Rorik (Latin: Roricus, Rorichus; Old Norse: Hrœrekr; c. 810 – c. 880) was a Danish Viking, who ruled over parts of Friesland between 841 and 873, conquering Dorestad[1] and Utrecht[citation needed] in 850.

His goal at the time was to establish the military presence of his loyalists in Frisia, securing it against his siblings and political rivals Louis the German and Charles the Bald.

[2] According to an 850 entry of the Annales Fuldenses, "Hrørek the Norseman (Latin: Roric) held the vicus Dorestad as a benefice with his brother Haraldr in the time of the Emperor Louis the Pious.

After the death of the emperor and his brother he was denounced as a traitor – falsely as it is said – to Lothair I, who had succeeded his father in the kingdom, and was captured and imprisoned.

After he had stayed there for some years, living among the Saxons, who were neighbours of the Norsemen, he collected a not insubstantial force of Danes and began a career of piracy, devastating places near the northern coasts of Lothair's kingdom.

Because the emperor Lothar was unable to drive him out without danger to his own men, Hrørek was received back into fealty on the advice of his counsellors and through mediators on condition that he would faithfully handle the taxes and other matters pertaining to the royal fisc, and would resist the piratical attacks of the Danes.

"[4] The Annales Bertiniani also records the event: "Hrørek (Latin: Rorich), the nephew of Haraldr, who had recently defected from Lothar, raised whole armies of Norsemen with a vast number of ships and laid waste Frisia and the island of Betuwe and other places in that neighbourhood by sailing up the Rhine and the Waal.

"[5] The Annales Xantenses briefly report: "Hrørek the Norseman (Latin: Rorik), brother of the mentioned younger Haraldr, who was earlier dishonored by Lothar, fled, demanded Dorestad back, deceitfully inflicted much evil on the Christians.

"[6] After Rorik and his cousin Godfrid Haraldsson conquered Dorestad and Utrecht in 850, emperor Lothair I had to acknowledge him as ruler of most of Friesland.

In Carolingian Coinage and the Vikings (2007), historian Simon Coupland made an educated guess based on primary sources.

Later negotiations with Louis the German would probably mean Rorik's area shared its eastern borders with East Francia.

"[10] Which means Rorik, with Lothair's encouragement, went to Denmark and forced King Horik II (Erik Barn) to recognize his rule over a significant area.

Coupland estimates the region gained to have lain to the north or northeast of the river and to have stretched to Schlei, a narrow inlet of the Baltic Sea.

[11] However raids in Rorik's own territory are reported by the Annales Bertiniani: "Other Danes stormed the emporium called Dorestad and ravaged the whole island of Betuwe and other neighbouring districts.

The Frankish chroniclers are silent on the subject but Rorik was presumably recalled in haste by Lothair to defend Frisia.

Rorik could have protected his own territory by convincing the Danes to travel further up the river, effectively letting them become other rulers' problems.

He also admonishes Hunger, to persuade Hrørek the Norseman, who recently was converted to the Christian faith, not to receive or protect Baldwin.

He was also admonished not to receive Baldwin, who was excommunicated by the spirit of God, for which reason the holy canon was drawn up by means of episcopal authority, because he had stolen the daughter of the king to become his wife.

A hagiography of Adalbert of Egmond, written in the late 10th century, mentions a miracle of the saint in the time of "Roric the barbarian king" (Latin:Roricus barbarorum rex)[16] In 867 there was a local revolt by the Cokingi and Rorik was driven out of Frisia.

The Annales Bertiniani report that Lothair II "summoned up the host throughout his realm to the defense of the fatherland, as he explained, against the Norsemen, for he expected, that Hrørek, whom the local people, the new name for them is Cokings, had driven out of Frisia, would return bringing some Danes to help him.

The Annales Bertiniani report that Charles the Bald "went to the palace of Nijmegen to hold discussions with the Norseman Hrørek, whom he bound to himself by a treaty.

... "In October he [Charles the Bald] came by boat down the Meuse to Maastricht and held talks with the Norsemen Hrørek and Hróðulfr who had come up the river to meet him.

He gave a gracious reception to Hrørek who had proved loyal to him, but Hróðulfr he dismissed empty-handed, because he had been plotting acts of treachery and pitching his demands too high.

Coupland suggests the monastery mentioned was Moustier-sur-Sambre in the modern Namur province of Belgium, close to the former borders of Lotharingia.

The Annales Xantenses report: "Likewise came to him [Louis] Hrørek, the gall of Christianity, nevertheless many hostages were put back in the ships and he became subject of the king and was bound by an oath to keep a firm loyalty.

"[22] Coupland notes that Rorik held lands in both sides of the current border between the realms of Charles and Louis.

"[24] Dorestad was in economic decline throughout his reign, merchants migrating to cities less exposed to the constant fighting like Deventer and Tiel.

Even Hincmar did not outright accuse him and expected him to accept penance like a good Christian, which indicated the Franks had ceased thinking of him as a foreign element to their realm, regarding Rorik as one of their own.

The suggestion is based on the disappearance of Rorik from Frankish chronicles during the 860s, consistent with the appearance of Rurik in Novgorod in 862, but inconsistent with his remaining in power there until 879.

[31] Yet there are a number of prominent Russian academics, such as A. N. Kirpichnikov, Boris Rybakov, Dmitry Machinsky, and Igor Dubov, who have supported this identification to some extent.