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Vendel Age

From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.

The Vendel Age (550-793) was the name of a Swedish part of the Germanic Iron Age (or, more generally, the Age of Migrations).

The migrations and the upheaval in Central Europe had lessened somewhat, and two power regions had appeared in Europe - the Franks and the Slavic princedoms in Eastern Europe and the Balkans. A third power, the Catholic Church had begun to expand its influence.

In Scandinavia, the Germanic clan society was still very much alive. In Sweden, Old Uppsala was the centre of both religious and political life. It had both a well-known sacred grove, a royal estate (see Uppsala öd) and great Royal Mounds.

There were lively contacts with Central Europe and the Scandinavians continued to export Iron, fur and slaves, and in return they acquired art and new innovations, such as the stirrup.

The finds in Vendel and Valsgärde show that Uppland was an important and powerful area. Some of the riches were probably acquired through the control of mining districts and the production of iron. The rulers had troups of mounted elite warriors with costly armour. Graves of mounted warriors have been found with stirrups and saddle ornaments of birds of prey in gilded bronze with incrusted garnets.

These mounted elite warriors reverberate in the work of the 6th century Goth scholar Jordanes's who wrote that the Swedes had the best horses beside the Thuringians. They also echo much later in the Norse sagas, where king Adils is always described as fighting on horseback (both against Áli and Hrólf Kraki). Snorri Sturluson wrote that Adils had the best horses of his days.

Games were popular as is shown in finds of tafl games, including pawns and dice.

This is the time when Swedish pillaging expeditions start to explore the waterways of what was to become Russia.

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