Siege of Paris (885–886)

This exciting battle took place in Paris, a super old city in a place called West Francia. Paris is built on an island in the middle of a big river called the Seine. This river was like a highway for the Viking ships! The city had strong walls to keep people safe, like a giant castle.

One cold day, hundreds of Viking boats with thousands of warriors arrived. They wanted treasure! But the brave Count of Paris, Odo, said NO! Even though he had only a few hundred soldiers, he was ready to defend his city. The Vikings tried to break down the walls, but the Parisians fought back hard.

The Vikings stayed for months, but after their first big try, they didn't attack much. Many Vikings sailed away to find other places to explore and take things from. The Parisians were tired of waiting and wanted the Vikings gone for good. Finally, a big army came to help Paris, but the king made a surprising choice!

Instead of fighting the Vikings, the king paid them a LOT of silver to leave. This made the Parisians very unhappy because they had fought so hard! Later, the brave Count Odo became king himself. This battle showed everyone how important Paris was and changed who ruled the land.