Finnish-Novgorodian wars
Encyclopedia
The Finnish–Novgorodian wars were a series of conflicts that took place between Finnic
tribes in eastern Fennoscandia
called "Yem", and the Republic of Novgorod from the 11th or 12th century to early 13th century. The wars seem to have contributed to the eventual Swedish conquest of Finland
in around 1249. The term used in Russian chronicles to refer the enemy, Yem, is highly obscure and probably referred to several different groups. Some of the groups identified as Yem may have been the inhabitants of Tavastland
in south-central Finland, the West Finns in general and a sub-group of Karelians
on the northern coast of the Ladoga
.
Noteworthy is, though, that the eastern Finnic peoples Votes
, Korela (interpreted as Karelians
in general or more specifically as the Karelians in SW coast of the Ladoga) and Izhorians
are all mentioned as allies to Novgorod, said to have been fighting against Yem also without Novgorod's direct involvement.
which records in passing that the Novgorodian Prince Vladimir Yaroslavich
was at war with the "Yam" in 1042. The Yam are also mentioned as tributaries to Novgorod in the Primary Chronicle
, but they disappear from sources later on. It is disputed whether "Yam" was an earlier form of "Yem" or altogether different people, perhaps living east of the Lake Onega
.
Conflicts certainly began in the early 12th century, however information on them remains very scarce.
According to the Novgorod First Chronicle
, another Prince of Novgorod, Vsevolod Mstislavich, and his troops from Novgorod were at war with Yem during a great famine in 1123. The chronicle leaves any further developments of the conflict open, including the whereabouts of the fight.
Yem pillaged Novgorodian area in 1142, but were defeated near Ladoga
with 400 casualties. Coincidently or not, Swedes attacked Novgorodians in the same year as well. Korela, now under Novgorodian influence, were at war with Yem in the following year, but were forced to flee, losing two ships.
Yem attacked Russian soil again in 1149 with 1000 men. Novgorodians, totaling 500, went in pursuit of the Yem, utterly defeating them with Votes
, a Finnic tribe in alliance with Novgorod. Votes, today almost extinct, lived south of the present-day Saint Petersburg
, probably making this the deepest attack that Yem ever made into Russian territory.
After a long pause in open hostilities—at least in the chronicles—a Novgorodian called Vyshata Vasilyevich led his troops against Yem in 1186, returning unharmed with prisoners. It is not clear whether he took his forces to fight in the land of Yem or to defend his country against an intrusion. Reasons for the renewed fighting have not been identified.
Korela accompanied Novgorodians for yet another attack against Yem in 1191. This time the fighting is clearly said to have taken place "the land of the Yem", the first such entry in Russian chronicles. The assailants "burned the country and killed the cattle". Very hypothetically this may have been the same attack that was mentioned in a much later Swedish chronicle Chronicon episcoporum Finlandensium by Bishop Paulus Juusten
from the mid-16th century that knows Russians to have burned "Turku
" in 1198, at the time of Bishop Folquinus. Russian chronicles have no information about a conflict that year. It should be noted that the town of Turku did not exist before the end of the 13th century.
After this, there is no information on further Novgorodian conflicts for several decades. It is also impossible to confirm, whether the 1191 war resulted in a brief Novgorodian rule in parts of Finland or Karelia. However, a later chronicle entry from the mid-1220s said that Russian princes had not been able to dwell in the land of Yem.
. Pope Alexander III
, in his letter to the Archbishop of Uppsala
and Jarl Gottorm of Sweden in 1171 (or 1172), perhaps refers to the Finns' struggle against Novgorod by demanding Sweden to take over Finnish fortressess in exchange for protection. In the late 15th century, historian Ericus Olai claimed that Bishop Kol of Linköping (d. 1196?) had been the "Jarl of Finland" (Dux Finlandiae), possibly leading Swedish troops temporarily situated in Finland. He may have been in a similar military role than Jon jarl
who allegedly spent nine years overseas fighting against Novgorodians and Ingrians
at the end of the 12th century.
Noteworthy is also the so-called First Swedish Crusade
which according to several 15th century sources took place in 1150. The crusade is only known from later legends that presented the expedition (if it ever took place) as a Christian mission, headed by a saint king to baptize heathens. However, it seems to have followed the exceptionally edgy 1140s with both the Yem and Swedes fighting against Novgorod. Some historians have seen it as a direct reaction to the failed Yem expedition in 1149, associating it with the co-operation mentioned by the Pope 20 years later.
