The Unsuccessful Viking Raid to Finland

Austrvegr - the Viking East Road, was a trade route through the southern archipelago of Finland during the Iron Age. Along the route, Vikings travelled as far as Novgorod, Constantinople and even Baghdad.

The East Road began at Arholma in Sweden and ran through Åland to the south-western outer archipelago of Finland where, for example, the strait between Hiittinen and Rosala, then known as Örsund, was an important port and trading post.

The eastward route was used not only by Vikings but also by other travellers and traders, and an old Danish document shows how the journey from Hiittis continued to Hanko and from there to Räävel, i.e. present-day Tallinn. This document also lists other places to stay overnight and ports, or general, important locations where it was favourable to wait for the winds to change.

The inhabitants of the Finnish coastal area traded extensively in summer with those sailing on the east coast, but as a precautionary measure, most of this trade took place only in the outer archipelago, since on the mainland there would have been a risk of robbery and attack by potentially greedy travellers.

A question that has long intrigued Finns and others, and to which no conclusive answer has yet been given, is whether the Vikings visited other parts of Finland than just the southernmost coasts.

It may be worth noting that Finland as we understand it today did not exist, of course. There were no land borders. There was no single Finnish nation. We were a collage of tribes speaking different Finno-Ugric languages. And this is part of the reason why the idea of a poor, Viking-era Finland, inhabited from the outskirts, is deeply rooted in the academy.

Mikko Moilanen, an archaeologist and blacksmith specialising in Viking swords, writes in his book 'Viking swords in Finland' how the large number of sword finds challenges these deep-rooted perceptions. The assumption that Viking swords in Finland were only acquired by village chiefs or otherwise wealthy individuals is simply wrong. The number of finds clearly indicates that others could have afforded swords.

Finland has the third largest number of Viking Age swords in the world, with more than 400. What makes this remarkable is that this number is even higher than in Iceland, Denmark and the Baltic countries, and only in the Viking countries of origin, Sweden and Norway, is the number of sword finds more abundant.

As many as 31 of the famous Ulfberth swords have been found. The majority of the finds are inland rather than on the coast. It should also be mentioned that the total number of Ulfberth sword finds worldwide is only around 170, of which 44 were found in Norway. So Finland's 31 finds are a very significant and important number.

So where did these swords come from? Barter or plunder?

I'm creating a multipart series on this topic. Here is a link to the first part on YouTube



Enjoy

I believe there had been several small confrontations between Vikings and the Finns. Vikings were terrified about Finns and area which is now Finland was filled with mysticism, spells and brutality also hard cursing. Also there were mixing too between them. People of Finland were not so isolated after all. Many Finns has Viking blood in them ( genetic studies proof this )


Got some Viking blood too according dna testing in several firms my Viking index is 68% ( Swedish 30%+Finns + Kievan Rus )

What comes to Archaeology in Finland there is not enough manpower or money to study all the places where there has been archaeological finds
Museoverkko

What comes to Archaeology in Finland there is not enough manpower or money

Then there are sweds, they dont want anything to be found here. they probably are hissing at this conversation right now, while measuring stolen Finnish skulls for racist reasons.

They should give the skulls back already.

a reply to: XipeTotex

Why Pälkäne skulls are still in Sweden.. i see no reason why those are not returned yet.. something sinister ? Or Finns had just more cranial size than sweds and that information needs to be kept in secret (sarcasm )?

a reply to: dollukka

Yes, many confrontations between the Finnish tribes and the Vikings. This series of mine will address a few of them.

a reply to: dollukka

Just your basic grave robbing swede and politics.

a reply to: XipeTotex

Lol i am not swede...

originally posted by: dollukka
a reply to: XipeTotex

Lol i am not swede...

No, I suspect it was your ancestors who were cutting the _______s off of anyone invading their country

Cheers

a reply to: F2d5thCavv2

Mostly that and identify that tho i am not completely that either I´m complicated ...

originally posted by: dollukka
a reply to: XipeTotex

Lol i am not swede...

Oh i was not implying that, just said why they are like they are.