As a youth Majolus fled his family's estates near Rietz to stay with relatives at Mâcon due to the Muslim invasions.
Cluny | Cluny Abbey | Odo of Cluny | Odilo of Cluny | Majolus of Cluny | Abbot of Cluny | Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny | Hugh of Cluny | Ewen MacPherson of Cluny | Berno of Cluny | Bernard of Cluny |
The legend said that Emperor Otto had conquered this island, while William was born, so the Emperor became his patron and he was educated as a monk and made his clerical career at Cluny Abbey during the reform of Abbot Majolus who continued the reform of his predecessor Odo and supported reforms connected with papal politics under influence of the Ottonic Emperors.
In 989 Bruno, Bishop of Langres, requested Mayeul, Abbot of Cluny, to send monks to re-settle the abbey, grown decadent, as a Cluniac house.