Henry I, Duke of Burgundy

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Otto-Henry
Duke of Burgundy
Reign965 – 15 October 1002
PredecessorOtto
SuccessorOtto-William
Bornc. 946
Died15 October 1002
Spouse
  • (m. 972)
  • Gersenda of Gascony
    (before June 992)
IssueOdo, Viscount of Beaune
FatherHugh the Great
MotherHedwig of Saxony

Henry I (946 – 15 October 1002), called the Great,[a] was Duke of Burgundy from 965 to his death and Count of Nevers through his first marriage. He is sometimes known as Odo-Henry or Otto-Henry (in French Eudes-Henri), since his birth name was "Odo" and he only adopted "Henry" on being elected duke of Burgundy.

Life[edit]

He was a younger son of Hugh the Great, Duke of the Franks, and Hedwig of Saxony and thus the younger brother of King Hugh Capet.[1] As Odo, he entered the church at a young age and was a cleric at the time of the death of his brother Otto, Duke of Burgundy, on 22 February 965.[2] He was elected by the Burgundian counts to succeed his brother and they gave him the name Henry. However Otto-Henry only held three counties of his own, his vassals holding the remaining six that comprised the core of that held by Richard the Justiciar who died in 921.[3]

In 978, Henry participated in the invasion of Lotharingia and the defence of Paris from a counter-raid.[4]

In 972, he married Gerberga, the widow of Adalbert II of Italy,[1] who had sought refuge at Autun. Through Gerberga, he had a stepson named Otto-William.[5] This marriage allowed Henry to rule the County of Nevers.[6]

He married a second time to Gersenda, daughter of William II of Gascony. As Henry had no child, Otto-William became a legitimate contender to inherit the Duchy of Burgundy. So did Henry's nephew, the king Robert II of France. This resulted[7] in a war of succession (from 1003 to 1005) between Otto-William and Robert II. Otto-William eventually gave up the Duchy but kept in the Western Frankish Kingdom, the county of Mâcon, the county of Beaune and the advowson for the abbey of St-Benigne in Dijon.[8]

Family[edit]

Henry died without any sons of his own two wives.[1] He adopted Otto-William making him a possible heir of the Duchy of Burgundy.[9]

Odo-Henry had at least one illegitimate child by an unknown mother:

  • Odo of Beaune († after August 25, 1005), viscount of Beaune.

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ His nickname, Latin magnus, originally meant "the elder", and distinguished him from Duke Henry II.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Detlev Schwennicke, Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten, Neue Folge, Band II (Marburg, Germany: Verlag von J. A. Stargardt, 1984), Tafel 10
  2. ^ Jim Bradbury, The Capetians: Kings of France, 987-1328 (London, New York: Hambledon Continuum, 2007), p. 42
  3. ^ Jim Bradbury, The Capetians: Kings of France, 987-1328 (London, New York: Hambledon Continuum, 2007), p. 62
  4. ^ Dunbabin, Jean (2000). "West Francia: The Kingdom". In Reuter, Timothy (ed.). The New Cambridge Medieval History, Volume 3, c.900–c.1024. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 388. ISBN 978-1-13905572-7.
  5. ^ Detlev Schwennicke, Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten, Neue Folge, Band II (Marburg, Germany: Verlag von J. A. Stargardt, 1984), Tafel 59
  6. ^ Raphaël Bijard. "La construction de la Bourgogne Robertienne (936 - 1031)". Academia. pp. 48–52.
  7. ^ Constance Brittain Bouchard, Sword, Miter, and Cloister: Nobility and the Church in Burgundy, 980-1198 (New York: Cornell University Press, 1987), pp. 33, 265, 267 and 310.
  8. ^ Raphaël Bijard. "La construction de la Bourgogne Robertienne (936 - 1031)". Academia. pp. 72–74.
  9. ^ Constance Brittain Bouchard, Sword, Miter, and Cloister: Nobility and the Church in Burgundy, 980-1198 (New York: Cornell University Press, 1987), pp. 33, 265, 267 and 310.
Preceded by
Otto
Duke of Burgundy Succeeded by
Otto-William