PLEASE NOTE:
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CCNet ESSAY: THE CATASTROPHIC YEARS AROUND 850 AD
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/ce120500.html
By James T Palmer and Trevor Palmer <trevor.palmer@ntu.ac.uk>
Summary
Records from northern Europe between 830 and 875 AD describe a
period of
political and environmental turmoil, accompanied by frequent
sightings of
comets and other celestial phenomena. Although the evidence is
insufficient
for definite conclusions to be drawn, it could, with good reason,
be taken
to indicate that an encounter between the Earth and debris from a
disintegrating giant comet occurred at this time.
Introduction
The central decades of the ninth century AD were turbulent ones
in northern
Europe, with civil wars taking place between the sons of Louis
the Pious,
who had succeeded his father, Charlemagne, as emperor of the
Franks. These
disputes eventually led to the break-up of the Frankish empire.
At the same
time, Vikings were invading coastal regions and raiding inland
down the
rivers.
Chronicles of the period inevitably presented a political bias to
the events
taking place. So, whilst all Frankish sources, written by
Christians,
condemned the activities of the heathen Vikings, their individual
sympathies
were with different grandsons of Charlemagne, and their
interpretations of
history differed accordingly. Thus, the Annals of St Bertin [1]
from western
Frankia (essentially the region of Gaul, or modern France)
presented an
account generally favourable to Charles the Bald, as did the
Histories
written by Nithard [2], who was himself a grandson of Charlemagne
through
his mother, Bertha. In contrast, the Annals of Fulda [3], from
eastern
Frankia (mainly modern Germany) supported first Lothar and,
later, Louis,
whereas the Annals of Xanten [4], written close to the
present-day border
between Holland and Germany, remained loyal to Lothar.
Nevertheless, despite these differences, all told a consistent
story of
environmental hardships, possibly associated with cosmic events.
These could
have played a significant role in the events taking place, for
desperate
circumstances can drive people to desperate acts.
[continued]