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(gentle music) (ominous music) - [Narrator] This is a
story about the people who came sailing across the ocean. It's a story about a long and
perilous journey of upheaval which came to change populations
and influence politics, trade, culture, religion,
and entire societies. (dramatic music)
(man shouts) (men shouting) It's a story about the Vikings and how they transformed the world. For most people, the Vikings are seen only
as plunderers and pirates. But is that the whole truth? (woman speaking in foreign language) (woman speaking in foreign language) - They're going abroad
to take what they seek. - [Narrator] In this
series we will dig deeper and gain more insight into
who the Vikings really were. And the truth turns out to be surprising. (gentle music) (chisel clinking) At the end of the first
Viking invasion of France, the plundered cities began to build walls and fortifications, making the Viking attacks more difficult. But despite this, the Viking fleets grew in number as more and more people continued to join the voyages to Francia hoping to find glory and wealth. When the Frankish defenses
for a time became too strong, the Vikings instead set
their sights on England. At the end of the ninth century, however, the Vikings once again see their chance to return to Francia. But this time they don't
go back simply to loot. It is now that the Vikings
decide to become Europeans, and soon a new Duchy of
Normandy would be created. But how and why did the
Vikings become Normans? In order to answer that, we have to know more about
the Vikings' failed attacks on Francia in the late ninth century. When Charles the Bald was still king. (dramatic music) (gentle music) (men shouting)
(dramatic music) - During the 880s, the Carolingians actually
managed to reestablish their kind of power and initiative in their defense against
various Viking raiding groups. And they begin to refortify their borders and push these groups back out to the sea. - [Narrator] Charles the Bald, who was the Frankish emperor and the grandson of Charlemagne, had repeatedly been forced to pay ransom to the Viking invaders. But during his reign, the
Frankish defenses were developed with the addition of a cavalry as well as fortified
bridges along the rivers. - But when we come back to this question of whether these Viking
groups somehow failed during the 880s, I think we need to again
think about this notion of whether there was a concerted
kind of Viking strategy. These groups were still being quite successful in the field, they were still managing to
extract tribute and plunder out of the Carolingians. So whether or not any
particular engagement ended in a victory for them, I think it might be kind
of narrowing the focus a little too much here. (dramatic music) - [Narrator] But although
the Frankish resistance is becoming increasingly structured, the Vikings once again
decide to attack Paris. And so another siege of
the metropolis is launched. (Sarah speaking in foreign language) (dramatic music) (Sarah speaking in foreign language) - While the siege on Paris
may have been relieved, various Viking groups were still being quite successful in the field. They were still managing to
extract tribute from the Franks, they were still causing
quite a lot of damage in many parts of the kingdom. So, again, I think we need
to come back to this idea of whether there was
any concerted strategy in the first place and think about these groups
more on their own terms as autonomous raiding fleets and armies operating with their own individual goals. (water sloshing) (Sarah speaking in foreign language) (man coughing) - [Narrator] After a period of illness, the Frankish emperor Charles the Bald dies on October 6, 877. (Charles coughing) After his death, the Frankish
coastal defenses diminish and the Vikings see an opportunity to increase their numbers in Francia. And now begins a new era, one where the objective
is not only looting but also integration. (Helena speaking in foreign language) (gentle choir music) - [Narrator] The Vikings
were polytheistic, which meant they worshiped several gods. This religion existed
in all Germanic tribes of Northern Europe until it was ushered out by Christianity. (gentle choral music continues) There are a number of reasons why the Vikings are now
converting from their old faith to become Christians. - The Christianization process happened for a number of reasons and in a lot of different ways. I think when we're looking
at these Viking groups operating on the continent there's certainly an
element of pragmatism. The opportunity to engage in trade or to engage in diplomacy with not only the Carolingians but also with the
Anglo-Saxon kings in England. (gentle music) (Sarah speaking in foreign language) (Helena speaking in foreign language) (gentle music) - In the historical record we see a surprising number, perhaps, of quite powerful
leaders of raiding fleets accepting baptism as part
of their diplomatic contact with the Carolingian kings, and also in Anglo-Saxon
England we see this too. And this, a number of pragmatic reasons, it meant that these leaders
could be incorporated into the Christianized framework
of diplomacy and kingship that existed in Europe at this time. It allowed the Carolingians
and the Anglo-Saxons to deal with these leaders
of these raiding fleets as legitimate kind of political figures rather than simply as outsiders. (water sloshing) And what this is doing is really integrating the Scandinavians into this diplomatic
network of Christian Europe. (uplifting music) (Helena speaking in foreign language) (gentle music) (Helena speaking in foreign language) (gentle music continues) (Sarah speaking in foreign language) (gentle music) (Sarah speaking in foreign language) (gentle music) (Helena speaking in foreign language) (gentle music continues) (Helena speaking in foreign language) (gentle music) (Helena speaking in foreign language) (gentle music continues) - I think today that the idea
of giving up one's religion and accepting a new set of beliefs would be a huge thing for
an individual to take on and certainly for at least some
people during the Viking Age I think that must have
been very much the same. But at the same time I think
it's important to acknowledge that the pre-Christian belief systems of Scandinavians during the Viking Age they didn't conform to any
kind of religious doctrine. This was not a religion in the sense that we would today understand it, but more a kind of belief system, a way of seeing the world and interacting with the world around you. And in that sense if you have a polytheistic outlook
on religious beliefs, you have many gods, and in addition to those you
have a whole range of spirits and supernatural creatures that live in the world around you and you interact with
these on a daily basis, then the idea of taking on
