The Saxon and Salian Dynasties (1046-1150) Even before the Treaty of Meersen (870), which effectively formalized the split of the old Carolingian realm into a western, Gallo-Frankish speaking kingdom and an eastern kingdom of German dialects, a third force, this time from the north, made itself felt in the coastal and estuarial regions of northern Europe. Norsemen, mainly Danes and Norwegians, attacked the shores and sailed up the rivers plundering cities and towns. Some, in fact, even settled down in Neustria, where they eventually assimilated with the local population, and gave their name to the territory which later became Normandy. The incursions of the Norsemen presented difficult problems for both Charles the Bald and Louis the German in maintaining control of their kingdoms.