Ragnar Lothbrok and the Viking Siege of Paris 845

In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the historical Viking siege of Paris in 845, led by a chieftain named Ragnar — possibly the same figure who inspired the legendary Ragnar Lothbrok. Using the Frankish Annals of St. Bertin and the works of the monk Dudo of Saint-Quentin, they piece together what really happened: a fleet of 120 Viking ships sailing up the Seine, a sack of the city on Easter Sunday, and a massive payout of 7,000 pounds of silver from Charles the Bald. They discuss how Ragnar's attack exposed the weakness of the Carolingian defenses, the role of the West Frankish king's divided attention, and how the siege became a template for later Viking raids into Francia. They also touch on the question of whether this Ragnar is the same as the Danish king Reginherus mentioned in other sources, and how the story of the siege was later embellished in the Gesta Danorum and the sagas. A focused look at a turning point in Viking-Frankish relations — before Rollo, before Normandy, when Paris was just another rich target.

#SiegeOfParis845 #RagnarLothbrok #VikingRaids #CharlesTheBald #Carolingian #FrankishHistory #AnnalsOfStBertin #DudoOfSaintQuentin #SeineRiver #VikingFleet #EasterSunday #Danegeld #Francia #WestFrankishKingdom #VikingAge #History #FexingoHistory #MedievalHistory

Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo