[1] The Vita is an important source not only in detailing Ansgar's Scandinavian missionary work, but also in its descriptions of the everyday lives of people during the Viking Age.
[5] Rimbert's early years residing in Flanders may explain why he shared such a strong passion for missionary work in the North.
Pope Leo IV was eager for more missionary work to take place but Anskar was nearing death and wrote about the missions to preserve their memory.
[8] The Vita Rimberrti suggests Rimbert joined Anskar and Ebbo of Rheims on missionary whilst he was a young man and still residing at Turnhout in Flanders although the truthfulness of this has been debated by historians.
[12] Ebbo was involved in the earlier Carolingian missions under emperor Louis the Pious and initially had success with conversion of King Harald in 826.
After he betrayed Louis the Pious and was replaced with Hincmar of Rheims there was no further widespread push for their importance which limited resources to pursue missions.
[17] The text also highlights the significant decline of interest that Louis the German and his East Frankish Kingdom had in funding missionary work to the North.
Charles the Bald, king of West Francia was therefore potentially a more fruitful target for obtaining resources to aid with missionary work.
The text also defends missionary work to monks who lived under the Rule of Saint Benedict and would have needed justification to leave their monastery which warned against going into the secular world.