c. 880
House: House of Normandy
Poppa of Bayeux, born around 880, was the wife more danico of the Viking leader Rollo and the mother of William I Longsword and Gerloc. She was also the grandmother of Richard the Fearless, who played a significant role in shaping the Duchy of Normandy into a significant fief of medieval France. According to Dudo of Saint-Quentin, she was the daughter of a ‘Count Berengar’, taken captive by Rollo after the siege of Paris, leading to speculation about her being the daughter of Berengar II of Neustria.
The exact lineage of Poppa is a subject of debate among medieval genealogists, with various theories suggesting different parentage. Her marriage status, more Danico, implies that she may not have come from a powerful Christian noble family, which would have demanded a formal Christian marriage. Her parentage could have been constructed post-facto to legitimize her son’s lineage. A statue commemorating Poppa is located at the Place de Gaulle in Bayeux.
Death: The circumstances of Poppa's death are not well documented. Her burial place is not known.
Children: William I Longsword, Gerloc (Adela)
Marriages: Rollo (perhaps more danico)
Parents: Possible parents are Berengar II of Neustria or Guy de Senlis and mother Adelind, Adela of Vermandois or Cunegundis.