Consolidation of Sweden: Difference between revisions

Content deleted Content added

Inline

Revision as of 09:14, 18 May 2006

Approximate borders of "Sweden" in the 12th century. Blue and yellow represents the Geats and Suiones tribes; their unification represents one commonly held view of the consolidation into Sweden

Unlike Norway and Denmark, there is no specific time that is generally agreed on concerning when Sweden can be called unified. A common approach attributes this role to those kings who can be proven to have been kings of both Svealand and Götaland in the 12th century, in effect unifying them into a state covering both the east and west coast.

The process was however gradual. According to later legends, already a 7th century king called Ingjald illråde ("ill-ruler") burnt a number of subordinate kings to death inside his hall, resulting in the abolishment of the petty kingdoms. This story might be fictious, but it seems to give an indication of the slow and violent character of the power-concentration process.

In both Medieval Icelandic sources and in contemporary Swedish sources, Sweden and Götaland were two separate nations. In Sögubrot af Nokkrum[1] for instance, Kolmården between Svealand and Ostrogothia is described as the border between Sweden and Ostrogothia (...Kolmerkr, er skilr Svíþjóð ok Eystra-Gautland...), and in Hervarar saga [2], king Ingold I rides from Westrogothia to Sweden through Smalandia and Ostrogothia: Ingi konungr fór með hirð sína ok sveit nokkura ok hafði lítinn her. Hann reið austr um Smáland ok í eystra Gautland ok svá í Svíþjóð. The lord Bo Jonsson Grip was probably the one who was best acquainted with the geography of the Swedish kingdom since he owned more than half of it. In 1384, he stated in his testament that the kingdom consisted of Swerige (Sweden, i.e. Svealand), Österland (i.e. Finland) and Göthaland (i.e. Götaland).

Since there are several perspectives on what constitutes Sweden, anyone wanting to establish the date for the unification/beginning/birth of Sweden has to define what they mean by "Sweden" and how they delimit the stages in the evolution of a nation, a country or a state.

What is generally agreed on is that Sweden went through a process of consolidation in the early Middle Ages. The current borders of Sweden, however, not laid until in the 17th century, with the treaty of Roskilde and the treaty of Brömsebro, annexing all the present territories.

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 Unlike [[Norway]] and [[Denmark]], there is no specific time that is generally agreed on concerning when Sweden can be called ''unified''.  A common approach attributes this role to those kings who can be proven to have been kings of both [[Svealand]] and [[Götaland]] in the [[12th century]], in effect unifying them into a state covering both the east and west coast.
-The process was however gradual. In the [[7th century]], [[Ingjald|Ingjald illråde]] ("ill-ruler") burnt a number of subordinate kings to death inside his hall, resulting in the abolishment of the [[petty kingdoms]]. The current borders of Sweden were however not laid until in the [[17th century]], with the [[treaty of Roskilde]] and the [[treaty of Brömsebro]], annexing all the present territories.
+The process was however gradual. According to later legends, already a 7th century king called [[Ingjald|Ingjald illråde]] ("ill-ruler") burnt a number of subordinate kings to death inside his hall, resulting in the abolishment of the [[petty kingdoms]]. This story might be fictious, but it seems to give an indication of the slow and violent character of the power-concentration process.
 In both Medieval Icelandic sources and in contemporary Swedish sources, Sweden and Götaland were two separate nations. In ''[[Sögubrot af Nokkrum]]''[http://www.snerpa.is/net/forn/sogubrot.htm] for instance, [[Kolmården]] between Svealand and [[Ostrogothia]] is described as the border between Sweden and Ostrogothia (...''Kolmerkr, er skilr Svíþjóð ok Eystra-Gautland''...), and in [[Hervarar saga]][http://www.snerpa.is/net/forn/hervar.htm], king [[Ingold I]] rides from [[Westrogothia]] to Sweden through [[Smalandia]] and [[Ostrogothia]]: ''Ingi konungr fór með hirð sína ok sveit nokkura ok hafði lítinn her. Hann reið austr um Smáland ok í eystra Gautland ok svá í Svíþjóð''.  The lord [[Bo Jonsson Grip]] was probably the one who was best acquainted with the geography of the Swedish kingdom since he owned more than half of it. In [[1384]], he stated in his testament that the kingdom consisted of ''Swerige'' (Sweden, i.e. Svealand), ''Österland'' (i.e. [[Finland]]) and ''Göthaland'' (i.e. [[Götaland]]).
@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 Since there are several perspectives on what constitutes ''Sweden'', anyone wanting to establish the date for the unification/beginning/birth of Sweden has to define what they mean by "Sweden" and how they delimit the stages in the evolution of a [[nation]], a [[country]] or a [[state]].
-What is generally agreed on is that Sweden went through a process of consolidation in the early Middle Ages.
+What is generally agreed on is that Sweden went through a process of consolidation in the early Middle Ages. The current borders of Sweden, however, not laid until in the [[17th century]], with the [[treaty of Roskilde]] and the [[treaty of Brömsebro]], annexing all the present territories.
 == See also ==