Alan II, Duke of Brittany
Encyclopedia
Alan II nicknamed Wrybeard (French: Barbe-Torte) and also known as Le Renard "The Fox", was Count of Vannes
, Poher, and Nantes, and Duke of Brittany
from 938 to his death. During his rule, he defended Brittany from Viking
invasions.
, because the Norsemen
had invaded Armorica
. The Chronicle of Nantes
reports:
Alan became ruler of Brittany at the end of a 33-year interregnum
after the death of his maternal grandfather, Duke Alan the Great
. He landed at Dol
in 936, at the invitation of the monk Jean de Landévennec and with the aid of Edward's successor, Athelstan the Glorious. By 937 he was master of most of Brittany, having forced the Vikings back to the Loire
.
In 938, he was elected Brittonum dux. On 1 August 939, with the aid of Judicael (Berengar)
, count of Rennes, and Hugh I, count of Maine, his victory was made complete by defeating the Norse at Trans
. Alan declared that date a national holiday.
, for both had been exiles in England at the same time. Alan renounced the Cotentin, Avranchin
, and Mayenne
, while Louis recognised that Brittany had "never formed part of his kingdom." Alan was also allied to Theobald the Old
, the count of Chartres
.
, in the Basilique Notre Dame. He was succeeded by his son Drogo.
Count of Vannes
Count of Vannes was the title held the rulers of the County of Vannes....
, Poher, and Nantes, and Duke of Brittany
Duke of Brittany
The Duchy of Brittany was a medieval tribal and feudal state covering the northwestern peninsula of Europe,bordered by the Alantic Ocean on the west and the English Channel to the north with less definitive borders of the Loire River to the south and Normandy to the east...
from 938 to his death. During his rule, he defended Brittany from Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
invasions.
The Vikings
He had to take refuge, along with his father Mathuedoi, Count of Poher, with the English king, Edward the ElderEdward the Elder
Edward the Elder was an English king. He became king in 899 upon the death of his father, Alfred the Great. His court was at Winchester, previously the capital of Wessex...
, because the Norsemen
Norsemen
Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who spoke what is now called the Old Norse language belonging to the North Germanic branch of Indo-European languages, especially Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, Swedish and Danish in their earlier forms.The meaning of Norseman was "people...
had invaded Armorica
Armorica
Armorica or Aremorica is the name given in ancient times to the part of Gaul that includes the Brittany peninsula and the territory between the Seine and Loire rivers, extending inland to an indeterminate point and down the Atlantic coast...
. The Chronicle of Nantes
Chronicle of Nantes
Chronicle of Nantes is an eleventh-century Latin chronicle of history extending from 570 to about 1049 AD...
reports:
| Fugit autem tunc temporis Mathuedoi, comes de Poher, ad regem Anglorum Adelstanum cum ingenti multitudine Britonum, ducens secum filium suum, nomine Alanum, qui postea cognominatus est Barbatorta, quem Alanum ex filia Alani Magni, Britonum ducis, genuerat, et quem ipse rex Angliae Adelstannus jam prius ex lavaero sancto susceperat. Ipse rex pro familiaritate et amicitia hujus regenerationis magnam in eo fidem habebat. (Chronicle of Nantes, chapter 27) | "... Among the nobles who fled for fear for the Danes, Mathuedoi, the count of Poher, put to sea with a great multitude of Bretons, and went to Athelstan Athelstan of England Athelstan , called the Glorious, was the King of England from 924 or 925 to 939. He was the son of King Edward the Elder, grandson of Alfred the Great and nephew of Æthelflæd of Mercia... , king of the English, taking with him his son, called Alan, who was afterwards surnamed "Crooked Beard". He had had this Alan by the daughter of Alan the Great, duke of the Bretons, and the same Athelstan, king of England, had lifted him from the holy font. This king had great trust in him because of this friendship and the alliance of this baptism." |
Alan became ruler of Brittany at the end of a 33-year interregnum
Interregnum
An interregnum is a period of discontinuity or "gap" in a government, organization, or social order...
after the death of his maternal grandfather, Duke Alan the Great
Alan I, Duke of Brittany
Alan I , called the Great, was the Count of Vannes and Duke of Brittany from 876 until his death. He was probably also the only King of Brittany to hold that title by legitimate grant of the Emperor....
. He landed at Dol
Dol-de-Bretagne
Dol-de-Bretagne , cited in most historical records under its Breton name of Dol, is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine département in Brittany in north-western France.-History:...
in 936, at the invitation of the monk Jean de Landévennec and with the aid of Edward's successor, Athelstan the Glorious. By 937 he was master of most of Brittany, having forced the Vikings back to the Loire
Loire
Loire is an administrative department in the east-central part of France occupying the River Loire's upper reaches.-History:Loire was created in 1793 when after just 3½ years the young Rhône-et-Loire department was split into two. This was a response to counter-Revolutionary activities in Lyon...
