The Dukes of Normandy serie: William Longsword
William Longsword, like his father, was called Jarl of the Northmen of the Seine. He was born in 910 in another place than Frankia, perhaps in England, and died in 942 in Picquigny, a town in Northern France. He was an important political player throughout his life and is said to have been a great warrior. It is also said that he comissionned many books to be made and written for he knew how to read and enjoyed reading like his sister. Through Sprota, who he married more danico, he had a son; Richard and had no issues with Liutgarde of Vermandois, his Christian wife who he married in 935. Unlike his father, William was a Christian which led many of the Norsemen who settled in Rollo's lands to doubt about his legitimacy and think that because of his Frankish blood, he favored the Franks too much. But William fought them and repressed their rebellion in 935. His legitimacy and authority was no longer debated afterwards. His Christian faith also led him to give money to many monastries as well as re-establish the abbey of Jumiège, for which his sister, Adela of Poitiers, sent monks, and the Mount st Michel. In 931 the Britons whose territory had been conquered by William and before him Rollo who enlarged the lands granted to him by Charles le simple, rebelled but William, helped by the Norsemen of Nantes, repressed that rebellion and later made peace with the Britons leaders. In 936, he helped re-establishing on the throne of France the line of Charlemagne by helping Louis d'Outremer, son of Charles le simple, regain his rightful crown. Yet, in 940, he took Herbert of Vermandois and the duke of the Franks, Hugues the great's side against the king and Arnoul of Flanders which led to an agreement between them and the young king after the sieges of Reims and Laon. In 939, William took back Montreuil from Arnoul of Flanders and fought personnally to give it back to Herluin, the town's count. By doing so, he took control over the Picardie's shores and prevented any of the Flanders principality's wishes of extensions. But sadly, this event had a tragic end: William was invited by Arnoul of Flanders and the main nobles opposed to the rise of Normandy as a powerful fiefdom to sign a treaty of peace. Once the treaty signed, William was treacherously assassinated and his son, Richard, kept hostage by Louis d'Outremer.