Slavs in Scandinavia, who organized the Scandinavian state

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

I have accumulated quite a lot of material about the Slavs in Scandinavia. And I decided to put it together and streamline it a bit. The picture appears to be quite curious. I think it will be especially interesting to read this for friends who see Scandinavians, by definition, an order of magnitude higher, stronger and more "developed" than other inhabitants of the Baltic region - the source of everything progressive, such almost superhuman Germans, and Scandinavia itself seems to be their sacred abode.

The reality is much more interesting! Apparently, the Baltic Slavs took an active part in the life of not only the Baltic region as such, in general, but also Scandinavia specifically. Including its new acquisitions, such as Iceland. And in fact, this is, of course, perfectly logical. You can be surprised at this only if you adhere to some mythological ideas, the validity and adequacy of which, in fact, is very doubtful. Although they are quite common.

So, to begin with, I will give information and thoughts provided by a respected friend.

aloslum

In the collection "Slavs and Scandinavians" (M. 1986), the Danish archaeologist N.-K. Libgott, in his article "Ceramics - evidence of ties with the Slavic coast," writes about the Slavs in Denmark:

“Names such as Kramnice, Korzelice, Tilliceand Binnitz (Danish -itze, slav, -ice), allow us to consider the South Danish islands as an area of Slavic settlement. It is not always clear when exactly it happened. It is assumed that it began in the 9th century. However, there are still no well-dated archaeological finds that could prove this. In this regard, one can point to the unexplored ring fortification Revshaleborg immediately east of Maribo on Lolanda, which in its fully developed form is closest to the Slavic settlement of Dargun in the Malkhin district of Mecklenburg. The next possible date for the Slavic resettlement is the XI century, during the reign of Sven Estridsen. This assumption is supported by extensive archaeological material, especially from the settlements on Lolanda. Here you can find exclusively Slavic ceramics, which are easily identified with the ceramic series from both Wolin and Mecklenburg, but above all with the ceramics of the Wipper and Teter groups”(p. 143-144).

In the same place, he describes the largest settlement in Denmark, Pedersborg, near Sørø: “By the type of fortification, Pedersborg is the only fortification of its kind in Denmark. The closest parallels are found in the Slavic tribal territory. From the middle of the XII century. the fortress belonged to Peder Torstenson”(p. 144). At the same time, “Here are found vessels of only a few basic types, all of which, without exception, have Slavic prototypes” (p. 145).

At the same time, its foundation is attributed to the Danish feudal lords who owned it in the 12th century, active participants in the wars with Slavic Pomorie, who suddenly became inveterate Slavs both in construction and in everyday life (ceramics): “Regardless of whether Peder Torstenson himself built the fortress, which probably, either his father-in-law Skjalm Hvide, whose feudal rights extended not only to about. Zeland, but also on about. Rügen, the prototypes of this Zeeland structure, are quite possibly located on the Slavic coast of the Baltic”(p. 144).

At the same time, according to N.-K. Libgott: “Both this and other types of vessels from Pedersborg look much older in shape than it follows from historical and archaeological data, which may mean a kind of stylistic stagnation in the outlying areas of Slavic ceramic production, which arose, perhaps, during the second or the third generations of migrated Slavic potters”(p. 145).

Wouldn't it be more natural to reconsider the "historical" and archaeological data oriented towards them, pulling the foundation of the fortress to its first known rulers, and assume that the fortification characteristic of the Slavs with archaic Slavic ceramics was founded by the Slavs themselves even before them.

In the same collection, in the article “Slavs and Normans in the early history of the Baltic region,” the German archaeologist J. Herrmann wrote: “From the second half of the 11th century. The Rugen Slavs and Pomorians equipped large flotillas, repeatedly repelled the attacks of the Danes and, in turn, attacked the Danish islands, even populating some of them. At that time, similar expeditions were organized from the Pomorian coast of the Baltic against Gotland, Öland and to southern Sweden. In the second half of the 10th century. the local population restored such ancient defensive structures as in Eketorp on Åland; and there were frequent settlements of Slavic military squads. The famous Swedish researcher M. Stenberger came to the conclusion that numerous Slavic elements in the materials of the later layers of Eketorp may indicate not only trade relations, but also that Öland at this time was occupied by the Slavs from the southern coast of the Baltic, as reported by Saxon Grammar and the Danish Knütling Saga"

What Stenberger refers to (Stenberger M. Eketorp in Öland. Ancient Village and Trading Settlement. - Acta Archaeologica. København, 1973, v. 44, p. 14) could not be verified. But in the "Saga of the Knütlings" there seems to be a message in which both Eland (Eyland) and the Slavs are mentioned (at the end of chapter 76):

Eptir þetta setti Eiríkr konungr menn til landsgæzlu á Vinðlandi, ok heldu þeir ríki þat undir Eirík konung. Síðan fór Eiríkr konungr til skipa sinna ok sigldi síðan heim til Danmerkr með sigri miklum. Hann kom fyrst við Eyland skipum sínum, er hann kom sunnan af Vinðlandi, sem Markús segir.