In 1221, Pope Honorius III
was again worried about the situation, after receiving alarming information from the Archbishop of Uppsala
. He authorized the unnamed Bishop of Finland to establish a trade embargo against the "barbarians" that threatened the Christianity in Finland. The nationality of the "barbarians", presumably a citation from Archbishop's earlier letter, remains unknown, and was not necessarily known even by the Pope. However, as the trade embargo was widened eight years later, it was specifically said to be against the Russians.
Russian sources mention Swedish-Yem co-operation in 1240 at the earliest; it was then that were mentioned as one of the Swedes' allies in the little-documented Battle of the Neva
. The first reliable mention of Yem being a part of Swedish forces is from 1256, seven years after the conventional dating of the so-called Second Swedish Crusade
.
organized a series of attacks against Estonia
, Yem and Karelia
. The offensive against Yem took place in winter 1226–27.
The Yem retaliatory expedition in summer 1228 against Ladoga
, allegedly with more than 2000 men ended in disaster, as described by the Novgorod First Chronicle.
The war seems to have been the end of independent Yem-Novgorodian conflicts. Based on Papal letters from 1229, the unknown Bishop of Finland took advantage of the chaotic situation by taking over non-Christian places of worship and moving the see to a "more suitable" location. On bishop's request, the Pope also enforced a trade embargo against Novgorodians on the Baltic Sea
, at least in Visby
, Riga
and Lübeck
. A few years later, the Pope also requested the Livonian Brothers of the Sword
to send troops to protect Finland. If any knights ever arrived, remains unknown.
Novgorodian wars were a factor contributing to the eventual Swedish conquest of Finland
around 1249. Under Swedish rule, the wars continued to rage in Finland as a part of Swedish-Novgorodian Wars
.
Finnic peoples
The Finnic or Fennic peoples were historic ethnic groups who spoke various languages traditionally classified as Finno-Permic...
tribes in eastern Fennoscandia
Fennoscandia
Fennoscandia and Fenno-Scandinavia are geographic and geological terms used to describe the Scandinavian Peninsula, the Kola Peninsula, Karelia and Finland...
called "Yem", and the Republic of Novgorod from the 11th or 12th century to early 13th century. The wars seem to have contributed to the eventual Swedish conquest of Finland
Second Swedish Crusade
The Second Swedish Crusade was a Swedish military expedition to areas in present-day Finland by Birger jarl in the 13th century. As a result of the crusade, Finland became permanently part of Sweden for the next 550 years.-Year of the crusade:...
in around 1249. The term used in Russian chronicles to refer the enemy, Yem, is highly obscure and probably referred to several different groups. Some of the groups identified as Yem may have been the inhabitants of Tavastland
Tavastia (historical province)
Tavastia, Tavastland or Häme, Russian Emi or Yemi, is a historical province in the south of Finland. It borders Finland Proper, Satakunta, Ostrobothnia, Savonia and Uusimaa.- Administration :...
in south-central Finland, the West Finns in general and a sub-group of Karelians
Karelians
The Karelians are a Baltic-Finnic ethnic group living mostly in the Republic of Karelia and in other north-western parts of the Russian Federation. The historic homeland of Karelians includes also parts of present-day Eastern Finland and the formerly Finnish territory of Ladoga Karelia...
on the northern coast of the Ladoga
Lake Ladoga
Lake Ladoga is a freshwater lake located in the Republic of Karelia and Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia, not far from Saint Petersburg. It is the largest lake in Europe, and the 14th largest lake by area in the world.-Geography:...
.
Background
The only known written sources on the Yem-Novgorodian wars are contained in the medieval Russian chronicles. The Russians and Yem had frequent conflicts from the 11th or, more securely, the 12th century onwards. Sources never reveal any reason why the conflict got started and kept going on for at least 100 years, or which party was responsible for most of the offensives.Noteworthy is, though, that the eastern Finnic peoples Votes
Votes
Votes are a people of Votia in Ingria, the part of modern day northwestern Russia that is roughly southwest of Saint Petersburg and east of the Estonian border-town of Narva. Their own ethnic name is Vadjalain . The Finnic Votic language spoken by Votes is close to extinction. Votians were one of...
