The Kingdom of Brittany was a short-lived vassal-state of the
Frankish Empire
Francia, also called the Kingdom of the Franks ( la, Regnum Francorum), Frankish Kingdom, Frankland or Frankish Empire ( la, Imperium Francorum), was the largest post-Roman barbarian kingdom in Western Europe. It was ruled by the Franks dur ...
that emerged during the
Norse invasions. Its history begins in 851 with
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, culminat ...
's claim to kingship. In 856, Erispoe was murdered and succeeded by his cousin
Salomon.
The kingdom fell into a period of turmoil caused by Norse invasions and a succession dispute between Salomon's murderers:
Gurvand and
Pascweten. Pascweten's brother,
Alan
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.''
* ...
, called the Great, was the third and last to be recognized as King of Brittany. After his death, Brittany fell under Norse occupation.
When
Alan Twistedbeard, Alan the Great's grandson, reconquered Brittany in 939,
Brittany became a sovereign duchy until
its union with France in 1532.
History
Background
In the year 383,
Magnus Maximus
Magnus Maximus (; cy, Macsen Wledig ; died 8 August 388) was Roman emperor of the Western Roman Empire from 383 to 388. He usurped the throne from emperor Gratian in 383 through negotiation with emperor Theodosius I.
He was made emperor in B ...
was proclaimed emperor by his soldiers in Britain. He promptly invaded Gaul and deposed Emperor
Gratian
Gratian (; la, Gratianus; 18 April 359 – 25 August 383) was emperor of the Western Roman Empire from 367 to 383. The eldest son of Valentinian I, Gratian accompanied his father on several campaigns along the Rhine and Danube frontiers and w ...
. During the invasion, he instructed some of his soldiers to occupy the western part of the
Armorican peninsula and expel soldiers loyal to Gratian. The
House of Ingelger confirm this event in their origin story.
At the end of the
Antiquity
Antiquity or Antiquities may refer to:
Historical objects or periods Artifacts
*Antiquities, objects or artifacts surviving from ancient cultures
Eras
Any period before the European Middle Ages (5th to 15th centuries) but still within the histo ...
period, additional
Celtic Britons
The Britons ( *''Pritanī'', la, Britanni), also known as Celtic Britons or Ancient Britons, were people of Celtic language and culture who inhabited Great Britain from at least the British Iron Age and into the Middle Ages, at which point t ...
, fleeing the
Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain
The Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain is the process which changed the language and culture of most of what became England from Romano-British to Germanic. The Germanic-speakers in Britain, themselves of diverse origins, eventually develo ...
(5th-7th centuries), settled in the same region. At some stage, it was renamed ''Brittany'' ("little Britain").
As a result of these settlements,
Celtic culture Celtic culture may refer to:
*the culture of Celts
*the culture of Celts (modern)
*the culture of Celtic nations:
**Culture of Ireland
**Culture of Scotland
**Culture of the Isle of Man
**Culture of Wales
**Culture of Cornwall
**Culture of Brittany ...
was revived in
Gallo-Roman Armorica and independent
petty kingdom
A petty kingdom is a kingdom described as minor or "petty" (from the French 'petit' meaning small) by contrast to an empire or unified kingdom that either preceded or succeeded it (e.g. the numerous kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England unified into ...
s arose in this region, namely
Cornouaille,
Domnonée
Domnonée is the modern French form of Domnonia or Dumnonia (Latin for "Devon"; br, Domnonea), a historic kingdom in northern Armorica (Brittany) founded by British immigrants from Dumnonia (Sub-Roman Devon) fleeing the Saxon invasions of Britai ...
and
Broërec.
Imperial emissary
From 801 to 837, the adjacent
Frankish Empire
Francia, also called the Kingdom of the Franks ( la, Regnum Francorum), Frankish Kingdom, Frankland or Frankish Empire ( la, Imperium Francorum), was the largest post-Roman barbarian kingdom in Western Europe. It was ruled by the Franks dur ...
made several unsuccessful attempts to subdue the Breton tribes. In order to bring Brittany into the Empire's sphere of influence,
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 Aqu ...
appointed
Nominoe, a noble Briton, head of the region. Titled ''missus imperatoris'' ("Imperial emissary") by the Emperor, he was in charge of the administration of the region on the latter's behalf.
Kingdom of Brittany
Battle of Ballon
Following the death of Louis the Pious and taking advantage of the
Norman invasions destabilizing the Frankish Empire, Nominoe defeated Frankish troops at the
Battle of Ballon (845). The peace treaty that followed allowed Nominoe to increase his autonomy from
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 se ...
