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Archbishop (865-888) over Hamburg-Bremen, student to Ansgar and ANsgars successor. He visited Denmark as well as Birka.
Author of the memoars of Ansgar (Vita Ansgarii). THe memoars was written between 865-867. He was able to dra facts from Ansgar himself, and from eyewitnesses in the form of Vitmar. A chronicle was written about Rimbert, 'Vita RImberti'. He was worshippedas a saint after his death. In the 15:th century Vita Ansgarii was translated to Swedish in the Birgitta cloister in Nådendal, Finland. The translation was printed in Stockholm in 1677.
The girls which bears Odins son Våle which as an infant Slayes höder to revenge the death of Balder (The only legitimate son of Odin). According to Saxo Grammaticus Odin was given a prophecy from an old Lappish Prophet. The prophecy said that he would breed a son with Rind (Daughter to the king over the Ruterne people), a son which would be able to revenge the death of Balder.
Odin went to the king, made friends with him and helped him to defeat his enemies and proposed to Rind. Unfortunately for Odin Rind was not interested and gave him a box on the ear instead... But Odin Didn't give up. He returned in the shape of the goldsmith Rosterus. He gave Rind the finest of Jewleries, but still couldn't interest the girl which slapped him over his nose.
The third time Odin returned as an knight, just to be kicked out of the saddle by Rind. The fourth time he succeeds in his deed. He disguises himself in women clothing and pretend to be knowledgeable of healing, he calls himself Vecha. He convinces the king that his daughter is mortally ill and that her only chance is to be treated by him, or rather the woman Vecha (Odin). The king, fearing for his daughters life straps his daughter to her bed where she finally is taken by force by Odin.
Rosklde is located in Själland, Denmark. Nowadays it is mostly famous for it's yearly music festival, the largest music festival in Scandinavia. However the town was founded in the tenth century by Kig Harald Blåtand (Harald Bluetooth). He built a church and his state demesne here. According to Adam of Bremen Harald was also burried at the church here.
Adam also ells us that Roskilde was the largest town in Själland and the capital for the Danes. He further says that the location of the town was deal for trading at the Isefiord. Artefact found from the 11:th century tells us that the town had the same size and rough plan as it had during the mid eval times.
The first bishop in Roskilde where proably the english priest Vilhelm , apointed bishop by the archbishop Adalbert in 1065.
Mythological danish king from the 6:th century, from Lejdare. He was supposed to be a rolemodel for royal hospitality, and bravery. According to fornaldarsagan 'Hrolfssaga Kraka' Rolf was the son of the Lejre king Helge Halvdansson and his own daugther that was the result from a, hmm, violent short lived relation, so to speak, in his distant past...
As the truth was discovered (father having a child with his daughter) Yrsa was remarried to Adils, king in Uppsala.
Rolf gathered all of greatest nordic warriors, among them the twelve famous 'Bärsärkar', I believe the word is translated as 'Bezerk'. The more known of them where, Svipdag, Beigud, Bödvar Bjarke, Hjalte, Hvitsäre, Vott and Vesäte. As an example of Rolfs unpretentiousness the tale says that Rolf got his name 'Krake' (Wretch) from a simple servant, Vögg. Instead of punishing him he was given a gold ring 'as a gift for his new name'. The gratefull Vögg, in turn, promised to revenge Rolfs death if he was to be killed.
Adils was in a military campaign against the king Åle Oppländske (Västergötland); They had a battle on the ice of lake v&aauml;nern. In his battle he had sent a message to Rolf where he promised him a good pay if Rolf where to show up with his army to help Adils out. As payment he should be able to choose three things from the royal treasury.
Rolf was not able to come in person, but he did send his twelve 'Bärsärkar' to the battle. In the battle king Åle was killed along with most of his men. Adils could add the helmet 'Hildesvin', the coat of mail 'Finnsleif' and Åles horse, Hrawn. When 'Bärsärkarna demanded their payment and choosed the most holy of the Svea kingdoms artefacts (among other the kings ring 'Sviagris') Adils got angry and refused them both money and treasure. The 'Bäsärkar' wen't home to Rolf and complained about their lack of payment. Rolf immediately gathered some boats and set course for Uppsala. He arrived shortly thereafter and was met by Yrsa. Rolf and his men was shown to a special building where Adils and his men tried to kill them by burning down the hall during the night. Rolf and his men managed to escape from the burning building and when he and his men had got up on their horses Yrsa arived with a horn full of gold and containing the ring Sviagris. When Adils discovered their escape, he started the pursuit. But when he and his men started to get close to the fleeing men Rolf throw some of the gold on the ground. As Adils then stopped to pick up the thrown gold he was delayed. He also throwed the ring Sviagris away when Adils himself was about to overtake him. With this stategy Rolf managed to escape from sweden and return to Denmark.
