Ingvar the Far-Travelled
Encyclopedia
Ingvar the Far-Travelled (Old Norse
: Yngvarr víðförli, Swedish: Ingvar Vittfarne) was the leader of an unsuccessful Viking
attack against Persia, in 1036–1042.
There were several Caspian expeditions of the Rus' in the course of the 10th century. The Yngvars saga víðförla
describes what was the last Viking campaign in the Caspian in 1041, adding much legend to the historical facts. This expedition was launched from Sweden
by Ingvar the Far-Travelled, who went down the Volga River
into the land of the Saracens (Serkland
). While there, they apparently took part in the Georgian-Byzantine Battle of Sasireti
.
There are no less than twenty-six Ingvar Runestones
, twenty-four of them being in the Lake Mälaren
region of Uppland
in Sweden, referring to Swedish warriors who went out with Ingvar on his expedition to the Saracen
lands, an expedition whose purpose was probably to reopen old trade routes
, now that the Volga Bulgars and the Khazars
no longer proved obstacles. A stone to Ingvar’s brother indicates that he went east for gold but that he died in Saracen land.
, there are no extant Swedish sources that mention Ingvar, but there is Yngvars saga víðförla and three Icelandic annals that mention his death under the year 1041: Annales regii, the Lögmanns annáll and the Flateyarbók annals. These three annals are probably based on Sturla Þórðarson
's compilation.
and Elena Mel'nikova, Ingvar's saga has transmitted his origin correctly, and so he was the son of the Varangian Eymundr, who in turn was the son of a Swedish chieftain named Áki and the daughter of the Swedish king Eric the Victorious.
A second theory suggests that Ingvar was the son of a Swedish prince named Eymundr and who would have been the son of Eric the Victorious and the brother of Olof Skötkonung. The existence of this prince Eymundr has been suggested by Lauritz Weibull
(1911) and J. Svennung (1966). The theory is based on a reevaluation of the age of the Ingvar runestones, proposed by Elias Wessén
and Sune Lindquist and which suggests that the Ingvar Runestones were carved earlier in the 11th century.
According to a third theory, proposed by F. Braun, and which is based on the runestones U 513, U 540, Sö 179 and Sö 279, Ingvar was the son of the Swedish king Emund the Old, and the grandson of Olof Skötkonung. Emund the Old would have had two wives, Tola and Ragnhildr. Tola would have been the mother of Haraldr of Sö 179, and Ragnhild would have been the mother of Önundr, Eiríkr, Ragnarr and Hákon of the runestones U 513 and U 540. Önundr would be Anund Gårdske
, who was raised in Russia, Eirík would be one of the two pretenders named Eric, Hákon would be Håkan the Red and Ingvar, Ingvar the Far-Travelled.
Ingvar's origin was, however, debated as early as the saga writers, or to put it in the words of Oddr Snorrason
:
or his brother and successor Emund the Old who mustered the Swedish leidang
.
The participants were evenly distributed along the husby
s, and 24 of the 26 Ingvar Runestones
were from Sweden (in the contemporary sense, i.e. Svealand
) and 2 from the Geat
ish district of Östergötland
. The folkland
of Attundaland
did not take part and this was probably done on purpose in order to keep a defensive army in Sweden, while the main force was away.
Anund Jacob was the brother of Ingegerd Olofsdotter who was married to Yaroslav I
of Novgorod and who conquered Kiev
in 1019 from his brother Sviatopolk
. This was done with the help of Varangians
, and according to Ingvar's saga, they were led by Ingvar's father Eymund
.
Later Yaroslav had trouble with the Pechenegs, a nomad tribe. The expedition stayed for a few years in Kiev fighting against the Pechenegs, then (in 1042) they continued to the Black Sea
and the Christian country, called Särkland (Georgia
).
about Ingvar, only one ship returned. The 26 remaining rune stones testify to this as no one mentions a surviving participant. The most common phrases are similar to the one on the Gripsholm Runestone:
Adam of Bremen
considered the disaster to be a punishment for the king's rejection of bishop Alvard of Bremen and his electing his own bishop, Osmundus
.
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
: Yngvarr víðförli, Swedish: Ingvar Vittfarne) was the leader of an unsuccessful Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
attack against Persia, in 1036–1042.
