The
Siege of Paris of 885 to 886 was a
VikingA Viking is one of the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas of Europe from the late eighth to the early eleventh century. These Norsemen used their famed longships to travel as far east as Constantinople and the Volga River in Russia, and as far...
siege of Paris, then capital of the
kingdom of the West FranksWest Francia or the West Frankish Kingdom was a short-lived kingdom encompassing the lands of the western part of the Carolingian Empire that came under the undisputed control of Charlemagne's grandson, Charles the Bald, as a result of the Treaty of Verdun of 843.The Frankish Empire, the great...
. It was, in hindsight, the most important event of the reign of the
EmperorThe Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a Middle Ages ruler, who as German King had in addition received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope of the Holy Roman Church, and after the 16th century, the elected monarch governing the Holy Roman Empire, a Central...
Charles the FatCharles the Fat was the King of Alemannia from 876, King of Italy from 879, Holy Roman Emperor from 881, King of East Francia from 882, and King of West Francia from 884. He was deposed in East Francia, Lotharingia, and possibly Italy, where the records are not clear, in 887...
and a turning point in the fortunes of the
CarolingianThe Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with its origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century. The name "Carolingian", Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German *karling, kerling The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the...
dynasty and the history of
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
.
The siege is the subject of an eyewitness account in the Latin poem
Bella Parisiacae urbis of
Abbo CernuusAbbo Cernuus , Abbo Parisiensis, or Abbo of Saint-Germain was a Neustrian Benedictine monk and poet of the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris. He was born about the middle of the ninth century....
.
Background
The Vikings (especially the Danes in the
British IslesThe British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include Great Britain, Ireland and numerous smaller islands. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Ireland...
and other
NorsemenNorsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who speak one of the North Germanic languages as their native language. The meaning of Norseman was "people from the North"...
in continental
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
), were the primary menace affecting European rulers in the late ninth century, the middle of the
Viking AgeViking Age is the term for the period in European history, especially Northern European and Scandinavian history, spanning the eighth to eleventh centuries. Scandinavian Vikings explored Europe by its oceans and rivers through trade and warfare. The Vikings also reached Iceland, Greenland,...
. They had carved out a
DanelawThe Danelaw, as recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , is a historical name given to the part of England in which the laws of the "Danes" held sway and dominated those of the Anglo-Saxons. It is contrasted with "West Saxon Law" and "Mercian law". The term has been extended by modern historians to...
in
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and were the ruling
RusKievan Rus , usually written simply Kievan Rus and sometimes Kyivan Rus, was a medieval state which existed from approximately 880 to the middle of the 13th century...
from
LadogaStaraya Ladoga , or the Aldeigjuborg of Norse sagas, is a village in the Volkhovsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the Volkhov River near Lake Ladoga. The village used to be a prosperous trading outpost in the 8th and 9th centuries...
and Novgorod. Their depredations had come as far as the Mediterranean, they harassed
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and the Son of God.The term "Christian" is also used adjectivally to...
and Moslem alike, in the coastal plains and navigable rivers of France,
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
, and
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
. The worst hit areas in the vast but feeble
Carolingian EmpireCarolingian Empire is a historiographical term sometimes used to refer to the realm of the Franks under the Carolingian dynasty. This dynasty is seen as the founders of France and Germany...
were in the
Low CountriesThe Low Countries, the historical region of de Nederlanden, are the countries on low-lying land around the delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers...
and the adjacent regions in
GaulGaul is a historical name used in the context of the Roman Empire in references to the region of Western Europe approximating present day France and Belgium, but also sometimes including the Po Valley, western Switzerland, and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the River...
and
GermaniaGermania was the Latin exonym for a geographical area of land on the east bank of the River Rhine , which included regions of Sarmatia as well as an area under Roman control on the west bank of the Rhine...
, areas where many navigable rivers offered access.
In 845, the Vikings rowed up the
SeineThe Seine is a slow-flowing major river and commercial waterway within the regions of Île-de-France and Haute-Normandie in France and famous as a romantic backdrop in photographs of Paris, France. It is also a tourist attraction, with excursion boats offering sightseeing tours of the Rive Droite...
and attacked Paris. This they did again thrice more in the 860s, each time leaving only when the acquisition of loot or bribes was acceptable to them. In 864, by the
Edict of PistresThe Edict of Pistres or Edictum Pistense was a capitulary promulgated, as its name suggests, at Pistres on 25 July 864...
, bridges were ordered built across the Seine at not only
PîtresPîtres is a commune in the department of Eure in the region of Haute-Normandie in northern France. It lies on the Seine. It had a population of 2,290 in 1999....
, but Paris, where two were built: one on each side of the
Île de la CitéThe Île de la Cité is one of two natural islands in the Seine within the city of Paris...
