Vikings

Rorik, the Scourge of the Lowlands

The central figure of the Viking period in Frisia was Rorik. A member of a prominent Danish family, Rorik spent a large part of his life attempting to gain leadership over Denmark. Two important sources, the "Annals of St. Bertin" and the "Annals of Fulda", give us some conflicting information about this man. According to the Annals of St. Bertin, Rorik was a brother of Harald II. However, the Annals of Fulda say he is Harald's "nepos" - a latin word that could mean either grandson or nephew. The Annals of Fulda are more likely correct, since there was a great difference in age between the two men.

From Pretender to the Throne to Adventurer

As explained on the previous pages, power in Scandinavian society lay primarily in the combination of two aspects: wealth and the performance of heroic deeds. For these reasons, the Danes turned their attention to the rich lands south of them, which had been severely weakened by internal squabbles. Harald and Rorik, members of one of the tribes that was fighting for the Danish throne, concentrated on the poorly defended coasts of Frisia. From 812 to 813 and from 819 to 827, Harald was installed as a joint ruler of Denmark, until he was expelled by his co-rulers. After this, he devoted his time to gathering wealth, at the expense of the inhabitants of Frisia. Dorestad was one of Harald's (and Rorik's) favourite targets. In 841, Lothar gave Harald Walcheren and the important trade city of Domburg as a fief. At the time, it is likely that Danes were also in control of the rest of the Frisian coast.

In any case, in 850 it became official - Lothar saw no other option than to give Dorestad, and all the areas lying behind it in Frisia, north of the Maas, to Rorik as a fief. Rorik led a succesful, devastating campaign against the Danes in the Frisian districts, something the Kaiser himself had not been able to accomplish.

Harald died in 852 and was succeeded by his son Godfried. For a short time, Godfried turned to Rorik's side, helping him in a futile attempt to capture the Danish throne in the civil war of 854. After this unlucky event, these men turned back to their own kingdoms in Frisia, and enlarged their territories. In 863, there was one last mention of Dorestad. After this last assault, the city was no longer rebuilt.

The local power holders, the Frisian kings, seemed to have changing policies regarding the Danes. Ubbo, a Frisian commander, fought on the side of the Danes in Northumbria. However, in the same year, the Frisians revolted and drove Rorik temporarily out of Frisia. For a short while, Rorik returned to Denmark, where he became a great statesman. He struck a deal with Charles the Bald, king of the West Frankish empire, and, at the same time, built up good contacts with Louis the German of the East Frankish empire. In 870, he returned to Frisia, more powerful than ever, and this time as the official vassal of Charles the Bald. In addition, more for political than religious reasons, he converted to Christianity. After 873, we don't hear anything more of Rorik. In 882, Godfried the Sea King (Rorik's nephew?) was given official authority over the areas that had been in Rorik's possession. He wasn't able to enjoy it for long, however, because he died under suspicious circumstances in 885. It was said that a high ranking official under his leadership may have been involved in Godfried's death. This official, Gerulf, surfaced a short while later, as an ancestor of the first Counts of Holland.

Rorik's headquarters

In many areas, there are still traces of the Vikings. On Wieringen, there are all kinds of legends, such as those surrounding the "Norman doors" in churches, and the history behind the wall plaques which record the outrages carried out by the Vikings. But Rorik's name is not mentioned. The story is different in Egmond. Here, there are traditions in which he plays a definite part. Therefore, for a long time, it was believed that Rorik's headquarters had probably been in Egmond. However, except for these reports, there is no evidence that points to this. In addition, there are only a few sites that could have served as headquarters in North Holland, since the majority of the area was uninhabitable. Only the coast (including Egmond), Texel, Wieringen and the area around Medemblik were inhabited.
In Wieringen, however, we have discovered the Viking treasures. There is also the occurrence of old Norse field names - "de Hal" in Westerklief (Danish for "the large farmstead") and "Heeraskegriet" near Westerland ("griet" is a field, "aske" is a name that the Vikings used for themselves). These facts suggest that Wieringen was a more likely location for Rorik's headquarters. However, as long as no definitive evidence is found, this remains speculation. Nevertheless, we at "het Huis van de Aarde" feel that the ghost of Rorik walks among the Wieringers!

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