ISBN 91-972306-8-5
At the beginning of the 6th century large changes took place in the Lake
Mälar Area of Sweden
1. Suddenly a Svea power appeared which was strong enough to wage war
against the Gutar, island of Gotland in the Baltic sea. From where did those
Svear come?
2. A new fashion in burying saw the light in the Lake Mälar
Area during the 6th century. The burials were very ritual, which indicates
that religion very much directed the treatment of man for the next life.
3. The Svear used the Roman Julian
calendar
which is considered to have been introduced in Uppland about the year 500.
Still in the 17th century the Disthing-day in Uppsala was calculated according
to this calendar.
4. The Æsir-religion which can be interpreted as the religion
of the warlike masters makes its appearance whilst the Vana- belief probably
was the religion of the peaceful farming people. The Æsir-religion
can be considered a child of an Iranian religion, which after its founder,
Mani, is called Manikeism. This religion gained, from the 4th century, wide
acceptance outside of the Persian state of the time. The Æsir-religion
has also borrowed ideas from early Christianity.
5. The Beowulf poem which in principle reflects the life of
the Gutar and Gotland, also talks about the wars between the Gutar and Svear
beginning of the 6th century.
6. In the Old Uppsala mounds the
burial build-up, according to professor Sune Lindqvist, has been done in
a similar way as the Roman Royal cremations.
7. The Heruls, a Scandinavian people which together with the
Gutans, or Goths as the Romans called them, were, from the 3rd century,
ravaging the Black Sea, Minor Asia and the Mediterranean. After having been
subdued firstly by the Goths and later by the Huns, those Heruls formed
in the middle of the 5th century a state in upper Hungary. There are several
accounts about how the Heruls ravaged the shores of the Black Sea and the
Mediterranean, alone and together with the Goths, why they must have been
skillful seafarers. They were in great demand as soldiers in the Roman Imperial
Guards. According to Roman sources they were a more primitive people than
other Germanic people. The soldiers of Odovakar who assumed power in the
Western Empire in the year 476 were according to available sources mainly
Heruls. A Roman coin from 476 has been found in the Ottar mound in Uppland.
This state of Odovakar was, however, soon overrun by the Theoderik and his
Ostrogoths.
8. The Greek-Roman author Prokopios says that about the year 505
the Herul state in upper Hungary was smashed by the Longobards. Some of
the Heruls settled in Illyria under the protection of the Caesar of the
Eastern Empire, but another part could not, says Prokopios, decide whether
they should cross the Danube but decided instead to settle in the furthest
parts of the, in that time, inhabited world. They returned to Thule
(Scandinavia)
and settled along the borders of a powerful tribe which is called Gautoi
(Götar). This takes place at the same time as a powerful Svea state
with powerful kings emerges in the Lake Mälar Area.
9. The helmets in the Vendel graves in Uppland are also interesting.
They are identified as the helmets of the Roman Imperial guards,
the model that was in use in the 5th century. They are considered to be
related to the Sassanitian helmets and have been manufactured in the Ostrogothic
factories at the Black Sea. We know from pictures that the Germanic mercenaries
on Roman duty carried those helmets. The helmet from the grave that is called
Vendel XIV is the only in Europe remaining ornated helmet of the highest
rank, the Roman Imperial house and general staff. Those for Vendel XIV strange
face protections of Roman model underline the closeness to the Roman army.
10. Snorri Sturluson tells in Heimskringla about the origin of the
Æsir (the men from Asia) and the Ynglinga dynasty. Snorre says
that Odin travelled north to the country that now is called Svitjod; the
king in that country was called Gylve. When he heard that the men from Asia,
which were called Æsir, were on their way, he travelled to meet them
and offered Odin to have as much power in his country as he himself wanted.
Wherever they travelled in the countries they were lucky and there were
good years and peace, and everybody thought that they had power over such
things, as the old people saw that they were different to other men they
had seen both in appearance and in customs. Odin thought that they had found
beautiful fields and good soil and he chose a place that now is called Sigtuna.
And wherever they travelled through the countries, there was much praising
of them and they were regarded more as gods than humans. They were dressed
in Roman armour similar to that we find in the Vendel graves.
11. The cultivation of the soil was drastically changed in Fornsigtuna
(Old Sigtuna) at the beginning of the 6th century. Samples show lots
of horses and an intensified activity in the area.
12. It is interesting to note that at the same time as the Heruls
settle next to the Götar, a Svea state flourishes in the Lake Mälar
Area with powerful warriors and warships. Accordingly we have two names
for the same people, Heruls as the Romans called them and Svear (Sviar)
as we today know them.
13. Let us now look at the Baltic area during the 6 th century. We
have several historical sources where the relationship between Gutar
and Svear are treated and by analysing those together a picture of the
historical events appears. The Gutar dominated the Baltic up to the beginning
of the 6th century when they met competition from the immigrating Svear
with disturbances and war. Also a new religion is introduced into
the area and it has its strongest following in the new main areas of the
Svear where Uppsala becomes the centre. Gradually peace is negotiated and
a peace- and trade-agreement is reached, according to the Guta Saga by Avair
Strabain. We have no name of the Svea king, but probably he was called
Adils.
As we have been able to show it is probably the Heruls mentioned by Prokopios
who are the founders of the Ynglinga dynasty in the Svea state and become
what we later know as Svear. Quite a few pieces now find its place in the
puzzle. The wars between the Gutar and Svear in the Beowulf poem as well
as the wars and the trade- treaty in the Guta Saga can now more easily be
explained.
Gotland that, at least since the Bronze age, was the centre for trade and
culture in the Baltic area did now obtain a peace- and trade-treaty with
the Svear where they freely could trade with the inhabitants of the new
Svea state and also build trading centres around the Baltic. As the Gutar
were considered to be good ironsmiths, iron was an important merchandise.
For more information about Gotlandic literature
please contact
stavgard@luma.com
Gotland homepage
ISBN 91-972306-8-5
The origin of Svear is a total re-evaluation of the earlier history of
the Baltic area.
There are certain locks in the Swedish history-writing which have blockaded
the view for a wider perspective. I here think of Roman sources about the
Baltic area.
In the 17th century when Sweden was a super-power it was important to give
the country a history worthy of its position in the world and everything
that could allude to the Svear was of course established as Svear. Main
responsible for this project was Olof Rudbeck.
Still there are authors who copy those old imaginations that the Roman authors
should have related about powerful Svear beginning of our chronology. From
Swedish point of view it has been taken as a matter of course that
"Scadinavia"
means the Scandinavian peninsula. However, it ought to be Gotland that is
meant. Plinius who died in 79 A.D. tells about the island "Scadinavia"
that it lies straight out from the mouth of the Vistula.
The Greek-egyptian astronomer Ptolemaios says in his geography from the
3rd century that east of the Cimbrian peninsula are four islands called
"Scandiai", the largest and most easterly lies north of the Vistula
mouth. This is the island one thinks of when one talks about Skandia. The
size and form agree quite well with Gotland.
It must be considered far-fetched and in the light of archæological
finds as improbable that the tales by the Romans should be about the
Scandinavian
peninsula, which they called Thule. The origin of the word Svear
is disputed and mistakes for Roman names on other people seems to be before
us.
What we today call Svear or svioner only emerge into light beginning
of the 6th century when they according to sources immigrate from the
south bringing a new religion. When Christian learned men read Roman sources
and found Latin words similar to svioner they used these words for the Svear.