Battle of Val-ès-Dunes
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Val-ès-Dunes was fought in 1047 by the combined forces of William, Duke of Normandy
and King Henry I of France
against the forces of several rebel Norman barons, led by Gui of Burgundy (Gui of Brionne), the son of Reginald I, Count of Burgundy
.
As a result of winning the battle, William (later William the Conqueror) was able to retain his title and maintain control over the western half of his duchy.
In 1046, some of William's enemies decided to finally strike. After an ambush near Valognes
on the Cotentin Peninsula
failed, the rebel nobles -- Gui of Burgundy, Nigel of the Cotentin, Rannulf of the Bessin, Ralph Tesson of Thury, Grimoald of Plessis, and Haimo of Creully -- raised an army of about 25,000 men.
After escaping the ambush, William rode directly to King Henry's court in Poissy
, and reminded the king that a revolt against his faithful vassal
was a revolt against himself. Wanting to protect his vassal and ally, King Henry raised an army of about 10,000 men to march on Normandy.
, in the heart of rebel territory. During the first part of the battle, Ralph Tesson realised on which side allegiance truly lay, and he and his men then changed sides and joined the royal army, attacking the rebels from the rear. The next day, the armies fought on the plain of Val-ès-Dunes, near the present-day town of Conteville
.
The battle consisted mainly of a series of cavalry skirmishes. The rebel army outnumbered the royal army, but it lacked the latter's coordination and leadership. After losing several skirmishes (in one of which Haimo of Creully was killed), the rebel army broke apart, panicked, and fled to the west. The royal army pursued closely, slaughtering rebels by the thousands and driving the remnants of their army into the Orne River
, near the Athis
fort and Fleury-sur-Orne
. An observer recorded that the bodies of the rebel knights who tried to cross the Orne were so numerous that bloated bodies blocked the mill of Barbillon as the river carried them downstream en masse.
. Despite an energetic siege, William was not able to force the castle into surrender until 1050, and, during that time, he was not able to assert his authority in the eastern third of his duchy, which lay beyond Brionne.
After the Battle of Val-ès-Dunes, there was still strong opposition to William among the Norman nobles, but they were forced to declare a "Truce of God
" at Caen in October 1047. This truce, backed by the full endorsement of the Church
, stated that private wars or vendetas were prohibited from Wednesday evening to Monday morning. The truce gave William special rights to defend his title and the public order; he did not, along with King Henry-I have to abide by the order. Even though William's position was still weak, with Gui of Burgundy still holding out and William having to pardon many of the barons who had opposed him, it would be five years before he had to face another major revolt. Ralph Tesson was rewarded for his perfidy, and was married off to Matilda, daughter of Hereve's brother. William could have killed the treasonous Ralph, but had good reasons to use Ralph's skills at a later date.
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...
and King Henry I of France
Henry I of France
Henry I was King of France from 1031 to his death. The royal demesne of France reached its smallest size during his reign, and for this reason he is often seen as emblematic of the weakness of the early Capetians...
against the forces of several rebel Norman barons, led by Gui of Burgundy (Gui of Brionne), the son of Reginald I, Count of Burgundy
Reginald I, Count of Burgundy
Reginald I, Count Palatine of Burgundy was the second Count of the Free County of Burgundy. Born in 986, he was the son of Otto-William, Count of Burgundy and Ermentrude of Reims and Roucy.In 1016, Reginald married Alice of Normandy....
.
As a result of winning the battle, William (later William the Conqueror) was able to retain his title and maintain control over the western half of his duchy.
