Early Finnish wars

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For wars involving the
Republic of Finland, see List of wars involving Finland
.
Late Iron Age swords from Finland.

There are scattered descriptions of early Finnish wars, conflicts involving the

Eric Chronicles
.

Merovingian period.[3] Hillforts get more common from Iron Age forward.[4] According to the earliest historical documents in the Middle Ages Finnic tribes around the Baltic Sea
were often in conflict with each other as well as against other entities in the area.

The oldest historical traces of conflicts in Finland are runestones GS 13 and U 582 which are dated to the early 11th century. Runestones are commemorating Vikings killed in Finland. Runestone G 319, which is dated to the early 13th century, also mentions Viking killed in Finland.

Early written sources

Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum (Deeds of Bishops of the Hamburg Church) by Adam of Bremen in 1075.[citation needed
] According to the source, the attack ended in the Swedish defeat, and led to the death of the king's son who was in charge of the campaign. Information on the conflict is however convoluted.

Sámi
.

Hversu Noregr byggdist
, however omits the Kvenland part completely.

Kvens (Qwenas) were in conflict with each other from time to time.[7]

The best-known Swedish war against Finland presumably took place in the 1150s known as the legendary First Swedish Crusade. Whether it ever actually happened, is however not certain as the information is based on the late 13th century legends. Sweden eventually took over Finland during the so-called Second Swedish Crusade around 1249 against Tavastians and the Third Swedish Crusade against Karelians in 1293. By the beginning of the 14th century, records of independent Finnish military activities ceased to surface.

Archbishop of Lund which lets the reader understand the church in Finland be at least partly established by Danish efforts. According to Icelandic chronicles, Kvens were raiding in northern Norway in 1271.[11]

Most of the historical sources mentioning Finns are the Finnish-Novogorodian wars described mainly in Novgorod First Chronicle and in the Primary Chronicle. Some of these conflicts are also described in Sofia First Chronicle, Nikon Chronicle and in Laurentian Codex.[12] Finnic groups and the Republic of Novgorod waged a series of wars between the 11th and 14th centuries. They probably contributed to the Finns' eventual subjugation to the Catholic Church and the Kingdom of Sweden.

