36
ANCE
THE ANCIENT NORTHMEN, RIDDELL ANCESTRY.
the master-spirits of the age, and deeply affected those with whom they
came in contact; they inspired an increased activity, and rapidly devel-
oped institutions of literature and art; they invented nothing, but perfected
and organized everything; all nations where the spirit of the Northmen
has been introduced, have reached the highest degrees of prosperity under
their moulding power.
་
As early as the end of the eighth century the Northmen had discovered
and settled the Shetland and Orkney Islands, on the north coast of Scot-
land. These were subject to the kings of Norway and Denmark, but
under the independent government of earls, till the year 1468. While a
part of the Northmen were taking possession of the Western Islands,
others were moving south and ravaging the coast of France.
Rollo, or Rolf, one of the most famous chieftains of the Northmen,
formerly an Earl of Shetland and Orkney, followed by a large number of
his countrymen, made an incursion into France, and in the year 885
marched against Rouen, and subjugated everything in his way. Rollo
was a great warrior and statesman. He was surnamed the Ganger, or
Walker, because he was too tall and heavy for any horse to bear. He
followed the calling of a viking for forty years before his conquests in
France and settlement at Rouen. He continued his devastating move-
ments until he was granted by treaty in the year 911 the whole province
on the west coast of France, which he called Normandy, or "the land of
the Northmen," otherwise the Duchy of Normandy, of which Rollo was
the first duke. He also married Gisela, the daughter of the king of
France, embraced Christianity, was baptised, and settled down at Rouen,
the capital of Normandy. The province was now divided into counties,
and subdivided into earldoms, and the lands bestowed upon the country-
men who had served Rollo, the duke, in his wars. Rollo continued to en-
large his hold in France by the frequent accession of new territory until
the time of his death in 932, when his body was entombed in the chapel
of St. Romanus at Rouen. He was about eighty years of age.
During all the years through which we have traced the Northmen, rep-
resentatives of the Ridel, or Riddell, family were acting with them, and
accompanied them in all their migrations; indeed, their names appear con-
temporary with the earliest date of the Norman settlement in France, and
always associated with some important movement.
According to the writings of Playfair, Gaulter de Ridel followed Canute,
or Cnut, the Danish king of England, on his pilgrimage to Rome, in the
year 1025. He took with him two sons, -Oscital and Gaufrid, and the
latter having entered into the service of Rollo,* Duke of Normandy,
founded a family at Rouen; the descendants of which continued there in
affluence till the Revolution of France. Oscital, or Anskitel, as the name
was sometimes spelt, returned to Scotland, and became the head of the
Ridel, or Ridale, family there.
In the conquest of Sicily, about 1060, by the Normans, two brothers
Ridel accompanied their fellow-countrymen, and were afterwards found in
distinguished positions. Goffridus Ridel figured there as Duke of Gaeta,
as early as the year 1072; and his brother Rignaldus, as Count de Ponté Car-
vo, in 1093. John Riddell, Esq., the learned and distinguished antiquary
of Scotland, found in Norman records proof of the existence of Gulfridus
* According to the date given above, there must have been two Norman Dukes
named Rollo, as the first died in 932 A. D.
