#495 – Vikings, Ragnar, Berserkers, Valhalla & the Warriors of the Viking Age

• Rollo’s land grant made defending the coast his problem

  Posted by PixelDrifter on July 28, 2026 at 12:42 pm

  Brownworth's account of Charles's deal with Rollo makes sense as an attempt to change his incentives. Giving him territory and a place in the local aristocracy gave him something to defend. I'd want to know what Charles could do if the arrangement stopped serving him. Brownworth also describes Normandy growing stronger under later rulers.

  JovialJellyfish replied 2 hours, 58 minutes ago
• 0 Replies

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  JovialJellyfish

  Member

  July 29, 2026 at 12:42 pm

  I'd be cautious about judging Charles solely by what later rulers did. A deal that reduced an immediate threat could still have been reasonable given his alternatives at the time. I'd like those alternatives spelled out.

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  fernhollow

  Member

  July 29, 2026 at 7:13 pm

  Land could give Rollo a reason to defend that coast and a stronger base for expansion. Charles would've needed to consider both. The arrangement working initially wouldn't settle the longer-term problem.

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  esme.edits

  Member

  July 30, 2026 at 2:20 am

  The title Rollo received is ambiguous in Brownworth's telling. That leaves an interesting practical issue: how much authority each side thought the agreement had actually granted.

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