- Vendel era
).
The migrations and the upheaval in Central Europe had lessened somewhat, and two power regions had appeared in Europe: the
Merovingian kingdom and the Slavic princedoms in Eastern Europe and theBalkans . A third power, theCatholic Church , had begun to expand its influence.In
Scandinavia , the Germanic clan society was still very much alive. InUppland in what today is the east-central part of Sweden,Old Uppsala was probably the centre of religious and political life. It had both a well-knownsacred grove and greatRoyal Mounds .There were lively contacts with Central Europe, and the Scandinavians continued to export
iron ,fur andslaves ; in return they acquired art and new innovations, such as thestirrup .The finds inVendel andValsgärde show thatUppland was an important and powerful area consistent with the sagas' account of a Swedish kingdom. Some of the riches were probably acquired through the control of mining districts and the production of iron. The rulers had troops of mounted elite warriors with costly armour. Graves of mounted warriors have been found with stirrups and saddle ornaments of birds of prey in gilded bronze with encrusted garnets.These mounted elite warriors are mentioned in the work of the
6th century Goth scholarJordanes , who wrote that the Swedes had the best horses beside theThuringians . They also echo much later in theNorse sagas , where kingAdils is always described as fighting on horseback (both againstÁli andHrólf Kraki ).Snorri Sturluson wrote that Adils had the best horses of his days.Games were popular, as is shown in finds of
tafl games , including pawns and dice.This is the time when Swedish expeditions start to explore the waterways of what was to become
Russia .ee also
*
Battle on the Ice of Lake Vänern
*Ship burial
*Stone ship External links
* [http://www.historiska.se/sture/vendeltid/ A discussion presented at the website of Historiska muséet]
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