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64 A History of Sweden
With rest and quiet secured, the country soon began
to experience the blessings of peace. At this time the
herring came in such shoals to Oresund that one could
literally scoop up the fish with the hands into the boats.
This region became the center of traffic in this food
supply, so important at that time, especially during the
long period of lent, when other flesh-food was forbid-
den. Every fall a great fair was held there, to which
came merchants not only from Denmark, but from
many other lands as well. This traffic made Denmark
prosperous. The people could now afford a higher
standard of living. Their purchasing power was in-
creased. Peasants were encouraged to cultivate their
lands better and to increase their crops and herds.
As agriculture became so profitable, the peasants
devoted themselves with greater zeal to this occupa-
tion, and their love for military enterprises waned.
Neither were they now as serviceable in war as for-
merly, since in southern and central Europe a change
was taking place in methods of warfare. Mounted sol-
diers equipped themselves and their steeds with iron
armor, and fought with long lances and heavy swords.
Such equipment was so expensive that most peasants
could not afford it. King Waldemar entered into an
agreement with the chief peasants that they should
provide such forces in lieu of paying taxes or in return
for certain privileges. Thus was formed out of the chief
peasants a new military order, a tax-free nobility.
King Waldemar’s military campaigns along the Bal-
tic were continued by his immediate successors till Den-
mark at length possessed a continuous territory from
the North Sea, along the southern and eastern shores
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