who was the first king of scandinavia

Oct 21, 2023

The Ynglinga saga was composed by Sturluson c. 1230 and details the reigns and lives of the kings of the Yngling dynasty (Swedish: Ynglingar), a legendary line of kings said to descend from the Norse god Odin. The first "king of Norway" in that sense was Hkon Aalsteinsfostri ("Hakon the Foster-son of Athalstein"), who ruled from about 935 to 960. Russia invaded Finland in 1808 and forced Sweden to cede that province at the peace of Fredrikshamn in 1809. The Danish Jews avoided German persecution until 1943, and Denmark was thus better prepared when the Germans struck. Scandinavia was never really one country, but in one periode there was a Scandinavian union of Norway, Denmark and Sweden called the Kalmar union, 1397 -1523. The legendary kings of Sweden ( Swedish: sagokonungar, sagokungar, lit. What is King Charles's net worth? Coronation highlights royal money [9] The Yngling dynasty is sometimes referred to as the "Royal House of Uppsala" in later scholarship.[10]. Norway and Denmark subsequently became signatory parties of the North Atlantic Treaty and members of NATO. He arrived in Norway on 25 November 1905, taking the name Haakon VII. Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands, and Princess . After the battle of Leipzig in October 1813, Bernadotte abandoned the pursuit of Napoleon and marched against Denmark, where he forced the king of Denmark-Norway to conclude the Treaty of Kiel on 14 January 1814. As the successors of King Stenkil (r.c. 10601066), the Icelandic sources give Hkan the Red, followed by a co-regency of Inge the Elder, Halsten and Blot-Sweyn. The long goodbye to Scandinavian Paganism and the Christianization of [13] The Ynglinga saga might also be an example of anti-royal social commentary rather than an attempt to tell history. 12 of the best places to stay in Scandinavia - Routes North The Christianization of Scandinavia occurred nearly simultaneously with the end of the Viking era. More than 96% of the Jewish population was boated to safety in Sweden, while others found refuge with Christian Danish families and organizations. During the 6th millennium BC, southern Scandinavia was covered in temperate broadleaf and mixed forests. Medieval Scandinavia: The Swedish Kingdom - Medievalists.net A thousand years later, the numerous East Germanic tribes that claimed Scandinavian origins (Burgundians, Goths and Heruls), as did the Lombards, rendered Scandinavia (Scandza) the name "womb of nations" in Jordanes' Getica. After the Roman Empire had disappeared, gold became scarce and Scandinavians began to make objects of gilded bronze, with decorations of interlacing animals in Scandinavian style. The Story of Harald Fairhair, First King of Norway Norway was treated much more harshly throughout their occupation. Crawley, ed. The Viking Timeline: What Happened & When? - Life in Norway The Bishop of Winchester later confirmed him. The Swedish king rejected the premise of an independent Norway and launched a military campaign on 27 July 1814, with an attack on the Hvaler islands and the city of Fredrikstad. Denmark remained primarily agricultural until well into the 20th century, but agricultural processes were modernized and processing of dairy and meats became more important than the export of raw agricultural products. Bronze continued to be used during the whole period but was mostly used for decoration. Scandinavian furs were highly prized in the new trading markets; from their trade with the Europeans, Scandinavians learned about new sailing technology as well as about the growing wealth and accompanying inner conflicts between European kingdoms. Contrary to some popular conceptions of the Vikings, they were not a race linked by ties of common ancestry or patriotism, and could not be defined by any particular sense of Viking-ness. Most of the Vikings whose activities are best known come from the areas now known as Denmark, Norway and Sweden, though there are mentions in historical records of Finnish, Estonian and Saami Vikings as well. These early peoples followed cultural traditions similar to those practised throughout other regions in the far north areas including modern Finland, Russia, and across the Bering Strait into the northernmost strip of North America. Several petroglyphs depict ships, and the large stone formations known as stone ships indicate that shipping played an important role in the culture. Canute (I) | king of England, Denmark, and Norway | Britannica Gold was used