Easter Sunday March 28th 845 AD, a Viking army conquered Paris, and then received 7000 pounds of silver from King Carl the Bald-headed to leave the town again. Forty years later, a 40.000 man strong Viking army went to Paris to repeat the success. However, after 11 months of occupation, they had to abandon their venture and leave.

One of the Vikings believed to have participated in the occupation of Paris is Rolf of Faxe. He was the son of a powerful earl who was in a dispute with the Danish king over the Kingdom
of Denmark. After the father’s death, Rolf and his brother Gurim continued the power struggle until the King suggested that the parties were to divide Denmark between them. The brothers
agreed only to be ambushed by the deceitful King. Gurim was killed and the severely wounded Rolf fled to Sweden together with six ships; from there he went on to England.
In 911 he set out with a great fleet to France where Charles the Simple found the superior force too great. He granted the region of Normandy to Rolf who in return had to defend
against foreign attacks. Rolf was made duke under the name of “Rollo – Duke of Normandy” and was christened in return.

His sarcophagus is in Rouen Cathedral, where he was buried around 932 AD.
Rollo’s descendant, William the Conqueror, fought in the battle of Hastings in 1066 and won the English throne; thus he became the father of the English royal family.
We do not know exactly where Rollo’s home town was, but south of Faxe traces of buildings from the Early Viking Age (800-900 AD) has been found.