The Normans or Vikings meaning "men from the north emerged in the 8th century AD. Originally, they were pirates from Denmark, Norway, and Iceland who began raiding European coastal cities. Some settled in northern France, establishing the Duchy of Normandy, and launched campaigns of invasion and colonization to southern Italy, Sicily, England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. They clashed with the Muslim state in Al-Andalus but failed to conquer it.
The Norman Viking tribes ventured out of their homelands in northern Europe, crossed the Bay of Biscay, and landed on the western shores of Al-Andalus near the Andalusian city of Lisbon in the year 239 AH (844 CE) with a large fleet. They clashed with the city's inhabitants but failed to seize it due to the bravery of its defenders.
Then they raided the city of Cadiz and penetrated inland to the city of Seville, using fire to terrorize the population, leading the locals to call them "the Magians," thinking they worshipped fire. Viking ships gathered at the entrance of the Guadalquivir River heading towards Seville.
Approximately fifty-four ships with thousands of fighters arrived, exploiting Seville's lack of walls and troops. The civilian resistance of Seville failed, and the Vikings entered, causing havoc before returning to their ships. It was customary for the Vikings that whenever they landed somewhere, kings trembled in their castles, and they would be offered chests of gold and silver to leave their lands. But this time, the story was different.
The Muslims evacuated the city to organize themselves and prepare for jihad, withdrawing to Carmona and the mountains of Seville. The Vikings returned but found no one except a group of elderly men in the mosque, whom they slaughtered, then set fire to the mosque's roof.
The people of Seville and Carmona ambushed the Vikings, causing them to abandon their ships and advance on foot to free their captives. At that time, Prince Abd al-Rahman II had sent a small detachment of horsemen led by Isa ibn Shahid to intercept them until the main army arrived.
The Vikings were surprised by this cavalry detachment, marking the first encounter of Arab swords with the axes of the Northmen (the Normans) Vikings. Quickly, Arab swords proved their superiority, leading to a small battle in which seventy Vikings were killed, and the rest fled.
Prince Abd al-Rahman of Al-Andalus sent Muhammad ibn Said ibn Rustam to repel the Viking aggression. Attacking the Vikings was difficult because they relied on hit-and-run tactics, then fleeing to their ships in the sea again. So, Islamic army leaders decided to ambush them.
A Viking army of approximately sixteen thousand fighters set out to raid the city of Morur. The Muslims rose against them, resulting in a battle where hundreds of Vikings were killed, and hundreds were wounded, fleeing towards their ships. Muhammad ibn Rustam insisted on fighting them and followed them there, engaging in a fierce battle between the Muslim army and the Vikings.
At first, the Muslims retreated, but Muhammad ibn Rustam and the leaders with him dismounted and entered the battle. One of the squads was ordered to cut off the Vikings from their ships.
The Muslims closed in on them from both sides, inflicting more than five hundred casualties and thousands of wounded on them. The Vikings managed to flee to their ships and on their way back to their lands, they ravaged some coastal areas and fled in fear of the Muslim army.
After that, the Viking king Horic sent an envoy to Prince Abd al-Rahman, seeking reconciliation after the failure of their raids on Al-Andalus. In turn, a delegation led by Yahya ibn Hukam al-Bakri, known as "the Gazelle," was sent.
It seems that what this delegation reached was only a temporary agreement, as the Normans resumed their attacks on Al-Andalus during the reign of Prince Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman, in the year 245 AH / 859 CE and the year 247 AH / 861 CE. However, the Normans failed to achieve significant victories in these two attacks.
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