This was to change in the tenth century, when after decades of peace Brittany was
subjected to a repeated pattern of intense raiding, culminating in a four-year occupation
that was itself followed by a complete takeover of the province in 919. Two Viking fleets
of different origins, almost certainly composed of individuals who had fought in the
whole north-west European theatre in previous years, together managed to overcome
all Breton resistance. This is of course the period following the establishment of
Normandy, and it seems clear that the Vikings in Brittany had in mind a similar kind
of colony – but the outcome was very different: not only was the settlement short-lived,
but it left behind hardly any trace of its existence.
What we know seems entirely military in character. The Breton Vikings used their
new home as a base for further raiding, often in tandem with the fledgling Normans on
the Seine. In 921 the Franks even confirmed the Scandinavians in their territory, happy
perhaps to contain a potential problem in the lands of their Breton enemies. But there is
no external sign of the trappings of Viking colonial ambition that are familiar from
other areas of settlement: there is no trade, no coinage, no thriving market centres –
there appears to be only war. The peculiar nature of this colony perhaps explains why it
was evidently so heavily resisted, though alongside a failed Breton revolt in 930 – 1 we
also find men with probable Breton names among the leaders of the occupiers. In
936 the exiled Breton royalty returned with a fleet from England, driving the Vikings
away after a costly three-year war. Although sporadic raiding continued around the
province’s coasts into the early eleventh century, there was no other attempt at settle-
ment or conquest. The Viking colony in Brittany had lasted only twenty years, and was
never to be refounded.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL REMAINSArchaeological traces of the raiding and occupation are relatively slight, but tend
towards the spectacular where they occur. The site of what may have been an earlier raid
has been excavated at the abbey of Landévennec on the western coast, where destruction
levels bear witness to extensive burning of this monastery which we know was attacked
in the ninth century (Bardel and Perennec 1996 , 2002 , 2004 ). Other relics of this early
phase of military contact may be the weapons dredged from the Loire at Nantes and
found on the Île de Bièce (Arbman and Nilsson 1968 : 166 – 71 ), though these may also
be the result of deliberate deposition.
One of the most dramatic monuments is the circular fortified enclosure at Camp de
Péran on the north coast near St-Brieuc (Nicolardot 1991 , 2002 , 2004 ). Although we
know little about the interior of the fortress, it is clear from excavations that it was
attacked and burned early in the tenth century. A Scandinavian presence and signs of
fighting are clearly evident, though whether the Vikings were inside or outside the walls
is not known. Along with many other artefacts, swords, spears and other weapons of
Scandinavian type have been found in the ashes of the rampart, together with a coin
minted at York c. 905 – 25. The datings make a close match with the Breton invasion of
the 930 s, and the site lies close to their landfall, suggesting that Péran was the site of an
early battle in the reconquest. Other enclosures possibly relating to the Viking presence
have been found at Trans and a number of sites known to have been occupied by
Carolingian forces (Price 1989 : 56 – 63 ).
The burial data are very different, and perhaps surprisingly Brittany can boast the
–– chapter 33 ( 2 ): The Viking conquest of Brittany––