Frodoald (died in

814 __NOTOC__ Year 814 ( DCCCXIV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar, the 814th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 814th year of the 1st millennium, the 14th year of the 9th century, and t ...

) was the Count of Vannes from

799 __NOTOC__ Year 799 ( DCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 799 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Eur ...

to around

Origin

Frodoald, or Hrodolt, is a variant of the root "hrot" found in Hrotharius, which corresponds to the name Lothaire. He belonged to the Widonids family, also known as the Guy, Garnier, and Lambert family, which originated from

Austrasia Austrasia was the northeastern kingdom within the core of the Francia, Frankish Empire during the Early Middle Ages, centring on the Meuse, Middle Rhine and the Moselle rivers. It included the original Frankish-ruled territories within what had ...

and had been established in this region for several generations. His name appears alongside those of his brothers, Gu and Garnier, in a 782 Charter of

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...

concerning the monastery of Hornbach. Frodoald was the younger son of Lambert and Teutberge, and the brother of Guy, Count of Nantes and Marquis of the March of Brittrany. This family, notable during the early Carolingian period, was involved in the political and territorial developments of the time, particularly in the regions that today correspond to parts of

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. The Widonids played an influential role in both local governance and the broader Frankish Empire under Charlemagne.

Count of Vannes

Frodoald became Count of Vannes before

when he was subordinated in this role to his brother, the

Marquis A marquess (; ) is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German-language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman with the rank of a marquess or the wife (or wido ...

Guy of Nantes. It was in this context that he had to participate in the same year, alongside his brother, in an expedition to

Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

led by the "marquis and his lieutenants, the counts.". It seems that Frodoald exercised his authority mainly in the Romanized area of the county, where he administered justice through his two missi comitis (viscounts), Gautro and Hermandro, who presided over the judgment of a certain Anau, a resident of the town of Langon, on September 29,

803 __NOTOC__ Year 803 ( DCCCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Emperors Nikephoros I and Charlemagne settle their imperial boundaries in the Adriatic Sea, and sign the Pa ...

.. Although it is not specified, Frodoald likely also participated in the 811 expedition sent by Charlemagne "against the Bretons to punish their treachery". Frodoald likely died around

, the year when his position was taken over by his son, Gui II de Vannes.

Origin

Count of Vannes

Further reading