Richard the Fearless as part of the Six Dukes of Normandy statue in the town square of Falaise.

Richard I of Normandy (born 28 August 933, in Fecamp Normandy, France died November 20, 996, in Fecamp) was the Duke of Normandy from 942 to 996; he is considered the first to actually have held that title. He was called Richard the Fearless (French, Sans Peur). Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2112 × 2816 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2112 × 2816 pixel, file size: 1. ... August 28 is the 240th day of the year (241st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events Jersey was seized by William Longsword, Duke of Normandy . ... Fécamp is a commune of the Seine-Maritime département, in France. ... Flag of Normandy Normandy (in French: Normandie, and in Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region in northern France. ... November 20 is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events March/April - Pope John XV dies before being being able to coronate Otto III, King of Germany as Holy Roman Emperor. ... Bold textInsert non-formatted text here This statue of Rollo the Viking (founder of the fiefdom of Normandy) stands in Falaise, Calvados, birthplace of his descendant William I the Conqueror (the Duke of Normandy who became King of England). ... Events Kaminarimon, the eight-pillared gate to Japans Kinryuzan Sensouji Temple is erected. ... Events March/April - Pope John XV dies before being being able to coronate Otto III, King of Germany as Holy Roman Emperor. ...

Birth

He was born to William I of Normandy, ruler of Normandy, and Sprota. He was born probably between 932 and 935; he was still a boy when his father died in 942. His mother was a Breton concubine captured in war and bound to William by a Danish marriage. After William died, Sprota became the wife of Esperleng, a wealthy miller. This article is about the ruler of Normandy. ... Events Foundation of the St. ... Events Václav (Saint Wenceslas), Duke of the Bohemians, murdered by his brother, Boleslav I, who succeeds him Gyeonhwon, the king of Hubaekje, is overthrown by his eldest son Singeom. ...

Life

Richard was still a boy when his father died, and so he was powerless to stop Louis IV of France when he seized Normandy. Louis kept him in confinement in his youth at Lâon, but he escaped with the assistance of Osmund de Centeville, Bernard de Senlis (who had been a companion of Rollo of Normandy), Ivo de Bellèsme, and Bernard the Dane (ancestor of families of Harcourt and Beaumont). In 968, Richard agreed to "commend" himself to Hugh, Count of Paris. He then allied himself with the Norman and Viking leaders, drove Louis out of Rouen, and took back Normandy by 947. He later quarrelled with Ethelred II of England regarding Viking invasions of England because Normandy had been buying up much of the stolen booty. Louis IV dOutremer: King of France 936 to 954, member of the Carolingian dynasty. ... Rollo on the Six Dukes statue in the Falaise town square. ... Ethelred II (Old English: Æþelred) (c. ...

Richard was bilingual, having been well educated at Bayeux. He was more partial to his Danish subjects than to the French. During his reign, Normandy became completely Gallicized and Christianized. He introduced the feudal system and Normandy became one of the most thoroughly feudalized states on the continent. He carried out a major reorganization of the Norman military system, based on heavy cavalry. He also became guardian of the young Hugh, Count of Paris, on the elder Hugh's death in 956. Roland pledges his fealty to Charlemagne; from a manuscript of a chanson de geste. ...

The Little Duke, a Victorian Juvenile novel by Charlotte Mary Yonge is a fictionalized account of Richard's boyhood and early struggles. Charlotte Mary Yonge (August 11, 1823 - May 24, 1901), was a English novelist, known for her huge output, mostly now out of print. ...

Marriages

He married 1st (960) Emma of Paris, daughter of Hugh the Great, Duke of the Franks and Count of Paris. They were betrothed when both were very young. She died after 966, with no issue. Events Edgar the Peaceable crowned King of England. ... Hugh the Great (d. ...

According to Robert of Torigni, not long after Emma's death, Duke Richard went out hunting and stopped at the house of a local forester. He became enamoured of the forester's wife, Seinfreda, but she being a virtuous woman, suggested he court her unmarried sister, Gunnora of Danes House of Crêpon, instead. Gunnora became his mistress, eventualy she became Gunnor, Duchess of Normandy, and her family rose to prominence. Her brother, Herefast de Crepon, may have been involved in a controversial heresy trial. Gunnor was, like Richard, of Norse descent, being a Dane by blood. During this period they had a natural son only recognized by the maternal lineage: Robert of Torigni was born at Torigni-sur-Vire in central Normandy, at an unknown date. ... The “House of Crepon” can be traced back to Herfast de Crépon Arque (*0885) of Scandia in the Sjaelland Island, one of ‘Nobles Houses of Danes’ (Denmark). ... Gunnora or Gunnor (circa 936 – 1031) was the wife and consort of Richard I of Normandy. ...

