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322 the Fat, that the siege was raised. With the overthrow of Charles in 887 the West Frankish realm fell into anarchy, and the Vikings ravaged Burgundy and eastern France almost without a check, while Brittany and the Cotentin fared no better. Finally the great here concentrated its attack on the valley of the Scheldt. In the autumn of 891 they were defeated on the banks of the Dyle in Brabant by the new King Arnulf, and after more desultory fighting they sailed for England in the autumn of 892. They had been in France some thirteen years, ravaging and plundering, and now for the first time since 840 France was free of the Northmen. In England, after three years' hard fighting, the greater number settled down to a peaceful existence in East Anglia and Northumbria, but a few in whom the spirit of roving was still strong returned to the Seine in 896. Twenty-five years earlier the Vikings had seemed in a fair way to conquer Europe, but now the battle of Edington in England (878), the siege of Paris in France (885-7) and the battle of the Dyle in Germany (891), were significant of failure in these three kingdoms alike.

The West Frankish realm was weakened by the dissensions of the rival kings Odo and Charles the Simple, and soon all the old troubles were renewed. Unfortunately the Annals provide us with very meagre information about events during the next fifteen years, and we know almost nothing about the critical period immediately preceding the cession of Normandy to the Northmen. The Vikings would seem to have settled themselves in the lower basin of the Seine, with Rouen as their centre, and by 910 they appear under the leadership of the famous Rollo (O.N. Hrollaugr). This Viking was probably of Norse origin (the Heimskringla describes him as one Hrólfr, son of Rögnvaldr, earl of Möre), though the main body of the settlers were certainly Danes, and he had already made himself a name in England, where he was closely associated with Guthrum of East Anglia. He probably came to France soon after 896 and gradually became the chief person among that band of equals. For some time he carried on a hard struggle with Charles the Simple, and then, towards the end of 911, each party frankly recognised the other's strength. Charles could not oust the Northmen from the Seine valley, while they were unable permanently to extend their settlement, so at St Clair-sur-Epte it was agreed that the part of the Seine basin which includes the counties of Rouen, Lisieux and Evreux, together with the country lying between the rivers Bresle and Epte and the sea, should be left in the hands of the Northmen on condition that they defended the kingdom against attack, received baptism and did homage to Charles for their lands. To these were added in 924 the districts of Bayeux and Séez, and in 933 those of Avranches and Coutances, thus bringing the Normans right up to the Breton border. With the establishment of Normandy, Viking activity was practically at an end in the Frankish kingdom: there were still Northmen on the Loire who ravaged far inland, while the settlers