another deity as part of this may not have been as outlandish or as traumatic as we might think. There is an acknowledgement
of other beliefs and maybe there was some way
that these could be integrated into people's existing belief systems rather than replacing them directly. (gentle music) - [Narrator] In the late ninth century and early 10th century, as more and more Viking groups in Francia learn the language and convert
from paganism to Christianity they start to naturally
integrate into Frank society. And as more Vikings are integrated, they also become a significant
and dangerous power to be reckoned with. (Sarah speaking in foreign language) (gentle music) - [Narrator] For the Frankish emperor it became important to have
good diplomatic relations with the Vikings and their leaders. And in 911, an experienced Viking chief steps forward. - What we see at this time as part of a diplomatic negotiation, a Viking leader, who we know in the
historical record as Rollo, (dramatic music) is granted a swathe of territory
in what is now Normandy. (dramatic music) (Sarah speaking in foreign language) (dramatic music continues) (Sarah speaking in foreign language) - [Narrator] This agreement with Rollo is a clear way for the Frankish power to control him and make him an ally. This will have enormous consequences. (Sarah speaking in foreign language) - And the purpose of this I think primarily from the
Carolingian perspective is to establish a strong
powerful adversary in a region where he's
become almost a protector of the Carolingian kingdom because their job essentially
in holding this territory is to stop other potential
incursions from taking place. (gentle music) (Helena speaking in foreign language) - Very quickly, it seems, that the territory of Normandy grows. More land is granted and this area, this new
Scandinavian enclave, starts to expand quite rapidly. And a part of this we see an acculturation into Frankish society. Not only the adoption of Christianity, which is an ongoing process, but also a move towards a
more Frankish way of life. Quite quickly, I think,
within a number of years, we're not gonna be seeing,
or hearing, rather, Scandinavian languages spoken
in the Normandy region. We're gonna see a disappearance
of Scandinavian custom and the emergence of what really looks like a Frankish territory. (Helena speaking in foreign language) (gentle music continues) (Helena speaking in foreign language) - I think trying to put a
single determining factor on why these processes of
acculturation take place is quite difficult. In one sense, I think there's
an element of pragmatism here. If you're going to be
establishing yourself within a new landscape
and among a new society, there has to be a degree of integration to ensure peaceful coexistence. But at the same time I
also think this is natural. As people come together
and coexist and communicate and learn from each other, there's going to be an exchange of culture and an exchange of ideas. And I think in that sense
that this is a process that can't necessarily be
quantified or put into a box and say this is why it happened. I think over time this is something that would naturally take place, as we see in the continuing
evolution of Normandy to what it becomes in the 11th century. (Sarah speaking in foreign language) (gentle music) - [Narrator] Rollo's reign
in Normandy lasted until 928. He's believed to have died
in 930 at the age of 70. Rollo's offspring and his followers became known as the Normans. (Helena speaking in foreign language) - [Narrator] The union of Gunnor, the daughter of a rich
family in West Normandy, and Rollo's grandson Richard I of Normandy proved to be one of the most
important political marriages in the region. (Helena speaking in foreign language) (gentle music) (Sarah speaking in foreign language) (gentle music) (Sarah speaking in foreign language) (baby crying)
(gentle music) - I mean, of course
these kind of marriages would have strengthened
political and personal bonds between powerful families
and across borders. In addition to this I
think there would have been also a financial gain
for one or both parties, but also a chance to, again, for these people to increase their power through these relationships. And these marriages greatly
facilitate the establishment of what would hope to be
stable dynasties of rule, and in that sense these
marriages legitimize the future rule of the
children born of those unions. (gentle music) (Helena speaking in foreign language) - [Narrator] Even though
Christianity reduced the status of women, some of them actually gained more power through these political marriages. (dramatic music) - I think it goes without saying that women have always been prominent in matters of politics and religion, we just don't always read
about them in the texts, which are quite heavily biased towards describing the
lives of kings, essentially. But as we move into this period, women do hold an
increasingly powerful role in dynastic politics, as people from which you have royal dynasties and bloodlines. They become diplomatically
as well very important people through marriages between families in an effort to strengthen political ties and establish bonds, both between families and across territorial borders as well. In addition to this, women held many important roles within the ecclesiastical hierarchy. And this, as members of
higher-status families, contributed to the strong relationship that secular rulers had with the church, and they greatly facilitated this. (gentle music) It also seems that women are
becoming increasingly active in aspects of political leadership and playing key roles in
the formation of alliances and relationships between
powerful families. (dramatic music) (Helena speaking in foreign language) (dramatic music continues) (Helena speaking in foreign language) (dramatic music continues) (Helena speaking in foreign language) (gentle music) (Sarah speaking in foreign language) (gentle music) (Sarah speaking in foreign language) (dramatic music) (Sarah speaking in foreign language) (dramatic music continues) (dramatic music) - [Narrator] The reason
why the Vikings chose to integrate into Frankish
culture and become Europeans were the great advantages
that came with it. Only Christian Europeans
could own land in Normandy, and owning land was far more important than simply owning gold. Land meant real power, which gave the Viking influence over the political landscape in Normandy. After a time of Viking integration, many members of the Normans as well as the English royal courts now have their origins in Scandinavia. There is a large degree of cultural mixing at the various courts which creates tension
between the royal houses. As we'll see, this tension can be
reconciled through marriage. However, this led to sibling
rivalry and family feuds over claims to the crown. And this would soon result
in a decisive conclusion and lead to one of the most famous battles in European history. (dramatic music)
