Poppa of Bayeux (; born 880 AD), was the wife ''

more danico The phrase ''more danico'' is a Medieval Latin legal expression which may be translated as "according to Danish custom", i.e. under Medieval Scandinavian customary law. It designates a type of traditional marriage practiced in northern Europe d ...

''' of the

Viking 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 ...

conqueror

Rollo Rollo ( nrf, Rou, ''Rolloun''; non, Hrólfr; french: Rollon; died between 928 and 933) was a Viking who became the first ruler of Normandy, today a region in northern France. He emerged as the outstanding warrior among the Norsemen who had se ...

. She was the mother of

William I 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 ...

, Gerloc and grandmother of

Richard the Fearless Richard I (28 August 932 – 20 November 996), also known as Richard the Fearless (French: ''Richard Sans-Peur''; Old Norse: ''Jarl Rikard''), was the count of Rouen from 942 to 996.Detlev Schwennicke, ''Europäische Stammtafeln, Europäische S ...

, who forged the

Duchy of Normandy The Duchy of Normandy grew out of the 911 Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between King Charles III of West Francia and the Viking leader Rollo. The duchy was named for its inhabitants, the Normans. From 1066 until 1204, as a result of the Norman c ...

into a great

fief A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an Lord, overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a for ...

medieval France The Kingdom of France in the Middle Ages (roughly, from the 10th century to the middle of the 15th century) was marked by the fragmentation of the Carolingian Empire and West Francia (843–987); the expansion of royal control by the House of C ...

Dudo of Saint-Quentin Dudo, or Dudon, was a Picard historian, and dean of Saint-Quentin, where he was born about 965. Sent in 986 by Albert I, Count of Vermandois, on an errand to Richard I, Duke of Normandy, he succeeded in his mission, and, having made a very favor ...

, in his

panegyric A panegyric ( or ) is a formal public speech or written verse, delivered in high praise of a person or thing. The original panegyrics were speeches delivered at public events in ancient Athens. Etymology The word originated as a compound of grc, ...

of the

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

dukes Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranke ...

, describes her as the daughter of a "Count Berengar", the dominant prince of that region, who was captured at

Bayeux Bayeux () is a Communes of France, commune in the Calvados (department), Calvados Departments of France, department in Normandy (administrative region), Normandy in northwestern France. Bayeux is the home of the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts ...

by Rollo in 885 or 889, shortly after the siege of Paris. This has led to speculation that she was the daughter of

Berengar II of Neustria Berengar II (died 896) was the Count of Bayeux and Rennes and Margrave of the Northern or Norman March from 886 until his death a decade later. In 874, Brittany's internal politics were thrown into turmoil when King Salomon was murdered by a ri ...

. There are different opinions among medieval genealogy experts about Poppa's family.

Christian Settipani Christian Settipani (born 31 January 1961) is a French genealogist, historian and IT professional, currently working as the Technical Director of a company in Paris. Biography Settipani holds a Master of Advanced Studies from the Paris-Sorbo ...

says her parents were Guy de Senlis and Cunegundis, the daughter of

Pepin, Count of Vermandois Pepin II (french: Pépin; c. 817—after 850) was Count of Vermandois, lord of Senlis, Péronne and Saint Quentin. He was son of King Bernard of Italy (a grandson of Charlemagne) and his Queen, Cunigunda of Laon. He supported Emperor Lothar after ...

, and sister of

Herbert I, Count of Vermandois Herbert I (c. 848/850 – 907) or Heribertus I, Count of Vermandois, Count of Meaux, Count of Soissons, and lay abbot of Saint Quentin. He was a Carolingian aristocrat who played a significant role in Francia. Herbert was the son of Pepin of ...

Katherine Keats-Rohan Dr Katharine Stephanie Benedicta Keats-Rohan (; born 1957) is a British history researcher, specialising in prosopography. She has produced seminal work on early European history, and collaborated with, among others, Christian Settipani. ...

states she was the daughter of Berengar II of Neustria by Adelind, whose father was

Henry, Margrave of the Franks Henry (died 28 August 886) was the leading military commander of the last years of the Carolingian Empire. He was commander-in-chief under Kings Louis the Younger and Charles the Fat. His early career was mostly restricted to East Francia, his home ...

, or Adela of Vermandois. Her parentage is uncertain and may have been invented after the fact to legitimize her son's lineage, as many of the fantastic genealogical claims made by Dudo were. Based on her separate ''more Danico'' status that differentiates her from Rollo's Christian wife

Gisela of France Gisela (french: Gisèle; fl. 911) was a French princess who was married to Rollo, Duke of Normandy. According to limited early records, Rollo was betrothed to Gisela, daughter to the king of West Francia, Charles the Simple, after Rollo's conve ...

, Poppa's family was unlikely to have been powerful Christian nobility who would have insisted—by force if necessary—on a legal and monogamous Christian marriage for their daughter. Poppa was likely a common woman taken from a country with which the Norse had trade contact. A statue of Poppa stands at the Place de Gaulle in Bayeux.

Pierre Bouet Pierre Bouet (born 19 July 1937 in Caen) is a 20th-century French historian specializing in Norman and Anglo-Norman historians of Latin language (tenth-twelfth centuries). Works * * * Works in collaboration: * * * External links Rober ...

, ''Rollon: Le chef viking qui fonda la Normandie'', (Tallandier, Paris, 2016), p.235

References

880s births 10th-century deaths 10th-century Normans 10th-century Norman women House of Normandy Rollo Duchesses of Normandy Year of birth uncertain Year of death unknown {{Normandy-stub