Part 1: Magnus, Hrolfr, and the Rise of Sweden
In the early middle ages, the land we now call Scandinavia was populated by a dozen or so petty chiefdoms. Some of those chiefdoms were no larger than a handful of small villages, while others held vast swathes of the harsh Nordic wilderness. The bitter cold of Scandinavia had weeded out all those who were not fierce enough to survive it, and the men who held dominion over these chiefdoms were the boldest among their Nordic peers. Men like Bjorn Ironside, son of the famous warrior Ragnar Lothbrok, or his brother, Halfdan Whiteshirt, who was ruling in the kingdom he had carved out of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria. These were hard men, ruling over a hard land and a hard people. But on a narrow, frozen strip of land hugging the Norwegian coast, lived an entirely different sort of Norseman. He was not a great warrior, although it was said that his family was descended from giants. He had never been tested in battle, nor even drawn blood. The history of his ancestors is lost to us, but Magnus af Raumsdalr enters the historical record around the year 867. By the end of his life the fragmented Scandinavia he was born into would be gone forever.
Scandanavia, 867.
Magnus first appears to us in his role as the chieftain of Maeri, a small slice of northwestern Norway. He appears to have made numerous marriage pacts with the chieftains surrounding him, securing him many powerful allies. Of these the historical record is most sure of the marriage of his son and heir Arnoddr to a daughter of the nearby chieftain of Jamatland.
Magnus and his family in 867
It is said that Magnus af Raumsdalr never once led men into battle, and so the success of his life remains a most curious case of Norse history. Lacking both martial ability and prowess, Magnus wholly relied on others to do his fighting for him, an incredibly uncommon occurrence in Norse culture. The most famous of Magnus’ commanders was Hrolfr, and the story of how he came to be in Magnus’ services may help us understand the man that Magnus was—and perhaps why he was able to thrive in the warrior culture he found himself in.
In 869, Magnus’ forces and his allies in Jamatland marched south to conquer a neighboring chiefdom. While their armies were distracted, a raiding party from the north pillaged Jamatland and kidnapped Magnus’ heir’s bride to be. After a successful campaign in the south, the twin bands of norsemen hurriedly marched back to rescue the girl. Doubtlessly the chieftain who had done the raiding did not anticipate to find that the army of Jamatland had made common cause with the Maeri. Marching upon the tribe to the north, the Maeri and the Jamtlanders encountered an army far smaller than theirs, and sounded the attack. At the head of the much smaller army was Hrolfr, and the man was said to have fought like a true son of Odin. Personally cutting down dozens of men, Hrolfr and his fierce band of raiders turned what should have been a disastrous defeat into a hard won victory for Magnus. When Hrolfr was brought before Magnus in chains, his daughter-in-law's kidnapper, he could have easily made the decision to kill him. Instead, Hrolfr’s life was spared in exchange for a pledge of loyalty.
Hrolfr submits to Magnus
By offering generous mercy to his prisoner, Magnus had secured himself one of the most dangerous men alive as a valuable ally. Hrolfr, called simply, the Northman, became commander of Maeri.
Despite his personal ability in matters of combat, Magnus with his political wisdom had secured himself an incredibly able general. Seeking wealth, Hrolfr was sent on numerous raids, which yielded large amounts of plunder from the British Isles.
a particularly successful raid in Western Ireland.
Hrolfr won many battles against native defenders in Ireland, particularly, netting both him and Magnus large amounts of notoriety. Magnus would use the plunder from Ireland to make war among the Norse around him, eventually consolidating enough land to make himself a powerful Jarl—no longer a mere chieftain. Magnus’ generosity with his newfound wealth made him a powerful man with many, many friends.
In 874, one of those friendships would be tested. Jamatland was invaded by the Swedes, and Magnus was called upon by his ally to assist him. The Swedish invasion was led by none other than the famous Bjorn Ironside, son of Ragnar Lothbrok.
The Swedes Invade
The Swedish warlord had spent a lifetime consolidating the Swedes under his rule, and now he sought to incorporate Jamatland into his burgeoning kingdom.
Jarl Bjorn Ironside
The Jarl of Jamatland was ultimately to meet his end at the battle of Medelpad, slain by Jarl Bjorn. This was to mark the end of an incredibly short war, with large pieces of Jamatland occupied by the Swedish.
Bjorn slays Bjorn at Medelpad
Jarl Magnus wisely never committed too many men to the conflict, knowing that the war was doomed from the start. Another example of Magnus’ un-norseman-like prudence.
