Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Preface
- Introduction: Sources, Aims, Conventions
- Part 1 Eastern Europe in the Old Norse Weltbild
- Chapter 1 Austrhálfa on the Mental Map of Medieval Scandinavians
- Chapter 2 Austrvegr and Other Aust-Place-Names
- Chapter 3 Austmarr, “the Eastern Sea,” the Baltic Sea
- Chapter 4 Traversing Eastern Europe
- Chapter 5 East European Rivers
- Chapter 6 Garðar/ Garðaríki as a Designation of Old Rus’
- Chapter 7 Hólmgarðr (Novgorod) and Kænugarðr (Kiev)
- Chapter 8 Aldeigja/ Aldeigjuborg (Old Ladoga)
- Chapter 9 “Hǫfuð garðar” in Hauksbók, and Some Other Old Russian Towns
- Chapter 10 Bjarmaland
- Part 2 Four Norwegian Kings in Old Rus’
- Chapter 11 Óláfr Tryggvason
- Chapter 12 Óláfr Haraldsson
- Chapter 13 Magnús Óláfsson
- Chapter 14 Haraldr Sigurðarson
- Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
Chapter 10 - Bjarmaland
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 November 2020
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Preface
- Introduction: Sources, Aims, Conventions
- Part 1 Eastern Europe in the Old Norse Weltbild
- Chapter 1 Austrhálfa on the Mental Map of Medieval Scandinavians
- Chapter 2 Austrvegr and Other Aust-Place-Names
- Chapter 3 Austmarr, “the Eastern Sea,” the Baltic Sea
- Chapter 4 Traversing Eastern Europe
- Chapter 5 East European Rivers
- Chapter 6 Garðar/ Garðaríki as a Designation of Old Rus’
- Chapter 7 Hólmgarðr (Novgorod) and Kænugarðr (Kiev)
- Chapter 8 Aldeigja/ Aldeigjuborg (Old Ladoga)
- Chapter 9 “Hǫfuð garðar” in Hauksbók, and Some Other Old Russian Towns
- Chapter 10 Bjarmaland
- Part 2 Four Norwegian Kings in Old Rus’
- Chapter 11 Óláfr Tryggvason
- Chapter 12 Óláfr Haraldsson
- Chapter 13 Magnús Óláfsson
- Chapter 14 Haraldr Sigurðarson
- Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
THIS CHAPTER PROVIDES a brief survey of all available sources where Beormas/ Bjarmar and Biarmia/ Bjarmaland occur; firstly, to show that different groups of Old Norse sources had different ethno-geographical nomenclature; secondly, to explain how and why the meaning of the place-name Bjarmaland changed; and finally, to describe the position of Bjarmaland between Norway and Old Rus’.
Bjarmaland, a mysterious land in the north of Europe, is mentioned in a number of Old Norse sources (cf. Tiander 1906). But before data concerning this land were put in writing by medieval Icelanders, the Anglo-Saxon king Alfred, in the late ninth century, added to his translation of the Historiae adversum Paganos by Paulus Orosius a record of a report of a certain traveller Ohthere, who had reached a land named Biarmia from the place of his habitation in the north of Norway, in Hålogaland. Ohthere's story is of vital importance within the context of Biarmia/ Bjarmaland studies, as an account of his voyage gives a detailed description of the northbound route from Hålogaland to the land of the Beormas.
Ohthere sæde his hlaforde, Ælfrede cyninge, þæt he ealra Norðmonna norþmest bude. He cwæð þæt he bude on þæm lande norþweardum wiþ þa Westsæ. He sæde þeah þæt land sie swiþe lang norþ þonan, ac hit is eal weste, buton on feawum stowum styccemælum wiciað Finnas, on huntoðe on wintra & on sumera on fiscaþe be þære sæ.
He sæde þæt he æt sumum cirre wolde fandian hu longe þæt land norþryhte læge, oþþe hwæðer ænig mon be norðan ðæm westenne bude. Þa for he norþryhte be þæm lande; let him ealne weg þæt weste land on ðæt steorbord þrie dagas. Þa wæs he swa feor norþ swa þa hwælhuntan firrest faraþ. Þa for he þa giet norþryhte swa feor swa he meahte on þæm oþrum þrim dagum gesiglan. Þa beag þæt land eastryhte, oþþe seo sæ in on ðæt lond, he nysse hwæðer, buton he wisse ðæt he ðær bad westanwindes & hwon norþan & siglde ða east be lande swa swa he meahte on feower dagum gesiglan. Þa sceolde he ðær bidan ryhtnorþanwindes, for ðæm þæt landbeag þær suþryhte, oþþe seo sæ in on ðæt land, he nysse hwæðer.
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- Eastern Europe in Icelandic Sagas , pp. 107 - 114Publisher: Amsterdam University PressPrint publication year: 2019