Ragnar Lothbrok and the Siege of Angers 873

In 873, a Viking fleet sailed up the Loire and besieged the Frankish town of Angers. But this was no ordinary raid — it was a chess game between Charles the Bald, King of West Francia, and a Viking leader named Hastein. Through a combination of siege warfare, river blockades, and a surprising alliance, Charles forced the Vikings to lift the siege and accept baptism. This episode examines the military and political maneuvering that turned a Viking siege into a Carolingian triumph. We explore Hastein's long career as a Viking commander who raided from the Loire to the Mediterranean, the role of fortified bridges in Frankish defense, and the delicate balance of tribute and treaty that defined Viking-Frankish relations. Drawing on the Annals of St. Bertin, the Chronicle of Regino of Prüm, and modern scholarship, we uncover a pivotal moment in the Viking Age that reveals how Frankish kings learned to fight fire with fire.

#RagnarLothbrok #SiegeOfAngers #Hastein #CharlesTheBald #WestFrancia #CarolingianEmpire #VikingAge #LoireRiver #AnnalsofStBertin #ReginoofPrüm #FortifiedBridges #VikingWarfare #Tribute #Baptism #9thCentury #MedievalHistory #History #FexingoHistory

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