In this episode, we celebrate the life and accomplishments of the historical Rollo. Known to many as the envious brother of the incomparable Ragnar Loðbrok in the History Channel’s Vikings. While the historical Rollo may not have been Ragnar’s brother, Vikings gets a lot of things right. As an exile from his homeland, Rollo earned the nickname “the Walker” by wandering throughout northern Europe raiding and conquering everything in his path. Among his most significant conquests would come to be known as Normandy, a territory in northern France named for the Northmen led by Rollo in the late 9th or early 10th century. Fearing further Viking aggression, the French King Charles the Simple turned over the city of Rouen over to Rollo and his men. This simple act (get it?) provided the French with a buffer against future Viking attacks from the north. Or so they hoped. In this case, it worked out nicely. Rollo and his fellow Vikings quickly rebuilt the territories they had ravaged and assimilated into French culture. Rollo’s descendants would go on to play a very significant role in European history. As the great-great-great-grandfather of William the Conqueror, Rollo’s blood flows through many veins of later European royalty.
If you’re interested in learning more about that part of the story, we recommend the following episodes of Rex Factor, our very favorite podcast:
http://rexfactor.podbean.com/e/17-william-the-conqueror/
http://rexfactor.podbean.com/e/18-william-rufus/
Looking for more Vikings and Saga Thing cross-over? We've got a few episodes that might interest you:
The Saga of Ragnar Loðbrok and His Sons - where we review the medieval stories behind the Vikings hero.
The Blood Eagle - where we discuss the Viking practice of splitting a man open and its historical veracity.
The Krákumál - a detailed look at the famous death song of Ragnar
Episode 31d - The Saga of Bard the God of Snowfell (Judgments)
Saga Brief 20 - On Bard's Saga, Medieval Literature, and Dungeons and Dragons with Will Biel
Episode 31c - The Saga of Bard the God of Snowfell (Chapters 17-22)
Episode 31b - The Saga of Bard the God of Snowfell (Chapters 12-16)
1 Million Downloads (A Celebratory Chat with John and Andy)
Episode 31a - The Saga of Bard the God of Snowfell (chapters 1-11)
Saga Brief 19 - Sailing in the Viking Age Interview with Dana Dalicsak
Episode 30d - The Saga of Hord and the Holm-Dwellers (Judgments)
Episode 30c - The Saga of Hord and the Holm-Dwellers (chapters 29-41)
Episode 30b - The Saga of Hord and the Holm-Dwellers (chapters 16-28)
Saga Brief 18 - Women of the Viking World Interview with Jóhanna Katrín Friðriksdóttir
Episode 30a - The Saga of Hord and the Island-Dwellers (Chapters 1-15)
Saga Short 7 - The Tale of the Volsi
Saga Short 6 - The Tale of Thidrandi and Thorhall
Saga Short 5 - The Tale of Thorarin Nefjolsson
Saga Short 4 - The Tale of Thorstein Shiver
Saga Brief 17 - Vinland and the Vikings in the New World (Live at the Scandinavian Cultural Center in West Newton, MA)
Episode 29p - Egil's Saga (Judgments)
Episode 29o - Egil's Saga (Part 15)
Episode 29n - Egil's Saga (Part 14)
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