Rollo, Rouen, and me
Recently, I made a remarkable discovery about my ancestry: I am a direct descendant of Rollo, the legendary Viking warrior who became the first ruler of Normandy*.
Rollo's life was marked by courage, determination, and a relentless pursuit of adventure. I can’t help but wonder how much of that trickled down into his countless number of descendants - to include his great great grandson William the Conqueror.
Around the same time I went on my own adventure in his footsteps, to Paris and Rouen in France. Paris is the site of the famous Viking sacking, and Rouen is believed to be the final resting place of Rollo.
There are so many different theories on Rollo's story, and I am certainly no authority. It seems to begin in the late 9th century when he was a prominent leader of the Vikings, who we all know today for their seafaring prowess and ferocious raids.
According to tradition, after attacking and pillaging France for a time, Rollo struck a deal with King Charles the Simple of France. In exchange for peace, the cessation of Viking raids and his future assurance of protection from them, Rollo converted to Christianity and pledged his wild Viking allegiance to the more domicile (by comparison) French crown.
This agreement laid the foundation for the Duchy of Normandy, with Rollo as its first ruler. Just think, because of this one man’s tenacity and strategy, millions of us can claim him as heritage.
He went from random guy somewhere in the north to the father of Normandy, which hails it’s name from the derivative of ‘North men’. Upon his sandy beaches, a thousand years later, another hellstorm of warriors would lay their footsteps. But I digress.
Walking through Rouen was a moving experience, imagining the proverbial echoes of Rollo’s footsteps as he strode through the streets of the city, a towering figure of strength and power. It was said that he was too big to even ride a horse. Whether this is literal truth - or propaganda passed down originating in awe for his energy and general vibe - is lost to history.
Regardless of whether or not he is buried somewhere on the premises, standing in the Cathedral of Rouen I felt a sense of pride in having even a single watered down drop of Viking blood.
Rollo's story is a reminder that our ancestors' deeds and accomplishments are not just distant memories but remain as a living piece of who we are, ready to come alive within us at a moment’s notice, and with just a little attention.
And yes … I have watched the tv series ‘Vikings’ from beginning til end and for me, it’s literally one of the best productions ever to see the light of day. And also yes, I am aware it is heavily fictionalized and based on hard-to-prove history that happened way before life was heavily documented.
But still … it evokes a rich and deep vein of awe through the music (Warduna has been on heavy repeat in my ears for years so this was an extra thrill for me), costumes, character development and general portrayal of a profoundly different way of life and mythology that are quite riveting in our heavily digitized era.
*This statement assumes that literally every generation in the ancestral line was honest about the parentage of their children! :)