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Viking Siege of Paris
From Nov 885 to summer 886, Viking leader Siegfried besieged Paris; Count Odo organized a stubborn defense, holding the cathedral and bridge on the Î…
Timeline
- 885Paris · Île-de-FranceSiegfried arrived at Paris with over 700 ships along the Seine; after his demand to pass was refused, he launched the siege, and the Vikings tried to burn the bridge linking both banks to isolate the Île de la Cité fortress.
- 885–886Île de la Cité, Paris · ParisOdo and the garrison held the bridge and island fortress, repelling Viking attacks repeatedly; Charles the Fat's relief forces arrived late and fought poorly, and the Paris defenders held the line on their own.
- 886Paris · Île-de-FranceCharles the Fat paid the Vikings 700 pounds of silver in ransom and allowed them to raid Burgundy; the Vikings lifted the siege and headed north. Paris kept its city, but royal prestige was badly damaged and Odo's reputation greatly rose.
Sources
- Abbo of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Bella Parisiacae Urbis（巴黎城战纪） — Abbo of Saint-Germain-des-Prés
- The Vikings in Francia and Anglo-Saxon England to 911 — Simon Coupland (1998)