Arnulf I, Count of Flanders

Arnulf of Flanders (–964), called the Great, was a French nobleman and the third count of Flanders. He ruled from 918 until his death. He ruled an expanded County of Flanders, an area that is now northwestern Belgium and southwestern Netherlands.

 Career 
Arnulf, born , was the son of count Baldwin II, Count of Flanders and Ælfthryth of Wessex. She was a daughter of Alfred the Great.Detlev Schwennicke, Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten, Neue Folge, Band II (Marburg, Germany: J. A. Stargardt, 1984), Tafel 5 Through his mother he was a descendant of the Anglo-Saxon kings of England. Through his father he was a descendant of Charlemagne.The Annals of Flodoard of Reims, 919–966, ed. Steven Fanning & Bernard S. Bachrach (University of Toronto Press, CA, 2011), p. xx Arnulf was named after Saint Arnulf of Metz, a progenitor of the Carolingian dynasty.Philip Grierson, 'The Relations between England and Flanders before the Norman Conquest', Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, Vol. 23 (1941), p. 86 n. 1

At the death of their father in 918 Arnulf became Count of Flanders. His brother Adelolf succeeded to the County of Boulogne. When Adeloft died in 933 Arnulf took control of Boulogne and Ternois. His nephews were still young so it was probably as their guardian.Heather J. Tanner, Families, Friends and Allies: Boulogne and Politics in Northern France and England, C.879–1160 (Brill, Leiden, Netherlands, 2004) p. 33 Later he gave the countship of Boulogne to his nephew, Arnulf II.Renée Nip, 'The Political Relations between England and Flanders (1066–1128)', Anglo-Norman Studies 21: Proceedings of the Battle Conference 1998, ed. Christopher Harper-Bill (The Boydell Press, Woodbridge, UK, 1999), p. 150

Arnulf I greatly expanded Flemish rule to the south. He took over all or part of Artois, Ponthieu, Amiens, and Ostrevent. Arnulf exploited the conflicts between Charles the Simple and Robert I of France, and later those between Louis IV and his barons. In his southern expansion Arnulf had conflict with the Normans. They were trying to secure their northern frontier. This led to the 942 murder of the Duke of Normandy, William Longsword, at the hands of Arnulf's men.David Nicholas, Medieval Flanders (Longman Group UK Limited, London, 1992), p. 40 The Vikings became less of a threat during the later years of Arnulf's life. He worked on reforming his county government.

Arnulf's son, Baldwin III died in 962 leaving Arnold a crisis of succession.Karine Ugé, Creating the Monastic Past in Medieval Flanders (Woodbridge; New York: The Boydell Press, 2006), p. 3 Baldwin's son Arnulf II 'the Young' was still a child and his succession was disputed. Arnulf offered the king, Lothair of France, Artois, Ponthieu, and Ostrevant in exchange for the king's protection of Arnulf II. His grandson inherited a weakened county of Flanders when he came of age. Arnold died on 27 March 964.

 Family 
The name of Arnulf's first wife is unknown but he had at least one daughter by her:Heather J. Tanner, Families, Friends and Allies: Boulogne and Politics in Northern France and England, C.879–1160 (Brill, Leiden, Netherlands, 2004) p. 55 n. 143

 Name unknown; married Isaac of Cambrai. Their son Arnulf succeeded his father as Count of Cambrai.

In 934 he married Adele of Vermandois, daughter of Herbert II of Vermandois. Their children were:

 Hildegarde (c. 934 – 990) married Dirk II, Count of Holland. It is uncertain whether she is his daughter by his first or second wife.
 Liutgard (935–962) married Wichmann IV, Count of Hamaland.
 Egbert (died 953)
 Baldwin III, Count of Flanders (c. 940 – 962), married Mathilde of Saxony (died 1008). His son Arnulf II succeeded his grandfather, Arnulf I.
 Elftrude; married Siegfried, Count of Guînes.

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Category:890s births
Category:964 deaths
Category:Counts and countesses of Flanders