Reginar, Duke of Lorraine
Encyclopedia
Reginar I Longneck was the Duke of Lorraine from 910 until his death. He stands at the head of the clan of Reginarids
, an important Lotharingian noble family.
He was the son of Gilbert
, Count of the Maasgau, and a daughter of Lothair I
of whom the name is not known (Hiltrude, Bertha, Irmgard, and Gisela are good candidates).
He succeeded his father in the Maasgau and was the lay abbot
of Echternach
between 897 and 915, of Maastricht
from before May 898, and of Stablo and Malmedy
between 900 and 902.
He was the Count of Mons when in 870 he and Franco, Bishop of Liège, led an army against the Vikings in Walacria
. He, as Duke of Hesbaye
and Hainault, and Radbold led a Frisian
army with against the forces of Rollo
a little later, but were forced back to his fortresses.
In an 877 capitulary
from Quierzy, he appears alongside his father as one of the regents of the kingdom during Charles the Bald
's absence on campaign in Italy. A Reginar appears at the Siege of Paris
in 886, but this may be an uncle or nephew. The name "Reginar" or "Reginhar" ( or ) was commonplace in his family.
Reginar was originally a supporter of Zwentibold
in 895, but he broke with the king in 898. He and some other magnates who had been key to Zwentibold's election three years earlier then took the opportunity provided by the death of Odo of West Francia to invite Charles the Simple
to become king in Lotharingia. His lands were confiscated, but he refused to give them up and entrenched himself at Durfost, downstream from Maastricht. Representatives of Charles, Zwentibold, and the Emperor Arnulf met at Sankt Goar
and determined that the succession should go to Louis the Child
. Zwentibold was killed by the rebels in battle in August 900.
At first, Louis appeared to be opposed to Reginar when he appointed Gebhard
as his deputy in Lotharingia, but the two were never at war. In 908, Reginar recuperated the Hainault after the death of Sigard. Then, after the death of Gebhard in 910, in battle with the Magyars, Reginar appears as his successor. He led the magnates in opposing Conrad I of Germany
and electing Charles the Simple their king. He was given the title marchio
by Charles in 915. He never appears as the Duke of Lorraine, but he was definitely the military commander of the region under Charles. He himself was succeeded by his son Gilbert
; however, the Reginarids did not succeed in establishing their supremacy in Lotharingia like the Liudolfings or Liutpoldings did in the duchies of Saxony
and Bavaria
.
Reginarids
The House of Reginar was a kin-group in Lotharingia during the Carolingian and Ottonian centuries. They were the first dynasty of the County of Hainault and they supplied two Dukes of Lorraine....
, an important Lotharingian noble family.
He was the son of Gilbert
Gilbert, Count of the Maasgau
Gilbert , Count of Maasgau, was a vassal of Charles the Bald. He was count of Maasgau on the lower Meuse.Gilbert's background is not known. The similarity of his son's name to the name "Ragnar" has been used as an argument to suggest a Viking connection...
, Count of the Maasgau, and a daughter of Lothair I
Lothair I
Lothair I or Lothar I was the Emperor of the Romans , co-ruling with his father until 840, and the King of Bavaria , Italy and Middle Francia...
of whom the name is not known (Hiltrude, Bertha, Irmgard, and Gisela are good candidates).
He succeeded his father in the Maasgau and was the lay abbot
Lay abbot
Lay abbot is a name used to designate a layman on whom a king or someone in authority bestowed an abbey as a reward for services rendered; he had charge of the estate belonging to it, and was entitled to part of the income.This custom existed principally in the Frankish Empire from the eighth...
of Echternach
Echternach
Echternach is a commune with city status in the canton of Echternach, which is part of the district of Grevenmacher, in eastern Luxembourg. Echternach lies near the border with Germany, and is the oldest town in Luxembourg....
between 897 and 915, of Maastricht
Maastricht
Maastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...
from before May 898, and of Stablo and Malmedy
Malmedy
Malmedy is a municipality of Belgium. It lies in the country's Walloon Region, Province of Liège. It belongs to the French Community of Belgium, within which it is French-speaking with facilities for German-speakers. On January 1, 2006 Malmedy had a total population of 11,829...
between 900 and 902.
He was the Count of Mons when in 870 he and Franco, Bishop of Liège, led an army against the Vikings in Walacria
Walcheren
thumb|right|250px|Campveer Tower in Veere, built in 1500Walcheren is a former island in the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands at the mouth of the Scheldt estuary. It lies between the Oosterschelde in the north and the Westerschelde in the south and is roughly the shape of a rhombus...
. He, as Duke of Hesbaye
Hesbaye
Hesbaye or Haspengouw , is a region spanning the south of the Belgian province of Limburg, the east of the Belgian provinces of Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant, and the northwestern part of the province of Liège.The Limburgish portion contains the cities of Tongeren, Sint-Truiden, Bilzen and...
and Hainault, and Radbold led a Frisian
Frisians
The Frisians are a Germanic ethnic group native to the coastal parts of the Netherlands and Germany. They are concentrated in the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen and, in Germany, East Frisia and North Frisia, that was a part of Denmark until 1864. They inhabit an area known as Frisia...
army with against the forces of Rollo
Rollo of Normandy
Rollo , baptised Robert and so sometimes numbered Robert I to distinguish him from his descendants, was a Norse nobleman of Norwegian or Danish descent and founder and first ruler of the Viking principality in what soon became known as Normandy...
a little later, but were forced back to his fortresses.
