Sailing over from Denmark, Sweden and Norway, the Vikings terrorised European kingdoms in the 8th-11th centuries.
They repeatedly raided Paris.
Around 850 AD a fleet of 120 Viking ships sailed up the Seine.
They raided the city, laid waste to fields, and only left when bought off with 2600 kg of gold!
30 years later, they returned with the largest Viking fleet ever recorded.
Some accounts mention 700 ships and 30,000 men.
The Vikings besieged Paris for over a year, before they were finally routed by the arrival of Carolingian imperial troops.
Fun fact : one way to placate the Vikings was to grand one of their leaders, Rollo, the territory of Normandy.
Indeed, Normandy was strategically located along the Seine towards the Atlantic coast, where the Vikings sailed up to launch their attacks on Paris.
In return, Rollo promised to defend Paris against further Vikings incursions.
This is how Normandy got its name - Nortmanni meaning Norsemen!
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