The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-04-06

| AVhpWtn& interesting account VI III
history OF Rollo. whose statue Is to b,
placed in Fargo, and the the Norman
millennium:
Next year is the millennium of Nor.
mandy. The Normans in Normandy
and In France generally are therefore
at work to commemorate this event
with grand homecoming festival al
It's old capital, Rouen, and at the cap.
ital Of France, Paris, next month Of
| June.
Europe was. in the latter part of the
ninth, In the tenth and eleventh cen
turtles more less in fluid state. Ar
empire had been formed by Charles the
Great, but this empire had very little
Of common interests. The languages
customs. laws, natural boundary lines
were in mixup. The descendants OF
| Charles the Great were mostly fight
Ing for spoils in his extended empire
All rights, justice and plighted faith
We're constantly violated The people
were down trodden, oppressed, neglect
ed and loaded with all kinds OF bur-
dens. The nobility was selfish and
greedy All seemed to be in a mean
ingless chaos, as far as government
was concerned.
| The Saracens were troubling Europe
from the south, the Hungarian hordes
from the east and the Scandinavian
Vikings from the north For a time
this made the struggles of the people
more complex and hopeless But con-
ditions finally changed, and the or
ganization of the modern European
states and nationalities were during
these centuries formed by the Scan
dinavian Vikings and Normans.
The Scandinavian Vikings and the
Normans must be classed as progeni-
tors to the American race. The United
States of America is an outgrowth of
the New England states. These were
founded by England England became
a Norman country since 1865. And
the Normans, who conquered England,
came from Normandy. We all claim,
as descendants of the people from Nor
mandy the inhabitants of our grand
republic have received a great and inn
portant Inheritance from the Normans
and our Viking forefathers.
In $50 the Mortimer organized an
army and went on conquering expe-
dition to the west Frankisk kingdom.
The Vikings were at this time well
organized, had recognized code of
laws and formed a firm and strong
body of men. They knew the art of
war, could use war machines, build
Notifications and were we'll trained on
land and sea. The cIoisters In Meth
erlands were plundered and mercantile
towns destroyed The Vikings raw
aged Paris in SOL Later they took
foothold and settled at the mouth Of
the Seine.
The war between the Mortimer and
the Frankish kingdom ended by the
treaty of St. Clair sur Epte in GIL
King Charles the Simple or the Third.
coded the fertile province from Epte
to the sea to RolIo, who also was
given the overlordship Of Britanny.
Rollo and his men became Franks and
the kings vassals. They also prom
ised to accept the christian faith and
were baptised. Rollo's domain in
France has since been called Nor
mandy (the land of the Northmen).
The result was new and recon-
structed France Rollo as the first.
duke of Normandy is by the French
regarded as one of their greatest men.
One of his descendants and successors
as duke of Normandy was William
Bastard, who conquered England some
1856 years after Rollo's DEATH.
The Norman conquest made a new
and reconstructed England. If 1t is
true, that every Englishman is lineal
descendent of William the Conqueror,
Ii must also be truth. that the Amer
lean families largely must regard
Rollo as an ancestor. AS the millen-
MUM of the foundation of Normandy is
to be celebrated next year 1t might
therefore be interesting to know a lit
tie about the greatest of our Viking
The encyclopedias and the worlds
histories give accounts about Rollo and
his works. Most authorities agree,
that he came as fugitive from Nor
way, having robbed some cattle on
voyage from the Baltic sea, being
short of victuals. Norway was united
to one kingdom since s72 by King Har-
aid Hairfair and his chief adviser and
earl, Ragnvald of Moore. The kings
duty was to protect his conquered
country against sea robbery, which
was forbidden by harsh laws. 1t. did
not help Rollo to be a son Of the most