[gothic-l] Goetaland

[Bertil Häggman]

Albareiks,

It is hard to give you an exact answer
concerning Vaestgoetland(V) and Oestergoetland (O).
Both provinces are the possibly two
richest in archaelogical finds in southern
Sweden frpm the Stone Age to the Iron Age.

V. was the first province in Sweden to receive
the Christian faith. It is claimed that King
Olof Skoetkonung was baptised at Husaby
in the beginning of the 11th century. A few decades
later Vaestergoetland was the first bishopric.
Politically all through the Middle Ages V and O
were the leading provinces and it was not
until the 13th century that the central power
was transferred to Uppsala and later Stockholm.
Two of the three Middle Age royal families
in Sweden had their origin in V (the Stenkil
family and the Eric family). The leading noble families
in Sweden were also from V.

In the case of O. it has a similar richness in
archaelogical finds from the Stone Age to the
Iron Age. The Sverker family and the Folkunga
were centered in O. and it played an important
role in national Swedish politics during the
Middle Ahges. In the beginning of the 12th century
O. was a bishopric and a number monestaries
were founded.

With the rise of King Gustav Vasa and the Vasa
family the relative independence of V. and O. was
abandoned in favour of centralistic power in
Stockholm. No country in Europe, except
possibly France, has such a heritage of centralized
government.

Gothically

Bertil

> When did southern parts of Sweden become known as Oster- and Vester
> Goetaland (sp?), and when did Gotland become designated as such?  Was it BC,
> before the Gothic migration south to the Poland area, or at some later time,
> perhaps the 6th century AD?



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