Battle of the Fýrisvellir

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Battle of the Fýrisvellir
Eric praying to Odin before the Battle of the Fýrisvellir, by Jenny Nyström (1895).
Date c. 984 Location Uppsala, Sweden Result Jomsviking defeat
Combatants
The Swedish leidang	Jomsvikings
Commanders
Eric the Victorious	Styrbjörn the Strong
Strength
Thousands	Unknown (probably in the hundreds)

The Battle of the Fýrisvellir was a battle that took place on the Fýrisvellir, where modern Uppsala is situated, in the 980s for the throne of Sweden between Eric the Victorious and his nephew Styrbjörn the Strong. Most of what is extant is found in the short story Styrbjarnar þáttr Svíakappa.

Styrbjörn had made himself the ruler of the Jomsvikings but wanted to amass an even greater force in order to take the crown of Sweden, which the thing had denied him at his father's death, a death of poisoning of which he suspected his uncle Eric.

Styrbjörn's method was to pillage far and wide in the newly created kingdom of Denmark until its king Harald Bluetooth asked for a settlement. Harald gave Styrbjörn his daughter Tyra and Styrbjörn sailed back. He then married Tyra and sailed back to Denmark with 1000 longships. He forced the Daner to give him 200 ships and whoever among them he saw fit to take with him. He chose the king himself. He then set sail for Sweden with his armada of longships.

When Eric the Victorious learnt that the navy had entered Mälaren, he sent the fiery cross in all directions and amassed the leidang at Uppsala. In Sweden, there was the very wise man, Þorgnýr the Lawspeaker and Þorgnýr advised Eric to put stakes in the waterway which led to Uppsala. When Styrbjörn's navy arrived and saw that they could not sail further, Styrbjörn vowed never to leave Sweden, but to win or die. In order to encourage his men to fight until death, he set the ships on fire. King Harald Bluetooth, however, did not want to take part in this and left with the Danish navy.

Styrbjörn swallowed his pride at this treachery and marched towards Uppsala with the Jomsvikings. When the Swedes wanted to stop their advance in the forest, Styrbjörn threatened to start a forest fire, and this convinced the Swedes to let Styrbjörn and his men pass the forest without harm. At Uppsala Þorgnýr told king Eric to tie together cattle and harness them with spears and swords. When the enemy approached on the Fýrisvellir, thralls pushed the herd towards the Jomsvikings which caused havoc among their ranks. Styrbjörn was however an excellent warchief and he brought order in his ranks. The fight lasted all day and in the evening there was a stalemate. The next day also passed and although king Eric had received large reinforcements, the battle ended with a stalemate.

During the night, Styrbjörn sacrificed to Thor, but the red-bearded god showed himself angry and foretold a great defeat. Eric on the other hand went to the Temple at Uppsala and sacrificed to Odin promising himself after ten years. A tall man in a blue cloak and a broad-brimmed hat showed himself to Eric. It was Odin who gave Eric a cane and told him to throw it over the Jomsvikings and to say "I give all of you to Odin".

The third day, Eric obeys Odin's command and a hail of arrows fell over the Jomsvikings, a hail that the men called Odin's arrows. When Styrbjörn understood that it is all over he screamed to his men to stand and fight, thrusts the banner into the soil and rushed into the Swedish army with his best champions. Few men fled that day.

After the victory, king Eric mounted one of the Royal Mounds and promised a great reward to the one who could compose a poem about the victory. He did not know that there was an Icelander named Þórvaldr Hjaltason among his ranks and this Icelander immediately composed a skaldic poem about the victory for which the king rewarded him with a golden bracelet.

After Styrbjörn's death and the death of Harald Bluetooth, Eric conquered Denmark and ruled it for 7 years until his death. Adam of Bremen relates that Eric got baptized in Denmark but that he forgot about the Christian faith having returned to Sweden.

[edit] Archaeological evidence

In addition to the Högby Runestone which mentions a warrior who fell on the Fýris, there are two which laud the bravery of fallen Jomsvikings:

• The runestone DR 295 in Hällestad, Scania says: Eskil raised this stone after Toke Gormsson, his beloved master. He did not flee at Uppsala.

• • A : askil : sati : stin : þansi : ift[iR]  : tuka : kurms : sun : saR : hulan : trutin : saR : flu : aigi : at : ub::salum
  • B satu : trikaR : iftiR : sin : bruþr stin : o : biarki : stuþan : runum : þiR :
  • C (k)(u)(r)(m)(s) (:) (t)(u)(k)(a) : kiku : (n)(i)(s)(t)[iR]

• • A Æskel satti sten þænsi æftiR Toka Gorms sun, seR hullan drottin. SaR flo ægi at Upsalum
  • B sattu drængiaR æftiR sin broþur sten a biargi støþan runum. ÞeR
  • C Gorms Toka gingu næstiR.

• The runestone DR 279 in Sjörup, Scania, relates: He did not flee at Uppsala, but fought as long as he had weapons.

• • [+ sa]ksi : sati : st[in] : þasi : huftiR : o[s]biurn : (s)in : fil(a)go ' (t)u-a[s : sun :] saR : flu : aki : a[t :] ub:sal(u)m : an : ua : maþ : an : uabn : a(f)þi '

• • Saxi satti sten þæssi æftiR Æsbiorn, sin felaga, To[f]a/To[k]a sun. SaR flo ægi at Upsalum, æn wa mæþ han wapn hafþi.