VIKINGAKUNGEN HARALD BLÅTANDS GRAV FUNNEN
fredag 1 april 2022
HARALD BLÅTANDS GRAV FUNNEN
torsdag 20 januari 2022
Vikingarna och deras största slag
Vikingatiden i de skandinaviska länderna sträckte sig från omkring 750 till 1100 efter Kristi födelse. Vikingar kallades de sjöburna krigare och handelsmän som då det begav sig sände skräckvågor genom hela Europa.
I norra Frankrike bads i kyrkorna under 800-talet och framöver ”För nordmännens raseri, bevare oss milde Herre Gud” (på latin A furore Normannorum libera nos) och det fanns det all anledning till.
793 landade vikingar vid Lindisfarne på den engelska ostkusten och plundrade klostret där på dess dyrbarheter och slog ihjäl många av munkarna. De hade dock låtit tala om sig redan innan dess. Vikingarna deltog i ett stort antal fält- och sjöslag som beskrivs i boken Vikingarnas största slag (Lind & Co 2021) av den norske historikern Kim Hjardar.
Det första slag som beskrivs i boken stod vid Bråvalla – antingen vid Bråvalla i Östergötland eller Bråvalla hed i Småland. Det framstod enligt Hjardar (sidan 25) ”för vikingatidens människor som en av de mest mytomspunna och avgörande händelserna i den fornnordiska krigarkulturens kollektiva medvetande.”
Slaget beskrivs i Saxo Grammaticus verk Gesta Danorum. Här räknas en rad krigare från hela den fornnordiska världen upp som deltagare. Svear, västgötar och norrmän ställdes under befäl av sveakonungen Sigurd Ring mot daner, östgötar, saxare, slaver och livländare vilka leddes av danernas kung Harald Hildetand. Många skall ha stupat och bland dessa fanns Harald Hildetand.
Slagets betydelse omvittnas av att dess händelser berättades i sekler efteråt i de kretsar som omgav Skandinaviens konungar och hövdingar. Motivet till slaget är onekligen litet speciellt. Kung Harald Hildetand hade blivit gammal (enligt sägnen runt 150 år) och ville inte dö den så kallade sotdöden, som inte skulle göra honom kvalificerad att nå det hägrande Valhall. Han föreslog därför sin brorson och lydkonung, Sigurd Ring, att de skulle utkämpa ett slag i syfte att utverka biljetten till Valhall.
Slaget vid Bråvalla anses av Kim Hjardar ha varit centralt på så sätt att det illustrerar vikingatidens viktigaste ideal: ordhållighet, offervilja för ledaren, hjältemodig kamp intill döden och respekt för de som hade stupat vilka ansågs helgade åt den högste asaguden, Oden. Motiv från slaget har återfunnits på fragment till bildvävar i den berömda Osebergsgraven från år 834. Ett antal framstående kvinnliga kämpar skall ha medverkat i slaget.
Ett annat berömt vikingaslag stod vid Fyrisvallarna i Gamla Uppsala cirka 985. Sveakungen Erik Björnsson Segersäll och hans mannar mötte här en dansk-vendisk här anförd av brorsonen och jomsvikingen Styrbjörn Starke. Det blev en förkrossande seger för konung Erik, som nu kom att dominera Skandinavien inklusive Danmark. Styrbjörn dog på slagfältet.
Erik Segersäll avled 995.
Ytterligare ett vida berömt slag från vikingaepoken är slaget vid Svolder omkring den 9 september år 1000. Det omnämns av en rad historieskrivare inklusive Adam av Bremen och på runstenar, men det har ändå inte gått att fastställa exakt var slaget utkämpades. Hjardar nöjer sig med upplysningen ”någonstans i Öresund”.
Förlorare vid Svolder-drabbningen var den norske konungen Olav Tryggvason. Han är bland annat känd för att på ett brutalt sätt ha berett väg för kristendomens införande i Norge. Följden blev att danskarna kunde återta kontrollen över Norge. Enligt källorna hade Olav bara elva skepp till sitt förfogande jämfört med den danske monarken Sven Tveskäggs 70-tal. Bland den förstnämndes skepp fanns dock den legendariska Ormen långe, det största skepp som sägs ha byggts under vikingatiden.