Rolf was still young when his sister Skuld and her husband (who was a governor over the landscape which nowadays is called Skåne). They delayed their taxation payments for three years, and when they was supposed to arrive with the collected taxes they instead turned up with an army. Arriving at night to Lejre, while Rolf and his men was sleeping, they started the attack. In spite of the surprise attack the warriors fought like lions, but to no avail. When Bödvar Bjarke was killed, and his soul had left the battle ground in the form of a bear, Skuld and her husband won. Rolf was killed along with all of his men. The same night Vögg kept his promise and killed Hjörvad.
THe tale of Rolf Krake is also known in the poem Beowulf, but in a slitghtly different form. The historical Rolf Krake is believed to have taken the kingdom from the danish king Hroars three sons. Unfortunately for him he was killed in a battle with the youngest son soon thereafter.
Rurik is mentioned in the Nestors chronicle, where he is portrayed as a Varjag chief. Together with his brothers Sineus and Truvor he was called in to rule and bring order in the russian country. Rurik built Aldeigjuborg /according to one of the chronicles) in 862. After two year Rurik took complete power, after the death of his two brothers. He also moved to Novgorod.
Rus was the name used in eastern european writings when the nordic people was mentioned by name. The name has been founs in Byzantian, Arabic and slavic writings but so far never in nordic writing (rune inscriptions or the ancient nordic litterature). The word 'Rus' has been coupled to 'Roden', Roslagen (A county in sweden). Another possibility is that the word is an misinterpretation between Hebrew and Greek in the old testament (Hesekiel 38:2) where "Nest Rosch over Mesech and Thubal" (a first lord of masters over Mesech and Thubal) might have been translated as 'A king over Ros, Mesech and Thubal'. This misintepretation has been around since Proclus (434-47) and Zacharias Retor (555). The oldest known usage of the word Rus, in the usage as name on the Swedish people, stems from Annales Bertiniani from early 9:th century. In the Nestor Chronicle it is told that certain Varjager was 'called ruser, likewise other was called Svear. Other was named Norvegians, anglianer and Goths'.
For nearly 250 years russian and Swedish historians have been engaged in a discussion about how the vikings traded and was involved in the early russian history. One of the keyproblems have been the Swedish involvement in the founding of the old russian empire, and which role they had in the newly founded state in regards of social, religious, cultural and economic questions.
At times it has been hard to have an objective view in these matters, if indeed it is even possible to be objective in a question like this. Two different schools of thought has formed, the 'normanner' (more or less: men from the north) and the 'Antinormanner' (the opposition).
The normanner school says (in short) that the scandinavian (and then mostly meaning swedish) Vikings made large, and decisive, contribution to the founding and colonisation of russia.
The antinormanner school of thought does recognize the influenc the nordic (Swedish) Vikings had on culture and society. However, according to them, the vikings did not have any profound impact on the founding of the russian state. The Swedish Vikings where just another group of people (together with the slavic and Finnish-Ugrian population).
The only facts and written sources that we have to support either side is the Nestor CHronicle ans similar documents together with some runeinscriptions, both in Russia as well as todays Sweden. There also exists some genealogical questions about the russian royals inherritage with the Swedish Viking chief Rurik.
Thes is also the discussion about how you are supposed to interpret the scandinavian influence of the russian burial fields, and the culture layers in cities like Staraja, Ladoga, Bjeloozero, Novgorod, Gnezdovo and Bolsjoje Timjerevo. AMong the artefacts found one notices Thors hammer rings, oval buckles and åländska lertassar (clay feets).
Anne Stalsberg is of the opinion that the swedish population was of small numbers (allthough not insignificant), but with a comparative wealth. The population included men women and children and they where supposed to have a continous contact with the nordic countries. The Swedish population where mainly to be found in and around the main trading cities, but a certain colonisation seems to have happened South east of Ladoga. Their relatioship towards the natives seems to have been, on the whole, friendly. Scandinavian mercenarys is mentioned in the written material from the area. Very little mentioned or found from Gotland.
The Vikings seems to have been mostly occupied with trading, and the arabic silver played an important role. Scandinavian artefacts are allmost nonexistant from the 11:th century and forward in the VOlga area, and the silvermines where dried out in (aproximately) 970. Other key merchandise seams to have been slaves and fur trading. There where also certain dimplomatic contacts between scandinavia and russia and arranged marriages between leading familys is known to have existed. Jaroslav (1054) was for example father in law to the king Norway and was also married to a swedish girl.
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