Here it is about the fact that after the victory of the Danish king Eric over the Slavs, “when he came from the south from Windland, he first brought his ships to Eiland (Öland)”.

One more time Eland is mentioned in chapter 123: “Christopher, Bishop Abs alon and Asbjorn went there and sailed to Eiland; there they seized a lot of money and people,”but this chapter describes the war with the Curonian chickens, and not with the Ruyans, which was confirmed by the translator T. Ermolaev.

A. Ya. Gurevich wrote about the fortifications characteristic of the Slavs in the article "Did Jomsborg Existed?":

“Primitive circular fortifications were built in Scandinavia back in the 5th century. The Ismantorp fortification on Öland Island (Sweden), which archaeologists attribute to the period of the "Great Migration" (according to other assumptions, to a later time) … -Western Norway (Rogaland) and Northern Norway (Halogaland). Fortifications in the form of concentric ramparts were also built in Europe in the 8th century. Suffice it to point to the famous "Ring" (ring) of the Avar Kagan on the Danube, in Pannonia, destroyed by Charlemagne the Great, in which there were up to nine shafts inscribed in circles one into the other. Slavic fortifications were also circular. The Danes are known to have close ties with their neighbors, the Baltic Slavs. Finally, ring fortifications were built in the British Isles. Moreover, if earlier English archaeologists attributed them to the time preceding the Viking campaigns, now voices are being heard in favor of the Danish origin of some English camps."

Interestingly, as early as the 10th century, Eyvind the Skald Slayer called the inhabitants of Rogaland the holmrugs (Speeches of the Hakon. 3), that is, precisely "island rugs", perhaps then the memory of their connection with Ruyan-Rugen was still preserved. At the same time, the Holmrugs are mentioned together with the Khaleig, that is, the inhabitants of Halogaland, where, as in Rogaland, round fortifications were found.

L. Prozorov noted that in the Wendel culture of the 6-8 centuries, along with Germanic features, there are also Slavic ones (for example, shaved faces and a haircut in a circle in the images), he also brought a four-faced staff from a burial in Sutton Hoo (East England, but also refers to the Wendel culture). The four-faced image is more than a transparent reference to Svantevit. Finally, the very settlement in Central Sweden, by which the culture is named, is apparently connected precisely with the vendels (which are mentioned in the service of the Danish kings even in Beowulf).

Now, here are some quotes from a Polish article on Slavic piracy in the Baltic: (Mariusz Zulawnik, PIRACTWO SLOWIANSKIE NA BALTYKU DO 1184 ROKU, 1999 TEKA HISTORYKA, 1999.- zeszyt 16. -S.5-18.):

“Pirates organized expeditions to capture prey or slaves. The rich were valuable prey, for these sea robbers could get a large ransom for them. The rest of the prisoners were sold at auction. A large number of prisoners after each expedition led to the fact that the prices for slaves in the Slavic markets fell sharply. Things were different, for example, in Denmark, where prices immediately skyrocketed. The reason for this was the shortage of slaves after the Slavic attacks. Prisoners captured in clashes with the Poles were sold either to Denmark or to Ruyan, and prisoners from the North (Danes) - mainly to the West and South of Europe. The more valuable slaves, such as the rich, were treated better than others who were used, among other things, in heavy work, such as building ships. They were often bullied. In Titmar we can read how we dealt with some of the hostages: “their anger was passed on to the rest of the corsairs. In the morning they cut off the nose, ears and hands of the priest (…) and the rest of the hostages; then they threw them overboard into the bay (…)."

Here is a description of the consequences of the Slavic corsair expedition undertaken in 1136 under the leadership of the Pomor prince Ratibor I on Konunghala (at that time a Danish city, now owned by Sweden, located on the border with Norway) from the same article: “(…) the pagans did not keep their word, they took all people, men, women and children, many were killed, especially those who were weak, of low birth and those who were difficult to take with them. They took all the money that was in the city."

This is how the sources describe the situation caused by the systematic Slavic pirate attacks on Denmark, shortly before the campaigns of Valdemar I on Ruyana: “At this time, the pirates unbelted themselves from the borders of the Slavs as far as Eidor, all the villages from the east, left by the inhabitants (…), lay in ruins with uncultivated land. Zealand, from east to south, gaped with emptiness (…), there was nothing left on Fionia but a few inhabitants."

