5.
Rollo the Walker

Exiled and nameless, Rollo the Walker became the founder of Normandy and the patriarch of a dynasty. Cast out as a wanderer, he carried nothing but his strength, his ambition, and his relentless stride. From the fjords of Norway to the courts of France, his life was a journey of defiance, transformation, and destiny. Rollo turned exile into empire, and his descendants would rise to rule kingdoms and conquer nations. His story is the heartbeat of Normandy itself—a tale of resilience and rebirth that began with a single step.

Inspired by the life of Rollo, my 36th great-grandfather.