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 22b - The Saga of the People of Vopnafjord
Episode 22a - The Saga of the People of Vopnafjord
Episode 21 - The Saga of Thorstein the White
Saga Brief 8 - Interview with Dr. Ragnhild Ljosland on the History of Runes
Episode 20l - Njal's Saga (Judgments)
Episode 20k - Njal's Saga (Part 11)
Episode 20j - Njal's Saga (Part 10)
Episode 20i - Njal's Saga (Part 9)
Episode 20h - Njal's Saga (Part 8)
Saga Brief 7 - The Conversion of Iceland (Part 2)
Saga Brief 6 - The Conversion of Iceland (Part 1)
Episode 20g - Njal's Saga (Part 7)
Episode 20F - Njal's Saga (Part 6)
Episode 20e - Njal's Saga (Part 5)
Episode 20d - Njal's Saga (Part 4)
Episode 20c - Njal's Saga (Part 3)
Episode 20b - Njal's Saga (Part 2)
Episode 20a - Njal's Saga (Part 1)
Episode 19c - The Saga of the People of Reykjadal and Killer-Skuta (Judgments)
Episode 19b - The Saga of the People of Reykjadal and Killer-Skuta (Part 2)
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Irish Songs with Ken Murray
History Obscura
Historycal: Words that Shaped the World
The Rest Is History
Lore