Vingulmark

Vingulmark is the old name for the area which today makes up the counties of Østfold, western parts of Akershus (excluding Romerike), and eastern parts of Buskerud (Hurum and Røyken municipalities), and includes the site of Norway's capital, Oslo. According to medieval kings' sagas, it was a Viking Age petty kingdom.Archaeologists have made finds of richly endowed burials in the area around the estuary of the river Glomma, at Onsøy, Rolvsøy and Tune, where the remains of a ship, the Tune ship, was found. This indicates that there was an important center of power in this area. [Bergljot Solberg, "Jernalderen i Norge", (Oslo,2000), p. 279]

There are indications that at least the southern part of this area was under Danish rule in the late 9th century. In the account of Ottar, which was written down at the court of the English king Alfred the Great, Ottar says that when he sailed south from Skiringssal, he had Denmark on the port side for three days. This would include parts of Vingulmark.

Snorri Sturluson relates in "Heimskringla" that it was conquered from the Swedish king Erik Emundsson by king Harald Fairhair when he united Norway.

The sagas name several more or less legendary kings as rulers of Vingulmark:
* Gudrød the Hunter, half of Vingulmark
* Alfgeir (Old Norse: "Álfgeir")
* Gandalf Alfgeirsson
* Halfdan the Black
* Olaf Haraldsson
* Tryggve Olafsson
* Harald Gudrødsson Grenske, 976-987

During the Middle Ages, Vingulmark was an administrative unit limited to Oslo, Bærum and Asker.

"See also:" Viken

References