Rollo

Rollo (c. 846 – c. 932), known as Ganger-Hrólf (or as Göngu Hrólfr in the Old Norse language), and baptised Robert, was a Viking who became the first ruler of Normandy, a region of France. Rollo came from a noble warrior family of Scandinavian origin. After making himself independent of the Norwegian king Harald Fairhair, he sailed off to Scotland, Ireland, England and Flanders on pirating expeditions, and took part in raids along France's Seine river. Rollo won a reputation as a great leader of Viking rovers in Ireland and Scotland, and emerged as the outstanding personality among the Norsemen who had secured a permanent foothold on Frankish soil in the valley of the lower Seine.Charles the Simple, the king of West Francia, ceded them lands between the mouth of the Seine and what is now the city of Rouen in exchange for Rollo agreeing to end his brigandage, and provide the Franks with his protection against further incursion by Norse war bands.

Rollo is first recorded as the leader of these Viking settlers in a charter of 918, and it appears that he continued to reign over the region of Normandy until at least 927. Before his death, he gave his son, William I Longsword, governance of the Duchy of Normandy that he had founded, and after William succeeded him the offspring of Rollo and his men became known as the Normans, under leadership of Rollo's progeny, the Dukes of Normandy. After the Norman conquest of England and their conquest of southern Italy & Sicily over the following two centuries, the descendants of Rollo and his men came to rule Norman England (the House of Normandy), the Kingdom of Sicily (the Kings of Sicily) as well as the Principality of Antioch from the 10th to 12th century AD, leaving behind an enduring legacy in the historical developments of Europe and the Near East.

Don't Eat the Yellow Snow Suite

The "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow Suite" is made up of the first four tracks of Frank Zappa's album Apostrophe ('): "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow", "Nanook Rubs It", "St. Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast", and "Father O'Blivion." Each song in the suite is loosely connected, although the songs are not all connected by one overall story/theme. The suite was only played in full from 1973 to 1974 and 1978 to 1980. "Saint Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast" contains Zappa's percussionist Ruth Underwood on marimba who added a very distinct sound to many of his songs in the early 70s.

Story

"Don't Eat The Yellow Snow" is a song about a man who dreams that he was an Eskimo named Nanook. His mother warns him "Watch out where the huskies go, and don't you eat that yellow snow." The song directly transitions into "Nanook Rubs It." The song is about Nanook encountering a fur trapper "strictly from commercial" who is whipping Nanook's "favorite baby seal" with a "lead-filled snow shoe." Eventually Nanook gets so mad he rubs husky "wee wee" into the fur trapper's eyes, blinding him. According to the lyrics, this is supposed to replace "The Mud Shark" (a song from the live album Fillmore East – June 1971) in Zappa mythology. Zappa then sings in the fur trapper's perspective. The fur trapper then makes his way to the parish of St. Alfonzo, introducing the next song "St. Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast."

Rollo (disambiguation)

Rollo was the founder and first ruler of the Viking principality in what soon became known as Normandy.

Rollo may also refer to:

First name

Last name

Rollo (cyclecar)

The Rollo Car Co. was an English maker of cyclecars based in 140 Conybere Street, Birmingham and active between 1911 and 1913.

For 1913 three models were offered by the company. The 4 ¹⁄₂ hp named the Pony had a single-cylinder 549 cc air-cooled engine made by Precision and had a single seat. The weight was 336 lb (152 kg), and in 1913 it cost 70 guineas. There were two variations of the larger car with V twin 964 cc 8 hp JAP engine air-cooled engine. One was the Rollo Tandem, with fore-and-aft seating with the driver in the rear seat, priced at 95 and 100 guineas in 1913 according to options, and 'for those who prefer to sit side by side' there was the Rollo Sociable, priced in 1913 at 100 guineas. All three cars had belt drive.

No cars were made after 1913 and the company was formally wound up in 1915.

Models

See also

References