to make scabbard mountings and bracteates; notable examples are the Golden horns of Gallehus. Swedish Vikings: A Guide To Viking Age Swedes & Their Journeys [9], The sequence of kings presented below is given by the Hervarar saga, a saga written in the 12th or 13th century. Vikings in Denmark: History, Raids, Fate - Scandinavia Facts In the 7th millennium BC, when the reindeer and their hunters had moved for northern Scandinavia, forests had been established in the land. Who is the first King of Scandinavia? The beginning of the Viking Age is commonly given as 793, when Vikings pillaged the important British island monastery of Lindisfarne, and its end is marked by the unsuccessful invasion of England attempted by Harald Hrdrde in 1066 and the Norman conquest.[13]. Norway, which was in union with Sweden entered the union two years later, in 1875 by pegging its currency to gold at the same level as Denmark and Sweden (.403grams [2]). Maria Noyen. In the wave of Viking attacks in England after 851, only one kingdomWessexwas able to successfully resist. Denmark was still willing to enter into an alliance with Sweden, but the Swedes saw few advantages in this and the proposal fell. (Middle to Late Mesolithic), Scandinavia was populated by mobile or semi-sedentary groups about whom little is known. History of Scandinavia - Wikipedia On 4 November 1814, the Norwegian Parliament adopted the constitutional amendments required to enter a union with Sweden, and elected king Charles XIII as king of Norway. According to later Scandinavian sagas, Rollo, making himself independent of King Harald I of Norway, sailed off to raid Scotland, England, Flanders, and France on pirating expeditions. Sweden began consolidating its empire. Olaf I Tryggvason, King of Norway | Encyclopedia.com Both East India Companies folded over the course of the Napoleonic Wars. [7] The Icelandic sources are substantially different from his work, not only in the kings preceding Olof Sktkonung. As a result of the war, Russia supplanted Sweden as the dominant power on the Baltic Sea and became a major player in European politics. The Early History of Scandinavia - Origins, Vikings and More His sister, Sophie, gained renown as the first female scholar in Scandinavia. Who was Harald Fairhair, the first King of Norway? In scholarly circles today, there are two positions on Fairhair's . The Ynglinga saga presents the following line of Yngling kings of the Swedes: Sturluson's Ynglinga saga was created far too late to serve as a reliable source in regards to the events and kings it describes, being separated from the earliest ones by several centuries. [27] Denmark-Norway tried to remain neutral but became involved in the conflict after British demands to turn over the navy. As a result of the adoption of Christianity by the monarchy and eventually the entirety of the country, traditional shamanistic practices were marginalized and eventually persecuted. Besides, he was a monarch in 970. A plebiscite on 13 August confirmed the parliamentary decision. The Protestant Reformation came to Scandinavia in the 1530s, and Scandinavia soon became one of the heartlands of Lutheranism. Haakon the Good was the first king to make efforts to convert the whole country, but the rebellious pagan chieftains forced him to apostatize. Though the stories of some of the kings may be embellished tales of local rulers or chiefs that actually existed. The present monarch of Sweden is Carl XVI Gustaf, who came to the throne in 1973 at the age of 27. The Viking predecessorspirates who preyed on merchant ships in the Baltic Seawould use this knowledge to expand their fortune-seeking activities into the North Sea and beyond. This made King Sweyn of Denmark angry. Wait a moment and try again. These two tribes, the Cimbri and the Teutons, initially inflicted the heaviest losses that Rome had suffered since the Second Punic War. Several other wars with Poland, Denmark-Norway, and German countries enabled further Swedish expansion, although there were some setbacks such as the Kalmar War. Beyond that, there is little evidence of Viking presence in the New World, and they didnt form permanent settlements. They also desired Norway for its ice-free ports. The name Viking came from the Scandinavians themselves, from the Old Norse word "vik" (bay or creek) which formed the root of "vikingr" (pirate). Bronze continued to be used for torques and kettles, the style of which were a continuity from the Bronze Age. Denmark voted no to the Maastricht Treaty