Även den svenske kungen Olof Skötkonung samt jomsvikingarnas hövding Sigvald jarl fanns med vid slaget. Dessa skall med gemensamma krafter ha lurat Olav Tryggvason i en fälla. Det hjälpte inte att Olav och hans mannar slogs frenetiskt för sina liv och sin ära. En av Olavs män var den skicklige bågskytten Einar Tambaskjelve.
Denne stod i aktern på Ormen långe och försökte med sina pilar träffa Sigvald jarl, men när han spände bågen för tredje gången brast strängen. ”Vad brast så ljudligt där?” skall Olav ha frågat. Svaret blev enligt legenden: ”Norge ur dina händer, konung.”
Det var inte bara i Skandivien som vikingarna lät vapnen tala. Hjardar redovisar således flera slag på utländsk botten i anslutning till platser såsom Nantes, Konstantinopel, Paris, Hop (mellan Nova Scotia och Cape Cod i Nordamerika) i det som vikingarna benämnde Vinland och Stamford Bridge i England.
Under den period som blivit känd som vikingatiden ökade befolkningen i det skandinaviska området samtidigt som skeppsbyggarkonsten utvecklades. De mer företagsamma bland den jordbrukande manliga befolkningen beslutade sig därför att bege sig ut i världen och ta för sig av det som fanns. Vikingarna är visserligen kända som hänsynslösa krigare men ägnade sig också med framgång åt exempelvis handel och stadsgrundande.
År 841 grundades sålunda Dublin på Irland av nordmän, en alternativ beteckning för vikingar. Bosättningen förnyades 917. Vikingarna underkastade sig senare de normandiska erövrarna och försvann så småningom ur bilden.
Under slutet av vikingatiden tog många av de asatroende nordmännen intryck av kristendomen och kom att anamma tron på ”Vite Krist”, som de kallade Jesus Kristus. Därom vittnar talrika, korsförsedda runstenar.
måndag 1 november 2021
Viking Burials Uncovered on Scottish Island
In 2015, a previously hidden Viking cemetery was uncovered on the north east coast of Papa Westray, Orkney. We’re thrilled to have secured funding to learn more about the site.
We commissioned AOC Archaeology to carry out a series of small-scale excavations on:
- a rare boat burial
- a richly furnished grave
- stone-built cairns, which may have a funerary association.
Although far from being the only Viking-age graves in Orkney, these burials give us a valuable opportunity to investigate the remains using cutting-edge scientific techniques and analysis.
Post-excavation work on the human remains and artefacts has only just begun, but the results so far are tantalising!
What, Where, When?
The burials were discovered atop a windblown sand ridge above the seashore, looking out to the Holm of Papa.
Various landscape surveys conducted over the last 30 years, including one by our predecessor body the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) in 1982, identified a typical Orkney ‘farm mound’. That’s a deposit of soft loamy, brown earth with a few limpet shells exposed by erosion. This could relate to prehistoric or early medieval activity, but we don’t have any previous record of burials there.
In March 2015 the landowner discovered human bones and, recognising their potential significance, swiftly contacted Orkney Council Archaeologist, Julie Gibson.
Once it was confirmed the bones were human and likely to be very old, AOC carried out an excavation under our human remains call-off contract. This is a rapid response programme designed to investigate and recover unexpected discoveries of archaeological human remains.
Secret in the sand dunes
Excavation of the burial and surrounding area found a body placed within a simple grave cut into the sand. There was no evidence of a coffin, stone lining or grave marker.
The body had been laid in the grave in a crouched position on its right side, spine slightly curved and legs crossed. We didn’t find any grave goods (items buried along with the body), but immediately around the bones the sand was discoloured and stained due to the decomposition of organic remains such as body tissues and/or clothing.
An initial assessment of the human remains by AOC osteologist, Dr Rachel Ives, suggests the individual was a mature adult, possibly male. Radiocarbon dating of a bone sample confirmed the burial is Iron Age in date, pre-dating subsequent burials by over 1,000 years.
A Viking Boat
Just a few months after this incredible discovery, another deposit of human remains was found nearby.
Investigation of the exposed remains and surrounding area revealed a stone edged grave, cut underneath the remains of disturbed cairn.
But it quickly became clear this was not a simple burial.
