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Historical evidence Rollo was a Viking leader of contested origin. Dudo of St. Quentin, inhis De moribus et actis primorum Normannorum ducum(Latin), tells of apowerful Danish nobleman at loggerheads with the king of Denmark, whothen died and left his two sons, Gurim and Rollo, leaving Rollo to beexpelled and Gurim killed. William of Jumièges also mentions Rollo'sprehistory in his Gesta Normannorum Ducum however he states that hewas from the Danish town of Fakse. Wace, writing some 300 years afterthe event in his Roman de Rou, also mentions the two brothers (as Rouand Garin), as does the Orkneyinga Saga. Norwegian and Icelandic historians identified this Rollo with a son ofRognvald Eysteinsson, Earl of Møre, in Western Norway, based onmedieval Norwegian and Icelandic sagas that mention a Ganger Hrolf(Hrolf, the Walker). The oldest source of this version is the LatinHistoria Norvegiae, written in Norway at the end of the 12th century.This Hrolf fell foul of the Norwegian king Harald Fairhair, and becamea Jarl in Iceland. The nickname of that character came from being sobig that no horse could carry him. The question of Rollo's Danish or Norwegian origins was a matter ofheated dispute between Norwegian and Danish historians of the 19th andearly 20th century, particularly in the run-up to Normandy's1000-year-anniversary in 1911. Today, historians still disagree onthis question, but most would now agree that a certain conclusion cannever be reached. Invasion of France Rollo was one of the lesser leaders of the Viking fleet which besiegedParis under Sigfred. In 886, when Sigfred retreated in return fortribute, Rollo stayed behind and was eventually bought off and sent toharry Burgundy. Later, he returned to the Seine with his followers (known as Danes, orNorsemen). He invaded the area of northern France now known asNormandy. Rather than pay Rollo to leave, as was customary, the Frankish king,Charles the Simple, understood that he could no longer hold back theironslaught, and decided to give Rollo the coastal lands they occupiedunder the condition that he defend against other raiding Vikings. In the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte (911) with King Charles, Rollopledged feudal allegiance to the king, changed his name to theFrankish version, and converted to Christianity, probably with thebaptismal name Robert. In return, and in admission of defeat, KingCharles granted Rollo the lower Seine area (today's upper Normandy)and the titular rulership of Normandy, centred around the city ofRouen. There exists some argument among historians as to whether Rollowas a "duke" (dux) or whether his position was equivalent to that of a"count" under Charlemagne. According to legend, when required to kissthe foot of King Charles, as a condition of the treaty, he refused toperform so great a humiliation, and when Charles extended his foot toRollo, Rollo flipped Charles to the ground. He made his servants kisshis foot. Settlement Initially, Rollo stayed true to his word of defending the shores ofthe Seine river in accordance to the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte,but in time he and his followers had very different ideas. Rollo beganto divide the land between the Epte and Risle rivers among hischieftains and settled there with a de facto capital in Rouen. Withthese settlements, Rollo began to further raid other Frankish lands,now from the security of a settled homeland, rather than a mobilefleet. Eventually, however, Rollo's men intermarried with the localwomen, and became more settled as Frenchmen. At the time of his death,Rollo's expansion of his territory had extended as far west as theVire River. Death Rollo's grave at the cathedral of RouenSometime around 927, Rollopassed the fief in Normandy to his son, William Longsword. Rollo mayhave lived for a few years after that, but certainly died before 933.According to the historian Adhemar, 'As Rollo's death drew near, hewent mad and had a hundred Christian prisoners beheaded in front ofhim in honour of the gods whom he had worshipped, and in the enddistributed a hundred pounds of gold around the churches in honour ofthe true god in whose name he had accepted baptism.' Even though Rollohad converted to Christianity, some of his pagan roots surfaced at theend.
Karl-Heinz
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