There were several Caspian expeditions of the Rus' in the course of the 10th century. The Yngvars saga víðförla
Yngvars saga víðförla
Yngvars saga víðförla is a legendary saga said to have been written in the twelfth century by Oddr Snorrason. Scholars have been skeptical towards this claim but in recent years it has gained more acceptance....
describes what was the last Viking campaign in the Caspian in 1041, adding much legend to the historical facts. This expedition was launched from Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
by Ingvar the Far-Travelled, who went down the Volga River
Volga River
The Volga is the largest river in Europe in terms of length, discharge, and watershed. It flows through central Russia, and is widely viewed as the national river of Russia. Out of the twenty largest cities of Russia, eleven, including the capital Moscow, are situated in the Volga's drainage...
into the land of the Saracens (Serkland
Serkland
In Old Norse sources, such as sagas and runestones, Særkland or Serkland was the name of the Abbasid Caliphate and probably some neighbouring Muslim regions....
). While there, they apparently took part in the Georgian-Byzantine Battle of Sasireti
Battle of Sasireti
The Battle of Sasireti took place in 1042 at the village of Sasireti in the present day Shida Kartli region, not far from the town of Kaspi, during the civil war in the Kingdom of Georgia...
.
There are no less than twenty-six Ingvar Runestones
Ingvar Runestones
The Ingvar Runestones is the name of c. 26 Varangian Runestones that were raised in commemoration of those who died in the Swedish Viking expedition to the Caspian Sea of Ingvar the Far-Travelled....
, twenty-four of them being in the Lake Mälaren
Mälaren
Lake Mälaren is the third-largest lake in Sweden, after Lakes Vänern and Vättern. Its area is 1,140 km² and its greatest depth is 64 m. Mälaren spans 120 kilometers from east to west...
region of Uppland
Uppland
Uppland is a historical province or landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden, just north of Stockholm, the capital. It borders Södermanland, Västmanland and Gästrikland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea...
in Sweden, referring to Swedish warriors who went out with Ingvar on his expedition to the Saracen
Saracen
Saracen was a term used by the ancient Romans to refer to a people who lived in desert areas in and around the Roman province of Arabia, and who were distinguished from Arabs. In Europe during the Middle Ages the term was expanded to include Arabs, and then all who professed the religion of Islam...
lands, an expedition whose purpose was probably to reopen old trade routes
Volga trade route
In the Middle Ages, the Volga trade route connected Northern Europe and Northwestern Russia with the Caspian Sea, via the Volga River. The Rus used this route to trade with Muslim countries on the southern shores of the Caspian Sea, sometimes penetrating as far as Baghdad...
, now that the Volga Bulgars and the Khazars
Khazars
The Khazars were semi-nomadic Turkic people who established one of the largest polities of medieval Eurasia, with the capital of Atil and territory comprising much of modern-day European Russia, western Kazakhstan, eastern Ukraine, Azerbaijan, large portions of the northern Caucasus , parts of...
no longer proved obstacles. A stone to Ingvar’s brother indicates that he went east for gold but that he died in Saracen land.
Sources
Beside the Ingvar RunestonesIngvar Runestones
The Ingvar Runestones is the name of c. 26 Varangian Runestones that were raised in commemoration of those who died in the Swedish Viking expedition to the Caspian Sea of Ingvar the Far-Travelled....
, there are no extant Swedish sources that mention Ingvar, but there is Yngvars saga víðförla and three Icelandic annals that mention his death under the year 1041: Annales regii, the Lögmanns annáll and the Flateyarbók annals. These three annals are probably based on Sturla Þórðarson
Sturla Þórðarson
Sturla Þórðarson was an Icelandic politician/chieftain and writer of sagas and contemporary history during the 13th century.Sturla was the son of Þórður Sturluson and his mistress Þóra. He was a nephew and pupil of the famous saga-writer Snorri Sturluson...
's compilation.
Origin
There are three theories on Ingvar's origin. According to one theory, prominently held by Otto von FriesenOtto von Friesen
Otto von Friesen was a linguist, runologist and professor of the Swedish language at Uppsala University from 1906-1935. He was also a member of the Swedish Academy from 1929-1942, serving in Chair 9....
and Elena Mel'nikova, Ingvar's saga has transmitted his origin correctly, and so he was the son of the Varangian Eymundr, who in turn was the son of a Swedish chieftain named Áki and the daughter of the Swedish king Eric the Victorious.
