territory already more or less under Danish control, demanding that the Vikings should
defend it, thus protecting the realm from further attacks, and become Christians. On
accepting these terms, Rollo – no one can say for sure whether he came from Denmark or
Norway (Douglas 1942 : 417 – 24 ; Renaud 1989 : 47 – 55 ) – acquired mainly the pagi
(circumscriptions) of Talou, Caux, Roumois and Evrecin, the area now called Upper
Normandy. But it turned out only to be the first step. In 924 King Raoul extended that
‘county of Rouen’ westward to the River Vire, including Bessin, where more Danes,
coming over from England, had recently settled. Then in 933 , Raoul gave Rollo’s son
and successor, William Longsword, Cotentin and Avranchin, which the Bretons had
ruled before. North-Cotentin had long been settled by Norwegians coming from the
Irish Sea area, who now showed much hostility to the new Danish elite of Rouen.
The Vikings must have insisted that their new land could not be taken back. A
diploma dated to 918 is the only contemporary testimony which indirectly confirms the
agreement; the verb annuere is used. It expresses a genuine donation and that is probably
why we never hear of Rollo’s duties as a vassal. He accepted baptism and the new name
of Robert, and encouraged the return of priests and monks in order to gain the people’s
favour, thus asserting personal political strength.
The three grants of 911 , 924 and 933 enlarged the Scandinavian annexation to an
area roughly reproducing the former ecclesiastical province of Rouen. Normandy was
Figure 33. 1. 2 Rollo’s statue in Rouen.–– Jean Renaud––