, a son of Louis the Pious. In 850, the Bretons briefly occupied the Frankish
Breton March, but following Nominoe's untimely death they retreated to their historical lands.
Battle of Jengland and the First Breton King
Seeking revenge, Charles the Bald invaded Brittany with an army drawn from both the western and eastern parts of the Frankish empire.
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, culminat ...
, Nominoe's son and successor, intercepted Charles at the
Battle of Jengland (851). As the Bretons decisively defeated the Franks, Brittany became effectively independent of the Frankish Empire, making
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, culminat ...
the first king of Brittany. In 856, the Kingdom of Brittany and the Frankish Empire allied themselves to counter the Norman invasions. But Erispoe was murdered the same year by his cousin
Salomon who took the throne of Brittany and allied himself with the Normans to capture the Frankish city of
Le Mans
Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le ...
.
The second Breton King
Charles the Bald bought peace with the Bretons by giving away the provinces of
Cotentin
The Cotentin Peninsula (, ; nrf, Cotentîn ), also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a peninsula in Normandy that forms part of the northwest coast of France. It extends north-westward into the English Channel, towards Great Britain. To its w ...
(863) and
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 nor ...
(867). In 874,
Salomon was murdered in a conspiracy involving
Pascweten and
Gurvand, but a civil war ensued between the latter pair. Both claimants died in 876, but war continued between their respective successors
Alan
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.''
* ...
(Pascweten's brother) and
Judicael (Gurvand's son).
The third Breton King
In a temporary truce, Alan and Judicael allied themselves to counter Norman attacks. In one of those attacks in
Questembert in 888, Judicael died and
Alan
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.''
* ...
became king of Brittany as Alan I.
End of the Kingdom
Alan died in 907 and was succeeded, after a disputed succession, by
Gourmaëlon who did not claim the title of king. Little is known about his reign because Norse raids increased dramatically, destabilizing the region further. It was probably during one of these attacks that Gourmaëlon died in 913.
The Norse Occupation
From 919, Brittany was completely occupied by the Norsemen, monasteries and cities were looted and many Bretons fled to neighbouring countries.
The Breton reconquer
In 935,
Alan Twistedbeard (Alan I's grandson), who had fled back to
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
after a failed insurrection against the Norsemen a few years earlier, disembarked once more on the shores of Brittany in order to reconquer his domain. By 937, he had recovered most of Brittany and the Norsemen retreated to their stronghold of
Trans-la-Forêt. In 939, a combined army of Frankish and Breton soldiers
attacked the fortress and eliminated the Norse threat in Brittany.
Fealty to the Franks
With his domain ruined by decades of occupation and war, Alan Twistedbeard was not in a position to restore the kingship of Brittany and paid tribute as
duke of Brittany to king
Louis IV of France in 942.
[Joëlle Quaghebeur. La Cornouaille du IXe au XIIe siècle : Mémoire, pouvoirs, noblesse. Société archéologique du Finistère (2001) p83.]
Petty and regional kings
*
Judicael (–657) - Breton high king, king of
Domnonée
Domnonée is the modern French form of Domnonia or Dumnonia (Latin for "Devon"; br, Domnonea), a historic kingdom in northern Armorica (Brittany) founded by British immigrants from Dumnonia (Sub-Roman Devon) fleeing the Saxon invasions of Britai ...
; united the Breton kingdoms of Domnonée and
Broërec; recognized
Dagobert I and
Eligius
*
Morman
Morman (also spelled Morvan, Morwan, or Moruuan) (died 818) was a Breton chieftain who was declared king (''rex'') after the death of the Bretons' Frankish overlord Charlemagne in 814. He is the first person known by name to be described as a Bre ...
(reigned 814–818)- first ruler named King of Brittany by the Breton nobles upon the death of
Charlemagne
Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first E ...
in 814, whom he had served as a
vassal
A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerai ...
* Period of Frankish rule under
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 Aqu ...
(819–822) -
Morman
Morman (also spelled Morvan, Morwan, or Moruuan) (died 818) was a Breton chieftain who was declared king (''rex'') after the death of the Bretons' Frankish overlord Charlemagne in 814. He is the first person known by name to be described as a Bre ...
rebelled against Frankish rule but was defeated by
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 Aqu ...
. During this period Brittany was also threatened by the
Breton March.
