Cwen: Encyclopedia II - Cwen - Wars in Cwenland

Cwen - Wars in Cwenland

According to the Northern Norwegian Viking leader Ottar from Björkoy in Hålogaland (Haalogaland) (see also: Ottar from Hålogaland, near Troms (Tromsa), as well as the sagas by Egil the Finnish Kveens (a.k.a. Cwen people or Cwens, Quens) were in charge of the large northernmost territories of the Scandinavian Peninsula during the 9th century AD, and presumably long before that.

Ottar met the English King Alfred the Great in England in the end of the 9th century and made a thorough account to him of the life in Northern Norway and the Kveens, and about his exploration trip to the White Sea. This account was included to the translation by Alfred the Great of the World History of Orosius. This was the first genuine and comprenensive account of the North, and thus it is a principle source in the exploration of the Nordic history.

According to these and other historical documents the Norwegians and the Finnish Cwens united their forces on the 9th century against the attacks by the Finnish Karelians who - with the assistance of Novgorod - made advances up North, particularly coming to the 11th century.

Some Finnish tribes fought with the vikings, others against them. In 1154 AD The Arab historian and scientist Al Idrisi wrote that the King of Finland had possessions in Norway. In 1187 AD - According to a Swedish chronicle and some other documentation - the Finnish Karelians conquered the Swedish capital and destroyed it.

In 1251 the Karelians fought against the Norwegians and in 1271 the Kveens and the Karelians cooperated in battles against the Norwegians in Haalogaland. These battles had a lasting effect in life in the entire Northern Scandinavia.

The Finnish Cwens and other Finnish or Fenno-Ugric (closely related to Finns) groups participated in the Viking conquests in Russia, the British Isles and elsewhere.

During several following centuries a gradual and slow process of a Swedish expansion in today's Finland and the formation of Sweden-Finland took place, not through wars or battles fought between the Finns and the Swedes, but rather scirmishes between the Finns themselves, others - in the west - symphatizing with the catholic Swedes and others - in the east - with the orthodox Russians. This period saw many tendencies and attempts to autonomy for the eastern half of Sweden-Finland, i.e. today's Finland.

Since the Viking Age the historic Cwenland territories have had an important role to play in many wars having to do with Finland.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Wars in Cwenland", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki