Berengar II of Neustria
Encyclopedia
Berengar II was the Count of Bayeux and Rennes
and Margrave of the Breton March from 886 until his death a decade later.
Berengar's kin became the first Gallo
-speaking lords holding residence within Brittany (Rennes
and Penthièvre, rather than the Loire Valley
-predominant Nantes
or Vannes
), as a consequence of the Breton nobility being more or less broken under the Norman
invasions of the 880s and as a reward for holding his ground against their attacks.
Berengar is speculated to have married the daughter of Gurvand, Duke of Brittany
, by which relationship he attained the countship of Rennes. This would make him brother-in-law of Judicael, Duke of Brittany
. He is thought to be the Berengar of Bayeux whose daughter Poppa was captured in a raid and married to Rollo of Normandy
. Various reconstructions make him father, grandfather, or great-grandfather of Judicael Berengar
, later Count of Rennes.
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 Counts of Rennes were usually Dukes of Brittany...
and Margrave of the Breton March from 886 until his death a decade later.
Berengar's kin became the first Gallo
Gallo language
Gallo is a regional language of France. Gallo is a Romance language, one of the Oïl languages. It is the historic language of the region of Upper Brittany and some neighboring portions of Normandy, but today is spoken by only a small minority of the population, having been largely superseded by...
-speaking lords holding residence within Brittany (Rennes
Rennes
Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...
and Penthièvre, rather than the Loire Valley
Loire Valley
The Loire Valley , spanning , is located in the middle stretch of the Loire River in central France. Its area comprises approximately . It is referred to as the Cradle of the French Language, and the Garden of France due to the abundance of vineyards, fruit orchards, and artichoke, asparagus, and...
-predominant Nantes
Nantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
or Vannes
Vannes
Vannes is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France. It was founded over 2000 years ago.-Geography:Vannes is located on the Gulf of Morbihan at the mouth of two rivers, the Marle and the Vincin. It is around 100 km northwest of Nantes and 450 km south west...
), as a consequence of the Breton nobility being more or less broken under the Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
invasions of the 880s and as a reward for holding his ground against their attacks.
Berengar is speculated to have married the daughter of Gurvand, Duke of Brittany
Gurvand, Duke of Brittany
Wrhwant, Gurwant, Gurwent or Gurvand was a claimant to the Duchy of Brittany from 874 until his death in opposition to Pascweten, Count of Vannes.Wrhwant was complicit in the conspiracy which assassinated Salomon in 874...
, by which relationship he attained the countship of Rennes. This would make him brother-in-law of Judicael, Duke of Brittany
Judicael, Duke of Brittany
Judicael was the Duke of Brittany from 876 to his death. He was a son of a daughter of Erispoe and claimed Brittany after the death of the pretenders Wrhwant and Pascweten in mid 876....
. He is thought to be the Berengar of Bayeux whose daughter Poppa was captured in a raid and married to Rollo of Normandy
Rollo of Normandy
Rollo , baptised Robert and so sometimes numbered Robert I to distinguish him from his descendants, was a Norse nobleman of Norwegian or Danish descent and founder and first ruler of the Viking principality in what soon became known as Normandy...
. Various reconstructions make him father, grandfather, or great-grandfather of Judicael Berengar
Judicael Berengar
Judicael alias Berengar was Count of Rennes in the mid-to-late 10th century. There are conflicting accounts of his parentage, one popular solution making him son and successor to a count Berenger by a daughter of Gurvand, Duke of Brittany...
, later Count of Rennes.