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How Much Material Damage Did the Northmen Actually Do to Ninth-Century Europe?

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How Much Material Damage Did the Northmen Actually Do to Ninth-Century Europe? HOW MUCH MATERIAL DAMAGE DID THE NORTHMEN ACTUALLY DO TO NINTH-CENTURY EUROPE? Lesley Anne Morden B.A. (Hons), McGill University, 1982 M.A. History, McMaster University, 1985 M.L. I.S., University of Western Ontario, 1987 THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the Department of History O Lesley Morden 2007 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Spring 2007 All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. APPROVAL Name: Lesley Anne Moden Degree: Doctor of Philosophy Tiue of Theds: How much material damage did the Northmen actually do to nlnthcenbny Europe? Examining Committee: Chalc Jorwtph Tayior Assodate Professor and CRC. Deparbnent of History, SFU Paul E Dutton Jack and Nancy Farley Endowed Univenr'i Prafessor. t-imanities Department, SFU Courbrey Booker Assistant P*SSOT, Hiory Department. UBC Richard Unger Pmfessor, History Deparbnent UBC John Cdg Professor and Chair of Deparbnent of History Emlly O'Brien wantProfessor. Department of History ABSTRACT HOW MUCH MATERIAL DAMAGE DID THE NORTHMEN ACTUALLY DO TO NINTH-CENTURY EUROPE? Lesley Anne Morden The aim of this dissertation is to examine the material damage the Northmen perpetrated in Northern Europe during the ninth century, and the effects of their raids on the economy of the Carolingian empire. The methodological approach which is taken involves the comparison of contemporary written accounts of the Northmen's destruction to archaeological evidence which either supports these accounts, or not. In the examination of the evidence, the destruction of buildings and settlements, and human losses are taken into account. The first chapter deals with the current state of the question. In it, secondary sources are critiqued from the standpoint of what they have to say about the nature of the Northmen's invasions into continental Europe, the ramifications these incursions had with respect to the defences of Frankish territory, and the resulting economic effects. Chapter two places the original written source material under scrutiny. Chapter three provides a critical narrative of the consecutive waves of attacks engaged in by the Northmen in Frankish territory between the years 835 and 892. The final chapter sets up a comparison between the written accounts of the Northmen's destruction and what has been uncovered and published by archaeologists. Primarily because the wriien sources regularly mention that there was much burning that accompanied the attacks, this chapter includes site excavations that report bum layers andlor other documented forms of material destruction. Four maps and two appendices are featured at the end of the dissertation. The maps illustrate both the areas where the Northmen marauded and the archaeological sites mentioned in chapter four. The appendices inventory the places where the NorUImen were reported to have caused destruction, the numbers of casualties on both sides, tribute paid to the Northmen, and the relics translated from their 'homesw to other, safer sites. The dissertation shows that the written sources of the ninth century were generally quite accurate when they reported on the levels of destruction at various sites and that the economy of the Frankish territories was not disrupted completely as a result of the Northmen's incursions into continental Europe, as previous historians have claimed. Keywords: Northmen; Vikings; Carolingians; Danes; archaeology; history I would like to extend my gratitude to Professor Paul E. Dutton for suggesting I cover this topic in my dissertation and for his patience as he waited for the finished product. Thank you also to Matt T. Rosenberg for allowing me to include the outlines of his maps from his website (htt~:[email protected]).Last, but certainly not least, I would like to express my heartfett thanks to my husband Richard and my daughter Samantha for putting up with me over the past few years while I completed this dissertation. TABLE OF CONTENTS Approval ........................................................................................................ ii ... Abstract ........................................................................................................ 111 Acknowledgements ................................................................................... v Table of Contents .......................................................................................... vi .. List of Maps ..................................................................................................VII ... Abbreviations ........................................................................................ VIII Chapter I: Status Quaestionis .................................................................... I Chapter 2: Analysis of the Written Texts .................................................. 42 Chapter 3: Chronological Account of the Material Damage Done by the Northmen in the 9" century according to the Written Sources ........................................................................................................ 78 Chapter 4: Archaeological Evidence Relating to the Raids of the Northmen in the 9th century ..................................................................... 175 Chapter 5: Conclusions ........................................................................... 222 Appendix 1: Reports of the Material Damage done to Frankish sites ........................................................................................................ 233 Appendix 2: Reports of Deaths and Disruptions: Human and Economic ................................................................................................. 268 Bibliography .......................................................................................... 300 LIST OF MAPS Map 1: Netherlands............................. 229 Map 2: Belgium.......................................... 230 Map 3: Germany ......................................... 231 Map 4: France............................................ 232 vii AA SS Acta Sanctorum AB Annales Bediniani Abbo Bella Parisiacae udis Adrevald Mimcula s. Benedicti Alcuin Epistolae AE Annales Engolismenses AF Annales Fuldenses Ana Boll Analecta Bollandiana AR Annales Rotomagenses ARF Annales regni Francorum ASC Anglo-Saxon Chmnicks Asser De rebus gestis Aelfredi AV Annales Vedastini AX Annales Xantenses CF Chmnicon Fontanellense CN Chmnicon Namnetense Einhard Epistolae Errnentarius De tmnslationibus et mimculis s. Filibetti libri 2 Ermold Carmen in honorem Hludowici Lupus Epistolae viii MGH Monumenta Germaniae historica Cap. Capitularia regum Francorum Dip. Diplomata EPP. Epistolae, PLAC Poetae Latini aevi Camlini Poet. Poetae Latini medii aevi ss scriptores SS ref Scriptores mum Memvingicarum Mer Mir. s. Genovefae Miracula sanctae Genovefae Mir. s. Miracula sanctae Opportunae Opportunae Mir. s. Dionysii Miracula sancti Dionysii Mir. s. Martialis Miracula sancti Martialis Mir. s. Martini Miracula sancti Martini Mir. s. Richarii Miracula sancti Richani' Mir. s. Miracula sancti Wandregisili Wandregisili Nithard Historiae libri 4 Notker Gesta Kamli Magni Tessier Recueil des acted de Charles I1 le Chauve, mi de France Trans. s. Translatio sancti Germani Parisiensis Germani VA Rimbert, Vita Anskarii Vita s. Tuduali Vita sancti Tuduali 3 CHAPTER 1: STATUS QUAESTIONIS Throughout the twentieth century, opinions concerning the nature and extent of the Northmen's incursions into the Frankish empire have been hotly debated. Authors such as Peter sawyer1 and Richard ~odges,~who have based many of their theories of the invasions on archaeological evidence, consider that these invasions did not have as destructive an influence on the Carolingian empire as the documentary sources of the time reflect, and that the incursions were preceded by a long tradition of trading relationships between Scandinavia and both the Merovingians and Carolingians. Others, on the other hand, among whom are pirenne3and his successors, have viewed the Northmen's invasions as utterly destructive to the fabric of Carolingian society. Within this framework, this chapter will examine several key topics related to the ninth-century invasions of the Northrnen in the Carolingian empire. 'peter Sawyer, Kings and Vikings: Scandinavia and Europe AD 700-7700 (New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1994), passim. 2~ichardHodges, "The rebirth of towns in the early Middle Ages," in Richard Hodges and Brian Hobley, eds., The rebirth of towns in the west AD 700-1050 (London, 1988), passim. See also Richard Hodges, Dark Age Economics (London: Duckworth, 1 982), passim. 3~enriPirenne, Mohammed and Chatiemagne (London, 1939), passim. See also Richard Hodges and David Whitehouse, Mohammed, Chatiemagne and the Origins of Europe: Archaeology and the Pirenne thesis (London: Allen & Unwin, 1939), passim. Peter Sawyer, Kings and Vikings: Scandinavia and Europe AD 700-11 00 (New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1994), passim. The methodology used by historians to analyse the invasions of the Northmen has changed over time. In the late-nineteenth century and in the early-twentieth century, written sources only were used and offen taken at face- value. Walther voge14 and Ferdinand ~ot~relied exclusively on the written sources because the only archaeological evidence available at that time consisted of scattered finds of coinage, weapons and ship burials. The paucity of this evidence did not lend itself
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