Alan II, Duke of Brittany
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Alan II Wrybeard or Barbe-Torte (died 952) was Count of Vannes, Poher, and Nantes, and Duke of Brittany from 938 to his death. During his rule, he had to defend Brittany from Viking invasions.
He had to take refuge, along with his father Mathuedoi, Count of Poher, with the English king Edward the Elder, because the Norsemen had invaded Armorica. He became ruler of Brittany after a 33 year interregnum from the death of his maternal grandfather, Duke Alan the Great. He landed at Dol in 936, at the invitation of the monk Jean de Landévennec and with the aid of Edward's successor, Athelstan the Glorious. By 937 he was master of most of Brittany and the Vikings had been forced back to the Loire. In 938, he was elected Brittonum dux. On 1 August 939, his victory was made complete by defeating the Norse at Trans. Alan declared that date a national holidy.
Alan renounced the Cotentin, Avranchin, and Mayenne, but Louis IV of France recognised that Brittany had "never formed part of his kingdom." Alan was closely allied with the king of France, for both had been exiles in England at the same time. He was also close to Theobald the Old, the count of Chartres.
He died and was buried in his capital, Nantes, in the Basilique Notre Dame. He was succeeded by his son Drogo.
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| Preceded by: Alan I |
Duke of Brittany 938–952 |
Succeeded by: Drogo |
