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Blótsveinn
Blot-Sweyn (Swedish: ''Blot-Sven'') was a Swedish king c. 1080, of disputed historicity, who was said to have replaced his Christian brother-in-law Inge as King of Sweden, when Inge had refused to administer the blót (pagan sacrifices) at the Temple at Uppsala. There is no mention of Sweyn in the regnal list of the '' Westrogothic law'', which suggests that his rule did not reach Västergötland. According to Swedish historian Adolf Schück he was probably the same person as Håkan the Red and was called the ''Blót Swain'' (a ''swain'' who was willing to perform the blót) as an epithet rather than a personal name. Becoming king The earliest source that deals with Blot-Sweyn's coming to power is the Icelandic legendary saga '' Hervarar saga'': However, Inge did not permit the people to follow the old ways, unlike his father Stenkil. The Swedes reacted strongly and asked Inge to either comply with the old traditions or abdicate. When Inge proclaimed that he would not abandon Ch ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blót
(Old Norse and Old English) or (Old English) are religious ceremonies in Germanic paganism that centred on the killing and offering of an animal to a particular being, typically followed by the communal cooking and eating of its meat. Old Norse sources present it as a central ritual in Old Nordic religion that was intimately connected with many wider aspects of life. Large are often described as taking place in halls, organised by the rulers of the region who were expected to carry out the practice on behalf of the people. were central to the legitimacy of rulers and Christian rulers refusing to hold them were at times replaced by more willing alternatives and driven out of the land. Smaller, household were sometimes recorded as being led by women. Beyond strengthening legitimacy for the ruling elites, the performance of was often in order to ensure the fertility of the land, a good harvest and peace, although they are also recorded as being performed for divination or to ac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
U 861, Norsta
U, or u, is the twenty-first letter and the fifth vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet and the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''u'' (pronounced ), plural ''ues''. Name In English, the name of the letter is the "long U" sound, pronounced . In most other languages, its name matches the letter's pronunciation in open syllables. History U derives from the Semitic waw, as does F, and later, Y, W, and V. Its oldest ancestor goes back to Egyptian hieroglyphs, and is probably from a hieroglyph of a mace or fowl, representing the sound or the sound . This was borrowed to Phoenician, where it represented the sound , and seldom the vowel . In Greek, two letters were adapted from the Phoenician waw. The letter was adapted, but split in two, with Digamma or wau being adapted to represent , and the second one being Upsilon , which was originally adapted to represent , later fronte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Horse Sacrifice
Horse sacrifice is the ritual killing and offering of a horse, usually as part of a religious or cultural ritual. Horse sacrifices were common throughout Eurasia with the domestication of the horse and continuing up until the spread of Abrahamic religions, or in some places like Mongolia. The practice is rarely observed in some cultures even today. Many ethnic religions from Indo-European language, Indo-European speaking peoples show evidence for horse sacrifice, and comparative mythology suggests that they derive from a purported Proto-Indo-European religion, Proto-Indo-European ritual and common root, though the practice is also observed among non-Indo-European speaking peoples, especially in Eurasian nomads, nomadic societies from the Eurasian steppe. Context Horses are often animal sacrifice, sacrificed in a funerary context, and interred with the deceased, a practice called horse burial. There is evidence but no explicit myths from the three branches of Indo-Europeans of a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Uppland
Uppland is a historical province or ' on the eastern coast of Sweden, just north of Stockholm, the capital. It borders Södermanland, Västmanland and Gästrikland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The name literally means ''up land'', a name which is commonly encountered in especially older English literaturer as ''Upland''. Its Latinised form, which is occasionally used, is ''Uplandia''. Uppland is often called called the province of "castles, ancient remains and runestones" and is famous for having the highest concentration of runestones in the world, with as many as 1,196 inscriptions in stone left by the Vikings. Many of its castles and places of historical interest include Drottningholm Palace, Skokloster Castle, Salsta Castle, the medieval Uppsala Cathedral, where many royals are buried, and Uppsala Castle. Famous people from the region include Ingmar Bergman, St. Bridget of Sweden, Carl Linnaeus, Anders Celsius and Gustav Vasa. It ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orkneyinga Saga