• Geoffrey Crispin de Crépon, Jarl of Arnes of the Noble House of Danes, latter became Count of Brionne and d'Eu, and founder of the House of Candia (b. ca. 970)

Richard finally married her to legitimate their children: Crépon is a commune of the département of Calvados, in the Basse-Normandie région, in France. ... This is a list of the counts of Eu, a French fief in the Middle Ages. ... Dynastic House of Candia / Dinastica Casa Candia Junior branch of the Sanseverino Family The House of Candie ( Italian: Casa Candia) is a dynasty of nobles who traced it name to the Castle of Candie (Château de Candie situé a Chambèry-le-Vieux) built by a Burgundes count who... Events Major volcano eruption in Mashu Japan Devastating decade long famine begins in France Byzantine Emperor John I successfully defends the Eastern Roman Empire from massive barbarian invasion Construction completed on Al-Azhar mosque in Cairo, worlds oldest Islamic university Births Leif Ericson, Norse explorer Seyyed Razi, important Muslim...

• Richard II "the Good", Duke of Normandy (966)
• Robert, Archbishop of Rouen, Count of Evreux, died 1037.
• Mauger, Earl of Corbeil, died after 1033; his alleged grandson (or perhaps great-grandson) was Robert Fitzhamon, an important Anglo-Norman baron.
• Robert Danus, died between 985 and 989
• Emma of Normandy (c.985-1052) wife of two kings of England.
• Maud of Normandy, wife of Odo II of Blois, Count of Blois, Champagne and Chartres

Richard the Good as part of the Six Dukes of Normandy statue in the town square of Falaise. ... Robert II was son of duke Richard I of Normandy and his second wife Gunnora. ... The Archbishop of Rouen is Primate of Normandy and one of the fifteen Archbishops of France. ... Évreux is a commune of Normandy, France, in the Eure département, of which it is the préfecture (capital). ... Corbeil is a village in Ontario, Canada. ... Robert Fitzhamon (died March 1107) was Lord of Gloucester and the conqueror of Glamorgan. ... Queen Emma of Normandy receiving the Encomium Emmae, with her sons Harthacanute and Edward the Confessor in the background. ... Odo II of Blois (983–1037), (French: Eudes) Count of Blois (1004–1037) and Count of Chartres, was the son of Count Odo I of Blois and Bertha of Bourgogne. ...

Mistresses

Richard was known to have had several other mistresses and produced children with many of them. Known children are:

• Hawise of Normandy (b. ca. 978), d. 21 February 1034. m. Geoffrey I, Duke of Brittany
• William d'Eu, Count d'Eu, (b. ca. 985).

February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events April 11 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium marries her chamberlain and elevates him to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael IV. Franche-Comté becomes subject to the Holy Roman Empire. ... Geoffrey I of Rennes (980 - November 20, 1008) was duke of Brittany, from 992 to his death. ... Events Barcelona sacked by Al-Mansur Greenland colonized by Icelandic Viking Erik the Red (the date is according to legend but has been established as at least approximately correct – see History of Greenland) Lady Wulfruna founded the town that later became the city of Wolverhampton Births Al-Hakim bi...

Death

He died in Fecamp, France on November 20, 996 of natural causes. Fécamp is a commune of the Seine-Maritime département, in France. ... November 20 is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events March/April - Pope John XV dies before being being able to coronate Otto III, King of Germany as Holy Roman Emperor. ...

Genealogy

Diagram based on the information found on Wikipedia

Image File history File links Cronological_tree_william_I.svg Genealogy of William the conqueror back up to Rollo. ... Image File history File links Cronological_tree_william_I.svg Genealogy of William the conqueror back up to Rollo. ...

Sources

• McKitterick, Rosamund. The Frankish Kingdoms under the Carolingians 751-987, 1993.
• Searle, Eleanor. Predatory Kinship and the Creation of Norman Power, 840-1066, 1998.
• The Henry Project: Richard I of Normandy