the city was largely destroyed during the viking raids of the late 9th century but was rebuilt in the early 10th century under the reign of bothon. in the middle of the 10th century bayeux was controlled by hagrold, a pagan viking who defended the city against the franks. the 12th-century poet benoît de saint-maure, in his verse history of the dukes of normandy, remarked on the "danish" commonly spoken at bayeux.