Nov. 24, 885: Vikings Return, Laying Siege to Paris

19th c. depiction (source)

 

Watershed of the Seine River (source).

Viking Longboats Raid Up the River Seine

Odo, Count of Paris, bravely resists invasion with only a few hundred men

Successful defense credited to fortified bridges ordered built in 864 on order of the King of West Francia

885 Siege of Paris by the Vikings begins. Vikings arrive at Paris demanding tribute (Nov). "This was denied by Odo, Count of Paris, despite the fact that he could assemble only a couple of hundred soldiers to defend the city. The Vikings attacked with a variety of siege engines, but failed to break through the city walls after some days of intense attacks. The siege was upheld after the initial attacks, but without any significant offence for months thereafter. As the siege went on, most of the Vikings left Paris to pillage further upriver. The Vikings made a final unsuccessful attempt to take the city during the summer of 886. In October, Charles the Fat arrived with his army, relieving the city. "

"Charles stopped short of attacking the Viking besiegers, and instead allowed them to sail further up the Seine to raid Burgundy (which was in revolt), as well as promising a payment of 700 livres (257 kg) of silver. Odo, highly critical of this, tried his best to defy the promises of Charles, and when Charles died in 888, Odo was elected King of the Franks."

"The siege is the subject of an eyewitness account in the Latin poem Bella Parisiacae urbis of Abbo Cernuus."

Previously

877 Charles the Bald dies. Succeeded on the throne of West Francia by Charles the Simple. (Charles III).

876 Rollo, Viking leader, seizes Rouen on the lower Seine (or possibly after 900)


864 Edict of Pistres, from Charles the Bald, King of West Francia, ordering measures to defend against the Vikings, including fortified bridges and death penalty for certain commerce with them."Charles the Bald declared that fortified bridges should be built at all towns on rivers. This was to prevent the dreaded longships from sailing into the interior. Bridges were ordered built across the Seine at Pîtres and in Paris, where two were built, one on each side of the Île de la Cité. Simon Coupland believes that only two bridges, at Pont-de-l'Arche (near Pistres) on the Seine and at Les Ponts-de-Cé on the Loire, were ever fortified... Charles also prohibited all trade in weapons with the Vikings, in order to prevent them from establishing bases in Gaul. The penalty for selling horses to the Vikings was death."

860s Several more Viking raids on Paris.

845 Sack of Paris (Mar). "The culmination of a Viking invasion of the kingdom of the West Franks. The Viking forces were led by a Norse chieftain named "Reginherus", or Ragnar, who traditionally has been identified with the legendary saga character Ragnar Lodbrok. Ragnar's fleet of 120 Viking ships, carrying thousands of men, entered the Seine in March and proceeded to sail up the river. ... The Vikings reached Paris at the end of the month, during Easter. After plundering and occupying the city, the Vikings finally withdrew after receiving a ransom payment of 7,000 French livres (2,570 kilograms or 5,670 pounds) of silver and gold from Charles the Bald, King of West Francia."  Tomb of St. Genevieve plundered by Vikings.


451 Attila attacks Paris. Is driven away and attacks Orléans instead. Origin of the legend of St. Genevieve.