Another interesting fact: On the market in Mecklenburg in 1168, after the victorious campaign of the encouragement, 700 Danes were put up for sale.

How can one fail to recall the famous quotation from "Slavic Chronicle" by Helmold: "They do not value the attacks of the Danes, on the contrary, they even consider it a pleasure for themselves to engage in hand-to-hand combat with them."

Let us also recall that according to the reports of the Danish Annals, before Valdemar, Lolland paid tribute to the Ruyans.

"The Saga of Hakone Dobrom" reports on the attacks of the Vikings-Wends on the Scandinavian lands (together with the Danes). We quote: "Then Hakon Konung sailed to the east along the banks of the Skane and ravaged the country, took ransoms and taxes and killed the Vikings, where he only found them, both Danes and Wends."

As you can see, the Slavic traces are quite clearly visible in Scandinavia, both as a military force that attacked, robbed and ravaged settlements, or even entire provinces, and as peaceful settlers, traders and artisans who settled on its lands.

Moreover, traces of Slavic settlers are visible even in new territories, such as Iceland, which were being mastered by the Scandinavians in the Middle Ages.

Below is a Polish article that describes typical Baltic-Slavic buildings discovered by archaeologists in Iceland, and also mentions similar buildings in Norway:

Slavic settlers in Iceland (Słowiańscy osadnicy na Islandii)

Another Slavic dwelling - a 10th century semi-dugout - was discovered by Polish archaeologists near Lake Myvatn in northeastern Iceland, the head of research, Professor Przemysław Urbanczyk (Przemysław Urbanczyk) from the Institute of Archeology and Ethnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, told the Polish Press Agency.

Polish exploration, conducted this year from the second half of June to half of August, was concentrated in the Sveigakot area near Lake Myvatn in the northeastern part of the island, where the first settlers from the European continent appeared at the turn of the 9-10th centuries.

“From the very beginning, a Slavic trace was discovered in our research in Iceland. We have already opened the third Slavic dwelling in this region - a square semi-dugout. Such dwellings in the 9-10th century were typical for territories along the Elbe, Oder and Vistula rivers, as well as for Russia. They have no analogies with Scandinavian buildings. Exactly the same Slavic dwellings, different from the Scandinavian ones, I found earlier in Norway,”said Professor Urbanchik.

“It is not known exactly which Slavs penetrated so far to the North, to Iceland. It is very likely that these were the Polabian Slavs, and not our ancestors from the banks of the Vistula. They settled with the Vikings in the then desert lands of Iceland. The early medieval communities were not as ethnically homogeneous as it is now believed. The Viking society was open - they appreciated good sailors and warriors, accepting representatives of different peoples, including Slavs, Germans and Celts, into their ranks,”says Professor Urbanchik.

This year's research has confirmed the earlier assumption that the early settlers destroyed the environment of the northeastern part of the island in just a few generations. The forest was cleared because timber was needed for the construction and heating of dwellings, and meadows were formed in its place.

The colonists brought in cows, sheep and pigs. Overly intensive cattle grazing, and especially pigs tearing up the ground, caused the destruction of meadows. As a result of the subsequent erosion, a thin layer of soil disappeared, and a sandy-rocky desert was formed.

The international expedition is going to start next year - within the framework of the 4th International Polar Year - a search for traces of Viking settlements in Greenland.

“It would be an interesting program for Polish archaeologists as well. It is possible that the Slavs got to those places too,”noted Professor Urbanchik. (Translated from Polish by S. Baslov.)

The article itself is taken from here (previously it was opened freely, now they require logging in there). Here you can see the original Polish text along with the translation.

The same information is confirmed in this film from National Geographic, for which we thank the dear

smelding (SLAVS AMONG THE FIRST SETTLERS OF ICELAND).

It also mentions the Slavic settlers in Iceland. Moreover, Professor Urbanchik himself personally talks about this, the same one quoted in the previous article. Material about the Slavs begins at 11:20.

So, the archaeological traces of the joint travels of the Scandinavians and Baltic Slavs to new lands are quite obvious. Here, too, I think it is appropriate to recall that S. Gedeonov asserted that in some pitiful English texts describing the attacks of the Normans on England and Ireland, the Vendians are also listed among these fierce barbarians.

By the way, it would be nice to confirm this information. For she is very curious. And, judging by the observed picture, the joint participation of the Baltic Slavs and Scandinavians in the Norman campaigns would be quite logical. The Baltic Slavs were flesh and blood a part of that world, and, apparently, a very important part! Although, unfortunately, this is completely undeservedly forgotten in the framework of modern ideas, or more correctly, modern mythology about that period of history. I think this should be reminded!

I would love to read the comments and questions.