The Mediterranean Raid is a Viking raid led by Bjorn against the city of Algeciras in Saracen Spain. It occurs in Season 4 Episode 16, Crossings.
Description[]
Bjorn is accompanied by his men, including Floki, King Harald, Halfdan, Duke Rollo, Hvitserk, and Helga. Their fleet is about 1,500 warriors. Upon arriving in Algeciras, Rollo explains that these people are Moorish and pray to a god named Allah.
As soon as their ships land on shore, the Vikings enter the city and walk through the marketplace. They suddenly begin their vicious attack. They beat, kill, and rape their way through the city.
Rollo is seen raping a Moorish woman, apparently a reminder of his old, selfish ways. However, Rollo is seen later looking crestfallen and guilty as he looks at the violence he and his people have brought to the city.
Floki comes across a mosque full of praying men who ignore the pillaging and violence going on around them. He is intrigued by the group and orders the Vikings to spare the men that are praying inside the temple. Halfdan is angry at Floki for not letting him kill the men. Harald intervenes and keeps his brother from starting a conflict with Floki.
Halfdan kills a man while Harald kills the woman with him by slicing her throat with his sword in front of her daughter. The daughter is taken by Helga to return with them to Kattegat as her adoptive daughter. She is named Tanaruz.
The Vikings leave the city, carrying away treasure and women as slaves.
In History[]
The real raid on Algeciras occurred in the year 859 AD. Viking warriors on sixty-two longships and commanded by Björn Ironside and chieftain Hastein besieged the city for three days. They laid waste to much of it. After looting the houses of the rich, they burnt the Aljama mosque and the Banderas mosque. The inhabitants of Algeciras were able to organize near the Medina and recovered the city, forcing the invaders to flee while capturing two of their ships.