Swedish colonisation of Finland

Last updated

The Swedish colonisation of Finland took place during the Northern Crusades from the 12th century until the 1350s. Sweden's colonisation efforts focused on the Finnish archipelago and some of its coastal regions and brought Swedish-speakers to Finland. The settlers were from central Sweden. It has been estimated that there were thousands of settlers. [1] [2]

Contents

History

The reason behind the colonisation was the pursuit of the Roman Catholic Church to spread its faith to pagan lands around the Baltic Sea. The settlers were Christians and they arrived to lands that were still in major parts under Finnish paganism. Besides the Catholic Church, the colonisation was supported by the still primal Swedish Kingdom who granted four years of tax exemption to any Christian Swede who settled the areas of Southwest Finland, Uusimaa, Åland, Tavastia or Satakunta. [3]

The colonisation was also affected by the favorable climate phase in Europe. The warm climate phase of 980–1250 had led to population growth, which led to the need for emigration. At the same time Swedes also emigrated to northern Sweden and western Estonia (see Estonian Swedes). In the 14th century Swedes also colonised Medelpad and Ångermanland. [4]

Besides the violence of the crusades, the colonisation led to several conflicts between the settlers and Finns. The settlers needed support from Sweden in many areas against the Finns. [5] The native inhabitants in many coastal areas also lost their fishing and farming rights, which led to conflicts. [6] In 1348, Hemming of Turku, Bishop of Turku and the head of the Turku Castle, gave a letter of protection to the settlers in the area of the Gulf of Bothnia. [7] As a result of the colonisation, some of the pagan inhabitants who refused to receive the new Catholic religion from Tavastia and Satakunta started to move to the northern parts of Finland. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Österland</i> Traditional land of Sweden, today the southern part of Finland

Österland ('Eastland') was a medieval term used for the southern part of Finland, one of the four traditional lands of Sweden. The term occurs in documents approximately between 1350–1470 and gradually fell out of use by the end of the 15th century. Before this period the term was used in plural, Österlanden ('Easternlands').

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swedish-speaking population of Finland</span> Linguistic minority in Finland

The Swedish-speaking population of Finland is a linguistic minority in Finland. They maintain a strong identity and are seen either as a separate cultural, ethnic or linguistic group or, occasionally, a distinct nationality. They speak Finland Swedish, which encompasses both a standard language and distinct dialects that are mutually intelligible with the dialects spoken in Sweden and, to a lesser extent, other Scandinavian languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treaty of Nöteborg</span> 1323 treaty between Sweden and Novgorod

The Treaty of Nöteborg, also known as the Treaty of Orehovsk, is a conventional name for the peace treaty signed at Oreshek on 12 August 1323. It was the first agreement between Sweden and the Novgorod Republic regulating their border, mostly in the area which is now known as Finland. Three years later, Novgorod signed the Treaty of Novgorod with the Norwegians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uusimaa</span> Region of Finland

Uusimaa is a region of Finland. It borders the regions of Southwest Finland, Tavastia Proper (Kanta-Häme), Päijänne Tavastia (Päijät-Häme), and Kymenlaakso. Finland's capital and largest city, Helsinki, along with the surrounding metropolitan area, are both contained in the region, and Uusimaa is Finland's most populous region. The population of Uusimaa is 1,734,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of the Neva</span> 1240 battle of the Swedish–Novgorodian Wars

The Battle of the Neva was fought between the Novgorod Republic, along with Karelians, and the Kingdom of Sweden, including Norwegian, Finnish and Tavastian forces, on the Neva River, near the settlement of Ust-Izhora, on 15 July 1240. The battle is mentioned only in Russian sources, and it remains unclear whether it was a major invasion or a small-scale raid. In Russian historiography, it has become an event of massive scale and importance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johannes Bureus</span>

Johannes Thomae Bureus Agrivillensis was a Swedish polymath, antiquarian, mystic, royal librarian, poet, and tutor and adviser of King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden. He is a well-known exponent of Gothicism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raseborg Castle</span> Historic site in southern Finland

The Raseborg Castle, is a medieval castle in Raseborg, Finland. The castle was active from 1370s to 1553. Today the ruins are open to the public in the summer and the castle is host to the yearly Raseborg Summer Theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Klaus Fleming</span> Member of Swedish nobility

Baron Klaus Eriksson Fleming was a Finnish-born member of the Swedish nobility and admiral, who played an important role in Finnish and Swedish history during the rise of Sweden as a Great Power. He was a trustee of kings John III and Sigismund Vasa. His wife was Ebba Stenbock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russo-Swedish War (1495–1497)</span> War between Muscovy and Sweden

The Russo-Swedish War of 1495–1497, known in Sweden as the Stures' Russian War, was a border war which occurred between the Grand Duchy of Moscow and the Kingdom of Sweden. Although the war was relatively short, and did not lead to any territorial changes, it has significance as the first war between Sweden and Moscow. Sweden earlier fought wars against the Novgorod Republic, before Novgorod was formally annexed to Moscow in 1478.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swedish–Novgorodian Wars</span> Medieval conflicts in Baltic region

The Swedish–Novgorodian Wars were a series of armed conflicts during the 12th and 13th centuries, fought between the Novgorod Republic and medieval Sweden over control of the Gulf of Finland. Part of the trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks, the area was vital to the Hanseatic League. The clashes between Catholic Swedes and Orthodox Novgorodians had religious overtones, but before the 14th century there is no knowledge of official crusade bulls issued by the pope.