The immediate consequence of the Swedish invasion of Jamatland was the proclamation of Bjorn Ironside as King of Sweden. Never before had Scandinavia seen a state as powerful as Bjorn’s. While there had been many legendary petty kings of the Swedes, Bjorn’s universal acclamation as King of Sweden amongst the Swedish chieftains was the first time they had backed a ruler truly worthy of the title. Thus, Bjorn I is considered to be the first non-mythological King of Sweden.
Bjorn Ironside, First King of Sweden.
The territory of the Kingdom of Sweden upon its creation
Magnus must have been aware that if he were to retain his power, he would have to assuage the newly made king to the east. With his grandson poised to inherit what remained of Jamatland, Magnus decided to make a friend out of Bjorn Ironside. Bjorn’s granddaughter was to marry Magnus’ fourth son, Fabiorn, and King Bjorn was to swear to not invade Magnus’ lands, nor more of Jamatland. No doubt Bjorn was content to strengthen his hold over Sweden, and to have a powerful ally rather than a foe on his Northern border. Besides, shortly after his proclamation as King of Sweden, Bjorn was off to fight the weaker Finnish to the East. Even a Norsemen does not desire to fight enemies on two fronts.
The marriage of Fabiorn to Bjorg, princess of Sweden.
Peace made with the behemoth to the East, Magnus was now free to consolidate his hold over southern Norway. With Hrolfr at its head, the Norse army carved a path through the smaller chiefdoms straight South.
Territorial Extent of the Jarldom of Praendalog in 890.
With the expert prowess of Hrolfr, Magnus was quickly becoming one of the most powerful rulers in all of Scandinavia. In thanks for his service, Magnus granted Hrolfr lands in the newly conquered south, raising him to a chieftain once again.
King Bjorn I of Sweden would pass peacefully in his sleep in 887, leaving the kingdom to his eldest son, Eirikr. Much like his father, the new king of Sweden was an incredibly capable warrior, fighting in dozens of battles by the time of his ascension.
Incorrectly sensing weakness in the Swedish upon Eirikir’s ascension, Hrolfr Northman launched an attack on his allies to the south, the Danes. This disastrous war was not condoned by Magnus, and would see Hrolfr slain in battle by a combined Dane-Swede force.
Upon Hrolfr’s death, his army was smashed, and house Northman’s forces limped back to southern Norway. It would be decades before they would recover their losses. Tragedy would strike house Northman a second time in short succession when Hrolfr’s heir Folkvidr died of fever shortly after his father, leaving the Northmen only a single young son.
The Death of Hrolfr Northman.
The Remnants of House Northman
The young chieftain and his sister were all that remained of Hrolfr’s family. Time would tell what they would do with the chiefdom their father had won in many costly conquests.
In mighty Sweden, King Eirikr would reign until 896, passing much in the same manner his father did. The realm passed to his eldest son, Porolfr. King Prolfr would not be the renowned war veteran that his predecessors were, but he made up for his undying devotion as a true son of Odin.
Woe to those who would besmirch the gods in the presence of the young king.
The Royal Family of Sweden
It was around the time of Profolr’s ascension that Magnus began to feel the decline of his health. Magnus would be on his death bed shortly after 896.
896 would also see the tragic loss of Arnoddr’s wife, Svanlaug of Jamatland. A respected shieldmaiden, she died in a local conflict with brigands. Upon her passing, Jamatland would pass to Magnus’ grandson, Magnus the younger.
The growing infirmity of his father and the loss of his wife would drive Arnoddr into a deep sadness. Accounts say he was scarcely seen anywhere besides Magnus’ bedside.
Although he inherited his father’s diplomacy, Arnoddr was a far gentler soul. It is said that the death of his wife drove him to the bottle. It would remain to be seen whether he could hold on to the realm that his father had collected.
Magnus held on to life for far longer than was expected given his bedridden state, but he would finally pass in the winter of 902.
The irony of Magnus’ life is not lost upon those who study the region's history. He was a man who dominated his neighbors without all of the skills that his culture valued. Many historians remark that the true source of his power was his friendship with the mighty Hrolfr, and that it is the founder of house Northman that should receive all the praise for his success. This, however, fails to account for how a less shrewd Norseman might have cut down Hrolfr once he was in chains, rather than spare him as Magnus did. It was Magnus’ generosity coupled with Hrolfr’s fierceness that won them much of Norway, and we must acknowledge that the two were worth far more together than alone.
But now the two houses had lost both of their forbearers, and it would remain to be seen how history would see them fare...
Our two houses of interest, 902.
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