800-talets topografi
Postat: 4 juli 2019, 23:36
I och med diskussionen om Beowulfkvädets topografi tänkte jag att det kunde vara intressant att se hur det såg ut 300 år senare och fundera på hur mycket eller lite som förändrats från 500- till 800-talet.
Citat nedan från Wikipedia (ibland något förkortade) med mina kommentarer.
Vita Karoli Magnii (ca 817-833)
There is a bay which stretches from the western ocean in eastern direction, of unknown length but with a breadth that may not exceed 150 kilometers, while it is less at many sites. Many people live around this bay, Danes and Swedes, which we call Norsemen, live both on the northern shore and all the islands in the bay. The southern coast is however inhabited by Slavs, Aesti and a number of other people.
Kommentar: Norr betyder nog väst-nordväst och syd betyder nog ost-sydost här. (Jämför hur Skandinavien är ritat på gamla kartor.) Daner och svear bor på öarna (i Danmark, Öland, Gotland, etc) och på svenska ostkusten. I söder och öster bor slaver och ester.
Vita Ansgari (nedtecknad ca 875, beskriver händelser i Sverige ca 830)
In 829, Swedish ambassadors arrived to the court of Louis in Worms. Among other matters they told the Emperor that many people in their country wished to embrace the Christian religion, and that their king endorsed the arrival of proper teachers. The Emperor summoned Ansgar and ordered him to go the land of the Swedes and investigate whether people were indeed prepared to accept Christianity. Thus Ansgar tread the journey together with his companion Witbert, sailing with a party of merchants. When about half-way, the ships were attacked by Vikings and those on board had to save themselves on shore. The missionaries lost the gifts and possessions they had carried, but nevertheless decided to proceed.[7] After traveling a long distance, mostly by foot, they arrived to the port of the kingdom which was called Birka, where they were friendly received by the king, whose name was Björn ("Tandem ad portum regni ipsorum, qui Byrca dicitur, pervenerunt, ubi benigne a rege, qui Bern vocabatur, suscepti sunt"). ... Some scholars have called this Bern "king of Birka", but this has no foundation in Rimbert's writings, as Rimbert merely writes that Ansgar went ashore in Birka, which was in king Björn's kingdom.[9]
According to the Vita, King Björn discussed the arrival of the missionaries with his men, then announced that they were free to preach. Apart from the numerous Christian prisoners at the place, several people seemed interested in the new faith. To these belonged Hergeir, the chief of the port, who was a prominent adviser to King Björn. After having been baptized, he built a church on his personal land.[10] Ansgar stayed in Sweden for one and a half year and then returned to the Emperor's court in 831. Björn gave him a letter to bring to Louis, "written in the particular way of the Swedes", thus presumably with runic script.[11] In his stead an auxiliary bishop, Gautbert, was appointed for Sweden. However, his activity wax cut short several years later. An anti-Christian riot broke out, not supported by the king. Gautbert's nephew Nithard was killed, and Gautbert and his retainers driven out of the country. It is not explicitly said if Björn was still alive at the time.[12] The account indicates that the Swedish king had limited control over people.
Kommentar: Verkar vara ett relativt utvecklat samhälle som skickar "ambassadörer" till Ludvig den fromme samt skriver brev. Sveakungen styr åtminstone området kring Birka, men verkar ha begränsad kontroll över befolkningen.
Wulfstan (ca 880)
Weonodland was on his right, and Langland, Laeland, Falster, and Sconey, on his left, all which land is subject to Denmark. Then on our left we had the land of the Burgundians, who have a king to themselves. Then, after the land of the Burgundians, we had on our left the lands that have been called from the earliest times Blekingey, and Meore, and Eowland, and Gotland, all which territory is subject to the Sweons; and Weonodland (the land of the Wends) was all the way on our right, as far as Weissel-mouth.
Kommentar: Gränsen mellan danernas och svearnas intresseområden går mellan Skåne och Blekinge. Öland och Gotland tillhör också svearna. Inget nämns om norra Smålandskusten, Östgötakusten eller Mälardalen, eftersom Wulfstan inte passerar dessa områden.
