Chapter 52 The Ocean

Leaving Britain on two longships, Bjorn arrived at the northern coast of the kingdom of West Francia (later Normandy). 

Today's West Francia is ruled by the Carolingian dynasty and is ruled by Charles the Bald. 

After the death of his father Louis the Pious, Charles the Bald and his two other brothers signed the Treaty of Verdun, dividing the vast empire left by Charlemagne into three parts, from west to east: West Francia, Middle Francia, and East Francia. 

West Francia is located in what is now France. Middle Francia stretches

from the Netherlands in the north to Italy in the south, and is long and narrow.

The territory of the East Frankish Kingdom includes central and western Germany, Switzerland and Austria. 

...

Compared to the Anglo-British countries, West Frankia is stronger, and Bjorn did not get too involved in it. He went west along the coast to Brittany, and then sailed south to the mouth of the Bordeaux River. 

"By Odin, there are vineyards everywhere here, and almost every village knows how to make wine." 

Remembering the situation at that time, Bjorn drank two large glasses of wine, and the red wine ran down his shaggy beard, giving him an especially scruffy look. "To be honest, compared to the wine I drank in Bordeaux, today's wine is second-rate."

Enticed by good wine, the Vikings wandered along the Garonne and almost walked straight into the wine cellars wherever they went. They lived in such a preposterous way until the local lord sent knights to cleanse them, and Björn was forced to set out to sea again with two longships. Sailing along the

coast to the south, they arrived in the kingdom of Asturias (northern Spain). In

the 5th century CE, after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the Goths took advantage of the unrest to conquer Spain and establish the Visigothic Kingdom.

Three hundred years later, the Visigothic Kingdom was mired in a power struggle. Some did not want to accept defeat and decided to seek help from the Moors (a general name for desert peoples such as Arabs and Berbers). After seven years of fighting, the Moors had practically conquered the entire Iberian Peninsula, with only a few areas in the north holding out. 

...

"The natives fought and were very vigilant. There were many signal towers along the coast. When an enemy is encountered, the signal fires are lit,

and in a short time a militia can be formed." Bjorn was not so foolish as to fight the natives to the death. After replenishing his supplies of fresh water, he sailed to Portugal and finally crossed the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean. 

After sacking two towns on the coast of North Africa, Bjorn was forced to flee north along the east coast of Spain under desperate pursuit by more than a dozen galleys. He circled around and took refuge in southern Franconia for a short rest.

As the initiator of the voyage, Bjorn was interrogated by the crew during a rest period for not collecting the expected loot, which eventually led to a duel. 

With his superior fighting strength, Bjorn had a hard time dealing with the crew's discontent. After repairing the ship, he gritted his teeth and continued onward, harassing settlements along the northern Mediterranean coast: Montpellier, Marseille, Cannes... and finally reached a city full of marble buildings - Rome. 

"Wait," Vig interrupted his story. "Are you sure this coastal city is Rome?" 

Bjorn's eyes wandered. "Well, I suppose it might be Rome." 

Having plundered the docks of the "Rome," the Vikings happily collected a large amount of precious spices from the East. Feeling that they had made enough enemies on this expedition, the remaining thirty robbers proposed to return to Britain. 

Bjorn, although reluctant, could not go against the wishes of the crew. He followed the original route to Gibraltar, crossed the strait under cover of night, and returned safely to Britain. 

Compared to the legendary experience that Bjorn had boasted to everyone before, the version that is now being talked about is more realistic. There are no legendary giants and terrifying sea monsters, no captured enemy kings and no love of foreign princesses. They spend most of their time drifting on the sea. Every time they land, a battle may break out, and they cannot even sleep peacefully.

As for the so-called sack of "Rome," Vig is 90% sure it's a lie. 

Rome is not a coastal city. The Tiber River flows through Rome and empties into the Mediterranean at a port called Ostia. Even if Bjorn plundered a dock at the mouth of the Tiber River, it has nothing to do with Rome. 

Most likely, Bjorn never even found the mouth of the Tiber River. He just landed at a coastal port in Italy, like Genoa or Pisa. Upon landing, dozens of Vikings took advantage of the chaos to steal a handful of spices, then fled before the city guards arrived. 

Swirling his wine, Vig sighed, "Ninety-two Vikings set out, and after two years only twenty-eight returned to York. While the gain is good, the cost is too high." "

You are right. I do not plan to return to the Mediterranean anytime soon." Bjorn sighed with relief. "That is the end of my story. It is your turn to tell of the situation in Jotunheim." 

"As you wish." Vig poured wine on the table and began to sketch the coast of Western Norway. 

"This is Bergen. Sail west to the Shetland Islands. Further west you will reach the Faroe Islands, where a small group of Vikings live. You can resupply one last time. The ship continues west, and if Odin blesses you, you will find an island slightly larger than Ireland.

Remember, this is not Jotunheim. This is still the same mortal world we live in. There are no frost giants or other monsters here. It is simply a barren and arid land. There is very little arable land here. If you want to survive for a long time, you can only survive by grazing and fishing." "Really?"

Bjorn asked a little more quietly: "Are there any useful minerals here, such as gold, silver, copper and iron?"

"I have not been here, how can I tell you about the location of the veins?" Vig was speechless. If he had known that there were rare veins on the island, he would have sent men to explore the sea long ago. What about your turn now?

After talking about "Jotunheim", they drank a little. Vig suddenly noticed the Berber prisoners in the corner of the room and asked if they knew how to build ships.

"Five of them worked as shipbuilders, and two sailed to India. I learned navigation from them." Bjorn took out a copper astrolabe and a wooden clinometer and demonstrated to his interlocutor how it worked. 

"With their help, by observing the North Star and the height of the sun, we can determine the approximate latitude of the area. In addition, the Berbers have mastered a unique technology of stitching planks." The planks are stitched with coconut fibers or palm ropes, and not fastened with iron nails. Their sails are also very unusual. These are triangular oblique sails, which allow them to maneuver in headwinds and crosswinds.