VästergötlandVästergötland (Swedish:), also known in older literature as West Gothland or the Latinized version Westrogothia, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden (landskap in Swedish), situated in the southwest of Sweden. Västergötland is home to Gothenburg, the second largest city in Sweden, which is situated along a short stretch of the Kattegat strait.Snorri SturlusonSnorri Sturluson (Old Norse:; Icelandic:; 1179 – 23 September 1241) was an Icelandic historian, poet, knight, and politician. He was elected twice as lawspeaker of the Icelandic parliament, the Althing.
Olof SkötkonungOlof Skötkonung (Old Norse: Óláfr skautkonungr; c. 980 – 1022), sometimes stylized as Olaf the Swede, was King of Sweden, son of Eric the Victorious and, according to Icelandic sources, Sigrid the Haughty. He succeeded his father in c. 995. He is the first Swedish ruler about whom there is substantial knowledge. He is regarded as the first king known to have ruled both the Swedes and the Geats, and the first king in Sweden to have minted coins.
SigtunaSigtuna is a locality in the west of in the eponymous Sigtuna Municipality, in Stockholm County, Sweden. It counted 9,689 inhabitants in 2020. The seat of the municipality is a locality to the east, Märsta. Sigtuna is for historical reasons still often referred to as a stad. Sigtuna is on Skarven, a bay alongside Upplands-Bro and part of Lake Mälaren.
Thing (assembly)A thing, also known as a folkmoot, assembly, tribal council, and by other names, was a governing assembly in early Germanic societies, made up of the free people of the community, and presided over by a lawspeaker. Things took place regularly, usually at prominent places accessible by travel. They provided legislative functions, as well as social events and trade opportunities.Estrid of the ObotritesEstrid of the Obotrites (c. 979 – 1035) was Queen of Sweden in the Viking age, a West Slavic princess married to the King of Sweden, Olof Skötkonung c. 1000–1022. She was the mother of King Anund Jacob of Sweden and the Kievan Rus' saint and grand princess Ingegerd Olofsdotter.
Old NorseNorth Germanic languageOld Norse was a North Germanic language spoken in Scandinavia and in Norse settlements during the Viking Age and the early Middle Ages (approximately the 8th–14th centuries).
Yaroslav the WiseYaroslav I Vladimirovich (c. 978 – 20 February 1054), better known as Yaroslav the Wise, was Grand Prince of Kiev from 1019 until his death in 1054. He was also earlier Prince of Novgorod from 1010 to 1034 and Prince of Rostov from 987 to 1010, uniting the principalities for a time. Yaroslav's baptismal name was George after Saint George. Yaroslav was a son of Vladimir the Great and Rogneda of Polotsk.
Viking AgePeriod of European history (about 800–1050)Viking Age picture stone, Gotland, Sweden.The Viking Age (about 800–1050 CE) was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonising, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. The Viking Age applies not only to their homeland of Scandinavia but also to any place significantly settled by Scandinavians during the period.
Monarchy of SwedenThe monarchy of Sweden is centred on the monarchical head of state of Sweden, by law a constitutional and with a parliamentary system. There have been kings in what now is the Kingdom of Sweden for more than a millennium. Originally an elective monarchy, it became a in the 16th century during the reign of Gustav Vasa, though virtually all monarchs before that belonged to a limited and small number of political families which are considered to be the royal dynasties of Sweden.
Middle AgesIn the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to late 15th centuries, comparable with the post-classical period of global history. The medieval period is the middle epoch of the three traditional divisions of Western history: classical antiquity, the medieval period, and the modern period. The medieval period is itself subdivided into the Early, High, and Late Middle Ages.
Kievan Rus'c. 880–1240 East Slavic state in EuropeKievan Rus', also known as Kyivan Rus', was the first East Slavic state and, later, an amalgam of principalities, in Eastern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century. Encompassing a variety of polities and peoples, including East Slavic, Norse, and Finnic, it was ruled by the Rurik dynasty, founded by the Varangian prince Rurik.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.