Immo (died 859) was the
bishop of Noyon
The former French Catholic diocese of Noyon lay in the north-east of France, around Noyon. It was formed when Saint Medardus moved the seat of the bishopric at Vermandois to Noyon, in the sixth century. For four centuries it was united with the ...
from between 835 and 841 until his death at the hands of a group of
Vikings
Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
. During the civil war that convulsed 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 ...
following the death of Emperor
Louis the Pious
Louis the Pious (german: Ludwig der Fromme; french: Louis le Pieux; 16 April 778 – 20 June 840), also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was King of the Franks and co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813. He was also King of Aqui ...
in 840, Immo supported the emperor's youngest son,
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 ...
, from 841.
A letter to Immo from his archbishop,
Hincmar of Reims
Hincmar (; ; la, Hincmarus; 806 – 21 December 882), archbishop of Reims, was a Frankish jurist and theologian, as well as the friend, advisor and propagandist of Charles the Bald. He belonged to a noble family of northern Francia.
Biography Ea ...
, survives from 846. Hincmar was summoning Immo the consecration of
Ermenfrid as
bishop of Beauvais
The Diocese of Beauvais, Noyon, and Senlis ( la, Dioecesis Bellovacensis, Noviomensis et Silvanectensis; french: Diocèse de Beauvais, Noyon et Senlis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in France. The di ...
, which was taking place in time for Ermenfrid to attend the
synod of Paris on 14 February 846. Another surviving letter of Hincmar instructs Immo to assist in the consecration of bishop
Pardulus of Laon Pardulus of Laon was bishop of Laon from 847 to 857. He is known for his participation in theological controversy. A letter of his to Hincmar of Reims is known.
Pardulus was a deacon of the cathedral of Reims before he became bishop. He was a bisho ...
in 847.
In 859, probably late in August, according to the ''
Annales Bertiniani
''Annales Bertiniani'' (''Annals of Saint Bertin'') are late Carolingian, Frankish annals that were found in the Abbey of Saint Bertin, Saint-Omer, France, after which they are named. Their account is taken to cover the period 830-82, thus contin ...
'', "Vikings attacked Noyon by night and took captive Bishop Immo and a number of other nobles, both clerics and layment." The bishop was killed "on the march", perhaps because he tried to resist or escape. The acts of the synod of
Tuzey, which opened on 22 October 860, are signed by Immo and his successor,
Raginelm. The contradictory signatures were already dismissed as a forgery by Hincmar. Nevertheless, some modern scholars have dismissed the ''Annales'' as mistaken and placed Immo's either between the opening of the synod and its closing (7 November) or after the synod (as late as 861).
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Immo
859 deaths
Bishops of Noyon
Year of birth unknown