. These would serve admirably in the siege of 885. The chief ruler in the region around Paris (the
Île-de-FranceThe province of Île-de-France or "Isle de France" is one of the ancient provinces of France, and the one that has been the centre of power during most of French history. It is centred on Paris...
) was the duke of Francia (also count of Paris), who controlled the lands between the Seine and Loire. Originally this was
Robert the StrongRobert IV the Strong , was Margrave in Neustria. His family is named after him and called Robertians. He was first nominated by Charles the Bald missus dominicus in 853. Robert was the father of the kings Odo and Robert I of France. Robert was the great-grandfather of Hugh Capet and thus the...
,
margraveA Margrave was a medieval hereditary nobleman with military responsibilities in a border province of a kingdom. Border provinces usually had more exposure to military incursions from the outside, compared to interior provinces, and thus a margrave usually had larger and more active military forces...
of
NeustriaThe territory of Neustria or Neustrasia, meaning "new [western] land", originated in 511, made up of the regions from Aquitaine to the English Channel, approximating most of the north of present-day France, with Paris and Soissons as its main cities...
and
missus dominicusA missus dominicus , Latin for "envoy of the lord [ruler]", also known as Sendgraf in German, Zendgraaf in Dutch, both meaning "sent Graf", was an official commissioned by the Frankish king or emperor to supervise the administration, mainly of justice, in parts of his dominions...
for the
Loire ValleyLoire Valley is known as the Garden of France and the Cradle of the French Language. It is also noteworthy for the quality of its architectural heritage, in its historic towns such as Amboise, Angers, Blois, Chinon, Nantes, Orléans, Saumur, and Tours, but in particular for its world-famous...
. He began fortifying the ancient capital and fought the Norsemen continuously until his death in battle against them at
BrissartheThe Battle of Brissarthe was fought on 15 September 866 between the Franks and a joint Breton-Viking army near Brissarthe, Neustria. It was marked by the death of Robert the Strong, the Neustrian margrave, and Ranulf I, the duke of Aquitaine....
. His son, Odo, succeeded him and continued the fortification of Paris.
Meanwhile, West Francia (the kernel of modern France) suffered under a series of short-reigning kings until Charles the Fat, already king of Germany and
ItalyKing of Italy is a title adopted by many rulers of the Italian peninsula after the fall of the Roman Empire...
, became king. Hopes were raised with this reunification of
CharlemagneCharlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 to his death. He expanded the Frankish kingdoms into a Frankish Empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe...
's empire, but a year after Charles' succession (884), the Vikings launched the most massive attack on Paris yet again.
The Siege
SigfredSigfred was the second official king of Denmark who ruled between the 780s and 790s. The precise date however remains unknown.He was the father of Gudfred, his youngest son who was his successor and who later reigned as king and ruler of Denmark. His father Ongendus was the reportedly the first...
, leader of the Danes, had demanded a bribe from Charles, but had been refused. He promptly led 700 ships up the Seine carrying more than 30,000 men, a number which is highly questionable. Even an army of one tenth of this strength would have been exceptionally large, compared to the average strength of contemporary armies. Paris at this time was a town on an island. Its strategic importance came from the ability to block ships' passage with its two low-lying foot bridges, one of wood and one of stone. Not even the shallow Viking ships could pass Paris because of the bridges. Odo prepared for the arrival of the Vikings by fortifying the bridgehead with two towers guarding each bridge. He was low on men, having no more than 200
men-at-armsMan-at-arms was a medieval term for a soldier, almost always a professional. It was a term relating to service as a fully armoured heavy cavalryman...
available to him. He did have the aid of his brother,
RobertRobert I , King of Western Francia , was the younger son of Robert the Strong, count of Anjou, and the brother of Odo, who became king of the Western Franks in 888. West Francia evolved over time into France; under Odo, the capital was fixed on Paris, a large step in that direction...
, two counts, a marquis, and Joscelin, abbot of
Saint-Germain-des-PrésSaint-Germain-des-Prés is an area of the 6
th arrondissement of Paris, France, located around the church of the former Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés....
.
The Vikings arrived on 25 November
885For the 885 Thyratron Tube, see 885 Tube-Europe:* The Vikings besiege Paris.* Godfrith, the Sea King is killed in Lobith. The Vikings lose control of most of the modern Netherlands.* Oldest known mention of Baky, Azerbaijan.-Religion:...
and began by asking for tribute. This denied, they settled in for a siege. On 26 November, the Danes attacked the northeast tower with
ballistaThe ballista , plural ballistae, was a weapon developed from earlier Greek weapons. It relied upon different mechanics, using two levers with torsion springs instead of a prod, the springs consisting of several loops of twisted skeins...
e,
mangonelA mangonel was a type of catapult or siege machine used in the medieval period to throw projectiles at a castle's walls. The exact meaning of the term is debatable, and several possibilities have been suggested...
s, and
catapultA catapult is any one of a number of non-handheld mechanical devices used to throw or hurl a projectile a great distance without the aid of explosive substances—particularly various types of ancient and medieval siege engines. Although the catapult has been used since ancient times, it is proven...
s peppering the tower with arrows and stones. They were repulsed by a mixture of hot wax and pitch, however. That day, all Viking attacks were repulsed and during the night, the Parisians constructed another storey on the tower.
