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- II. Land and People from the Heathen Period
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CHAPTER II.
LAND AND PEOPLE FROM THE HEATHEN PERIOD.
VIEW OF THE COUNTRY, AND THE PROGRESS OF SETTLEMENT. POLITY AND MANNERS.
With the ninth century, the light of history rises
more bright over the north. In the dawning of
this light which, emanating from a new age and
the approach of Christianity, casts its rays even
upon the last days of the heathen period, let us
inquire: what were the land and the people in times
of old? To this question we will attempt an
answer, not drawn from uncertain conjectures, which
might have free play upon a boundless field, but
founding ourselves upon the testimony of a definite
age, historically known at least in its general
character. Subsidiary evidence may be educed from
other sources; we will seek for it in the
exterior nature of the north, and in the graves of our
forefathers. The former, with us, does not easily
change its original aspect, while the latter cover
our land, marking the old dwelling-places of its
inhabitants, and the shades of the barrows are yet
to be summoned forth by the spell of love and
knowledge. We will consult nature as well as
memory, and search the land of the dead that we
may judge of that of the living. Thus we may
perchance succeed in combining many scattered
features into the picture of a whole which may be
consonant to the truth, and may contrive, from
what is known, to shed some light upon the more
remote, the darker, the unknown.
First, in what form does the land reveal itself to
our view through the twilight of the old sagas?
Commencing with the south, Scania at this time
presents an already ancient cultivation, surpassing
even that of more southerly adjacent countries.
Originally, as the name seems to intimate [1], a
marsh-land, where the ure-ox, the elk, and the
rein-deer once roamed in primeval woods, of which
the roots are still dug up in the dried mosses of
the levels, it was famed for the fertility of its soil,
the variety of its staple wares, and the number of
its martial inhabitants [2], while the interior of
Jutland was still a wilderness [3], and Germany was
covered with dense forests. In the Sound, of the
shortest passage across which at Helsingborg we
find ancient mention [4], every summer of the ninth
century saw the fleet of the Islesmen [5], which drew
an ample freight of fish from the teeming coasts, or
brought back meal, wheat, and honey from the
then celebrated Scanian fair which was held in the
autumn. About the same time Lund is mentioned
as a place of considerable trade, surrounded with
a wooden barrier, where gold or other property
gained by piracy was stored up for security [6],
although itself a mark for the attacks of the
sea-robbers who swarmed every where in these
waters.
Scania, from which Ivar Widfamne is said to
have issued to conquer both Sweden and Denmark,
was at first a kingdom in itself, but is reckoned as
belonging to the Danes in the oldest short description
of the northern countries at the end of the
ninth century [7]. Afterwards it is called the fairest
part of Denmark, although sometimes severed
from its dominion, bearing the yoke reluctantly,
successfully resisting the whole Danish force, and
excelling Zealand and Jutland in men and
weapons [8]. Halland and Bleking are distinguished
as offshoots of Scania [9], stretching towards
Norway [10] and Gothland, and were comprehended
under that name [11], sometimes even after the Danes
established their dominion in this quarter. Halland
is spoken of towards the end of the heathen age as
a poor district, offering small allurement even to
the rapacity of the sea-robbers [12]; in the eleventh
century, oak and beech woods abounded [13]. In the
ninth, Bleking is still reckoned as belonging to
[1] Skaun, in Icelandic, means a marshy country. The
word indeed is pronounced Skœn, while Skane, on the other
hand, was formerly pronounced Skaune, as the inhabitants
still do; but such vocalic changes are not unfrequent. Thus
the word gang was formerly written gaung and göng; the
word lang, both lang, laung, and löng. The old name is
Skán-ey, the island of Skane, Sconia insula in Adam of
Bremen, since it is surrounded by the sea on three sides.
[2] Sconia armata viris, opulenta frugibus, divesque mercibus.
Adam. Bremens. de situ Daniæ.
[3] Terra salsuginis et vastæ solitudinis. Porro, cum omnes
tractus Germaniæ profundis horreant saltibus, sola Jutland
cæteris horridior. l. c.
[4] A Seland in Sconiam trajectus multo brevissimus in
Halsingeburg, qui et videri potest. l. c. 57. Helsingiaborg
is mentioned (about 993) in Nial’s Saga, c. 83; and in the
same decennary also Hiostad (Ystad), in Scania. Torfæus,
Hist. Norv. iii. 3. Helsingör is without doubt the same
Halseiri in Denmark, which is called in the Fœreyinga
Saga, c. i., the greatest market of the north. Halsa means
to take in sail and lie into the land. Hence, and not from
any migration of Helsingers, the name Halsöre or Helsingör,
Halsingborg or Helsingborg, as well as Halsehamn to the
north, on the point of the Scanian promontory named
Kullen.
[5] Eyrarfloti. Egils Saga, Havn. 1809, p. 78, 79.
[6] Civitas Lundona, aurum ibi plurimum, quod raptu
congeritur. Ad. Brem. 56.
[7] Narrative of the Travels of Ottar and Ulfsten, given in
the Anglo-Saxon translation of the History of Orosius,
ascribed to king Alfred; last edited by Rask.
[8] Viris et armis præstantior esse probatur. Helmold
Chron. Slav. 1. i. c. 85.
[9] Hallandia et Blekingia ab integritate Sconiæ, ceu rami
duplices ex unius arboris stipite promeantes. Saxo, Præf.
[10] At the time, that is, when Norway extended to the
Göta-elf. Gotelba fluvius a Nordmannis Gothiam separat,
says the Scholiast upon Adam of Bremen, de Situ Dan. 60.
[11] The Knytlinga Saga speaks of Halland in Scania
(Halland á Skáney).
[12] Var land ecki audigt. Egils Saga, p. 246.
[13] Knytlinga Saga, c. 28.
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