3048480 - Davis Moebus Tree

Name Prefix:<NPFX> Duke
Name Suffix:<NSFX> Of Normandy 1St Duke
!NAME: Nickname "Rollo the Dane"
He was a Viking Pirate who was banished from Norway by his father; and captured
Bayeux in 890. He was given the name of Robert I at his baptism, and was styled
as the "Partician of Normandy". He acquired his nickname "the Ganger", because
he was to big for a horse to carry and had to walk.
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Rollo The Dane, First Duke of Normandy, Also called Rolf the Walker because, being so tall, he preferred to go afoot rather than ride the little Norwegain horses. Originally a Norse Viking, he was noted for strength and martial prowess.

Norwegian Viking settled at the mouth of the Seine. After fighting many battles made an agreement with King Charles The Simple- Received land in Normandy and became the 1st Duke of Normandy. He had to become a Christian, but at his death he ordered the sacrifice of 100 slaves (Showing that he still held to his Pagan beliefs)
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From: http://www.rwgray.com/Rollo.htm

Rollo, also called Rolf, claimed by the Gray family to be the proginator of the family, was a Viking. Born in Norway c860, he grew to be a Norse chieftain. He is referred to as Rollo the Ganger (goer or walker) because he was too tall to ride the little Northland ponies. He was chief of the Northmen.
True to Viking tradition, he engaged in raiding and plundering along the coasts of the North countries. Even though he was of high rank in Norway, he was exiled because he refused to confine his piracies to foreign lands. He came to France not as a mere destroying barbarian, but with ideas of permanent conquest and settlement.
In 884 he sailed up the Seine with perhaps ten thousand followers and captured Rouen. It became the Northmens capital for over three hundred years. He then went on to attack Paris. He started a seige in November 885 and continued it for over a year. Finally, king Charles the Fat paid Rollo huge sums of tribute money and persuaded him to go attack Bergundy, then in revolt against the king.
Rolf (Rollo), based at Rouen, was extending his influence over all the surrounding country. The poor liked Rolf because, though stern, he was fair, and gave them protection. The next French king, Charles the Simple (it was Charles le Sot, more accurately translated means fool), in 911 gave Rollo not only the lands he had won, but the rest of the northern French coast. The region was called Northmens land, or Normandy. Rollo was made its Duke, accepted Christianity, was baptised in 912 and promised not to plunder other lands, excepy Brittany.
Rollo died in 931 but had given his son, William "Longsword" governance of Normandy in 927. The tomb of Rollo is in the chapel of St. Romanus at Rouen. William died Dec. 17, 942, assassinated by the Count of Flanders.