Background
William had succeeded to his title in 1035, as the seven-year-old illegitimate son of the previous Duke, Robert I. Several of William's kinsmen (including Gui of Burgundy, his cousin) believed themselves to have a better claim to the title, but William had the support of King Henry I and other influential nobles.In 1046, some of William's enemies decided to finally strike. After an ambush near Valognes
Valognes
Valognes is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.It lies on the Merderet river, southeast of Cherbourg.-History:...
on the Cotentin Peninsula
Cotentin Peninsula
The Cotentin Peninsula, also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a peninsula in Normandy, forming part of the north-western coast of France. It juts out north-westwards into the English Channel, towards Great Britain...
failed, the rebel nobles -- Gui of Burgundy, Nigel of the Cotentin, Rannulf of the Bessin, Ralph Tesson of Thury, Grimoald of Plessis, and Haimo of Creully -- raised an army of about 25,000 men.
After escaping the ambush, William rode directly to King Henry's court in Poissy
Poissy
Poissy is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris from the center.In 1561 it was the site of a fruitless Catholic-Huguenot conference, the Colloquy at Poissy...
, and reminded the king that a revolt against his faithful vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
was a revolt against himself. Wanting to protect his vassal and ally, King Henry raised an army of about 10,000 men to march on Normandy.
The battle
In the summer of 1047, King Henry's army joined Duke William's much smaller Norman army near CaenCaen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
, in the heart of rebel territory. During the first part of the battle, Ralph Tesson realised on which side allegiance truly lay, and he and his men then changed sides and joined the royal army, attacking the rebels from the rear. The next day, the armies fought on the plain of Val-ès-Dunes, near the present-day town of Conteville
Conteville, Calvados
Conteville is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.-Population:...
.
The battle consisted mainly of a series of cavalry skirmishes. The rebel army outnumbered the royal army, but it lacked the latter's coordination and leadership. After losing several skirmishes (in one of which Haimo of Creully was killed), the rebel army broke apart, panicked, and fled to the west. The royal army pursued closely, slaughtering rebels by the thousands and driving the remnants of their army into the Orne River
Orne River
The Orne is a river in Normandy, within northwestern France. It discharges into the English Channel at the port of Ouistreham. Its source is in Aunou-sur-Orne, east of Sées...
, near the Athis
Athis
Athis may refer to:*The name of several places in France :**Athis, a commune in the Marne département**Athis-Mons, a commune in the Essonne département, a suburb of Paris, France**Gue d'Athis, a fort near Fleury-sur-Orneor:...
fort and Fleury-sur-Orne
Fleury-sur-Orne
-External links:** *...
. An observer recorded that the bodies of the rebel knights who tried to cross the Orne were so numerous that bloated bodies blocked the mill of Barbillon as the river carried them downstream en masse.
Aftermath
While the royal army drove much of the rebel army to the west, Gui of Burgundy and his surviving forces escaped to his lands in the east and holed up in the strategic castle of BrionneBrionne
Brionne is a commune in the Eure department in Haute-Normandie in northern France.-Population:-Sights:The keep, built in the 11th century was one of the rare Norman squareshaped defensive keeps, reminding of British architecture. It was destroyed in the 18th century.The church Saint-Martin has a...
. Despite an energetic siege, William was not able to force the castle into surrender until 1050, and, during that time, he was not able to assert his authority in the eastern third of his duchy, which lay beyond Brionne.
After the Battle of Val-ès-Dunes, there was still strong opposition to William among the Norman nobles, but they were forced to declare a "Truce of God
Peace and Truce of God
The Peace and Truce of God was a medieval European movement of the Catholic Church that applied spiritual sanctions in order to limit the violence of private war in feudal society. The movement constituted the first organized attempt to control civil society in medieval Europe through non-violent...
" at Caen in October 1047. This truce, backed by the full endorsement of the Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, stated that private wars or vendetas were prohibited from Wednesday evening to Monday morning. The truce gave William special rights to defend his title and the public order; he did not, along with King Henry-I have to abide by the order. Even though William's position was still weak, with Gui of Burgundy still holding out and William having to pardon many of the barons who had opposed him, it would be five years before he had to face another major revolt. Ralph Tesson was rewarded for his perfidy, and was married off to Matilda, daughter of Hereve's brother. William could have killed the treasonous Ralph, but had good reasons to use Ralph's skills at a later date.