The Battle of Trans-la-Fôret was fought on 1 August 939 between the occupying
Norsemen
The Norsemen (or Norse people) were a North Germanic ethnolinguistic group of the Early Middle Ages, during which they spoke the Old Norse language. The language belongs to the North Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages and is the pr ...
and the
Bretons, led by a joint army of
Alan II,
Hugh II of Maine, and
Judicael Berengar
Judicael (or Juhel, Judhel, Judhael), thus called in Breton sources, alias Berengar (or Berengarius) his name in Frankish sources, and sometimes known as Judicael Berengar, with both names being used together, was a Count of Rennes in the 10th cen ...
.
Political landscape
Throughout the early 900's, the states of
Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...
and
West Francia
In medieval history, West Francia (Medieval Latin: ) or the Kingdom of the West Franks () refers to the western part of the Frankish Empire established by Charlemagne. It represents the earliest stage of the Kingdom of France, lasting from about ...
were in a state of flux having both being invaded by the Norse:
* By 907, a Norse
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 ...
conquered an area now called
Upper Brittany
Upper Brittany (french: Haute-Bretagne; br, Breizh-Uhel; Gallo: ''Haùtt-Bertaèyn'') is the eastern part of Brittany, France, which is predominantly of a Romance culture and is associated with the Gallo language. The name is in counterpoint to ...
, with
Nantes renamed to
Namsborg as their capital.
* In 931, the Norse assembled a army on the Loire river to attack the Franks. The occupied Bretons seized this opportunity and rebelled. The Norse appear to have been taken by surprise but a counterattack ensured Brittany was reconquered.
* By 935, the Norse in Brittany became isolated after
William Longsword
William Longsword (french: Guillaume Longue-Épée, nrf, Willâome de lon Espee, la, Willermus Longa Spata, on, Vilhjálmr Langaspjót; c. 893 – 17 December 942) was the second ruler of Normandy, from 927 until his assassination in 942.Det ...
of Normandy reconciled with the Franks and exiled Bretons started returning from Anglo-Saxon England. Alan Barbetorte returned to Brittany from
Anglo-Saxon England between 936 and 938, and engaged the Norse. A Viking leader Incon was slain and Nantes recaptured in 937.
* Receiving support from the Anglo-Saxon King
Athelstan, the Bretons spread their rebellion throughout the peninsula and this brought them into direct confrontation with the Norse colonists.
Through the course of three years, the campaign against the Norse reached a conclusion at Trans-la-Fôret.
Order of Battle
On August 1, 939, a united Breton army lead by Alan II, a Breton count
Judicael Berengar
Judicael (or Juhel, Judhel, Judhael), thus called in Breton sources, alias Berengar (or Berengarius) his name in Frankish sources, and sometimes known as Judicael Berengar, with both names being used together, was a Count of Rennes in the 10th cen ...
of
Rennes and elements from a Frankish count Hugh II of
Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...
decisively attacked and defeated the Norse stronghold, bringing an end to the occupation.
The site of the battlefield is considered to be south of
Mont St Michel over the river
Couesnon
The Couesnon (; br, Kouenon) is a river running from the ''département'' of Mayenne in north-western France, forming an estuary at Mont Saint-Michel. It is long, and its drainage basin is . Its final stretch forms the border between the histor ...
within a kilometre from Trans-la-Fôret.
Outcome
The Breton victory at
Trans-la-Forêt
Trans-la-Forêt () is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in northwestern France.
It is the site of the 939 AD Battle of Trans-la-Forêt.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Ille-et-Vilaine department
The following is ...
freed
Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...
of Viking/Norse occupation and led to the re-establishment of the Breton State, not as a fully independent Kingdom but as a Sovereign
Duchy under
Alan II, Duke of Brittany
Alan may refer to:
People
*Alan (surname), an English and Turkish surname
*Alan (given name), an English given name
**List of people with given name Alan
''Following are people commonly referred to solely by "Alan" or by a homonymous name.''
*Al ...
, due to a new fealty owed to the Franks for helping remove the Norse.
[Henri-Georges Gaignard. ''Visages de Rance: flâneries à travers les pays malouin et dinannais''. Fernand Lanore, 1983. p 100]
The occupation resulted in Brittany becoming more fortified on the seaward side by returning Breton lords.
Viking piracy continued to affect a previously vibrant maritime trade between the Bretons and their Welsh cousins, isolating the Bretons.
Armorican texts protected by monks for centuries were lost after this period.
The Breton capital was moved from Nantes to inland
Rennes as it was regarded as more defensible. This would become a point of discord between the two cities.
References
939
930s conflicts
Trans-la-Foret
Trans-la-Foret
10th century in France
Military history of Brittany
Viking Age in France
{{France-battle-stub