Ethnopoiesis In Early Normandy

This paper intends to explore the emergence of the Norman ethnicity during the first three generations of their settlement in Francia. Primarily through analysis of the Gesta Normannorum of Dudo of St. Quentin, the paper will track the deliberate measures that the early rulers of Normandy underwent in order to forge an intermediary ethnic identity which embodied both their Scandinavian heritage as well as embracing their Frankish present. By combining elements of both of these ethnic identities, the Normans created an ethnicity uniquely their own and were thus able to survive and thrive in their new homeland.