, Korela (interpreted as Karelians
Karelians
The Karelians are a Baltic-Finnic ethnic group living mostly in the Republic of Karelia and in other north-western parts of the Russian Federation. The historic homeland of Karelians includes also parts of present-day Eastern Finland and the formerly Finnish territory of Ladoga Karelia...
in general or more specifically as the Karelians in SW coast of the Ladoga) and Izhorians
Izhorians
The Izhorians , along with the Votes are an indigenous people of Ingria. Small numbers can still be found in the Western part of Ingria, between the Narva and Neva rivers in northwestern Russia.- History :The history of the Izhorians is bound to the history of Ingria...
are all mentioned as allies to Novgorod, said to have been fighting against Yem also without Novgorod's direct involvement.
Early developments
The earliest possible mention of hostilities is from the Laurentian CodexLaurentian Codex
Laurentian Codex or Laurentian Chronicle is a collection of chronicles that includes the oldest extant version of the Primary Chronicle and its continuations, mostly relating the events in Northern Russia ....
which records in passing that the Novgorodian Prince Vladimir Yaroslavich
Vladimir of Novgorod
Vladimir Yaroslavich reigned as prince of Novgorod from 1036 until his death. He was the eldest son of Yaroslav I the Wise of Kiev by Ingigerd, daughter of king Olof Skötkonung of Sweden....
was at war with the "Yam" in 1042. The Yam are also mentioned as tributaries to Novgorod in the Primary Chronicle
Primary Chronicle
The Primary Chronicle , Ruthenian Primary Chronicle or Russian Primary Chronicle, is a history of Kievan Rus' from about 850 to 1110, originally compiled in Kiev about 1113.- Three editions :...
, but they disappear from sources later on. It is disputed whether "Yam" was an earlier form of "Yem" or altogether different people, perhaps living east of the Lake Onega
Lake Onega
Lake Onega is a lake in the north-west European part of Russia, located on the territory of Republic of Karelia, Leningrad Oblast and Vologda Oblast. It belongs to the basin of Baltic Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and is the second largest lake in Europe after Lake Ladoga...
.
Conflicts certainly began in the early 12th century, however information on them remains very scarce.
According to the Novgorod First Chronicle
Novgorod First Chronicle
The Novgorod First Chronicle or The Chronicle of Novgorod, 1016-1471 is the most ancient extant chronicle of the Novgorod Republic. It reflects a tradition different from the Kievan Primary Chronicle...
, another Prince of Novgorod, Vsevolod Mstislavich, and his troops from Novgorod were at war with Yem during a great famine in 1123. The chronicle leaves any further developments of the conflict open, including the whereabouts of the fight.
Staraya Ladoga
Staraya Ladoga , or the Aldeigjuborg of Norse sagas, is a village in the Volkhovsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the Volkhov River near Lake Ladoga, 8 km north of the town of Volkhov. The village used to be a prosperous trading outpost in the 8th and 9th centuries...
with 400 casualties. Coincidently or not, Swedes attacked Novgorodians in the same year as well. Korela, now under Novgorodian influence, were at war with Yem in the following year, but were forced to flee, losing two ships.
Yem attacked Russian soil again in 1149 with 1000 men. Novgorodians, totaling 500, went in pursuit of the Yem, utterly defeating them with Votes
Votes
Votes are a people of Votia in Ingria, the part of modern day northwestern Russia that is roughly southwest of Saint Petersburg and east of the Estonian border-town of Narva. Their own ethnic name is Vadjalain . The Finnic Votic language spoken by Votes is close to extinction. Votians were one of...
, a Finnic tribe in alliance with Novgorod. Votes, today almost extinct, lived south of the present-day Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, probably making this the deepest attack that Yem ever made into Russian territory.
After a long pause in open hostilities—at least in the chronicles—a Novgorodian called Vyshata Vasilyevich led his troops against Yem in 1186, returning unharmed with prisoners. It is not clear whether he took his forces to fight in the land of Yem or to defend his country against an intrusion. Reasons for the renewed fighting have not been identified.
Korela accompanied Novgorodians for yet another attack against Yem in 1191. This time the fighting is clearly said to have taken place "the land of the Yem", the first such entry in Russian chronicles. The assailants "burned the country and killed the cattle". Very hypothetically this may have been the same attack that was mentioned in a much later Swedish chronicle Chronicon episcoporum Finlandensium by Bishop Paulus Juusten
Paulus Juusten
Paulus Petri Juusten . , Swedish: Påvel Pedersson Juusten or Paul Juusten was the first bishop of Viipuri, and later, bishop of Turku, Finland...
from the mid-16th century that knows Russians to have burned "Turku
Turku
Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
" in 1198, at the time of Bishop Folquinus. Russian chronicles have no information about a conflict that year. It should be noted that the town of Turku did not exist before the end of the 13th century.