Jag får intrycket att svearnas kärnområde är Mälardalen, samtidigt som de styr ostkusten söderut samt Öland och Gotland. Om inlandet och västerut i dagens Sverige nämns ingenting.
Citat nedan från Wikipedia (ibland något förkortade) med mina kommentarer.
Vita Karoli Magnii (ca 817-833)
There is a bay which stretches from the western ocean in eastern direction, of unknown length but with a breadth that may not exceed 150 kilometers, while it is less at many sites. Many people live around this bay, Danes and Swedes, which we call Norsemen, live both on the northern shore and all the islands in the bay. The southern coast is however inhabited by Slavs, Aesti and a number of other people.
Kommentar: Norr betyder nog väst-nordväst och syd betyder nog ost-sydost här. (Jämför hur Skandinavien är ritat på gamla kartor.) Daner och svear bor på öarna (i Danmark, Öland, Gotland, etc) och på svenska ostkusten. I söder och öster bor slaver och ester.
Vita Ansgari (nedtecknad ca 875, beskriver händelser i Sverige ca 830)
In 829, Swedish ambassadors arrived to the court of Louis in Worms. Among other matters they told the Emperor that many people in their country wished to embrace the Christian religion, and that their king endorsed the arrival of proper teachers. The Emperor summoned Ansgar and ordered him to go the land of the Swedes and investigate whether people were indeed prepared to accept Christianity. Thus Ansgar tread the journey together with his companion Witbert, sailing with a party of merchants. When about half-way, the ships were attacked by Vikings and those on board had to save themselves on shore. The missionaries lost the gifts and possessions they had carried, but nevertheless decided to proceed.[7] After traveling a long distance, mostly by foot, they arrived to the port of the kingdom which was called Birka, where they were friendly received by the king, whose name was Björn ("Tandem ad portum regni ipsorum, qui Byrca dicitur, pervenerunt, ubi benigne a rege, qui Bern vocabatur, suscepti sunt"). ... Some scholars have called this Bern "king of Birka", but this has no foundation in Rimbert's writings, as Rimbert merely writes that Ansgar went ashore in Birka, which was in king Björn's kingdom.[9]
According to the Vita, King Björn discussed the arrival of the missionaries with his men, then announced that they were free to preach. Apart from the numerous Christian prisoners at the place, several people seemed interested in the new faith. To these belonged Hergeir, the chief of the port, who was a prominent adviser to King Björn. After having been baptized, he built a church on his personal land.[10] Ansgar stayed in Sweden for one and a half year and then returned to the Emperor's court in 831. Björn gave him a letter to bring to Louis, "written in the particular way of the Swedes", thus presumably with runic script.[11] In his stead an auxiliary bishop, Gautbert, was appointed for Sweden. However, his activity wax cut short several years later. An anti-Christian riot broke out, not supported by the king. Gautbert's nephew Nithard was killed, and Gautbert and his retainers driven out of the country. It is not explicitly said if Björn was still alive at the time.[12] The account indicates that the Swedish king had limited control over people.
Kommentar: Verkar vara ett relativt utvecklat samhälle som skickar "ambassadörer" till Ludvig den fromme samt skriver brev. Sveakungen styr åtminstone området kring Birka, men verkar ha begränsad kontroll över befolkningen.
Wulfstan (ca 880)
Weonodland was on his right, and Langland, Laeland, Falster, and Sconey, on his left, all which land is subject to Denmark. Then on our left we had the land of the Burgundians, who have a king to themselves. Then, after the land of the Burgundians, we had on our left the lands that have been called from the earliest times Blekingey, and Meore, and Eowland, and Gotland, all which territory is subject to the Sweons; and Weonodland (the land of the Wends) was all the way on our right, as far as Weissel-mouth.
Kommentar: Gränsen mellan danernas och svearnas intresseområden går mellan Skåne och Blekinge. Öland och Gotland tillhör också svearna. Inget nämns om norra Smålandskusten, Östgötakusten eller Mälardalen, eftersom Wulfstan inte passerar dessa områden.
Jag får intrycket att svearnas kärnområde är Mälardalen, samtidigt som de styr ostkusten söderut samt Öland och Gotland. Om inlandet och västerut i dagens Sverige nämns ingenting.