Rollo the Viking (Robert I of Normandy)

Robert, also known as Rollo or Rolf or Hrolf, was a Norwegian viking who ravaged the Loire valley. They called him “Hrolf the Walker” because he was so big no horse could carry him. So he walked everywhere.

He is my 28th x great-grandfather.

One of the key problems with researching Rollo is that it’s hard to determine which historical sources are fiction, and which are authentic. One of the main sources for Rollo’s life is a panegyric written between 1015 and 1087 by Dudo of St Quentin¹. He wrote this 200 years after Rollo’s life, would have based it on oral histories at best, and wanted to praise the Normans². Since Rollo converted to Christianity he was a role model for the Church, who used him as a heathen-converted-to-Christianity figure³.

Assume most of the information on this page is questionable. Check the sources. And check back for updates.

A photo of a statue of Rollo the Viking — Rollo the Viking

He was born sometime in the 850s in Möre, Norway, son of Ragnvild ‘the Wise’ Earl of Möre in Norway & his wife Ragnhild⁴. He may have been Danish, and he may have been an aristocrat⁵. The Norwegian claim comes from the 11th century and is less likely, but not impossible.

Titles

They called him “Göngu-Hrolf” which means “Hrolf the walker” because he was so big no horse could carry him⁶.

He was a Viking chieftain⁷ but it is unclear what this represents.

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Family

Rollo’s first wife is not known. In fact we don’t even know if they married or if she was a concubine⁸. They had one or, according to one source, two children⁹:

Kadline, who married King Beolan of Scotland.
Niederga, but only one source mentions her.

A photo of Rouen Cathedral - Rouen, France — *Rouen Cathedral – Rouen, France*

In or around 886 Robert married Poppa of Bayeux according to Viking customs, or more danico¹⁰ ¹¹. He captured her together with the town of Bayeux after killing her father so it’s not clear if she was a willing bride. Together they had the following children¹²:

Gerloc, who took the name Adele once baptised. She married William III of Aquitaine.
Guillaume, Rollo’s heir. He is the great-grandfather of William the Conqueror.

This makes the late Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland my 28th-cousin.

In 912 he divorced Poppa and married Gisele, the daughter of Charles the Simple¹³ ¹⁴ ¹⁵.

Some historical accounts claim Gisele was a gift to Rollo, which makes this marriage questionable too¹⁶. It also is possible that she had a different name because ‘Gisele’ or ‘Gisla’ translates as ‘a pledge of friendship'¹⁷.

A photo of Queen Elizabeth II — *Queen Elizabeth II*

She died soon after marrying Rollo so he re-married Poppa¹⁸ ¹⁹ ²⁰. This re-marriage may have been a tactical move to remove any doubts about Guillaume’s inheritance²¹ because he married her more Christiano, i.e., they married in Catholic rites.

Notable events

King Harald banished him from Norway. He travelled to the Hebrides, off the northern coast of Scotland, before moving south through Scotland, then England²².

In 876 he captured Chartres in France but escaped a revolt by the townspeople.

This was the Battle of Chartres.

A photo of the cathedral - Chartres, France — *The cathedral – Chartres, France*

He captured Rouen later that year²³ ²⁴. Between 876 and 900, he besieged Paris, captured Bayeux and found enough time to conquer Normandy²⁵ ²⁶.

In 912 Rollo chose to become a Roman Catholic. He took the name of Robert²⁷ ²⁸. This was not a random act of belief; Rollo converted as part of his agreement with King Charles the Simple. With this agreement, Rollo agreed to stop invading northern France, as long as he and his fellow Vikings could occupy the land²⁹.

A painting of the Siege of Chartres by Padovanino — *Padovanino’s 1618 depiction of the Siege of Chartres*

There was a reason for this; the nobles in France pleaded with Charles to do more against the invaders³⁰. He had run out of ideas and asked them for advice³¹. The nobility suggested granting the invaders northern France and Charles’ daughter’s hand in marriage³².

King Charles III of the West Franks (Charles the Simple) pledged allegiance to Rollo granting him French land ‘and his daughter Gisele'³³ ³⁴. The document showing this allegiance no longer exists but there is a reference to it in a charter dated 14 March 918³⁵. This charter donates land to the monastery of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. It specifies the land “exclude[ing] that part […] granted to […] Rollo and his companions.”³⁶.

In fiction and media

British actor Clive Standen brings Rollo to life in the TV series Vikings. The series shows Rollo as being Ragnar Lothbrok’s brother but there is no evidence to suggest these two were related³⁷.

Rollo’s participation in the siege of Paris in the TV series is accurate, as described above³⁸.

Death

He died in 933 of natural causes. They transferred his body to Rouen cathedral in 1064³⁹.

The inscription on his tomb reads:

In sinu templi Rollo quiescit a se vastatae conditae normanniae pater ac primus dux labore qui fractus occubuit octogenario maior anno 933

Which translates to:

In the bosom of the temple, Rollo rests, the father of the Normans, founded by himself, and the first leader, who broke down and died at the age of octogenarian in [the year] 933.