Assassin’s Creed franchise has always dabbled in historical moments, including notable eras and events such as the Crusades, the Olympics, the French and American Revolutions, and the Golden Age of Piracy. These historical moments have been twisted to fit into the Assassin-Templar narrative, and the Siege of Paris is no different.
Unfortunately, players will not find traces of Templars or Eivor in Assassin's Creed Valhalla Siege of Paris’ real-world counterpart. As is portrayed in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, the Viking tribes developed a lifestyle centered around raiding settlements in the surrounding lands. The Vikings rarely settled in one place, but would sometimes colonize the lands that they conquered. Largely believed to have originated in Scandinavia, the Viking people began to colonize many areas and soon turned their attention to .
Charles the Fat was the Emperor during the Siege of Paris in 885. ing him in defense of Paris were Odo, Count of Paris, Gozlin, the Bishop of Paris, and Henry of Saxony. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla's Siege of Paris begins without mentioning several of these figures, and instead focuses most of its malice upon Charles the Fat. The defenders of Paris faced off against Sigfred, Sinric, and Rollo, who led what may have been the largest force of Vikings ever amassed. It's possible that as many as 30,000-40,000 warriors manned the 700 ships that were led up the Seine River to besiege and plunder Paris under their orders. Neither side’s leadership emerged from the battle unscathed, as Henry of Saxony and Sinric were both believed to have been killed in battle. Bishop Gozlin also perished due to disease. However, Charles the Fat, Odo of , Sigfred, and Rollo all survived the Siege.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla's 'Assassins' Did Not Claim Victory In Reality
Players that Siege of Paris had a much easier experience than the besiegers at the real Siege. When the raiding force of Vikings led by Sigfred, Sinric, and Rollo first appeared on the fringes of Paris demanding tribute, Charles the Fat denied them. Shortly after, the invading Vikings besieged Paris in an attempt to plunder the city and its inhabitants. Their ships made their way through the Seine to cut the city off from the rest of the Empire. Initially, Count Odo of and Bishop Gozlin were the only defenders, but Odo successfully snuck through enemy lines to gather the help of the Emperor. Charles the Fat sent Count Henry of Saxony to aid Paris, and together, he and Odo fought their way back into the city. As Paris’ defenses held, morale in the Viking ranks began to fall. Sigfred demanded a bounty of sixty pounds of silver, which he was granted. He departed shortly after, leaving command of the siege to Rollo.
Unlike the victories that Assassins tend to claim in the Assassin’s Creed series, the Vikings ultimately met with little success during Siege of Paris. Following the death of Henry of Saxony, Charles the Fat departed with the imperial army in defense of Paris. When he arrived in October, Rollo and his remaining forces were surrounded. Charles allowed them to travel down the Seine River to sack Burgundy, which was in revolt at the time, using them for his own ends. The Vikings were later given seven hundred pounds of silver as they left .
Though Assassin’s Creed has a habit of veering from the reality of historical events, the games offer players a unique and entertaining method of experiencing history. The Siege of Paris, though portrayed inaccurately in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, still captures the essence of the siege. With another year of content updates confirmed for Valhalla, it’s likely fans will be experiencing more historical events with Assassin-Templar twists to enhance the gameplay experience and narrative.
Source: Europe: A History by Norman Davies
