History of Normandy

It’s important to know something of the common heritage we share with the Norman people. So let’s go back to 911 when a Danish army led by the Norwegian Rollon was defeated near Chatres. Rollon negotiated peace with the King of France Charles le Simple and France ceded to Rollon what is known today as Upper-Normandy. Rollon’s powers were those of a Frankish count, his Vikings were christened and appointed defenders of Normandy against the other Vikings. With other Norsemen, Danes from England and Norwegians from Ireland settling in Normandy Rollon took control of more territory and with the only other notable addition being the territory around Domfront the stability of the Normandy borders is a noticeable exception in the medieval world.

In 1035 Duke Robert died on his way back from Jerusalem and his illegitimate son William succeeded him. Williams’s early reign was difficult as the Barons of Normandy revolted against him. William subdued them with the help of the church and forced many of them into exile. William landed in England on the 28th September 1066, he defeated Harold on the 14th of October near Hastings and was crowned King of England in Westminster on the 25th of December 1066. Normandy and England were to be associated in a single state for 138 years until 1204. The Norman Barons received huge domains in England and sent back a great deal of money to fund many buildings in the now famous Norman style.

In 1106 Henry I of England over-through his brother Robert duke of Normandy and started to build a line of fortresses on the border with the Kingdom of France. Henry modernised the institutions and established the Exchequer as a Supreme Court presided over by the Duke-King or his personal representative. Henry I only had one daughter Matilda who married Geoffrey count of Anjou and when Henry I died civil war raged in England until it was agreed that Geoffrey’s son Henry II would succeed to the throne. Henry II saved the unity of the Duchy-Kingdom and built a huge state receiving Anjou and Touraine from his father and most of western and south-western France from his marriage with Eleanor of Aquitaine. Normandy was the centre of an empire, which stretched from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Bayonne.

Henry’s sons were not so able and constantly rebelled against their father aided by their mother. The elder son Richard the Lionhearted succeeded his father in 1189 and proceeded to exhaust his state through unsuccessful military campaigns and the building of the huge fortress of Chateau-Gaillard in Normandy. Richard was killed by a lowly archer in 1199 whilst chasing treasure in Aquitaine. He was struck in the shoulder refused treatment and promptly died. His brother King John who spent most of his time in bed with his teenage bride faced a strong-minded King of France and had lost the lot by 1204. He nearly lost England to France but contracted dysentery as a result of over-indulgence and died on the 18th October 1216. His timely death saved England as power transferred to Henry III and the French king’s support faded.

So the good thing that came out of the Middle-Ages was a much-improved cider and soon afterward the people of Normandy realised that this could be distilled. Obviously these heroes’ names are lost to us in history but their offspring are still making the spirit of Normandy calvados today down on the farm in the traditional way.

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