After this, there is no information on further Novgorodian conflicts for several decades. It is also impossible to confirm, whether the 1191 war resulted in a brief Novgorodian rule in parts of Finland or Karelia. However, a later chronicle entry from the mid-1220s said that Russian princes had not been able to dwell in the land of Yem.
Swedish and Papal involvement?
At the same time, Sweden and Novgorod were in conflict as wellSwedish-Novgorodian Wars
Swedish–Novgorodian Wars were a series of conflicts in the 12th and 13th centuries between the Republic of Novgorod and medieval Sweden over control of the Gulf of Finland, an area vital to the Hanseatic League and part of the Varangian-Byzantine trade route...
. Pope Alexander III
Pope Alexander III
Pope Alexander III , born Rolando of Siena, was Pope from 1159 to 1181. He is noted in history for laying the foundation stone for the Notre Dame de Paris.-Church career:...
, in his letter to the Archbishop of Uppsala
Archbishop of Uppsala
The Archbishop of Uppsala has been the primate in Sweden in an unbroken succession since 1164, first during the Catholic era, and from the 1530s and onward under the Lutheran church.- Historical overview :...
and Jarl Gottorm of Sweden in 1171 (or 1172), perhaps refers to the Finns' struggle against Novgorod by demanding Sweden to take over Finnish fortressess in exchange for protection. In the late 15th century, historian Ericus Olai claimed that Bishop Kol of Linköping (d. 1196?) had been the "Jarl of Finland" (Dux Finlandiae), possibly leading Swedish troops temporarily situated in Finland. He may have been in a similar military role than Jon jarl
Jon Jarl
Jon Jarl was a legendary Swedish jarl at the end of the 12th and in the early 13th centuries. He is mentioned in Eric's Chronicle from the 1320s to have spent years fighting against Russians and Ingrians in the early Swedish-Novgorodian Wars...
who allegedly spent nine years overseas fighting against Novgorodians and Ingrians
Ingrians
The term Ingrians may refer to one of the following.*Inhabitants of Ingria in general.*Izhorians, Finnic indigenous people of Ingria.*Ingrian Finns, the descendants of Lutheran emigrants from present-day Finland in the 17th century....
at the end of the 12th century.
Noteworthy is also the so-called First Swedish Crusade
First Swedish Crusade
First Swedish Crusade is a legendary military expedition presumably in the 1150s that has traditionally been seen as the conquest of Finland by Sweden, with pagan Finns converting to Christianity. According to the legend, the crusade was conducted by King Eric IX of Sweden...
which according to several 15th century sources took place in 1150. The crusade is only known from later legends that presented the expedition (if it ever took place) as a Christian mission, headed by a saint king to baptize heathens. However, it seems to have followed the exceptionally edgy 1140s with both the Yem and Swedes fighting against Novgorod. Some historians have seen it as a direct reaction to the failed Yem expedition in 1149, associating it with the co-operation mentioned by the Pope 20 years later.
In 1221, Pope Honorius III
Pope Honorius III
Pope Honorius III , previously known as Cencio Savelli, was Pope from 1216 to 1227.-Early work:He was born in Rome as son of Aimerico...
was again worried about the situation, after receiving alarming information from the Archbishop of Uppsala
Archbishop of Uppsala
The Archbishop of Uppsala has been the primate in Sweden in an unbroken succession since 1164, first during the Catholic era, and from the 1530s and onward under the Lutheran church.- Historical overview :...
. He authorized the unnamed Bishop of Finland to establish a trade embargo against the "barbarians" that threatened the Christianity in Finland. The nationality of the "barbarians", presumably a citation from Archbishop's earlier letter, remains unknown, and was not necessarily known even by the Pope. However, as the trade embargo was widened eight years later, it was specifically said to be against the Russians.
Russian sources mention Swedish-Yem co-operation in 1240 at the earliest; it was then that were mentioned as one of the Swedes' allies in the little-documented Battle of the Neva
Battle of the Neva
The Battle of the Neva was fought between the Novgorod Republic and Swedish armies on the Neva River, near the settlement of Ust-Izhora, on July 15, 1240...
. The first reliable mention of Yem being a part of Swedish forces is from 1256, seven years after the conventional dating of the so-called Second Swedish Crusade
Second Swedish Crusade
The Second Swedish Crusade was a Swedish military expedition to areas in present-day Finland by Birger jarl in the 13th century. As a result of the crusade, Finland became permanently part of Sweden for the next 550 years.-Year of the crusade:...