The ''Orkneyinga saga'' (Old Norse: ; ; also called the ''History of the Earls of Orkney'' and ''Jarls' Saga'') is a narrative of the history of the Orkney and Shetland islands and their relationship with other local polities, particularly Norway and Scotland. The saga has "no parallel in the social and literary record of Scotland" and is "the only medieval chronicle to have Orkney as the central place of action". The main focus of the work is the Earl of Orkney, line of ''jarls'' who ruled the Earldom of Orkney, which constituted the ''Norðreyjar'' or Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland and there are frequent references to both archipelagoes throughout. The narrative commences with a brief mythical ancestry tale and then proceeds to outline the Norse take-over of the ''Norðreyjar'' by Harald Fairhair – the take-over is not in doubt although the role of the king is no longer accepted by historians as a likelihood. The saga then outlines, with varying degrees of detail, t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Quickfire
Arson in medieval Scandinavia (Old Norse ''hús-brenna ''or ''hús-bruni, ''"house-burning") was a technique sometimes employed in blood feuds and political conflicts in order to assassinate someone. In committing arson, a group of attackers would set fire to the home of an opponent, sometimes by quickly and surreptitiously piling wood, brush and other combustible materials against the exterior of a dwelling and set it on fire. Typically the attackers would surround the house to prevent the escape of its inhabitants, although women, the elderly, and small children were sometimes allowed to leave.''Njal's Saga'' § 129. In Iceland The Law of Iceland, Icelandic law as codified in the Gragas states that the penalty for burning was full-outlawry (Old Norse ''skóggangr''). Yet the literary sources make it clear that it was a commonly used tactic. At least some Icelanders considered quickfire dishonorable, hence when the enemies of Gunnar Hámundarson attacked his home they refused to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Östergötland
Östergötland (; English exonym: East Gothland) is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden (''landskap'' in Swedish) in the south of Sweden. It borders Småland, Västergötland, Närke, Södermanland and the Baltic Sea. In older English literature, the Latinized version ''Ostrogothia'' is also used. The corresponding administrative county, Östergötland County, covers the entire province and parts of neighbouring provinces. Heraldry From 1560, Östergötland was represented with two separate coats-of-arms seals until 1884, when the current one was granted. The coat of arms is represented with a ducal coronet. Blazon: " gules a griffin with dragon wings, tail and tongue rampant or armed, beaked, langued and membered azure between four roses argent." Geography From west to east, in the middle parts, extends the Östgöta Plain (''Östgötaslätten''). It is largely agricultural. In the southern part of the province, the terrain becomes marked by the south Swedish hi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Småland
Småland () is a historical Provinces of Sweden, province () in southern Sweden. Småland borders Blekinge, Scania, Halland, Västergötland, Östergötland and the island Öland in the Baltic Sea. The name ''Småland'' literally means "small lands", referring to many small historic provinces from which it was composed. The Latinized form has been used in other languages. The highest point in Småland is Tomtabacken, at 377 metres (1,237 ft). In terms of total area, Småland is similar in size to Belgium and Israel. Administration Whilst the traditional provinces of Sweden no longer serve any governmental purpose ''per se'', they do retain historical and cultural importance. The province of Småland today is divided almost entirely into the three administrative Counties of Sweden, counties of Jönköping County, Jönköping, Kalmar County, Kalmar, and Kronoberg County, Kronoberg. Some few small portions of historic Småland are situated in Halland County, Halland and Öst ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Adam Of Bremen
Adam of Bremen (; ; before 1050 – 12 October 1081/1085) was a German medieval chronicler. He lived and worked in the second half of the eleventh century. Adam is most famous for his chronicle '' Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum'' (''Deeds of Bishops of the Hamburg Church''). He was "one of the foremost historians and early ethnographers of the medieval period". In his chronicle, he included a chapter mentioning the Norse outpost of Vinland, and was thus the first European to write about the New World. Life Little is known of his life other than hints from his own chronicles. He is believed to have come from Meissen, then its own margravate. The dates of his birth and death are uncertain, but he was probably born before 1050 and died on 12 October of an unknown year (possibly 1081, at the latest 1085). From his chronicles, it is apparent that he was familiar with a number of authors. The honorary name of ''Magister Adam'' shows that he had passed through all the s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
