ABSTRACT
Chapter Five, “Continuity and Change in a Post-Partition World,” continues the investigation of Franco-Scandinavian encounter and engagement during the reigns of Louis the Pious’ heirs, up to the death of Charles the Bald in 877. This chapter begins by examining the factors and rationales, including geography and wealth, that shaped when, where, and why Vikings struck, and how Franks responded to these incursions. In order to demonstrate that Franco-Scandinavian interaction involved more than just raiding, diplomacy and missionary work are placed into conversation with the better-known Viking activity of the period. In so doing, this chapter highlights the complexity of Franco-Scandinavian interaction, demonstrating how both Franks and Northmen made use of old precedents and models established by their predecessors even as they adapted and innovated within the new contexts of a post-partition world. The chapter closes with an investigation of the growing possibilities for (and limits of) accommodation and cooperation between Franks and Northmen that came with increased contact and familiarity as the result of decades of cross-cultural contact.
