Tavastian uprising

Tavastian uprising
	Part of the Swedish–Novgorodian Wars
Date	Winter 1236–1237
Location	Tavastia
Result	Swedish victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Sweden	Tavastians ; Supported by: ; Novgorod Republic ; Karelians
Commanders and leaders
Eric XI	Unknown

The Tavastian uprising, also sometimes called the Häme uprising, was a uprising by Tavastians in Tavastia, Finland in the winter of 1236–1237. The rebellion was against the Kingdom of Sweden and against the Catholic Church.^[2] The Tavastian rebels received aid from the Novgorod Republic, which sought to diminish Swedish influence in Finland in order to bolster its own position.^[3]

crusade against the rebels.^[3]^[2] Ultimately, harsh measures were employed to quell the uprising.^[3]

Due to the

Mongol Invasion of Russia in 1237, support from the Novgorod Republic for the Tavastian rebels wained.^[3] Following the uprising, the Swedes held the Second Swedish Crusade against the Tavastians and used the Pope's message as further justification for the crusades.^[5]

Papal letter

9 December 1237, Lateran.
Christ, it might produce wine whose sweetness would delight the high planter.^[2]

But alas, behold the sorrow, a wild boar destroys it, behold, a fierce beast tears it with its teeth. As it was revealed to us in your letter, those who are called the people of
Kingdom of Sweden is falling due to the cruelty of pagans, and the faith in it is easily being utterly destroyed unless it is promptly supported by the help of God and the apostolic see. Therefore, it is all the more necessary for men who fear God to rise up against such apostates and barbarians, who seek to crush the congregation of God with even greater harm, those who disturb the Catholic faith with abhorrent cruelty.^[2]

Therefore, by apostolic letter, we command your brotherhood to guide the Catholic men living in the mentioned kingdom and nearby islands with sound advice to take the sign of the cross upon themselves and to fight valiantly and forcefully against those apostates and barbarians. We note that the defense of faith to God is more pleasing the more valuable the faith is considered among other virtues of the spirit. For this reason, out of the mercy of Almighty God, and for those who take the sign of the cross for this cause, we grant such absolution and immunity that they would receive if they personally went to the Holy Land.^[2]
Given at the Lateran on 9 December in the eleventh year of our papacy.^[2]