.
Final war
The final known conflict between Yem and Novgorod took place in the 1220s, following decades of peace, at least in the chronicles. After having secured his power in Novgorod by 1222, Grand Prince Yaroslav II of VladimirVladimir
Vladimir is a city and the administrative center of Vladimir Oblast, Russia, located on the Klyazma River, to the east of Moscow along the M7 motorway. Population:...
organized a series of attacks against Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, Yem and Karelia
Karelia
Karelia , the land of the Karelian peoples, is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for Finland, Russia, and Sweden...
. The offensive against Yem took place in winter 1226–27.
The same winter Yaroslav, son of Vsevolod left Novgorod over the sea against Yem where no else Russian prince had been able to dwell; and he conquered the land and returned to Novgorod praising God with many prisoners. When those who were accompanying him could not handle all the prisoners, they killed some of them but released many more.
The Yem retaliatory expedition in summer 1228 against Ladoga
Staraya Ladoga
Staraya Ladoga , or the Aldeigjuborg of Norse sagas, is a village in the Volkhovsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the Volkhov River near Lake Ladoga, 8 km north of the town of Volkhov. The village used to be a prosperous trading outpost in the 8th and 9th centuries...
, allegedly with more than 2000 men ended in disaster, as described by the Novgorod First Chronicle.
The Yem came to Lake LadogaLake LadogaLake Ladoga is a freshwater lake located in the Republic of Karelia and Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia, not far from Saint Petersburg. It is the largest lake in Europe, and the 14th largest lake by area in the world.-Geography:...
to war, and word about that came to Novgorod on the Ascension Day of the Christ (6.8). And Novgorodians took their barges and rowed to Ladoga with prince Jaroslav. Vladislav, the bailiff at LadogaStaraya LadogaStaraya Ladoga , or the Aldeigjuborg of Norse sagas, is a village in the Volkhovsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the Volkhov River near Lake Ladoga, 8 km north of the town of Volkhov. The village used to be a prosperous trading outpost in the 8th and 9th centuries...
, and the people of Ladoga did not wait for the Novgorodians, but went after them (Finns) in boats where they were fighting, met with them and fought them; and then came night, and they (people of Ladoga) landed on an island, but Finns were on the coast with prisoners; for they had been fighting close to the lake near the landing place, and in OlonetsOlonetsOlonets is a town and the administrative center of Olonetsky District of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, situated on the Olonka River, to the east from Lake Ladoga. Population: -History:...
. The same night they asked for peace, but the bailiff and the people of Ladoga did not grant it; and they killed all the prisoners and ran into forests, after abandoning their ships. Many of them fell there, but their boats were burned. -- And of those who had come, 2000 or more were killed, God knows; and the rest (who had not fled) were all killed.
The war seems to have been the end of independent Yem-Novgorodian conflicts. Based on Papal letters from 1229, the unknown Bishop of Finland took advantage of the chaotic situation by taking over non-Christian places of worship and moving the see to a "more suitable" location. On bishop's request, the Pope also enforced a trade embargo against Novgorodians on the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
, at least in Visby
Visby
-See also:* Battle of Visby* Gotland University College* List of governors of Gotland County-External links:* - Visby*...
, Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
and Lübeck
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
. A few years later, the Pope also requested the Livonian Brothers of the Sword
Livonian Brothers of the Sword
The Livonian Brothers of the Sword were a military order founded by Bishop Albert of Riga in 1202. Pope Innocent III sanctioned the establishment in 1204. The membership of the order comprised German "warrior monks"...
to send troops to protect Finland. If any knights ever arrived, remains unknown.
Novgorodian wars were a factor contributing to the eventual Swedish conquest of Finland
Second Swedish Crusade
The Second Swedish Crusade was a Swedish military expedition to areas in present-day Finland by Birger jarl in the 13th century. As a result of the crusade, Finland became permanently part of Sweden for the next 550 years.-Year of the crusade:...
around 1249. Under Swedish rule, the wars continued to rage in Finland as a part of Swedish-Novgorodian Wars
Swedish-Novgorodian Wars
Swedish–Novgorodian Wars were a series of conflicts in the 12th and 13th centuries between the Republic of Novgorod and medieval Sweden over control of the Gulf of Finland, an area vital to the Hanseatic League and part of the Varangian-Byzantine trade route...
.