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Latvia in the Viking
Age7
th
– 11
th
Centuries
Talis Kivlenieks
Throughout history, nation states have followed a simple set of guidelines for growth; a development of a
system of laws, subsequent taxation and then warfare and conquest. The Scandinavians followed this same
reasoning in their expansion to the shores of Latvia in order to obtain more tillable lands and increase
wealth. Local tribes made life difficult for the Vikings and conquests were not easy or sustained. They did
however leave their influence which is very much part of today’s Latvian culture.
During the Viking Age, Latvia reached new levels of social and economic development by their
associations with the Scandinavians. Important changes in agricultural development were the emergence of
the three field farming system, the bifurcated wooden plough and iron plough shares, cultivation of rye,
wide spread use of the broad bladed axe and the rotary quern. Developments of crafts and advances in
working iron and non ferrous metals were also seen.
Latvia, as one of the Baltic nations, is fairly small, (168,350 sq. km / 65,000 sq. miles) and throughout the
centuries has been attacked and invaded by many other nations: Swedes, Danes, Lithuanians, Poles,
Germans and Russians. During the Viking Age, Latvia consisted of five distinct cultural tribes;
Kurlanders, Semigallians, Livonians, Selians and Lettgallians. Their boundaries, as shown on the map,
changed over the centuries due to continual conflict between themselves. It was this conflict, and inability
to unite against a common foe, that would later see them fall to the German Teutonic Knights and
Christianization in the 13
th
century. These tribal languages would, however, combine over the centuries
(with the exception of Livonian) to make up what is now the Latvian language. Within Latvia today there
are still at least 10 different dialects and Livonian is on the list of endangered languages. Politically, Latvia
today is very democratic with over forty official political parties, reminiscent of the Scandinavian Althing
and its political structure.
Geographically, Latvia’s terrain is of an old glacial alluvial plain, rich in limestone, dolomite and peat.
Forest covers approximately 46% of the land in Scotch Pine and Norway Spruce with little undergrowth.
Much of the land is at sea level and difficult to cultivate without appropriate drainage. Only 25% of the
land was under cultivation; the richest soil under the rule of the Semigallians. In eastern Latvia is its
largest hill, Gaizinkalns (312 metres / 1023 feet); and in the south east is the lake district.
During the early and middle Iron Age, exports from the south east Baltic included furs, timber, wax, honey
and slaves. Among imported items were salt, tin, copper (bronze), silver, spices and silks. Active trade
from the Viking world and beyond is evidenced from grave finds which include glass beads, cowry shells,
and coins. Among the coin deposits are found Bohemian, German, Byzantine, Arabic, Anglo-Saxon,
Danish, Norse and Danish/Norse imitations. The earliest coin is of Anglo Saxon origin for Edgar circa
959. Of the more than 3200 coins found pertaining to this period, a large portion were worn as pendants
and jewellery. The denominations meant little outside their sphere of origin and were retained and worn
for their silver weight and worth, like ‘oath rings’ found elsewhere, denoting the wealth of the individual.
The Daugava (Dvina) (1200 km long / 745 miles)
was the most important trade route through Latvia.
From Birka, (the largest Swedish trading town until
the 10
th
century) to the silver rich area of the Black
Sea and Constantinople it was an arduous journey
of 2600 km / 1615 miles. This route did not seem
to be used as frequently as the route from Staraya
Ladoga and the Lovat / Volchev river systems. It
has been suggested that the Swedes preferred to
travel through their own colonies than risk foreign
and possibly dangerous lands, or higher taxation,
even if this detour resulted in adding an additional
800 km /497 miles to their journey.
The earliest Scandinavian presence in Latvia, was
at Grobin founded circa 650, some 10 km / 6 miles
inland from the Baltic Sea. Its importance as a
settlement and trading centre is comparable to other
early North eastern European towns as Helgo or
Staraya Ladoga. Three of the eight cemeteries at
Grobin are Scandinavian and of the over 3000
graves, direct links can be made to Gotland and the
Melara lake district near Birka. Many of the place
names near Grobin are of Scandinavian origin. The
most unique find from this area is a picture stone of
Gotlandic style, the first of its kind found on the
eastern shores of the Baltic.
These archaeological finds substantiate the earliest
writings of Saxo Grammaticus.
“Nobles, our enemy is a foreigner, begirt with the
arms and the wealth of almost all of the west; let us,
by endeavouring to defer the battle for our profit,
make him a prey to famine….It is easy to oppose the
starving. Hunger will be a better weapon against
our foe than arms….Our success in arms will be
more prosperous if hunger joins the battle first. Let hunger captain us, and so let us take the first chance of
conflict. Let it decide the day in our stead, and let our camp remain free from the stir of war…..”
Hadinga Saga, Saxo Grammaticus –The History of Denmark
Kurlandic King Dorno is said to have made this speech to his men dreading a perilous war with Danish
King Frodo in the 9
th
c. As the story unfolded, Dorno set fire to his lands but unfortunately later lost the
battle and died after he fell into a trap set by Frodo. Saxo Grammaticus recounts this history a few
centuries later in his chronicle and his writings provide some of the earliest information we have of the
history of the Baltic during the Viking Age. As with most writings of this period there is a mix of historical
fact, fiction and mythology, but the battle itself is one of historical record.
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