Nordic colonialism is a subdivision within broader colonial studies that discusses the role of Nordic nations in achieving economic benefits from outside of their own cultural sphere. The field ranges from studying the Sámi in relation to the Norwegian, Swedish and Finnish states, to activities of the Danish Colonial Empire and Swedish Empire in Africa, New Sweden, and on Caribbean islands such as St. Thomas and Saint-Barthélemy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Swedish Crusade</span> Swedish military expedition to Finland

The Second Swedish Crusade was a military expedition by the Kingdom of Sweden into Tavastia (Häme) in southern Finland described by Erik's Chronicle. According to the chronicle, the Swedes defeated the pagan Tavastians under the leadership of Birger Jarl, and started building a castle in Tavastia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Early Finnish wars</span> Conflicts among the Finnish tribes

There are scattered descriptions of early Finnish wars, conflicts involving the Finnish people, some of which took place before the Middle Ages. The earliest historical accounts of conflicts involving Finnish tribes, such as Tavastians, Karelians, Finns proper and Kvens, have survived in Icelandic sagas and in German, Norwegian, Danish and Russian chronicles as well as in Swedish legends and in birch bark manuscripts. The most important sources are the Novgorod First Chronicle, the Primary Chronicle and Erik's Chronicle.

Fulco was the first known missionary Bishop of Estonia. He was appointed in 1165 by Eskil, the Danish Archbishop of Lund. Before his appointment, Fulco was a Benedictine monk in the abbey of Moutier-la-Celle, near Troyes in France. His nationality is not known.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finnish–Novgorodian wars</span> Conflicts between the Novgorod Republic and northern Finnic tribes in the 11th-13th centuries

The Finnish–Novgorodian wars were a series of conflicts between Finnic tribes in eastern Fennoscandia and the Republic of Novgorod from the 11th or 12th century to the early 13th century.

Hermann of Dorpat, also known as Hermann I or Hermann von Buxhövden (1163–1248), was the first Prince-Bishop of the Bishopric of Dorpat (1224–1248) within the Livonian Confederation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finland under Swedish rule</span> Period in Finnish history from the 13th century to 1809

In Swedish and Finnish history, Finland under Swedish rule is the historical period when the bulk of the area that later came to constitute Finland was an integral part of Sweden. The starting point of Swedish rule is uncertain and controversial. Historical evidence of the establishment of Swedish rule in Finland exists from the middle of the 13th century onwards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of Helsinki</span>

The coat of arms of Helsinki first appeared in an early 17th-century seal of the city of Helsinki, the modern-day capital of Finland. The crown in the coat of arms refers to the historical connection to the Swedish monarchy, while the boat refers to emigration to Helsinki. The coats of arms of both Helsinki and Uusimaa were designed in 1599 by Johannes Bureus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tavastian uprising</span>

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. The Tavastian rebels received aid from the Novgorod Republic, which sought to diminish Swedish influence in Finland in order to bolster its own position.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finnish tribes</span> Ancient Tribes in Finland

Finnish tribes are ancient ethnic groups from which over time Finns evolved.

References

  1. 1 2 Haggren, Georg; Halinen, Petri; Lavento, Mika; Raninen, Sami; Wessman, Anna (2015). Muinaisuutemme jäljet (in Finnish). Helsinki: Gaudeamus. pp. 420–421. ISBN   9789524953634.
  2. "The Era of Swedish Rule, 1150-1809". History of Finland. Archived from the original on 22 June 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  3. Tarkiainen, Kari (2010). Ruotsin itämaa (in Finnish). Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland. pp. 111–115. ISBN   9789515832122.
  4. Tarkiainen, Kari (2010). Ruotsin itämaa (in Finnish). Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland. pp. 143–147. ISBN   9789515832122.
  5. Tarkiainen, Kari (2010). Ruotsin itämaa (in Finnish). Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland. p. 46. ISBN   9789515832122.
  6. Tarkiainen, Kari (2010). Ruotsin itämaa (in Finnish). Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland. pp. 134–136. ISBN   9789515832122.
  7. Tarkiainen, Kari (2010). Ruotsin itämaa (in Finnish). Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland. pp. 114–115. ISBN   9789515832122.