“At the end of France, there is a plane filled with woods and fruit trees. In this narrow place lived a great number of very robust and strong people who had previously lived on an island called ‘Nora’. And for this reason there were called ‘Normans’, that is ‘men of Nora’. This people had increased to such a number that the fields and orchards were not sufficient for producing the necessities of life for so many. Therefore, they scattered here and there throughout different parts of the world.”
From the 11th century onwards, there is evidence of increased Norman mobility in Europe. There are various reasons why men from Normandy in particular left to try their luck in foreign regions. One cause was a change in the law of inheritance: gradually, the principle of primogeniture prevailed, designating the firstborn as the sole heir. The idea was to prevent a fragmentation of the estates. Younger sons especially came away empty-handed and had to look for other opportunities to acquire land. It was not uncommon for them to leave their homes and go into service as mercenaries. Internal conflicts forced others to seek their luck in foreign regions. In addition, there were religious motives such as pilgrimages. And for women, there was marital mobility.