*
Wihomarc Wihomarc or Wiomarc'h (french: Guyomard; died 825) was a Breton chieftain "who seemed to have greater authority than the other Breton leaders" and who revolted against Frankish overlordship in 822 and held on to his power until his death. His rebe ...
(reigned 822–825) - led a successful rebellion against Frankish rule to re-establish Breton rule; killed by Lambert I,
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 ...
of the Breton March
*
Nominoe (or ''Nevenoe'') (ruled 841–851), a
count of Vannes, first duke of Brittany
**by tradition, Father of the Country;
**a ''
missus dominicus
A ''missus dominicus'' (plural ''missi dominici''), Latin for "envoy of the lord uler or ''palace inspector'', also known in Dutch as Zendgraaf (German: ''Sendgraf''), meaning "sent Graf", was an official commissioned by the Frankish king or Ho ...
'' of the
Emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother ( ...
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 Aqu ...
;
*
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, culminat ...
(ruled 851–857), a
Count of Vannes, son of
Nominoe; ruled as duke, then as king
**assassinated at a church altar, at the time a place of asylum, by
Salomon, his cousin
**his daughter married
Gurvand
*
Salomon (or ''Salaun'') (reigned 857–874), a
count of Rennes
The Count of Rennes was originally the ruler of the Romano-Frankish ''civitas'' of Rennes. From the middle of the ninth century these counts were Bretons with close ties to the Duchy of Brittany, which they often vied to rule. From 990 the Count ...
and a
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 ...
**led a revolt against
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, culminat ...
;
**ruled as duke, then as king based upon the coronet and purple robes bestowed upon him by the emperor; the last ruler of unified Brittany until
Alan I Alan I may refer to:
* Alan I, King of Brittany (died 907)
* Alan I, Viscount of Rohan
Alan I of Rohan (1084–1147), also known as ''Alain le Noir'', was the 1st Viscount de Rohan and Viscount of Castelnoec. He was the third son of Odo I, Vi ...
;
**attempted to have the Pope award the pallium to the Bishopric of Dol in an effort to obtain its independence from the
Metropolitan of Tours;
**assassinated in a revolt led in part by
Pascweten, Count of Vannes, his son-in-law and
Gurvand, the son-in-law of
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, culminat ...
;
**canonized a saint and raised to the level of martyr
*Period of divided rule during a civil war and the first Viking invasion (874–888)
**Southern Brittany
***
Pascweten (or ''Paskweten'') (reigned 874–877), a
count of Vannes, ruled southern Brittany contemporaneously with
Gurvand;
***
Alan the Great (reigned 877–888) - succeeded his brother
Pascweten; ruled southern Brittany contemporaneously with
Judicael; see
Alan I Alan I may refer to:
* Alan I, King of Brittany (died 907)
* Alan I, Viscount of Rohan
Alan I of Rohan (1084–1147), also known as ''Alain le Noir'', was the 1st Viscount de Rohan and Viscount of Castelnoec. He was the third son of Odo I, Vi ...
**Northern Brittany
***
Gurvand (reigned 874–877), ruled northern Brittany contemporaneously with
Pascweten;
***
Judicael (reigned 877–888), succeeded
Gurvand, ruled northern Brittany contemporaneously with
Alan the Great; see
Alan I Alan I may refer to:
* Alan I, King of Brittany (died 907)
* Alan I, Viscount of Rohan
Alan I of Rohan (1084–1147), also known as ''Alain le Noir'', was the 1st Viscount de Rohan and Viscount of Castelnoec. He was the third son of Odo I, Vi ...
*
Alan I Alan I may refer to:
* Alan I, King of Brittany (died 907)
* Alan I, Viscount of Rohan
Alan I of Rohan (1084–1147), also known as ''Alain le Noir'', was the 1st Viscount de Rohan and Viscount of Castelnoec. He was the third son of Odo I, Vi ...
, or Alan the Great,
**(reigned 877–888) succeeded
Pascweten, and reigned from 877 to 888 with
Judicael, then,
**(reigned 888–907) ruled alone as a duke upon Judicaël's death,
** granted the title of king or 'rex Brittaniæ' by the Emperor
Charles the Fat;
** the last king of Brittany
*The second Viking invasion and occupation (907–937)
** Alan I's son Mathuedoi, Count of Poher, and his son (who would become Alan II) fled Brittany and lived in exile with the king of England. Mathuedoi was a ''king in exile'' but never crowned.
References
{{coord missing, France
Medieval Brittany
States and territories disestablished in the 930s
851 establishments