ABSTRACT
Chapter Four, “Untangling Narratives: 843 and Beyond,” begins the examination of Franco-Scandinavian interaction following the partition of the Empire into multiple realms after Louis the Pious’ death in 840, focusing on the challenges and difficulties of understanding the relationship between the Northmen and the Carolingian empire as a result of the transforming Frankish empire. A proliferation of annals with a wide variety of authorial agendas, coupled with different practices of writing and documentation across the different realms, makes it difficult to accurately assess the nature of Viking activity and the relationship between Franks and Northmen. Coupled with the development of key narratives centered on decline, failure, and conflict that have the potential to distort or mislead, these various documentary issues create a number of historiographical challenges for historians. By comparing and contrasting various types of evidence, including non-textual materials, and highlighting key characteristics and potential pitfalls this chapter unpacks these challenges and demonstrates paths forward for investigating the nature of Franco-Scandinavian encounter in the second half of the ninth century.