On 27 November, the Viking attack included mining,
ramA battering ram is a siege engine originating in ancient times to break open fortification walls or doors.In its simplest form, a battering ram is just a large, heavy log carried by several people and propelled with force against an obstacle; the ram would be sufficient to damage the target if the...
s, and fire this time, but to no avail. On this day, the Abbot Joscelin valiantly entered the thick of the fray with a
bowA bow is a weapon that projects arrows powered by the elasticity of the bow. Essentially, it is a form of spring. As the bow is drawn, energy is stored in the limbs of the bow and transformed into rapid motion when the string is released, with the string transferring this force to the arrow...
and an
ax- AX :* Accumulator eXtended * Åland Islands * Alpha Chi Omega* American Express* Anime Expo* AX architecture * Armani Exchange* Atlantic Coast Line Railroad* Autocross...
. He planted a cross on the outer defences and exhorted the people, his flock. His brother, Ebles, too, joined the fighting.
For two months, the Vikings dug in, making trenches and provisioning themselves off the land. In January 886, they tried to fill the river shallows with debris, plant matter, and dead animal and human (executed prisoner) bodies so as to get around the tower with their infantry, but no success met them, again. This they continued for the next two days, but on the third day they set three ships alight and guided them towards the wooden bridge. The burning ships sank before they could set the bridge on fire, but the wooden construction was nonetheless weakened. On 6 February, rains caused the river (filled with debris from the Viking attempts of weeks earlier) to overflow and the bridge supports gave way. The bridge gone, the northeast tower was now isolated with only twelve defenders inside. The Vikings asked the twelve to surrender, but they refused, and were all subsequently killed.
The Vikings left a force behind, but mostly went ahead, beyond Paris, to pillage
Le MansLe Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans....
and
ChartresChartres is a town and commune and capital of the Eure-et-Loir department in north-central France It is located southwest of Paris in central France.-Geography:...
. At this time, Odo successfully slipped some men through Norse lines to go to Italy and plea with Charles to come to their aid. Henry, Count of Saxony, Charles' chief man in Germany, marched to Paris. The besieged then sallied forth and took many supplies. The morale of the besiegers was low and Sigfred asked for sixty pounds of silver. He left the siege in April.
RolloRollo , baptised Robert, was the founder and first ruler of the Viking principality in what soon became known as Normandy.The name Rollo is a Frankish-Latin name probably taken from the Old Norse name Hrólfr Rollo (c. 860 – c. 932), baptised Robert, was the founder and first ruler of the...
, the other leader, and his men stayed behind.
In May, disease began to spread in the Parisian ranks and Joscelin, the great morale-booster and fighting churchman, died. Odo himself then slipped through Viking-controlled territory to petition Charles for support: Charles consented. Odo fought his way back into Paris. Charles and Henry of Saxony marched northward. Sadly for the besieged, Henry died en route.
In summer, the Danes made a final attempt to take the city, but were repulsed. The huge imperial army arrived in October and scattered the Vikings. Charles encircled Rollo and his army and set up a camp at
MontmartreMontmartre is a hill which is 130 meters high, giving its name to the surrounding district, in the north of Paris in the 18th arrondissement, a part of the Right Bank. Montmartre is primarily known for the white-domed Basilica of the Sacré Cœur on its summit and as a nightclub district...
. However, Charles had no intention of fighting. He sent the defenders down the Seine to ravage Burgundy, which was in revolt. When the Vikings withdrew from France next spring, he gave them 700 pounds of silver as promised.
Aftermath
The Parisians and Odo refused to let the Vikings down the Seine, and the invaders had to drag their boats overland to the
MarneMarne is a department in north-eastern France named after the river Marne which flows through the department. The prefecture of Marne is Châlons-en-Champagne...
. When Charles died in 888, the French elected Odo as their king. Odo's brother was later elected king as well. Throughout the next century the Robertians, descendants of Robert the Strong, fought the Carolingians for the French throne. Their duchy (France) gave its name to the kingdom (later France) and the Carolingian Empire was never again reassembled.
Source
- MacLean, Simon. Kingship and Politics in the Late Ninth Century: Charles the Fat and the end of the Carolingian Empire. Cambridge University Press: 2003.
- Davis, Paul K. Besieged: 100 Great Sieges from Jericho to Sarajevo. Oxford University Press, 2001.