A second theory suggests that Ingvar was the son of a Swedish prince named Eymundr and who would have been the son of Eric the Victorious and the brother of Olof Skötkonung. The existence of this prince Eymundr has been suggested by Lauritz Weibull
Lauritz Weibull
Lauritz Ulrik Absalon Weibull was a Swedish historian.He was born in Lund, son of history professor Martin Weibull and the brother of Curt Weibull and Carl Gustaf Weibull, enrolled at the University of Lund in 1892, completed his B.A. 1892, his licentiate degree in 1899 and defended his...
(1911) and J. Svennung (1966). The theory is based on a reevaluation of the age of the Ingvar runestones, proposed by Elias Wessén
Elias Wessén
Elias Wessén was a prominent Swedish linguist and a professor of Scandinavian languages at Stockholm University . In 1947, he was honoured with one of the 18 seats at the Swedish Academy .His earliest work concerned morphological problems in the Germanic languages, Onomasiology and Norse mythology...
and Sune Lindquist and which suggests that the Ingvar Runestones were carved earlier in the 11th century.
According to a third theory, proposed by F. Braun, and which is based on the runestones U 513, U 540, Sö 179 and Sö 279, Ingvar was the son of the Swedish king Emund the Old, and the grandson of Olof Skötkonung. Emund the Old would have had two wives, Tola and Ragnhildr. Tola would have been the mother of Haraldr of Sö 179, and Ragnhild would have been the mother of Önundr, Eiríkr, Ragnarr and Hákon of the runestones U 513 and U 540. Önundr would be Anund Gårdske
Anund Gårdske
Anund Gårdske or Anund of Gårdarike, English exonym: Anwynd, was the king of Sweden c. 1070 according to Adam of Bremen's Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum. According to this source, Anund came from Kievan Rus', presumably from Aldeigjuborg. Gårdske means that he came from Gardariki which...
, who was raised in Russia, Eirík would be one of the two pretenders named Eric, Hákon would be Håkan the Red and Ingvar, Ingvar the Far-Travelled.
Ingvar's origin was, however, debated as early as the saga writers, or to put it in the words of Oddr Snorrason
Oddr Snorrason
The Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar of Oddr Snorrason whose name is also sometimes Anglicized as Odd Snorrason was a Latin royal biography attributed to a 12th century Icelandic Benedictine monk at the Þingeyrar monastery ....
:
- We do know that there are some saga tellers who say that Yngvarr was the son of [King] Önundr ÓláfssonAnund Jacob of SwedenAnund Jacob, Swedish: Anund Jakob was King of Sweden from 1022 until around 1050. He is believed to have been born on July 25, in either 1008 or 1010 as Jakob. When the Swedish Thing was to elect him the co-ruler of Sweden, the people objected to his non-Scandinavian name...
[d. 1060], because they think that it would be more honorable for him to be a king's son. And [they say that] Önundr would gladly give up all his realm if he had been allowed to bargain for Yngvarr's life, because all the chiefs in Sweden would gladly have had him [Yngvarr] as king over them.
Expedition
It is possible that it was King Anund JakobAnund Jacob of Sweden
Anund Jacob, Swedish: Anund Jakob was King of Sweden from 1022 until around 1050. He is believed to have been born on July 25, in either 1008 or 1010 as Jakob. When the Swedish Thing was to elect him the co-ruler of Sweden, the people objected to his non-Scandinavian name...
or his brother and successor Emund the Old who mustered the Swedish leidang
Leidang
The institution known as leiðangr , leidang , leding, , ledung , expeditio or sometimes lething , was a public levy of free farmers typical for medieval Scandinavians. It was a form of conscription to organise coastal fleets for seasonal excursions and in defence of the realm...
.
The participants were evenly distributed along the husby
Husby
Husby is the name of many Swedish farms and villages. Originally, they formed a network of royal estates, called Uppsala öd, that were the property of the Swedish king....
s, and 24 of the 26 Ingvar Runestones
Ingvar Runestones
The Ingvar Runestones is the name of c. 26 Varangian Runestones that were raised in commemoration of those who died in the Swedish Viking expedition to the Caspian Sea of Ingvar the Far-Travelled....
were from Sweden (in the contemporary sense, i.e. Svealand
Svealand
Svealand , Swealand or Sweden proper is the historical core region of Sweden. It is located in south central Sweden and is one of three lands of Sweden, bounded to the north by Norrland and to the south by Götaland. Deep forests, Tiveden, Tylöskog, Kolmården, separated Svealand from Götaland...
