Coming from Norway via England, Rollo landed in France in 876 to plunder. He ended up ruling over a land given to him by King Charles III during negotiations: Normandy. Nor/man/die or the land of the Northmen! Although the exact dates of his birth and death are not known, history records him as the first Regent of Normandy.
Multiple identities
Rollon or Rollo is the Latinised name of Hrόlfr, a Viking first name meaning ‘the fame of the wolf’. He was known as Göngu-Hrόlfr, or Hrόlfr the Wanderer, because he travelled a lot, or because of his size, which made him drag his feet on horseback! The Normans adopted the forename Rol or Rou, which can be found in the place names of Roumare and Rouville. Robert was his baptismal name, since no Norman became a Christian. It was the name of his godfather, Robert, Marquis of Neustria.
Don’t push things too far!
When the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte was signed with the Carolingian King Charles III in 911, Rollo became a vassal of this sovereign and had to swear allegiance by placing his hands in those of the king. He then refused to kiss the king’s foot, as was expected. Rollo asked one of his men to do it for him. To avoid bending down, the Viking grabbed King Charles’s foot and put it to his mouth, causing the king to fall backwards!
Romantic Rollo
One of the clauses of the Treaty of 911 was to marry Gisèle, the daughter of King Charles. Rollo agreed to this in order to be integrated into his new kingdom. He first had to repudiate his concubine Popa, a Christian prisoner, with whom he had a son: William, his successor. Gisèle, who was only a child and died young, did not bear Rollo any children. After her death, Rollo resumed his affair with Popa. Such unions were recognised in Scandinavia and are known as “Danish-style” marriages with a frilla, or concubine. Many of the Dukes of Normandy, such as William the Conqueror, were born of such unions.
Rollo’s tapestry
To celebrate the 1100th anniversary of the creation of Normandy, a group of enthusiasts decided to create a tapestry on the life of Rollo in 2011, inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry. It depicts thirty scenes embroidered by 24 people. Among the episodes depicted is Rollo hunting in a forest. Near a pond, he decides to hang his golden bracelets from the branches of an oak tree. They remained there for three years, such was the fear of Rollo’s authority! This forest (near Rouen) became known as Roumare, Rollo’s pond (mare in French)!
Post-mortem journeys
Rollo never stopped moving, even after his death! Buried in the cathedral of Rouen, his remains were moved to the Romanesque cathedral, then to the brand-new Gothic cathedral, then to the cathedral restored after the Second World War. Rollo was a tireless traveller!
Thematics