In the late 9th century, Viking ships prowled the coasts of Frankia, plundering monasteries and burning towns. Among their leaders was Rollo, a towering Norse chieftain reputed to be so large no horse could bear him for long. His real name may have been Hrólfr, but the Franks called him Rollo. In 911, after years of brutal raids up the Seine, Rollo besieged Paris and Chartres. King Charles the Simple, desperate for peace, offered him a radical deal: land in exchange for loyalty. Rollo accepted,