Emmo, Count of Hesbaye

Emmo (9th-10th century, a contemporary of Gilbert, Duke of Lorraine), Count of Hesbaye and Count of Liège. Emmo was son of a Reginar, a Frankish count, possibly the ruler of "the counties of Reginar" described in the 853 Capitulary of Servais of Charles the Bald. Emmo is noted as from Vliermaal, a district of the Belgian town Kortessem in the province of Limburg. Vliermaal became fief of the County of Loon in the 11th century. Vliermaal was an independent municipality in Haspengouw (Hesbaye), and included the hamlet Eggertingen which may be related to Ekkehard (Eggebard), Count of Hesbaye. Numerous graves marked Emmo can be found in Vliermaal. It is not clear whether or not Emmo was a single person, or a father and son of the same name.

Emmo is probably related to Count Raganar, and thus a descendent of Count Meginhere, a confidant of Charlemagne. Meginhere is believed to be a relative of Gilbert, Count of the Maasgau, father of the founder of the House of Reginar.

Once a vassal to Gilbert, Emmo took up arms against the duke. Widukind describes Emmo as simultaneously astute, exceptionally sly and unsavory, and Emperor Otto “decided it was better to use this man’s cunning rather than fight with arms.” The duke was not pleased with this state of affairs as he had trusted Emmo’s counsel and loyalty.^[1]

It is reported that Emmo captured an entire herd of the duke’s pigs, infuriating the duke and causing a mobilization against Emmo. Continuing this rather astonishing story, Emmo apparently had a large number of beehives, which he had thrown at the duke’s mounted men, causing the horses to be stung. The duke broke off the siege, having been tricked by Emmo’s stratagems.

Gilbert is reputed to have said “When [Emmo] was with me, I was able to maintain the loyalty of all of the Lotharingians easily...Now I am not able to capture him, while he stands alone.” Emmo then took up arms against the king (Otto), but, apparently surrounded, became faithful and useful to the crown. (Or, as Widukind said, was fidelis et utilis, used to denote the behavior of those who Otto defeated and then forgave.

Here Widukind’s narrative becomes confusing. He claims that Gilbert’s sister married Nibelung, son of Ricfried, Count of Betuwe, when it was in fact Gilbert’s niece Liethard, daughter of Gilbert’s brother Reginar II that was Nibelung’s wife.

Emmo married Gerberga van Vliermael of an unknown family. Emmo and Gerberga had one daughter:

• Marie, married to Rudolf, Count of Betuwe.

The precise dates of Emmo’s countship are unknown. However, given the probable kinship between Emmo and Duke Reginar, it is likely that Emmo was Count of Hesbaye either concurrently with Reginar (as Duke of Hesbaye) or immediately following his rule.

Sources

Bachrach, Berhard S., and Bachrach, David S., (Translators and Editors), Widukind of Corvey’s Deeds of the Saxons, Catholic University Press, Washington, DC, 2014

References