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INTRODUCTION.
Early Sweden and Its inhabitants. — The territory inhabited by the early
Swedes was but a part of what is now known as the country of Sweden. The
Lapps and Finns lived in the northern districts, and occupied a large portion
of what is now called Norrland. The Norwegians held considerable territory
in the west and northwest, and the extreme southern part was inhabited by
the Danes.
It is not definitely known, when Sweden was first inhabited by the
Swedes, only so much is certain, that it must have occurred very early, and
that the earliest settlements evidently were made around the large lakes in the
southern central part of the country.
It has formerly been held, that several successive large immigrations into
Sweden have taken place, and that thus the people inhabiting the country
during each of the successive ages, the Stone age, the Bronze age and the Iron
age, was a distinct people with a peculiar form of civilization, each in turn
conquering its predecessor and occupying the country. This theory is no
longer adhered to, since later investigations have conclusively proven, that
the same race of people has occupied the country throughout all these ages
and developed one form of civilization after the other, and that consequently
the same people, mainly, which occupies Sweden of to-day, has lived there
since time immemorial.
The early inhabitants of Sweden were in the main one people, speaking
the same language, and having the same religion and the same historical
traditions. Some differences existed, however, with reference to social order
and government. In this they were divided. No national government existed
at first. The country was divided into what we may call states —landskap—,
each state having its own government and managing its own affairs. Two of
these states gradually extended their dominion over neighboring states and
settlements until they became the two leading states. In time one of these
states — Upland — with its tributaries gained ascendency over the other —
Västergötland and its neighboring states — in so far, that the king of the
former was chosen king also of the latter. Later kings were chosen from
Västergötland. The power of the king was at first only nominal, especially in
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