The Battle of Blain, also called the Battle of Messac, was fought on 24 May 843 by the forces of
Lambert II of Nantes Lambert II (died 852) was the Count of Nantes and Prefect of the Breton March between 843 and 851. Lambert ruled the county in opposition to Amaury, the puppet count installed by Charles the Bald, King of West Francia. At his death, the county was e ...
and
Erispoe
Erispoe (french: Erispoë; la, Herispoius, Herispogius, Respogius; died 2 or 12 November 857) was Duke of Brittany from 851 to his death. After the death of his father Nominoe, he led a successful military campaign against the Franks, culminating ...
, prince of Brittany, against
Renaud
Renaud Pierre Manuel Séchan (), known as Renaud (), born 11 May 1952, is a French singer, songwriter and actor. His characteristically 'broken' voice makes for a very distinctive vocal style. Several of his songs are popular classics in F ...
, Frankish
Count of Nantes The counts of Nantes were originally the Frankish rulers of the Nantais under the Carolingians and eventually a capital city of the Duchy of Brittany. Their county served as a march against the Bretons of the Vannetais. Carolingian rulers would so ...
. It arose from Breton resistance to Frankish power within Brittany and disputes over control of the County of Nantes. The defeat of the Franks led to a period of Breton expansionism.
Background
Following the break-up of the
Carolingian empire
The Carolingian Empire (800–888) was a large Frankish-dominated empire in western and central Europe during the Early Middle Ages. It was ruled by the Carolingian dynasty, which had ruled as kings of the Franks since 751 and as kings of the Lom ...
,
Nominoe
Nominoe or Nomenoe (french: Nominoë; br, Nevenoe; c. 800, 7 March 851) was the first Duke of Brittany from 846 to his death. He is the Breton ''pater patriae'' and to Breton nationalists he is known as ' ("father of the country").
...
, Duke of Brittany, rebelled against the authority of
Charles the Bald
Charles the Bald (french: Charles le Chauve; 13 June 823 – 6 October 877), also known as Charles II, was a 9th-century king of West Francia (843–877), king of Italy (875–877) and emperor of the Carolingian Empire (875–877). After a ser ...
and attempted to expand into Frankish territory. When Charles placed Renaud in command of the Frankish border zone as
Count of Nantes The counts of Nantes were originally the Frankish rulers of the Nantais under the Carolingians and eventually a capital city of the Duchy of Brittany. Their county served as a march against the Bretons of the Vannetais. Carolingian rulers would so ...
, he incurred the enmity of
Lambert II of Nantes Lambert II (died 852) was the Count of Nantes and Prefect of the Breton March between 843 and 851. Lambert ruled the county in opposition to Amaury, the puppet count installed by Charles the Bald, King of West Francia. At his death, the county was e ...
, who believed that he was the rightful heir to the County. Lambert and Nominoe intended to join forces. While Nominoe prepared an army to attack Nantes, Renaud organised the defence of the city. However, when Renaud heard that Nominoe was incapacitated due to an illness he decided to strike first against the Bretons, who were now under the command of Nominoe's son Erispoe. Frankish forces advanced from Nantes to the river
Vilaine
The Vilaine (; br, Gwilen) is a river in Brittany, in the west of France. The river's source is in the Mayenne ''département'' (53), and it flows out into the Atlantic Ocean at Pénestin in the Morbihan ''département'' (56). It is 218 km ...
, hoping to take the Bretons by surprise. Erispoe's troops had arrived at
Messac and were in the process of crossing the Vilaine when Renaud launched his surprise attack. Erispoe's advanced force was completely routed, and his main army dangerously weakened.
Battle
Sources differ about what happened next, though all agree that the tables were turned on Renaud by the timely arrival of Erispoe's ally Lambert II. According to one version of events, Erispoe was saved at Messac itself by Lambert, who had gathered soldiers on the borders of the Anjou, and had advanced on the Vilaine to join his forces with Nominoe. He completely surprised Renaud, and made a great carnage. With both armies present, Renaud's troops were nearly surrounded and were destroyed.
However, the ''
Chronicle of Nantes
''Chronicle of Nantes'' (Latin: ''Chronicon Namnetense'', French: ''Chronique de Nantes'') is an eleventh-century Latin chronicle of history extending from 570 to about 1049 AD. The original manuscript, kept in the city of Nantes, has not survived, ...
'' gives a slightly different version of events, asserting that Renaud, believing that he had crushed the Bretons at Messac, gathered his forces to return to Nantes. Arriving at Blain, he stopped to rest his troops. Meanwhile, Lambert had joined Erispoe, and with their combined armies they struck back at Renaud. The Frankish soldiers were lying on the grass near the edges of the river
Isac, in complete abandonment, when suddenly Lambert's and Erispoe's armies attacked and destroyed them.
Whichever version is correct, Renaud himself was killed in the aftermath of the battle.
Janet L. Nelson
Dame Janet Laughland Nelson (born 1942), also known as Jinty Nelson, is a British historian. She is Emerita Professor of Medieval History at King's College London.
Early life
Born on 28 March 1942 in Blackpool, Nelson was educated at Keswic ...
, ''The Annals of St-Bertin'', Manchester University Press, 1991, p.55 A Viking force under
Hastein Hastein (Old Norse: ''Hásteinn'', also recorded as ''Hastingus'', ''Anstign'', ''Haesten'', ''Hæsten'', ''Hæstenn'' or ''Hæsting'' and alias ''Alsting''Jones, Aled (2003). ''Transactions of the Royal Historical Society: Sixth Series'' Cambridge ...
may also have joined the Bretons, though other evidence suggests that they arrived a little while later looking for plunder.
Lambert took control of Nantes, but seems to have been unable to hold it. The Vikings plundered the city and murdered the bishop,
Gohard. The Breton victory was followed by others, leading by 851 to the Treaty of Angers, in which the towns of
Nantes
Nantes (, , ; Gallo: or ; ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 314,138 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabita ...
and
Rennes
Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department ...
became possessions of Brittany and Erispoe was granted the title king of Brittany.
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blain, Battle of
Battles involving the Britons
Blain
Battles involving France
Battles in Pays de la Loire
History of Loire-Atlantique
Military history of Brittany
843
9th century in West Francia
840s conflicts
9th century in France