Cologne and the Rhineland at the end of the 9th century. For quite some time, the various heirs of the once great but now fragmented Frankish Empire have been fighting each other. The Vikings take advantage of this political instability and plunder the rich Rhineland, the heart of the Frankish Empire.

#34 The Vikings – The History of Cologne

Cologne and the Rhineland at the end of the 9th century. For quite some time, the various heirs of the once great but now fragmented Frankish Empire have been fighting each other. The Vikings take advantage of this political instability and plunder the rich Rhineland, the heart of the Frankish Empire.

Reconstruction of a Viking longboat

How a Viking dragonboat or longboat might have looked like. The mast could be removed and placed in the boat, as seen here. In slack or offshore waters, rowers brought the ship into motion.

Scandinavia

Map showing two of the common definitions of “Scandinavia”; a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe. Most common referred as Scandinavia are Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Sometimes even Finnland and Iceland.

Vikings in contemporary sources from the 12th century

Post stamp from the Faroe Island

As this stamp from 2005 shows from the Faroe Island is that most of the Scandinavians were indeed farmers and not raiding vikings.

Vikings raid Paris

19th century portrayal of the siege of Paris by the vikings in 845.

The Raid in Cologne in 881

The predecessor of the church of St. Cecilia, which later housed a convent, was probably destroyed by the Vikings. But otherwise, the destruction of the city by the Vikings written down in the historical sources is archaeologically not grifa