In an 877 capitulary
Capitulary
A capitulary was a series of legislative or administrative acts emanating from the Frankish court of the Merovingian and Carolingian dynasties, especially that of the first emperor, Charlemagne...
from Quierzy, he appears alongside his father as one of the regents of the kingdom during Charles the Bald
Charles the Bald
Charles the Bald , Holy Roman Emperor and King of West Francia , was the youngest son of the Emperor Louis the Pious by his second wife Judith.-Struggle against his brothers:He was born on 13 June 823 in Frankfurt, when his elder...
's absence on campaign in Italy. A Reginar appears at the Siege of Paris
Siege of Paris (885-886)
The Siege of Paris of 885 to 886 was a Viking siege of Paris, then capital of the kingdom of the West Franks. It was, in hindsight, the most important event of the reign of the Emperor Charles the Fat and a turning point in the fortunes of the Carolingian dynasty and the history of France.The...
in 886, but this may be an uncle or nephew. The name "Reginar" or "Reginhar" ( or ) was commonplace in his family.
Reginar was originally a supporter of Zwentibold
Zwentibold
Zwentibold was the illegitimate son of the Carolingian Emperor Arnulf of Carinthia. In 895 his father, then king of East Francia, granted him the Kingdom of Lotharingia, which he ruled until his death.After his death he was declared a saint and martyr by the Catholic Church.- Life :Zwentibold...
in 895, but he broke with the king in 898. He and some other magnates who had been key to Zwentibold's election three years earlier then took the opportunity provided by the death of Odo of West Francia to invite Charles the Simple
Charles the Simple
Charles III , called the Simple or the Straightforward , was the undisputed King of France from 898 until 922 and the King of Lotharingia from 911 until 919/23...
to become king in Lotharingia. His lands were confiscated, but he refused to give them up and entrenched himself at Durfost, downstream from Maastricht. Representatives of Charles, Zwentibold, and the Emperor Arnulf met at Sankt Goar
Sankt Goar
Sankt Goar is a town on the left bank of the Middle Rhine in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Sankt Goar-Oberwesel, whose seat is in the town of Oberwesel....
and determined that the succession should go to Louis the Child
Louis the Child
Louis the Child , sometimes called Louis IV or Louis III, was the last Carolingian ruler of East Francia....
. Zwentibold was killed by the rebels in battle in August 900.
At first, Louis appeared to be opposed to Reginar when he appointed Gebhard
Gebhard, Duke of Lorraine
Gebhard of Lahngau , of the Conradine dynasty, son of Odo , count of Lahngau, and Judith, was himself count of Wetterau and Rheingau and then duke of Lotharingia ....
as his deputy in Lotharingia, but the two were never at war. In 908, Reginar recuperated the Hainault after the death of Sigard. Then, after the death of Gebhard in 910, in battle with the Magyars, Reginar appears as his successor. He led the magnates in opposing Conrad I of Germany
Conrad I of Germany
Conrad I , called the Younger, was Duke of Franconia from 906 and King of Germany from 911 to 918, the only king of the Conradine dynasty...
and electing Charles the Simple their king. He was given the title marchio
Margrave
A margrave or margravine was a medieval hereditary nobleman with military responsibilities in a border province of a kingdom. Border provinces usually had more exposure to military incursions from the outside, compared to interior provinces, and thus a margrave usually had larger and more active...
by Charles in 915. He never appears as the Duke of Lorraine, but he was definitely the military commander of the region under Charles. He himself was succeeded by his son Gilbert
Gilbert, Duke of Lorraine
Gilbert was the duke of Lotharingia until 939.The beginning of the reign of Gilbert is not clear. A dux Lotharingiae is mentioned in 910 and this may have been Gilbert...
; however, the Reginarids did not succeed in establishing their supremacy in Lotharingia like the Liudolfings or Liutpoldings did in the duchies of Saxony
Duchy of Saxony
The medieval Duchy of Saxony was a late Early Middle Ages "Carolingian stem duchy" covering the greater part of Northern Germany. It covered the area of the modern German states of Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony-Anhalt and most of Schleswig-Holstein...
and Bavaria
Duchy of Bavaria
The Duchy of Bavaria was the only one of the stem duchies from the earliest days of East Francia and the Kingdom of Germany to preserve both its name and most of its territorial extent....
.
Family
By his wife Hersinda (or Alberada), who predeceased him, Reginar left the following children:- Gilbert, Duke of LorraineGilbert, Duke of LorraineGilbert was the duke of Lotharingia until 939.The beginning of the reign of Gilbert is not clear. A dux Lotharingiae is mentioned in 910 and this may have been Gilbert...
- Reginar II, Count of Hainaut
- Balderic, Bishop of Utrecht
- Frederick, Archbishop of MainzFrederick, Archbishop of MainzFrederick was the Archbishop of Mainz from 937, following the late Hildebert, until his death. He was a son of Reginar, Duke of Lorraine....
- a daughter, who married BerengarBerengar of NamurBerengarius of Namur was mentioned in 908 as count of the Lommegau, that would afterwards become the county of Namur. The origins of Berengar are unknown. He supposedly married a daughter of the count of Hainaut, Reginar I.-Sources:*...
, Count of Namur
Sources
- Reuter, TimothyTimothy ReuterTimothy Alan Reuter , grandson of the former mayor of Berlin Ernst Reuter, was a German-British historian who specialized in the study of medieval Germany, particularly the social, military and ecclesiastical institutions of the Ottonian and Salian periods .Reuter received his D.phil from Oxford in...
. Germany in the Early Middle Ages 800–1056. New York: Longman, 1991. - Reuter, Timothy (trans.) The Annals of Fulda. (Manchester Medieval series, Ninth-Century Histories, Volume II.) Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1992.