Arnulf I, Count of Flanders
Encyclopedia
Arnulf of Flanders called the Great, was the third Count of Flanders
, who ruled the County of Flanders
, an area that is now northwestern Belgium and southwestern Holland.
Arnulf was the son of count Baldwin II of Flanders and Ælfthryth of Wessex, daughter of Alfred the Great
. He was named after his distant ancestor, Saint Arnulf of Metz
; this was intended to emphasize his family's descent from the Carolingian
dynasty.
rule to the south, taking all or part of Artois
, Ponthieu
, Amiens
, and Ostravent. He exploited the conflicts between Charles the Simple
and Robert I of France
, and later those between Louis IV
and his baron
s.
In his southern expansion Arnulf inevitably had conflict with the Normans
, who were trying to secure their northern frontier. This led to the 943 murder of the Duke of Normandy
, William Longsword
, at the hands of Arnulf's men.
The Viking
threat was receding during the later years of Arnulf's life, and he turned his attentions to the reform of the Flemish government.
, daughter of Herbert II of Vermandois. Their children were:
He also had a previous daughter, Hildegard.
Arnulf made his eldest son and heir Baldwin III of Flanders co-ruler in 958, but Baldwin died untimely in 962, so Arnulf was succeeded by Baldwin's infant son, Arnulf II of Flanders.
Count of Flanders
The Count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the county of Flanders from the 9th century until the abolition of the position by the French revolutionaries in 1790....
, who ruled the County of Flanders
County of Flanders
The County of Flanders was one of the territories constituting the Low Countries. The county existed from 862 to 1795. It was one of the original secular fiefs of France and for centuries was one of the most affluent regions in Europe....
, an area that is now northwestern Belgium and southwestern Holland.
Arnulf was the son of count Baldwin II of Flanders and Ælfthryth of Wessex, daughter of Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
. He was named after his distant ancestor, Saint Arnulf of Metz
Arnulf of Metz
Saint Arnulf of Metz was a Frankish bishop of Metz and advisor to the Merovingian court of Austrasia, who retired to the Abbey of Remiremont....
; this was intended to emphasize his family's descent from the Carolingian
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The name "Carolingian", Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German *karling, kerling The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the...
dynasty.
History
Arnulf I greatly expanded FlemishFlanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
rule to the south, taking all or part of Artois
Artois
Artois is a former province of northern France. Its territory has an area of around 4000 km² and a population of about one million. Its principal cities are Arras , Saint-Omer, Lens and Béthune.-Location:...
, Ponthieu
Ponthieu
Ponthieu was one of six feudal counties that eventually merged together to become part of the Province of Picardy, in northern France. Its chief town is Abbeville.- History :...
, Amiens
Amiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
, and Ostravent. He exploited the conflicts between Charles the Simple
Charles the Simple
Charles III , called the Simple or the Straightforward , was the undisputed King of France from 898 until 922 and the King of Lotharingia from 911 until 919/23...
and Robert I of France
Robert I of France
Robert I , King of Western Francia , was the younger son of Robert the Strong, count of Anjou, and the brother of Odo, who became king of the Western Franks in 888. West Francia evolved over time into France; under Odo, the capital was fixed on Paris, a large step in that direction...
, and later those between Louis IV
Louis IV of France
Louis IV , called d'Outremer or Transmarinus , reigned as King of Western Francia from 936 to 954...
and his baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
s.
In his southern expansion Arnulf inevitably had conflict with the Normans
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, who were trying to secure their northern frontier. This led to the 943 murder of the Duke of Normandy
Duke of Normandy
The Duke of Normandy is the title of the reigning monarch of the British Crown Dependancies of the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey. The title traces its roots to the Duchy of Normandy . Whether the reigning sovereign is a male or female, they are always titled as the "Duke of...
, William Longsword
William I of Normandy
William I Longsword was the second Duke of Normandy from his father's death until his own assassination. The title dux was not in use at the time and has been applied to early Norman rulers retroactively. William actually used the title comes .-Biography:Little is known about his early years...
, at the hands of Arnulf's men.
The Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
threat was receding during the later years of Arnulf's life, and he turned his attentions to the reform of the Flemish government.
Family
In 934 he married Adele of VermandoisAdele of Vermandois
Adele of Vermandois was a daughter of Herbert II of Vermandois with his first wife, Adela. She married Count Arnulf I of Flanders in 934 and had four children:*Luitgard, married Wichmann, Count of Ghent*Egbert, died 953*Baldwin III of Flanders...
, daughter of Herbert II of Vermandois. Their children were:
- Liutgard, married Wichmann IV, Count of Hamaland
- Egbert, died 953
- Baldwin III of Flanders
- Elftrude, married Siegfried, Count of Guînes
- Hildegarde (d. 990); married Dirk II, Count of HollandDirk II, Count of HollandDirk II was Count of Frisia and Holland. He was the son of Count Dirk I and Geva .-Career:...
He also had a previous daughter, Hildegard.
Arnulf made his eldest son and heir Baldwin III of Flanders co-ruler in 958, but Baldwin died untimely in 962, so Arnulf was succeeded by Baldwin's infant son, Arnulf II of Flanders.
Sources
- FlodoardFlodoard-Biography:He was born at Épernay, and educated at Reims in the cathedral school which had been established by Archbishop Fulcon .As canon of Reims, and favourite of the archbishops Herivaeus and Seulfus -Biography:He was born at Épernay, and educated at Reims in the cathedral school which had...
- Folcwine
- Lambert of ArdresLambert of ArdresLambert of Ardres was a French twelfth century chronicler.He was a parish priest at Ardres, and related to the Counts of Guînes. He wrote for that family a Historia comitum Ghisnensium, between 1194 and 1198. It is mixture of history and folklore...
- Platts, Beryl. The Scottish Hazard: Flemish Nobility and their Impact on Scotland, 1985