List of early Finnish wars and conflicts

Year Conflict Summary
Conflicts before the 11th century
4th century Mythological king Agne makes expedition to Finland Ynglingan saga tells of a campaign by the mythical Swedish king Agne to Finland. The Finnish army was led by a person whose name in the saga is translated to Froste.[13]
7th century Finns as mercenaries in Scandinavia Finnish warriors served in the courts of Denmark and Uppland.[14]
9th century
Kvens
raid Sweden 		Story of Norna-Gest tells of raids done by Kvens to Sweden.[15] Ohthere of Hålogaland tells of skirmishes between Finns and Norwegians.[16]
9th century Mythological king Eric Anundsson makes campaigns to East Heimskringla written in c. 1230 describes Eric Anundsson conquering for himself "Finland, Kirjalaland, Courland, Estonia, and the eastern countries".[6]
c. 818 Finnish king Matul supports Bjarms against Danish king Ragnar Lodbrok According to Saxo Grammaticus in Gesta Danorum Finnish king Matul supported Bjarms against Danish king Ragnar.[17] Suomen kronikka dates the event to c. 818.[18]
11th century
11th century Viking raid on Finland Runestone Gs 13 in Gävle describes the death of a Viking named Egil on a campaign to Tavastia led by Freygeirr sometime in the early 11th century.
1008 Battle at Herdaler Olaf II of Norway is defeated by Finns somewhere in Uusimaa.[19]
c. 1030–1050 Viking raid on Finland Runestone U 582 describes Viking named Ótrygg killed in Finland. According to historian Unto Salo the raid was done between 1030 and 1050.[20]
1042 Vladimir Yaroslavich makes expedition against Finns The prince of Novgorod Vladimir Yaroslavich makes a campaign against Finns.[21]
c. 1060–1080 Lithuanians make campaign against Karelians. Birchbark manuscript 590 describes Lithuanians making a campaign against Karelians.[22][23]
12th century
1123 Vsevolod of Pskov makes campaign against Finns The prince of Novgorod Vsevolod of Pskov makes a campaign in spring during the fasting against Finns.[21]
1142 Finns make campaign against Novgorod Finns make a campaign against Novgorod and Ladoga and are defeated.[24]
1143 Karelians make campaign against Tavastians Karelians attack against Tavastians via sea, but escape after losing two ships.[24]
1149 Finns make campaign against Votes Finns make campaign with few thousand men against Votes who are supported by Novgorod with 500 men.[24]
1149 Karelians support Novgorod against Suzdalians Karelians make a campaign with Novgorod and Pskovians against Suzdalians.[25]
c. 1155 First Swedish crusade Swedish king Eric IX and English clergyman Henry make possibly the first Swedish crusade to Finland against Finns proper.[24]
1171 or 1172 Gravis Admodum
Finnish Paganism.[26]
1186 Vyshata Vasilevits makes campaign against Finns Vyshata Vasilevits from Novgorod makes a campaign against Finns.[24]
1187 Pillage of Sigtuna Karelians (or Estonians or Curonians) pillage the city on 12 July. The Bishop of Uppsala and the Yarl are killed.[27][28]
1191 Novgorod and Karelians campaign against Tavastians Novgorod and Karelians make a campaign against Tavastians with ships.[12]
1191 Danish crusade to Finland Danes make a crusade to Finland.[29]
13th century
1202 Danish crusade to Finland
Archbishop of Lund Anders Sunesen
and his Brother.
1221 The bishop of Finland attends to embargo against Novgorod Pope Honorius III recommends on 13 January that the bishop of Finland, most likely Thomas, to organize embargo against Novgorod eventough it is unpleasant measure to Gotland and Hanseatic League.[30]
1222 Norwegians attack Bjarmaland Norwegians attack Bjarmaland.[31]
1223 Karelians make expedition to Norway with Novgorod Karelians make expedition against Norwegian settlements in northern Scandinavia with Novgorod.[32]
1226 Karelians make another expedition to Norway with Novgorod Karelians make another expedition against Norwegian settlements in northern Scandinavia with Novgorod.[32]
1227 Yaroslav II makes campaign against Finns Prince of Novgorod Yaroslav II makes a campaign against Finns.[24]
1228 Finns make campaign against Novgorod Finns make a campaign to ladoga with over 2000 men.[24]
1229 Finns proper fight to eradicate Christianity from their lands Pope Gregory IX condemns Gotland in his letter on 16 February for providing Finns proper with weapons, horses, ships and supplies which they use in their battle to eradicate Christian faith from their lands.[33]
1237
Häme insurrection
Finnish paganism in his letter on 9 December.[34]
1240 Battle of the Neva Swedes, Norwegians, Finns proper and Tavastians makes a campaign against Novgorod.[24]
1241 Karelians ally with Novgorod against Germans in Koprye Karelians, Ingrians and men from Staraya Ladoga participate in a campaign led by Alexander Nevsky against Germans in the castle of Koporye.[12][21]
1249–1250 Second Swedish crusade Second Swedish crusade to Finland against Tavastians.
1253 Karelians make a raid against Germans Karelians raid against Germans in the area of Narva.[12]
1256 Alexander Nevskiy makes a campaign to Finland Alexander Nevskiy makes a campaign to Finland after unsuccessful campaign of Finns proper, Tavastians and Swedes to Narva.[24]
1257 Karelians make expedition to Sweden Karelians make a devastating campaign to Sweden which lead King Valdemar to request Pope Alexander IV to commence a crusade against them.[12]
1271 Karelians and Kvens make campaign to Norway. Karelians and Kvens attack Hålogaland in Norway.[11]
1278 Dmitry Alexandrovich makes campaign to Karelia Prince of Novgorod Dmitry Alexandrovich decide to punish Karelians by conquering them.[24]
1279 Karelians attack Hålogaland Karelians slay three dozen people in Hålogaland including the king's official.[35]
1283 Finns and Swedes make campaign to
Neva and Ladoga
. 		Swedes and Finns make a campaign to
Neva and Ladoga
area.
1284 Germans make campaign to Karelia German warlord Trunda makes campaign by boats and ships to Karelia via river Neva. His goal was the taxation of Karelians. Trunda and his men are defeated at the mouth of the river by Novgorodians with the men of Staraya Ladoga on the 9th of September.[36][21]
1292 Novgorod makes a campaign to Finland Novgorod makes a campaign to Finland.
1293 Third Swedish crusade Third Swedish crusade to Finland against Karelians.
14th century
1302/3 Karelians campaign to Norway Karelians campaign in or near Norway but are turned away by a large Norwegian army.[37]
1318 Novgorod makes campaign to Finland Novgorod makes campaign to Finland proper and burns the town of Turku.[38]
1323 Treaty of Nöteborg The Treaty of Nöteborg is signed 12 August. It divides Karelia between kingdom of Sweden and Novgorod.
1337 The Revolt of Käkisalmi
Käkisalmi due to heavy taxation by Lithuanian Narimantas
whom Novgorod had assigned to rule Karelia.

