THE NORMANS
The Norse leader Rollo took the name Robert and married into the Frankish royal family when he was granted Normandy by Charles the Simple. He did not use the term duke of Normandy and was not, in truth, a Frankish aristocrat in anything more than name. He did uphold the rule of law with great enthusiasm, though. Rollo was prone to mete out harsh punishments for relatively petty offences and reformed the local code of law into something stricter than the rather loose Frankish one he had inherited. His laws emphasized personal responsibility and a duty to observe honourable conduct.
Rollo retired in 927 and died soon afterward, leaving Normandy to his son William Longsword. William’s son, Richard I of Normandy, was the first to use the title of duke.
In his reign, the duchy was organized along feudal lines, which became the norm thereafter. His daughter, Emma of Normandy, married the English king Aethelred and, after his death, Cnut.
Her son Edward eventually succeeded Cnut, becoming the last Anglo-Saxon king of England.
Richard I of Normandy died in 996, when he was succeeded by his young son Richard II. Normandy was by this point heavily involved in the politics of France and Europe in general.
Relations with France, now ruled by the Capet dynasty, were good; Normandy assisted the king of France in his attempts to gain control over the Duchy of Burgundy. Richard I also gave refuge to the deposed Aethelred of England and his sons.
Richard I was succeeded in 1026 by his son Richard III, who was forced to put down a revolt by his brother Robert. Richard died soon after the end of the rebellion, passing the duchy to Robert.
Normandy was at this time beset by internal troubles, some of which had begun as a result of the conflict between Richard and Robert. In the meantime, Norman adventurers were carving out realms for
themselves in Italy. Accounts differ of how this conflict began, but it seems that Norman warriors became involved in Italian politics while passing on their way to and from the Holy Land.
The Crusades were many years in the future at this point, but pilgrimages to Jerusalem and other holy sites were popular with nobles either as a means to win the favour of the Church or out of genuine devotion.
Norman involvement in Italy increased gradually, eventually leading to the creation of a Norman kingdom of Sicily and large holdings in southern Italy. In 1035, when Robert I of Normandy died, Italy was a land of opportunity and adventure. However, Robert’s successor William had troubles nearer home. As an illegitimate child, there were disputes over his succession to the throne of Normandy and he was forced to consolidate his power by a series of military campaigns. It was not until 1047 that William was secure in his position as duke of Normandy.
