The Second Danish–East Frankish War did not begin because of hatred, nor for glory or wealth.
It started from something far more absurd— a rumor.
The Rumor That Sparked a War
After the Battle of Gnutz, where Nils annihilated the Frankish cavalry and, together with Halfdan, crushed the main Frankish army, King Louis the German disappeared. The widely accepted belief was that he had died in battle.
But at some point, a malicious rumor began circulating across Europe:
Someone claimed to have seen a familiar-looking man in a monastery in Saxony—believed to be the missing King Louis, secretly imprisoned by his own son to prevent him from influencing politics.
Vig had heard this rumor half a year earlier and dismissed it.
After all, rumors were endless. Dockworkers in Londonium constantly talked about sea monsters and hidden treasure. Old sailors sold fragments of treasure maps, swearing they led to King Ragnar's buried gold. Others claimed to have found a girl in Norway who looked exactly like Princess Enya—or insisted their neighbor's black cat could speak. 🐈
Most rumors faded into tavern gossip.
But this one took a dangerous turn.
In October, the monastery suddenly burned down. Suspicion spread rapidly among East Frankish citizens.
Because the monastery lay in Saxony, suspicion fell squarely on King Louis III—known as "the Younger." His prestige plummeted overnight.
To divert public anger, Louis III blamed the Vikings for spreading the rumor and declared war on Ubbe in the name of vengeance.
The Collapse of Denmark's Defense
In December, Saxon forces advanced toward the Danevirke defensive line.
The newly appointed Count of Schleswig proved incompetent and unwilling to lead personally. The defenses collapsed quickly.
The Saxons marched north.
Ubbe called upon Danish nobles for support— few answered.
They remembered Nils's fate and preferred to remain in their own lands, watching events unfold.
The Battle Near Vejle
In late December, the two armies unexpectedly met north of Vejle.
Danish forces:
3,000 soldiers
600 armored troops
300 suits from Ubbe's own treasury
300 captured from Nils's earlier victories
Saxon forces:
5,000 soldiers
1,000 suits of armor
A small contingent of heavy cavalry
When Louis III spotted the Danish royal banner emerging through the snowstorm, his fighting spirit surged.
Ignoring advice from his advisors, he committed all his heavy infantry to the first assault, charging uphill against the Danish shield wall from the gentler eastern slope.
They attacked five times.
The Danish line held firm—
and seemed to grow stronger with each assault.
At 10 a.m., Louis launched a sixth attack. Determined to emulate the heroic kings celebrated by minstrels, he rode forward in ornate armor on a white horse, rallying his soldiers.
Moments later:
arrows struck the horse
two arrows hit the king himself
Louis fell unconscious.
Seeing their king wounded, Saxon troops began retreating down the slope. Danish soldiers pursued—only to be counterattacked by Saxon cavalry.
Driven by battle frenzy, more than a hundred knights charged uphill after fleeing Danes. Against the odds, they smashed through the Danish shield wall.
The rest of the Saxon army surged forward.
Ubbe was killed on the spot.
Leadership Vacuum
During his reign, Ubbe had worked to suppress the power of domestic nobles. Aside from Nils, nearly every prominent and capable noble had been weakened.
So when he died, Denmark lacked any strong leader.
Nobles retreated into their own territories, acting independently. The numerically superior Saxon army defeated them one by one.
The fall of Denmark became only a matter of time.
News Reaches Vig
Half an hour after receiving the news, Vig convened the cabinet.
With limited intelligence available, the prime minister recommended caution.
Ten days later, a Swedish merchant ship arrived in Londonium with updated information:
Halfdan, upon hearing of his brother's death, crossed the Kattegat with an army, occupied Aalborg, and declared himself guardian of Ubbe's children—temporarily assuming royal authority.
Though Halfdan had recently moderated his behavior, the nobles still remembered the chaos caused by the man known as the "Sword of the North."
In their eyes, he and Ubbe were cut from the same cloth:
brutal by nature
mediocre in talent
famous only because they were Ragnar's sons
Some nobles supported him.
Most waited cautiously.
A few secretly contacted Little Erik, creating political chaos.
The Saxon Advance Continues
Meanwhile, Louis III recovered from his wounds and resumed his campaign northward, crushing any Danish nobles who resisted.
Without Nils conducting raids, Saxon supply lines remained secure.
Worse still:
Louis III had strong backing from:
the Church
his brother Charles III "the Fat"
He had abundant food, weapons, and reinforcements. Landless knights flocked to his banner. His army grew rather than shrank.
After suffering repeated defeats, Halfdan appealed to Little Erik for help.
Norway Refuses
In recent years, the Kingdom of Norway had grown steadily:
capable of building its own ships
thriving textile and iron industries
attracting immigrants from Denmark and Sweden
population reaching 600,000
Its strength now surpassed other Nordic rulers.
Yet Little Erik refused to intervene.
Two reasons:
He resented Halfdan's attempt to dominate Denmark alone
He feared betrayal—having heard that Halfdan once considered raiding Norway
Instead, he sent only a shipment of grain as symbolic support.
Denmark Near Collapse
With no meaningful aid, Halfdan retreated again and again until he fell back to Aalborg. Soon afterward, he fled with Ubbe's children to Gothenburg.
By February:
The entire Jutland Peninsula had fallen
Only Funen and Zealand remained under Danish control
A lord from Zealand dispatched an envoy to Londonium, urgently requesting assistance.
Vig asked calmly:
"How bad is the situation?"
The envoy replied:
"Very bad. Halfdan has retreated to Gothenburg with Ubbe's heirs. If Louis III captures Funen and Zealand, he will cross the narrow Øresund Strait and invade Sweden.
Halfdan cannot rally the nobles. He cannot withstand the Frankish advance. If nothing changes, the Viking homeland will be wiped out."
The Strategic Calculation
Vig did not panic at the envoy's dramatic warning.
Instead, he considered the strategic consequences.
Merchant ships traveling between the Baltic Sea and the Atlantic typically passed through the Øresund Strait between Zealand and Sweden.
At its narrowest point, the strait measured only four kilometers wide.
If the Franks captured Zealand, they would effectively control the gateway to the Baltic.
And if their ships began harassing Britannian trade routes…
Trade with Eastern Europe and Scandinavia would suffer.
That thought triggered a surge of anger.
Why does someone always interfere with my trade?
They won't even let me make money!
In an instant, Vig's killing intent rose sharply. He clenched his teeth and gave the order:
"Tell your lord this:
Hold out until March.
I will lead the army there personally."
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