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SURVEY OF ITS HISTORY.
S3
the Swedes (the Varingians) up the great rivers, further and further into the
eastern continent, whose loosely united tribes could not resist their march. By
the year S(i2, the Varingians had founded a dominion here, which, however,
soon fell to pieces again; but in a short time messengers came to Sweden —
probably from the Swedes who had remained in the East — demanding chiefs.
It was then that Rörel■ (or Rurik), at the head of "all the Rus" — i.e., the
entire Swedish contingent of enlisted sea-warriors of the east coast ("Rodslagen") —
founded a dominion around Lake Ladoga and the city of Novgorod, which from
his warriors — "rodsbyggare" or "rodsmännen" — at length obtained the name
of Russia, and soon extended over the greater part of eastern Europe. From
thence, the Viking fleets pursued their way down to the Caspian Sea, while
Swedish Varingians in great hosts offered their services to the Emperor at
Byzantium, and to the King of Georgia.
The expeditions of the Vikings accelerated in a high degree the introduction
of Christianity into the North. In the year 829 St. Ansgarius came to
Sweden, sent by the King of the Franks. But the Christian mission which he
founded in the heart of the country, at the royal town of Birka, on an island
of Lake Mälaren, could not survive, surrounded as it was on all sides by pagan
territory. The great House of Gods in Uppsala was too near; and as high-priests
who directed the sacrifices there, the kings could not be favourably disposed
towards a faith which threatened the very foundations of their dominion. Nearly
two hundred years passed away before Christianity once more gained a secure
foothold in Sweden, by way of the more favourably situated province of
Västergötland.
During this time the kingdoms of the North grew in i?ower; and for a short
time there was formed, in northern and eastern Europe, a highly developed
political system, somewhat resembling that of modern days. Sweden’s greatest
name during this period is the famous king Erie Segersäll, whose long and
glorious reign raised Sweden to the position of by far the most powerful state
in the North: towards the end of his career he subjugated even the Danish
kingdom, which, however, was lost again after his death.
About the year 1000 Sweden had its first Christian king, who bore the name
of Olof. After this time Christianity gained a firm footing in the country, and
never more suffered itself to be expelled from the land. But, as a consequence,
the king was placed in a false position. The basis of his power was his
position as director of the sacrifices at Uppsala. It is uncertain whether the king
ceased to direct these sacrifices, or continued to do so, in spite of his baptism.
Biit in the former case his position was threatened among the pagan, in the
latter among the ever-increasing Christian population. The old royal house of
Uppsala died out with the sons of Olof — after the year 1050. Its last king,
Emund Gammal, vigorously tried to defend his position against ecclesiastical
pretensions, which grew in the same degree as the power of Christianity
increased; but during this struggle he could not prevent the province of Blekinge
being wrested from Sweden — to which it had belonged of old — and united
with Denmark.
The Viking Period gives one the impression of having been an epoch of real
greatness; but its enormous display of power had to a high degree sapped the
strength of the people, the numbers of which had diminished, not least owine
to emigration to the tributary states in the east. The encounter with Christianity,
which after the time of Charles the Great had spread through northern Europe
with irresistible might, had had a disastrous influence upon the primitive culture
of the North. The old belief in the Asar (the old northern gods) had died
out in many minds, without being replaced by a new Christian belief. But, at
the very moment of its death, the ancient faith evolved a poetic conception of
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