Brávellir (
Old Norse
Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...
) or Bråvalla (modern Swedish) () was the name of the central
plain
In geography, a plain, commonly known as flatland, is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and ...
of
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 li ...
(East Götaland), in
Norse mythology
Norse, Nordic, or Scandinavian mythology, is the body of myths belonging to the North Germanic peoples, stemming from Old Norse religion and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia as the Nordic folklore of the modern period. The ...
.
It appears in several traditions, such as those of the
Battle of Bråvalla (Battle of the Bravellir), and in ''
Helgakviða Hundingsbana I'', where
Sinfjötli
Sinfjötli ( ) or Fitela (in Old English) in Norse mythology was born out of the incestuous relationship between Sigmund and his sister Signy. He had the half-brothers Sigurd, Helgi Hundingsbane and Hamund.
Etymology and orthography
''SinfjÇ ...
resides on this plain. Stanza 42:
Its location has been contested because a local tradition places the Battle of Bråvalla at lake Åsnen in the Swedish province of
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 la ...
. In the oldest sources, however, such as the ''
Hervarar saga'' it is described as (i.e. Bråvalla in
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 li ...
) and in ''
Sögubrot af nokkrum fornkonungum'' the battle is said to have taken place south of
Kolmården
Kolmården () is a long and wide densely forested rocky ridge that separates the Swedish provinces of Södermanland and Östergötland, two of the country's main agricultural areas, from each other, and in historic times, along with Tylöskog ...
which separated
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
from
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 li ...
and where
Bråviken
Bråviken is a bay of the Baltic Sea that is located near Norrköping in Östergötland, Sweden. It is an example of a fjard
A fjard (, ) is a large open space of water between groups of islands or mainland in archipelagos. Fjards can be found ...
is located:
In the legend of
Blenda, the army of women assembled on the Brávellir.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bravellir
Places in Norse mythology
Plains of Sweden
Östergötland