AOC found linear organic stains in the sand from timber planks and a scatter of iron clench bolts. Further work revealed over 200 iron fittings of a form typically associated with clinker-built timber boats.
The boat would have measured between around 4.8 m long and 1.4 m wide. It’s likely the grave originally had a low mound of stone covering it. An upright stone at the east end of the grave, marking the prow, is almost certainly a grave marker.
This is particularly exciting because only ten boat burials from this period have been found to date in Scotland. Most were excavated in the 19th century, meaning they haven’t been recorded to modern archaeological standards.
Another discovery
In August 2015, AOC returned to investigate yet another find!
Excavation revealed the remains of a truncated rectangular stone cairn. Below this mound was a burial in a stone-lined grave. Many of the slabs used to line the grave had collapsed, covering the remains of a person buried with a fascinating suite of grave goods.
The body had been laid on their right side in a crouched position. Despite damage caused by the collapsed stone slabs the skeleton was well preserved, with the exception of the feet.
After the body had been placed in the grave a large iron sword, possibly still within its scabbard, was laid across it. The hilt pointed towards the feet and the tip of the blade was across the face. A shield boss was found at the individual’s shoulder, suggesting a wooden shield had also been placed over the body during the burial.
A bundle of wooden and iron objects was found behind the skeleton. They were block lifted in the field by AOC’s senior conservator, Gretel Evans. It’s possible these represent a collection of iron arrowheads, but we need to carry out further work to investigate this theory.
Other objects awaiting analysis and conservation include a large knife (or possibly a spearhead); and a group of iron tools, textiles and organics.
What happens next?
Similarities with burials previously uncovered at Scar suggest the graves may belong to first-generation Norwegian settlers. The discoveries could provide us with a wealth of information on Orkney’s Viking community during the 10th century.
We’re hugely excited to be able to sponsor post-excavation work on the human remains and artefacts.
A detailed programme is now being prepared to find out more. It will include bone and artefact analysis, radiocarbon dating and conservation by an internationally renowned team of experts.
måndag 25 oktober 2021
The Historical Truth Behind Lagertha
Lagertha is one of the main characters in the Irish-Canadian TV series ‘Vikings’ from History Channel. From all of the main characters (i.e. Ragnar Lothbrok, Rollo, Björn, or Aslaug), she has been the most accurately portrayed in the show (from the historical point of view) thus far. However, there are still certain inaccuracies which stem from the artistic license of the producers and writers of the serial.
According to the legend, Lagertha was a Norwegian Viking shieldmaiden who subsequently married famed Norse chieftain Ragnar Lothbrok. Her life and deeds were recorded by the Danish scholar Saxo Grammaticus (known as Saxo the Grammarist in English) during the 12th century in one of his works entitled ‘Gesta Danorum’ (or ‘The Deeds of the Danes’ in translation). She is particularly remarked in Book IX of the aforementioned medieval manuscript.
It is quite likely that the way Saxo Grammaticus mentioned her in this chapter (namely ‘Lathgertha’) may have been a Latinised form of the Old Norse name ‘Hlaðgerðr’ (Hladgerdr). Additionally, she can be equally found in English language sources under slight variations such as ‘Ladgertha’ or ‘Ladgerda’.
Lagertha played by Canadian actress Katheryn Winnick in History Channel’s ‘Vikings’. Image source: www.fanuru.com
According to ‘Gesta Danorum’, her life as a longtime warrior began at the point when Frø, a semi-legendary Swedish king, invaded early medieval Norway and murdered the Norwegian king of the time by the name Siward. After this, Frø, a tyrant by nature, eventually relocated the women belonging to Siward’s family in a brothel, as a sign of defiance and public humiliation. When Ragnar Lothbrok heard the news about the death of king Siward, he decided to avenge him. As a matter of fact, he and king Siward were believed to have been relatives (with Siward being his grandfather according to a legend).
During the clash in which Lothbrok took part, the women who had been humiliated by Frø dressed themselves in men’s clothing and fought against Frø on behalf of Ragnar. Lagertha was the leader amongst them and played a pivotal part in Frø’s defeat.
Saxo Grammaticus depicted her in his chronicle as a brave amazon ‘who though a maiden, had the courage of a man’. So it was that, after the defeat of Frø, according to the same chronicle written by Saxo Grammaticus, Ragnar, impressed by how boldly she had fought in that fierce battle, sought her hand. She eventually accepted and together they had a son by the name Fridleif (instead of Björn, as scripted in the TV series) as well as two daughters.
