Ricfried was a 9th and 10th centurycount in Betuwe now in the Netherlands, and possibly also some neighboring areas such as the Duffelgau, now in Germany. He was ancestor of a family referred to as the "Balderics" because it included several powerful bishops of this name. It is also proposed by historians such as Leon Vanderkindere that he is probably ancestor of the Counts of Loon in modern Belgian Limburg.
Life
He was mentioned in an 897 charter by Zwentibold, King of Lotharingia, as a Count with possessions in Betuwe. He was also known as Count Dodo, his memorial calling him "Ricfridus hoc nomine Dodo vocatus … comes". The memorial names presul Baldricus … preses Rodolphus … victor Yrimfredus pariterque comes Nevelongus as his children. Virtually all that we know about Ricfried is based on this memorial and the one charter which mentions him. The biography of Bishop Balderic I of Utrecht states that “he was the son of Count Ricfried in the Betuwe, who expelled the Vikings from Utrecht, after which Balderic, who like his immediate predecessors had resided in Deventer, was able to move the bishopric back to Utrecht.” Balderic is also identified as a cousin of Gilbert, Duke of Lorraine, and uncle of Baldrick I, Bishop of Liège.
Family
Ricfried married Herensinda, from an unknown family. They had five children:
"Victor" Ehrenfried. Apparently known for military prowess at his father's death, but not yet a count. Jongbloed believes he must have taken over Nevelung's inheritance. Some interpreters have re-interpreted the word "victor" to "rector".
"Preses" Rudolfe. Leon Vanderkindere proposed that he was Bishop of Laon. Jongbloed argues that the grave record shows he was a Count, with a wife and offspring. Aarts thinks praeses refers to the military "prefecture" known in this area which had historically suffered from Viking raids.
An otherwise unknown daughter was proposed by Vanderkindere to have married Lambert. However this was part of a complex scenario which is no longer widely accepted.
According to Jongbloed, Ricfried was succeeded by his son Nibelung as Count of Betuwe upon his death.
