Rollo's Exile and Journey to Normandy: Plausible Routes and Historical Evidence

When Rollo—known in the sagas as Göngu-Hrólfr, "Hrolf the Walker"—was possibly exiled from Norway in the late ninth century, he set out on a journey that would reshape European history. His voyage west eventually led to the foundation of Normandy, but the route he took remains uncertain. By combining saga traditions, Frankish chronicles, and what we know of Viking seafaring, we can sketch the routes he might have followed if he indeed came from Norway.

Viking Navigation & Maritime Routes (9th–10th Century)

Viking mariners were expert navigators. They relied on:

Celestial observations: the sun, moon, and stars.

Natural signs: seabirds, whales, the color and movement of water.

Instruments: sunstones (polarizing crystals to locate the sun on cloudy days) and sunboards for estimating latitude.

Routes and seasons: They preferred coastal sailing, hopping between islands like Shetland and Orkney, and traveling in late spring or summer when winds and light were favorable.

If Rollo came from Norway, his voyage would have relied on these same tried-and-true methods, following established Norse sea roads that linked Scandinavia with the British Isles and continental Europe.

Possible Routes of Rollo's Exile Journey

1. Orkney and Shetland

Saga tradition (Orkneyinga Saga, Heimskringla) states Rollo first sailed to the Orkneys after his banishment. If he began in Norway, Orkney would have been a natural first stop. Since the 870s, the islands were ruled by Norse jarls, and Rollo's supposed kinship with Earl Rognvald of Møre could have given him safe harbor. Orkney was also a strategic base for voyages heading south toward Britain or France.

2. Scotland and the Western Isles

Some traditions suggest Rollo spent time in northern Scotland or the Hebrides. Later sources even claim he had a daughter, Kaðlín, by a Gaelic woman—hinting at connections to Norse-Gaelic communities. These areas were Viking strongholds, ruled by figures like Ketill Flatnose, and would have offered both recruits and resources. If Rollo's journey south followed the Atlantic seaboard, these Isles would almost certainly have been on his path.

3. Ireland

Irish and Norse sources sometimes connect Rollo to Norse-Gaelic kingdoms, especially Dublin. By his era, Viking Dublin was a thriving hub of trade and raiding, sending fleets to the French coast. If Rollo stopped in Ireland, he could have forged alliances or recruited warriors before continuing south.

4. England (Danelaw and Anglo-Saxon Coasts)

Dudo of Saint-Quentin claimed Rollo allied with an English king "Alstem," usually identified as Guthrum-Athelstan of East Anglia. If true, Rollo may have spent time in the Danelaw, possibly as a mercenary. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that in 896–7, defeated Viking fleets left England for the Seine—perhaps the very moment Rollo shifted his base of operations.

5. The English Channel and Seine

Regardless of where he began, the final stage of Rollo's journey had to pass through the Channel into the Seine. By the late ninth century, Vikings were already entrenched along the Seine. If Rollo came via England or Ireland, this was the obvious entry point into Frankia.

Historical Sources on Rollo's Travels

Frankish chronicles: Silent about Rollo until 911, when he appears as leader of "the Northmen of the Seine."

Dudo of Saint-Quentin (c. 1015): Said Rollo was Danish, giving him a wandering backstory through England and Frisia—but his account is riddled with inaccuracies.

Icelandic sagas: Written centuries later, they identify Rollo with Hrolf the Walker, son of Rognvald of Møre, exiled by Harald Fairhair, and beginning his exile in Orkney.

English hints: Dudo's mention of "Alstem" suggests Rollo's link to Guthrum in East Anglia, and other traditions point to Irish Sea connections.

Together, these sources suggest Rollo's route is best reconstructed as a plausible chain of stopovers, rather than a fixed itinerary.

Conclusion

Rollo's journey to Normandy remains partly speculative, but if he came from Norway, the most likely route was via Orkney, then through the Norse-Gaelic world of Scotland and Ireland, and possibly the Danelaw in England, before crossing the Channel into the Seine.

This path reflects the Viking Age reality: exile did not mean isolation. Instead, Norse chieftains like Rollo could rely on a far-reaching network of settlements and allies across the North Atlantic. His story illustrates how those routes allowed a landless exile to become the founder of Normandy, a duchy that would one day conquer England.