Battle of Blain facts for kids

The Battle of Blain, also called the Battle of Messac, was a major fight that happened on May 24, 843. It involved forces led by Lambert II of Nantes and Erispoe, a prince from Brittany. They fought against Renaud d'Herbauges, who was a Frankish Count of Nantes. This battle happened because the people of Brittany wanted to be free from Frankish rule. There were also disagreements about who should control the area around Nantes. The Bretons won this battle, which helped them gain more land and power.

Why the Battle Happened

After a large empire called the Carolingian empire started to break apart, Nominoe, who was the Duke of Brittany, decided to rebel. He wanted to expand Brittany's territory into lands controlled by the Franks.

Charles the Bald, a Frankish ruler, put Renaud in charge of the border area as the Count of Nantes. This made Lambert II of Nantes very unhappy. Lambert believed he was the rightful ruler of Nantes.

Lambert and Nominoe planned to join their armies. While Nominoe was getting his army ready to attack Nantes, Renaud prepared the city's defenses. But then, Renaud heard that Nominoe was sick and couldn't lead his army. So, Renaud decided to attack first. He targeted the Bretons, who were now led by Nominoe's son, Erispoe.

The Frankish forces marched from Nantes towards the Vilaine river. They hoped to surprise the Bretons. Erispoe's troops had reached Messac and were crossing the Vilaine when Renaud launched his sudden attack. Erispoe's first group of soldiers was completely defeated, and his main army was in a very weak position.

The Battle Itself

Stories about what happened next are a bit different. However, everyone agrees that the situation changed for Renaud when Erispoe's friend, Lambert II, arrived just in time.

One story says that Lambert saved Erispoe right at Messac. Lambert had gathered soldiers from the borders of Anjou and marched to the Vilaine to meet Nominoe's forces. He completely surprised Renaud's army and caused a lot of damage. With both armies now fighting, Renaud's troops were almost surrounded and were destroyed.

However, the Chronicle of Nantes tells a slightly different story. It says that Renaud thought he had completely defeated the Bretons at Messac. He then gathered his soldiers to return to Nantes. When they reached Blain, they stopped to rest. Meanwhile, Lambert had joined Erispoe. With their combined armies, they attacked Renaud's resting troops. The Frankish soldiers were lying on the grass near the Isac river, completely unaware. Suddenly, Lambert's and Erispoe's armies attacked and destroyed them.

No matter which story is exactly right, Renaud himself was killed during or after the battle. It's possible that a group of Vikings, led by Hastein, might have joined the Bretons. But other evidence suggests they arrived a little later, looking for things to steal.

Lambert took control of Nantes for a short time, but he couldn't hold it. The Vikings later attacked the city, stealing valuable items and even killing the bishop, Gohard. The Breton victory at Blain was followed by other wins. By 851, this led to the Treaty of Angers. This agreement meant that the important towns of Nantes and Rennes became part of Brittany. Erispoe was also given the title of King of Brittany.