Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 52 Ocean
Leading two longships from Britain, Bjorn arrived at the northern coast of the West Frankish Kingdom (later Normandy).

The present-day West Francia is ruled by the Carolingian dynasty, and its king is Charles the Bald.

After the death of his father, Louis the Pious, Charles the Bald and his two brothers signed the Treaty of Verdun, dividing the vast empire left by Charlemagne into three parts from west to east—West Francia, Middle Francia, and East Francia.

West Frankish territory was located within what is now France.

Central Frankish territory stretches from the Low Countries (Netherlands) in the north to the Italian region in the south, forming a long and narrow shape.

The territory of East Frankish territory included central and western Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.

Compared to the Anglo-British states, West Frankish power was greater. Bjorn did not linger too long, sailing west along the coastline to Brittany, and then south to the mouth of the Bordeaux River.

“By Odin, the land is practically covered with vineyards, and almost every village has the tradition of making wine.”

Recalling the scene, Björn downed two large glasses of wine, the crimson liquid dripping down his messy beard, making him look particularly disheveled. "To be honest," he said, "compared to the wines I drank in Bordeaux, the wines I drink now are at best second-rate."

Lured by the fine wine, the Vikings wandered along the Garonne River, heading straight for wine cellars in almost every place they visited. This dissolute lifestyle continued until the local lord sent knights to quell the rebellion, forcing Bjorn to lead two longships back to sea.

Traveling south along the coastline, they arrived at the Kingdom of Asturias (northern Spain).

In the fifth century AD, after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the Goths took advantage of the turbulent situation to seize Spain and establish the Visigothic Kingdom.

Three hundred years later, the Visigothic Kingdom was embroiled in a power struggle. Some, unwilling to accept defeat, decided to seek help from the Moors (a local term for Arabs, Berbers, and other desert peoples). After seven years of conquest, the Moors had almost conquered the entire Iberian Peninsula, with only a few areas in the north still resisting.

“The locals have been fighting all along and are very vigilant. They have set up many beacon towers along the coastline. When they encounter the enemy, they light the beacon fires and can quickly form a militia.”

Bjørn wouldn't be foolish enough to fight the locals to the death. After replenishing his freshwater supply, he sailed to Portugal and eventually passed through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea.

After plundering two towns along the North African coast, Björn was relentlessly pursued by more than a dozen galleys and was forced to flee north along the eastern coast of Spain. He eventually made his way to the southern part of the Frankish region for a brief respite.

As the initiator of the voyage, Bjorn faced questioning from his crew during the rest period because he failed to obtain the expected spoils, which eventually led to a duel.

With his superior military prowess, Björn barely managed to quell the discontent of his crew. After repairing his ship, he pressed on, harassing settlements along the northern Mediterranean coast: Montpellier, Marseille, Cannes. Finally, he arrived at a city filled with marble buildings—Rome.

“Wait,” Vig interrupted his narration, “Are you sure that coastal city is Rome?”

Bjorn's gaze darted around. "Uh, I think, maybe, probably, it should be Rome." Having plundered the docklands of "Rome," the Vikings were fortunate to acquire a large quantity of precious spices from the East. Feeling they had made enough enemies on this trip, the remaining thirty raiders suggested returning to Britain.

Despite his reluctance, Bjorn could not go against the collective will of his crew. He followed the original route to Gibraltar, crossed the Channel under the cover of night, and returned to Britain safely.

Compared to the legendary experiences Bjorn had previously boasted about in front of everyone, the version being discussed now is much more realistic. There were no legendary giants or terrifying sea monsters, no captured enemy kings, and no foreign princesses who won their hearts. They spent most of their time adrift at sea, with battles lurking every time they landed, and even their sleep was disturbed.

As for the so-called plunder of "Rome," Vig is 90% certain that it is a lie.

Rome is not a coastal city. The Tiber River flows through the city and eventually empties into the Mediterranean Sea at a port called Ostia. Even if Bjorn plundered the docks at the mouth of the Tiber, it ultimately had little to do with the city of Rome.

More likely, Björn didn't even find the mouth of the Tiber; he merely reached a coastal port in Italy, such as Genoa or Pisa. After landing, dozens of Vikings seized a pile of spices in the chaos and fled before the city guards arrived.

Swirling the wine in his glass, Vig sighed, "Ninety-two Vikings set out, and two years later, only twenty-eight have returned to York. Although the profits were substantial, the price was far too high."

“You’re right, I don’t plan to return to the Mediterranean anytime soon.” Bjorn sighed. “My story ends here. It’s your turn to tell the story of ‘Jotunheim’.”

“As you wish,” Vig poured some wine onto the table and began to sketch the coastline of western Norway.

"This is Bergen. Sailing west will take you to the Shetland Islands. Further west, you will reach the Faroe Islands, where a small number of Vikings live. You can get your last supplies there. Continue west, and if Odin blesses you, you will find an island slightly larger than Ireland."

Remember, this is not Jotunheim. It's still the mortal world we inhabit. There are no frost giants or other monsters, just a barren and desolate land with very little arable land. If you want to survive long-term, you can only rely on herding and fishing.

"Really?" Bjorn's tone was slightly low. "Do you have any gold, silver, copper, iron, or similar minerals?"

"I've never been to this place, how could I possibly tell you the location of the mineral veins?" Vig was speechless. If he knew there were rare mineral veins on the island, he would have sent people out to sea to explore them long ago. Why would it be Vig's turn?

After discussing the "Jotunheim" incident, the two drank some wine in silence. Suddenly, Vig noticed the Berber prisoners in the corner of the hall and asked them if they knew how to build ships.

“Five men were shipbuilders, and two others sailed to India. I learned my navigation skills from them.” Bjorn took out a brass astrolabe and a wooden protractor from his pocket and demonstrated how to operate them.

“By observing the North Star and the sun's altitude, they can determine the approximate latitude of their location. In addition, the Berbers possess a unique technique for sewing boat planks, using coconut fiber or palm rope to stitch the planks together instead of fixing them with nails. Their sails are also special, being triangular slanted sails that allow them to navigate flexibly in headwinds and crosswinds.”

(End of this chapter)