.
| Sique civitas Namnetico per plures annos derelicta, vastata et vepribus spinisque occupata remansit, donec Alanus Barbatorta, Alani Magnus nepos, surrexit et hos Normannos ab omni regione Britannien et a fluvio Ligeris, qui illis erat nutrimentum magnum, omnino depulsos dejecit. Iste vero Alanus cum rege Anglorum Adelstano ab infantia fuit nutritus, corpore validus et fortitur audax, apros et ursos in silva minime curans eos cum ferro occidere nisi cum lignis silvae. Congregata navium parvitate, cum his Brttannis, qui libidem adhue superstites erant, venit per licentiam régis revisere Britanniam. (Chronicle of Nantes, chapter 29) | "... The city of Nantes Nantes Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants.... remained for many years deserted, devastated and overgrown with briars and thorns, until Alan Crooked Beard, grandson of Alan the Great, arose and cast out those Normans from the whole region of Brittany and from the river Loire, which was a great support for them. This Alan was brought up from infancy with Athelstan, king of the English, and was strong in body and very courageous, and did not care to kill wild boars and bears in the forest with an iron weapon, but with a wooden staff. He collected a few ships and came by the king's permission with those Bretons who were still living there, to revisit Brittany." |
In 938, he was elected Brittonum dux. On 1 August 939, with the aid of Judicael (Berengar)
Judicael Berengar
Judicael alias Berengar was Count of Rennes in the mid-to-late 10th century. There are conflicting accounts of his parentage, one popular solution making him son and successor to a count Berenger by a daughter of Gurvand, Duke of Brittany...
, count of Rennes, and Hugh I, count of Maine, his victory was made complete by defeating the Norse at Trans
Trans
Trans is a Latin noun or prefix, meaning "across", "beyond" or "on the opposite side".Trans may refer to:- Science and technology :* Cis-trans isomerism, in chemistry, a form of stereoisomerism...
. Alan declared that date a national holiday.
Louis IV of France and other alliances
Alan was closely allied with King Louis IV of FranceLouis IV of France
Louis IV , called d'Outremer or Transmarinus , reigned as King of Western Francia from 936 to 954...
, for both had been exiles in England at the same time. Alan renounced the Cotentin, Avranchin
Avranchin
The Avranchin is an area in Normandy, France, corresponding to the territory of the Abrincates, tribe of Celts who also gave their name to the city of Avranches, main town of the Avranchin....
, and Mayenne
Mayenne
Mayenne is a department in northwest France named after the Mayenne River.-History:Mayenne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. The northern two thirds correspond to the western part of the former province of Maine...
, while Louis recognised that Brittany had "never formed part of his kingdom." Alan was also allied to Theobald the Old
Theobald I of Blois
Theobald I , called the Cheat or the Trickster , was the first count of Blois, Chartres, and Châteaudun from 960, and Tours from 945....
, the count of Chartres
Count of Blois
The County of Blois was originally centred on Blois, south of Paris, France. One of the chief cities, along with Blois itself, was Chartres. Blois was associated with Champagne, Châtillon , and later with the French royal family, to whom the county passed in 1391...
.
Death
He died and was buried in his capital, NantesNantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
, in the Basilique Notre Dame. He was succeeded by his son Drogo.
Primary sources
- FlodoardFlodoard-Biography:He was born at Épernay, and educated at Reims in the cathedral school which had been established by Archbishop Fulcon .As canon of Reims, and favourite of the archbishops Herivaeus and Seulfus -Biography:He was born at Épernay, and educated at Reims in the cathedral school which had...
, Annales, ed. Philippe Lauer, Les Annales de Flodoard. Collection des textes pour servir à l'étude et à l'enseignement de l'histoire 39. Paris: Picard, 1905. Available from Internet Archive and Google Books - Chronicle of NantesChronicle of NantesChronicle of Nantes is an eleventh-century Latin chronicle of history extending from 570 to about 1049 AD...
, ed. Peter Merlet, La chronique de Nantes. Paris, 1896.
Further reading
- Cassard, Jean-Christophe. Le siècle des Vikings en Bretagne. Éditions Gisserot. Paris, 1996
See also
- Dukes of Brittany family treeDukes of Brittany family treeThis is a family tree of the Dukes of Brittany from the 9th century, to the annexation of Brittany by France in 1532.See also: Brittany - List of family trees...