in 1992, but reversed the decision after negotiating opt-outs. Odin, also called Wodan, Woden, or Wotan, one of the principal gods in Norse mythology. List of legendary kings of Sweden - Wikipedia [30], The Scandinavian Monetary Union was a monetary union formed by Sweden and Denmark on 5 May 1873, by fixing their currencies against the gold standard at par to each other. The final few kings considered part of the Muns dynasty by the Icelandic sagas; Eric the Victorious, Olof Sktkonung, Anund Jacob and Emund the Old, were real historical kings, though that does not mean that their legendary ancestors were real historical figures. Baron Karl Otto Mrner, an obscure member of the Diet, was the one who initially extended the offer of the Swedish crown to the young soldier. In 844, Vikings stormed Seville (then controlled by the Arabs); in 859, they plundered Pisa, though an Arab fleet battered them on the way back north. ", Erik Thomson, "Beyond the Military State: Sweden's Great Power Period in Recent Historiography,". Vikings founded Kievan Rus in the mid-9th century, but Scandanavian settlements in Eastern Europe actually date back to at least A.D. 750. Neither the place nor the date of his birth is known. Sweden required a little more time to transition to Christianity, with indigenous religious practices commonly held in localized communities well until the end of the eleventh century. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), https://www.history.com/topics/exploration/vikings-history. This new people advanced up to Uppland and the Oslofjord, and they probably provided the language that was the ancestor of the modern Scandinavian languages. [4] The Ynglings are described in the Ynglinga saga as the first royal blood line of the Swedes. No more Danish attempts would be made to re-create the Kalmar Union following this war. Harald Fairhair (c. 870-c. 930) is generally recognized as Norway's first true king. During Vasa's reign the right to inherit the Swedish crown was ratified through so called succession agreements. [16] Though descent from figures such as Odin and Njord, gods in Norse mythology, might seem a prestigious origin, it would be problematic in early medieval Norway since the kings were Christian and their ancestors were worshipped as Pagan gods. Many were buried without burning, but the burning tradition later regained its popularity. As Ivar is described as building a vast empire, including parts of Britain and northern Germany, it is unlikely that contemporary and later writers in Europe would not have written of him, had he existed. A new constitution was introduced, and his uncle Charles XIII was enthroned. in Jaime Reis, ed.. Johan den Hertog and Samul Kruizinga, eds. [8] Historical evidence of early geopolitics in Scandinavia suggests that larger political structures, kingdoms such as medieval Sweden, Norway and Denmark, did not form until the late Viking Age. Although it was from its outset a religious conflict between Protestants and Catholics, the self-preservation of the Habsburg dynasty was also a central motive. When it became known that the western alliance would not be able to supply the Scandinavian countries with armaments before meeting their own pressing needs, this issue ultimately proved to be the turning point for Norway, which resigned from the talks. By formulating a law that made Christianity the official religion, but also that religious practice in the private sphere was outside of the law, he managed to stave off the threat from Norway, limiting the feuds and avoiding an religiously motivated civil war.[23]. He became King after defeating rival jarls and taking over their lands. [20] In some respects, the royal sequence is more correct in the Langfegatal; Swedish medieval sources tend to omit the kings Anund Jacob and Emund the Old, who can be verified through foreign documents and through the coins they minted, and where the Swedish sources present kings as successive, some (such as Inge the Elder) are known to have co-ruled with others, which is accurately presented in the Icelandic versions.[22]. [1] April 26th, 2023, 3:18 AM PDT. The Finnish War was fought between Sweden and Russia from February 1808 to September 1809. Margaret I | queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden | Britannica HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. During the fall of the Roman empire, there was an abundance of gold that flowed into Scandinavia, and there are excellent works in gold from this period.