Not long thereafter, Ragnar divorced Lagertha in order to mary Thora Borgarhjört (who was the daughter of the King of Sweden Herraud). Because of this, Lagertha had slain him and ruled over Norway herself, without sharing the throne with her former husband anymore.
There is much debate regarding the historicity of Lagertha (as well as regarding the other characters from ‘Gesta Danorum’) to as how real was she during the Viking Age. Some historians claim that Lagertha is a fictional character, others that she must have been a certain woman by the name Thorgerd who is described in other early medieval chronicles of the 6th century.
Documentation sources and external links:
- Better to Rule Alone: Lagertha on www.hubpages.com
- Lagertha: The Real Shieldmaiden on www.normandescendants.org
- Lagertha on www.wikipedia.org (in English)
- The Danish History/Book IX on www.en.wikisource.org (in English)
- Women in the Viking Age by Judith Jesch on Google Books (in English)
fredag 17 september 2021
Viking silver treasure uncovered in Täby in Stockholm
A 1000-year-old silver hoard containing several beautiful torque-style neck rings, arm rings and coins has been discovered in Viggbyholm, Täby, outside Stockholm. “This is something you probably only experience once in a lifetime”, says Maria Lingström at The Archaeologists, National Historical Museums in Sweden.
A unique treasure hoard dating from the Viking Age has been uncovered in Täby, Stockholm. Consisting of arm rings, coins and eight torque-style neck rings. Photo: The Archaeologists
The treasure was found during an archeological excavation of a Viking Age settlement in Täby outside Stockholm, an area thought to have been inhabited for several hundred years. The archeologists have found more than 20 houses and buildings, the earliest dating from around 400 AD, continuing into the Viking Age (800–1050 AD) and early Middle Ages. The treasure was buried under what was once a wooden floor in a building. The coins were deposited in a pouch made of linen, which together with the jewellery had been put into a small ceramic pot.
– When I started to carefully remove the neck rings one by one, I had this extraordinary feeling of “they just keep coming and coming”. In total there were eight high quality torque-style neck rings, extraordinary well preserved despite having been made and deposited almost a thousand years ago. They looked almost completely new, Maria Lingström says.
In addition to the neck rings, two arm rings, one ring, two pearls and 12 coin pendants (coins used as jewellery), were found in the ceramic pot. Why the inhabitants chose to hide some of their most valuable objects and bury them in the ground, is at the moment unclear, but several theories exist.
– One common interpretation is that people hid and buried their treasures in difficult and tumultuous times. We have yet to see if that was the case here, archaeologist John Hamilton says.
The coins are a perfect example of the far-reaching connections and blossoming trade, which flourished in Viking Age Scandinavia. Several coins are of European origin, representing countries as England, Bohemia and Bavaria. In addition, the treasure consisted of five Arabic coins, so called dirhams. One of the European coins is extremely rare and was minted in the city of Rouen, in Normandy, France. It dates to approximately the 10th Century AD. According to Professor Jens Christian Moesgaard at Stockholm University, this type of coin has previously ever been identified from drawings in an 18th century book.
The Archaeologists also found other objects, such as arrows, quernstones, and beautiful amulet rings, within the area. But the discovery of a silver treasure was somewhat unexpected.
– This is something you probably only experience once in a lifetime, says Maria Lingström.
Contact information
Archaeologist Maria Lingström +46 (0)10 480 80 50
Archaeologist and Project Manager John Hamilton +46 (0)10 480 80 77
Archaeologist and Project Manager Magnus Lindberg +46 (0)10 480 81 25
Press photos and films available on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/arkeologiuv/albums/72157716815357207
All press photos and film clips are free to use for media and in publications. Byline for photos taking during the excavation is “The Archaeologists” or “The Archaeologists, NHM”. (National Historical Museums).
The photos of the coins, the ring being cleaned and the collected treasure with a white background are from “Acta Konserveringscentrum”. A conservatory company in Stockholm.
Download the press release (PDF)
måndag 2 augusti 2021
VIKINGASKATT UPPHITTAD PÅ ISLE OF MAN