See also

References

  1. ^ Georg Haggrén, Petri Halinen, Mika Lavento, Sami Raninen, Anna Wessman (2015). Muinaisuutemme jäljet. Gaudeamus. p. 79.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Georg Haggrén, Petri Halinen, Mika Lavento, Sami Raninen, Anna Wessman (2015). Muinaisuutemme jäljet. Gaudeamus. p. 116.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Georg Haggrén, Petri Halinen, Mika Lavento, Sami Raninen, Anna Wessman (2015). Muinaisuutemme jäljet. Gaudeamus. p. 275.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ Taavitsainen, J-P (1990). Ancient Hill-forts of Finland. Helsinki: Suomen muinaismuistoyhdistyksen aikakauskirja 94.
  5. ^ Norna-Gests þáttr, chapter 7. Archived 2006-05-14 at the Wayback Machine See also the English translation Archived May 14, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.
  6. ^ a b Saga of Olaf Haraldson. See chapter 81. THORGNY'S SPEECH.
  7. ^ Ottar's description of Kvenland.
  8. ^ http://mcllibrary.org/Heimskringla/haraldson1.html Saga of Olaf Haraldson. See chapter 8: The Third Battle.
  9. ^ Excerpts from different Danish chronicles mentioning Finland Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine. In Latin. Hosted by the National Archive of Finland. See "Arkistolaitos - Sähköiset palvelut". Archived from the original on 2007-06-08. Retrieved 2007-05-29. and Diplomatarium Fennicum from the menu.
  10. ^ Letter "Ex Tuarum" Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine. In Latin.
  11. ^ a b Íslenzkir annáler sive Annales Islandici ab anno Christi 809 ad annum 1430, pp. 140–141. Translation provided here is by the author of the article.
  12. ^ a b c d e Linna, Martti (1989). Suomen varhaiskeskiajan lähteitä.
  13. ^ "Heimskringla: The Ynglinga Saga". mcllibrary.org. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  14. ISBN 9789529135615
    .
  15. ^ "Fornaldarsögur Norðurlanda". www.germanicmythology.com. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
  16. ^ "Ohthere's First Voyage (paragraph 5)". web.uvic.ca. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
  17. ^ "The Testament of Cresseid". mcllibrary.org. Retrieved 2017-08-07.
  18. ISBN 951-717-495-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  19. ^ Ahola, Joonas; Tolley, Clive (2014). Fibula, Fabula, Fact: The Viking Age in Finland. Studia Fennica. p. 422.
  20. ^ Peltovirta, Jukka (2000). Hämeen käräjät osa 1. Hämeen heimoliitto. p. 156.
  21. ^ a b c d "The Chronicle of Novgorod" (PDF). London Offices of the Society, 1914. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  22. ^ Uino, Pirjo (1997). Ancient Karelia. Helsinki: Suomen muinaismuistoyhdistyksen aikakausikirja 104. pp. 194–195.
  23. ^ "Древнерусские берестяные грамоты. Грамота №590". gramoty.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2013-01-08. Retrieved 2017-02-04.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g h i j London Offices of the Society, 1914. "The Chronicle of Novgorod" (PDF).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  25. ^ Uino, Pirjo (1997). Ancient Karelia. Helsinki: Suomen muinaismuistoyhdistyksen aikakausikirja 104. p. 192.
  26. ISBN 951-96006-1-2
    .
  27. ISBN 978-9004155787
    .
  28. ^ Enn Tarvel (2007). Sigtuna hukkumine. Archived 2017-10-11 at the Wayback Machine Haridus, 2007 (7-8), p 38–41
  29. ^ Georg Haggren, Petri Halinen, Mika Lavento, Sami Raninen ja Anna Wessman (2015). Muinaisuutemme jäljet. Helsinki: Gaudeamus. p. 380.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  30. ISBN 978-951-583-212-2
    .
  31. ^ Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar
  32. ^ a b Saarnisto, Matti (2003). Karjalan synty. Viipurin läänin historia 1. Karjalan Kirjapaino Oy. p. 493.
  33. ISBN 9519600612
    .
  34. ISBN 9519600612
    .
  35. ^ Icelandic Annals, pp. 156–7.
  36. ISBN 951-96006-1-2
    .
  37. ^ Icelandic Annals, pp. 182–3.
  38. ISBN 978-951-583-212-2
    .
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