Hello everyone and welcome back to the Viking Age podcast. My name is Lee and this is episode 26,

Charlemagne and the Saxon Wars Part 1. This is the fourth episode in our series on the Carolingian

Viking Age. Last time, we discussed the reign of Pippin the short, the highlight of which was, of course,

his usurpation of the Frankish throne in 751 CE.

We discussed the issues which inevitably arise when one tries to seize power in this way,

and accordingly, we spent quite a bit of time exploring

how Pippin used a combination of military success, a pious reputation, and the endorsement of the

Pope to legitimize his position as King of the Franks. Pippin was remarkably successful in this endeavor,

and upon his death in 768 CE,

his sons were able to assume the Frankish royal titles

with no documented resistance.

This was a seriously notable achievement.

As we talked about it length last time, establishing a new royal dynasty is hard.

And the fact that Pippin was able to do so with limited disruption in minimum bloodshed is truly a testament to his considerable military and political skills.

For the moment, though, we need to bid a fond farewell to Pippin the Short and pick up the story with his two sons, Carlemont, and of course, Charles.

The man who history knows as Charles the Great, or simply, Charlemagne.

I will be referring to Old Charlie as Charlemagne from here on out for purposes of clarity.

But it's important to know that this name and title was not generally used

until a decade or so after the Great King's death. And accordingly, when we read from primary sources

in this episode, they will often refer to him as Charles. All right, now that we have naming

conventions out of the way, let's get back to the narrative.

As I just mentioned, Pippin died in 768 CE.

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