Today we shall discuss the earliest major towns to develop in Scandinavia: Birka (Swedish – Sweden), Ribe (Danish – Denmark), Kaupang (Danish – Norway), and Hedeby (Danish – Germany). Of course, we will also begin by understanding how and why these towns finally came to be. In all, these towns each have very fascinating stories to tell. Some tells stories of early laws and conversion, while others are old, saga-worthy seats for power.
Contents:
1. From Farms to Towns
2. Birka
3. Ribe
4. Kaupang
5. Hedeby
From Farms to Towns
Towns, of course, do not just pop into the Scandinavian world out of thin air. Yet, the idea came to them from abroad, quite likely from Francia or even England. Taking this idea, powerful men organized these towns carefully from the very start, but did so in locations already ripe with trade and importance. Thus, many of these Viking Age towns were heavily dependent on the trade network, therefore finding many with access to the sea. Like any town, they were supplied from the surrounding countryside, which would have been farmsteads as discussed previously. They were fairly large, in terms of early medieval Scandinavia.
Overall, these towns were innovations of the Viking Age. They formed as important production centers. They facilitated the growth of international trade, which was already on the rise. Each town we will discuss were designed specifically with ship traffic in mind. They all had harbors, which was no easy nor cheap task. They were hubs for travel, for merchants. Yet, they were also areas for communication and for the exchange of ideas.
As trade increased, so did royal influence. Power centralized as wealth did the same. Protecting merchants turned into a stabilized force for defense. Towns were the beginnings of a new era for Scandinavia. And era of kings and Kingdoms, rather than chieftains and disunity.
Birka (Sweden)
Birka was the earliest town of the Viking realm, at least that we know of, having been founded in the mid to later 700s. It was a town in what we now call Sweden, and would have been considered “Swedish” as well. It was settled near lake Mälaren and had good access to the see at the time. This has since changed. Its layout focused on the harbor, for sea-bound trade (import and export) was vital. There was textile production in every home and a major exporter of furs (paw bones too). In other words, Birka was the beginning of a permanent manufacturing center.
Many other things occurred with this town. Other than trade, we have seen cultural exchange and the centralizing of authority. The first Christian mission to the Svears occurred here, as led by Vita Ansgarii (a tribe of Scandinavians from which the terms “Swede” and “Sweden” derive). There was also a royal site nearby. Furthermore, there is evidence that this town developed its own unique laws, referred to as biærköa rætter in Old Swedish.1
The estimated population was 500–1000 people, which, in terms of a very rural Scandinavia, was a lot in such a small space. Plots were strictly laid out, generally around 1.5 acres each (6-8m by 10-15m). With a large population comes a large cemetery, one with 2,000 mounds with fully dressed occupants.
The town was short-lived, for it was abandoned around 970. This was likely due to the loss of their harbor, or rather their loss of sea access. The land was rising and eventually sealed them off from the sea. Sigtuna was founded nearby, around 980, and people likely migrated there.
Ribe (Denmark)
Ribe was likely established in the 790s by the Danes. Unlike Birka, its layout was centered around a central street, rather than a harbor. It functioned as an organized trading station in 705, and likely originated as a seasonal market. Cattle trading was a major economic element here. Here there were 40-50 plots, each about 2.5 acres each (6-8m x 20-30m).
Kaupang (Norway)
Although in Norway, it was also a Danish settlement, for the Danish realm then was larger than it is today. It was settled somewhere around 800 and was, like Birka, situated on a harbor. It contained around 90-100 plots, each about 13 acres. The population was likely similar to Birka, being around 400-1000 people. This town was mentioned as being the host to Skíringssalr, which was the royal hall of the famous Yngling dynasty.2 In other words, whether that is true or not, it was a central place for authority, like many other early towns.
As a place of important authority, there is also a huge ship grave cemetery associated with Kaupang. Such a cemetery contains 74 (so far) excavated ships, and more than that definitely existed at some point. The Gokstad ship is an example, which we briefly covered in Lesson 14b.
Some more information on that ship burial: It was of a man in his 40′s, who likely died around 900. His death was from battle. Here are some of the objects found: a game board, 64 shields, 2 goshawks, fishing stuff, 6 beds, 12 horses, and 3 additional small boats. In other words, this guy was someone prominent.
Hedeby (Germany)
During the Viking Age, this area would have been considered “Danish.” However, today, it lies in Germany. I was settled around the year 808 and bordered Saxon and Slavic tribes, as well as the Franks.3 This town is also associated with king Gudfred of Denmark.4
This town is a prime example of Viking fortification techniques. This town was near the Danevirke, which was an earthen border, 30km in length, that separated Jutland,5 from the Franks. This border stretched from Hedeby to the western coast. The Franks were on the move against the Saxons, resulting in a very defensive Jutland.
Wrap-up
Of course, there are opulent you other towns that were settled during the Viking Age, but we have only discussed some prime examples of the earliest of towns. Overall, these towns were the early beginnings for centralized, royal authority and more permanent centers for production and economic interaction. They reveal the emergence of a rather “sophisticated” Scandinavia that is readying itself to take on the bigger world around it.6 Another wave of urbanization occurs around the year 1000, shortly after some of these towns were abandoned, such as Birka. Such towns from this burst are still very important today, such as Roskilde, Lund, and Oslo.
Footnotes:
- I would have liked to include more information here regarding this, but I was not able to locate (easily) any additional sources, leaving me only with my lecture notes. That does not mean that no work has been done on the matter, rather that little has focused specifically on such a task. If you are curious about it still, let me know and I will do a more extensive search. ↩︎
- This suggestion is likely from the Ynglinga Saga. This idea that Kaupang was the royal center for this dynasty was probably derived from scholarly interpretation mixed with archaeological support. You can look into this by reading the first section (following the prologue) of Snorri Sturluson’s Heimskringla. It can be read online for free at http://vsnrweb-publications.org.uk/Heimskringla%20I.pdf. ↩︎
- For those that may not know, the Franks at this time were the powerful Carolingian Empire. Charlemagne was campaigning against heathens in the northern territories, especially the Saxons (those that were still in German). More information about this can be gathered from footnote 5 or this article: Mayr-Harting, Henry. “Charlemagne, the Saxons, and the Imperial Coronation of 800.” The English Historical Review 111, no. 444 (1996): 1113-133. http://www.jstor.org/stable/575852. If you do not have access, but would still like to know more about this article, let me know and I will provide some information. ↩︎
- You can read a little more about king Gofred,a nd other early Danish rulers, in this article: Howorth, Henry H. “The Early Intercourse of the Danes and Franks.” Transactions of the Royal Historical Society 6 (1877): 147-82. If you do not have access, but would still like to know more about this article, let me know and I will provide some information. ↩︎
- Jutland is the term often used to refer to the region that is now Denmark, though generally referring to that entire geographical peninsula. ↩︎
- I use quotations for “sophisticated” because such a term is typically a matter of perspective. Technologically speaking, they were becoming more sophisticated. However, that does not mean to say their culture was less sophisticated for any lack of technology present. There are many ways one could use the term “sophisticated.” ↩︎
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