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- Parents not known - see English text below:
Poppa of Bayeux (born circa 880), was the Christian wife or mistress (perhaps more danico) of the Viking conqueror Rollo. She was the mother of William I Longsword, Gerloc and grandmother of Richard the Fearless, who forged the Duchy of Normandy into a great fief of medieval France. Dudo of Saint-Quentin, in his panegyric of the Norman dukes, describes her as the daughter of a "Count Berengar", the dominant prince of that region, who was captured at Bayeux by Rollo in 885 or 889, shortly after the siege of Paris. This has led to speculation that she was the daughter of Berengar II of Neustria.
There are different opinions among medieval genealogy experts about Poppa's family. Christian Settipani says her parents were Guy de Senlis and Cunegundis, the daughter of Pepin, Count of Vermandois, and sister of Herbert I, Count of Vermandois. Katherine Keats-Rohan states she was the daughter of Berengar II of Neustria by Adelind, whose father was Henry, Margrave of the Franks, or Adela of Vermandois. Despite the uncertainty of her parentage, she undoubtedly was a member of the Frankish aristocracy. A statue of Poppa stands at the Place de Gaulle in Bayeux.
Translated and written a.o. from:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poppa_of_Bayeux
Cited 16 January 2012 (Article Creation Date.)
Cited 20 January 2012 (English Version Creation Date.)
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Poppa of Bayeux (born c. 880 AD), was the daughter of Berenger, Count of Bayeau.
She was captured in a raid, and ended up in a common law marriage with the Viking Rollo.
She was the Christian wife or mistress of the Viking conqueror Rollo, who became the first ruler of the fiefdom of Normandy.
She was the mother of William I Longsword, Gerloc and grandmother of Richard the Fearless, who forged the Duchy of Normandy
In 911, the fiefdom of Normandy was created, confirmed by treaty between King Charles III of France and the Viking jarl (that is, prince) Rollo.
According to Luc De Boever, who authored the book “The Montgomerys from the Vikings to Our Present Day” (pg 11):
“The King of France, Charles the Simple, thought it easier to give to Viking Chief Rollo a part of Nuestria which in fact the latter had already conquered. The Archbishop of Rouen organized a meeting between Rollo and the King of France, Charles the Simple, at the Saint-Clair-sur-Epte in the autumn of 911. The two leaders drew up a treaty which satisfied both. Rollo could at last stop the fighting and start organizing his lands. Charles the Simple hoped thus to no longer have anything to fear from the one who is going to stop any new Vikings arriving through the Seine valley. Moreover, Rollo had agreed to support the King of France when in need.
“Rollo agreed to be baptized and to marry Gisele, the King’s daughter; for this to be possible Rollo had to give up his mistress Poppa. Gisele was very young and died before the marriage was consummated. Rollo could thus return to Poppa, and marry her.
“Once baptized, Rollo gained the support of the Church. He became subdued and ruled his territory from Rouen.”
"In a few years, from 911 to 930. Rollo established the foundations of his territory on a solid and lasting footing in Upper Normandy. His marriage with Poppa, daughter of Berenger, Count of Bayeau, underlined both his willingness to integrate into a noble French lineage and his decision to settle indefinitely in the conquered land and, undoubtedly, his intentions to to expand his territory over the whole of Lower Normandy."
by wendylouiserussell1
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