Willaim I Longsword , Duke of Normandy

     Willaim I Longsword , Duke of Normandy was born in 900 at Normandy, France.¹ He was the son of Rolf Ragnvaldsson , Duke of Normandy and Poppa de Bayeux. Willaim I Longsword , Duke of Normandy was also known as Guillaume Longue-espee in French.¹ Willaim succeeded his father as the Duke of Normandy in 927. Most of William's career was spent in relative obscurity, but in the late 930s he suddenly emerged onto the stage of Frankish royal politics, first because of his war with Arnulf of Flanders, and then because of his support for King Louis IV (d'Outremer) at a time when Louis' star seemed to be fading.

Willaim I Longsword , Duke of Normandy married Sporte de Bretagne circa 932. The were married under pagan rites.^1,2,3

Willaim I Longsword , Duke of Normandy married Luitgarde de Vermandois, daughter of Herbert II ~ Comte de Vermandois et Troyes and Hildebrande of Neustria ~ Princess of the West Franks, in 940.^1,3,4 In December 942, at the peak of his good relations with Louis, Arnulf called for a peace conference with William. At the conference, William was murdered (traditionally, Arnulf is said to have arranged the murder). Willaim I Longsword , Duke of Normandy was murdered on 17 December 943 at France.^1,2,3 He was buried at Rouen Cathedral, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, Normandy, France. A Planctus (mourning poem) was composed probably shortly after William's death. Jules Lair suggests plausibly if not definitively that it was in 943. This poem, although it survives only in corrupt and incomplete versions and is largely hagiographic in content, nevertheless is a critical source for early Norman history. It is by far the earliest work written about the Normans from a Norman point of view, and some historical nuggets can be gleaned from it.⁵