General Notes

[jast.ged]

Weis' "Ancestral Roots. . ." (121:23), (121E:22), (130:23).
His nickname, "The Devil", was earned, at least in part, from the fact
that he killed his brother, RICHARD, in order to make himself Duke of
Normandy.  AKA "The Magnificent"

Rollo the Viking was granted land in Northwestern France in 911 AD by Charles the Simple, King of France. Charles hoped that Rollo would defend his new land, barring the length of the Seine River to other Viking groups. Rollo remained faithful to Charles and he and his son quickly expanded the original land grant at the expense of neighboring French lords and guarded it well against Viking rivals. Even before Rollo's grandson Richard took over the domain in 942, the descendants of the Vikings had accepted Christianity, intermarried with the local population and adopted the French language. Already they were being called Normans, a contraction of Northmen, and there territory became known as Normandy. Richard's great-grandson was King William I, conqueror of England.

Rollo was also known as "Rolf."

At the end of the ninth century, and the begining of the tenth century,
the Frankish Kingdom was ruled by a Carolingnian Kinglet, known as
Charles The Simple (879-929). During this period, men 'from the North',
known as Vikings, had ranged at will throughout said kingdom, taking
whatever towns they could wrest free. These men were known for their
spirit of boldness, ruthlessness, endurance and admiration of their own
race. Their extraordinary ability to plan military strategies culminated
in the acquistition of so many territories that Charles was plunged to the lowest depths of humiliation when these "savages" seized the area contiguous with Rouen and was forced to accept their leader as one
of his own vassals. The marauders were given the land between the Epte
and Risle rivers in the east of what is Normandy today, in exchange for
their sworn word to desist the plundering of Francia and protect her from
other barbarians.
The man who placed his hands within those of the King's, in proper feudal fashion, was known as Rollo. He has been given many soubriquets throughout the passing of time, including, but not limited to: Rolf the Ganger, Rollo-Gange-Rolf, Gamego Rolf, Roll, Rou, Gvngu-Hrslfr, Rolof the Walker, or Hrolf the Ganger, being so huge no horse could carry him; he must 'gang afoot'.
Rollo paid homage to King Charles, following the ceremony as he was told, although he is said to have seethed visibly at each new directive. We are told that "neither his father nor his grandfather nor his great grandfather before him had ever done such deplorable acts of degradation for any man." When Rollo was told that he must then kiss the king's foot, he adamantly refused, crying out "No! by God!" and then, turning to his men, he delegated one to act as proxy in this humiliating mandate. Whether the man was a clumsy oaf or an iron-willed fool has not been determined, but his act of obeisance succeeded in overturning the king and his chair.
This took place in 911; the contract between these two leaders has
since been called the Treaty of St Clair-sur-Epte. Rollo initially kept his word. His men settled down and began assimilating the Frankish language and the continental feudal system. The size of the Scandinavian settlement was small and the Northmen rapidly intermarried with the native population, allowing themselves to be received into the church by the archbishop of Rouen. Alas, their converstion no more altered their way of life than it had Clovis and his companions (a story for another time). Rollo and his men repelled a few shiploads of marauders, but before too long they were performing one raid after another, stretching the boundaries of their territory ever-increasingly within the Frankish heartland.
Rollo handed possession of his lands over to his son, Guillaume 'Longespee' (William 'Longsword'), before his death in 931. The exact date of ascension is arguable (924-927), but the Norman boundaries had  reached the river Vire by the time William received the duchy and by 933 he had seized the Cotentin peninsula, thereby acquiring the geographic boundaries Normandy posesses today.

Rollo b. c. 860 d. c. 932 also called ROLF, OR ROU, French ROLLON, Scandinavian rover who founded the duchy of Normandy.

Making himself independent of King Harald I of Norway, Rollo sailed off to raid Scotland, England, Flanders, and France on pirating expeditions and, about 911, established himself in an area along the Seine River. Charles III the Simple of France held off his siege of Paris, battled him near Chartres, and negotiated the treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte, giving him the part of Neustria that came to be called Normandy; Rollo in return agreed to end his brigandage. He gave his son, William I Longsword, governance of the dukedom (927) before his death. Rollo was baptized in 912 but is said to have died a pagan.


b. 0846, Norway
d. 0942, Age: 96
Rolf "the Ganger" (Robert-Rollo) RAGNVALDSSON First Duke Of Normandy
Rollo Rognvaldsson

Rollo was baptized in 912 but is said to have died a pagan. [Encyclopaedia Britannica CD, 1997, ROLLO]
Banished from Norway to the Hebrides ca. 876.
This son of Ragnvald, he was so stout and strong that no horse could carry him. Thus he was known as Gange-Rolf, or Rolf the Walker. One summer on the return from one of his viking expeditions, he made a strand-hug (a foray for cattle and provisions for his ships) in Viken. Hing Harald had Rolf tried by a special session of the Norwegian Thing, which declared him an outlaw in all Norway. He then sailed westward to the Sudreys, the present Hebrides and joined vikings there who then plundered Paris and the province of Bourgogne in 885. King Charles the Simple of France gave him and his successors the area that became Normandy by the Peace of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte. In 912 he became a Christian and married Gizela the daughter of Louis I.

[from Ancestry.com 139798.GED]
Robert contributed to the restoration of the throne of France to Henry and received from the gratitude of that monarch the Vexin as an addition to his patrimonial domains. In the 8th year of his reigh, curiosity of devotion induced him to undertake a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where the fatigues of the journey and the heat of the climate so impaired his constitution he died on his way home. Some sources call him Robert the Magnificent.

Normandy, Robert II the Devil of, Duke of Normandy 6th -

Robert contributed to the restoration of Henry King of France to his throne, and received from the gratitude of that monarch, the Vexin, as an additonal to his patrimonial domains.  Int he 8th year of his reign, curiosity or devotion induced him to undertake a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where the fatiges of the journey and the heat of the climate so impaired his consitution he died on his way home.

Some sources call him Robert I the Magnificent

Robert I, byname ROBERT THE MAGNIFICENT, or THE DEVIL, French ROBERT le MAGNIFIQUE, or le DIABLE (d. July 1035, Nicaea), duke of Normandy (1027-35), the younger son of Richard II of Normandy and the father, by his mistress Arlette, of William the Conqueror of England. On the death of his father (1026/27), Robert contested the duchy with his elder brother Richard III, legally the heir, until the latter's opportune death a few years later. A strong ruler, Robert succeeded in exacting the obedience of his vassals. On the death of Robert II the Pious, king of France (1031), a crisis arose over the succession to the French throne. The Duke gave his support to Henry I against the party favouring his younger brother; in reward for his services he demanded and received the Vexin Français, a territory not far north of Paris. A patron of the monastic reform movement, he died while returning from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. [Encyclopaedia Britannica CD '97]