) and 2 from the Geat
Geat
Geats , and sometimes Goths) were a North Germanic tribe inhabiting what is now Götaland in modern Sweden...
ish district of Östergötland
Östergötland
Östergötland, English exonym: East Gothland, is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden in the south of Sweden. It borders Småland, Västergötland, Närke, Södermanland, and the Baltic Sea. In older English literature, one might also encounter the Latinized version, Ostrogothia...
. The folkland
Folkland
The Folklands are the name for the original Swedish provinces of Tiundaland, Attundaland, Fjärdhundraland, and Roden which in the 1296 united to form the province of Uppland. They were originally united by electing a common king who administered the sacrifices at Uppsala and who was the commander...
of Attundaland
Attundaland
Attundaland was the name given to the southeastern part of the present day province of Uppland, north of Stockholm. Its name refers to its role of providing 800 men and 32 ships for the leidang of the Swedish kings at Uppsala.Snorri Sturluson relates that Tiundaland was the richest and most...
did not take part and this was probably done on purpose in order to keep a defensive army in Sweden, while the main force was away.
Anund Jacob was the brother of Ingegerd Olofsdotter who was married to Yaroslav I
Yaroslav I the Wise
Yaroslav I, Grand Prince of Rus, known as Yaroslav the Wise Yaroslav I, Grand Prince of Rus, known as Yaroslav the Wise Yaroslav I, Grand Prince of Rus, known as Yaroslav the Wise (Old Norse: Jarizleifr; ; Old East Slavic and Russian: Ярослав Мудрый; Ukrainian: Ярослав Мудрий; c...
of Novgorod and who conquered Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
in 1019 from his brother Sviatopolk
Sviatopolk I of Kiev
Sviatopolk I Vladimirovich was the Kniaz' of Turov and Velikii Kniaz of Kiev whose paternity and guilt in the murder of brothers are disputed.-Early life:Sviatopolk's mother was a Greek nun captured by Sviatoslav I in Bulgaria and married to his lawful heir...
. This was done with the help of Varangians
Varangians
The Varangians or Varyags , sometimes referred to as Variagians, were people from the Baltic region, most often associated with Vikings, who from the 9th to 11th centuries ventured eastwards and southwards along the rivers of Eastern Europe, through what is now Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.According...
, and according to Ingvar's saga, they were led by Ingvar's father Eymund
Eymund's saga
Eymundar þáttr hrings is a short Norse saga, which is preserved in two versions. One of them appears as Eymundar þáttr hrings in the Flatey Book and the other one is an introductory chapter in Yngvars saga víðförla...
.
Later Yaroslav had trouble with the Pechenegs, a nomad tribe. The expedition stayed for a few years in Kiev fighting against the Pechenegs, then (in 1042) they continued to the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
and the Christian country, called Särkland (Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
).
Aftermath
According to the legendary sagaLegendary saga
A Legendary saga or Fornaldarsaga is a Norse saga that, unlike the Icelanders' sagas, takes place before the colonization of Iceland. There are some exceptions, such as Yngvars saga víðförla, which takes place in the 11th century...
about Ingvar, only one ship returned. The 26 remaining rune stones testify to this as no one mentions a surviving participant. The most common phrases are similar to the one on the Gripsholm Runestone:
Adam of Bremen
Adam of Bremen
Adam of Bremen was a German medieval chronicler. He lived and worked in the second half of the eleventh century. He is most famous for his chronicle Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum .-Background:Little is known of his life other than hints from his own chronicles...
considered the disaster to be a punishment for the king's rejection of bishop Alvard of Bremen and his electing his own bishop, Osmundus
Osmundus
Osmundus was a clergyman favoured by Emund the Old, the king of Sweden in the mid-11th century.King Emund appointed Osmundus as archbishop of the Swedish church in Skara, probably to make Sweden independent from Adalbert of Hamburg, the Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen...
.
See also
- Vikings
- VarangiansVarangiansThe Varangians or Varyags , sometimes referred to as Variagians, were people from the Baltic region, most often associated with Vikings, who from the 9th to 11th centuries ventured eastwards and southwards along the rivers of Eastern Europe, through what is now Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.According...
- Caspian expeditions of the Rus'