (ABT  920 - 14 Oct  962)

Marriage To DE BRETAGNE Sprote "Danish Wife" (ABT  911 - )
    m.  

Notes

Parents
____ Hubert (ABT  880 - ABT  912)
----- ----- ()

Children by DE BRETAGNE Sprote "Danish Wife" ABT  911 - 
____ Richard I "the Fearless" (28 Aug  933 - 20 Nov  996)

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