TOC PREV NEXT INDEX

Copyright © 2003 Wilmer Thomas

Where lies Ubsola - ancient Uppsala?

[Rev 0.4], 2003-09-04, Written by Wilmer Thomas (work still in progress).

Summary

Ubsola or Upsalum, mythical seat of the Svea kings of ancient Sweden, was also the name stated as the main cult center of pagan (heathen) Asa-faith in ancient Scandinavia and Sweden, generally translated into modern day language as Uppsala.

This article discusses whether the original site of the Asa cult was really Gamla Uppsala in Uppland, Sweden (the Svealand theory), or if Ubsola was located elsewhere. Another important aspect is whether Ubsola can in fact be regarded a heathen cult center, and if so, until what time.

As of today (2003-09-04), this author has not drawn any definite conclusions regarding the localization of Ubsola. It is not easily deducted if there is any bearing for the hypothesis that Ubsola might have been located at different geographical locations in different times of history.

But it seems clear that a lot of taken-for-granted-facts may not actually stand up for a close encounter of (re)evaluation. For instance, the findings of Henrik Janson 1998, [Ref. 32], indicates that the religious cult of Uppland province in the late 11th century was not heathen, but a Christian cult - a Christian non roman-catholic Christian cult. This raises the question as to whether Uppland has ever held the center of a heathen religious cult, and if is has, up until what date.

It seems plausible that the Svealand theory has been based over the years on assumptions that, individually, may not hold. This, however, does not implicate that the theory at large is wrong. It is quite clear, however, that the name 'Uppsala' is far from uniqely associated with the modern city Uppsala or the ancient remains in Gamla Uppsala, as found in the reference article Modern places aligned with named ancient locations on Uppsala locations. In fact, the Uppland province occurences lies to the northeastmost of the existing geographical references to Uppsala.

The offical view however stands unchanged, at least for the time being: Ubsola was located in Uppland.

(Go to content list.)

(Return to main article.)

(Return to home page.)


Content

Where lies Ubsola - ancient Uppsala?

Summary
Content
Introduction
Ruling paradigm and opposing beliefs
The Svealand theory
Main arguments for placing Ubsola in Uppland
The Götaland theory
Opposing notes of interest for not placing Ubsola in Uppland
Discussion on the Götaland theory
When was Ubsola a heathen cult center?
Religious cults in ancient Sweden
Were the people of the province of Uppland already Christian?
Religious cults in Götaland
Conclusions
Offical view on the location of Ubsola, ancient Uppsala
Article references
Litterature and background articles
Background articles
Litterature
External links
Article revision history

(Return to top of page.)


Introduction

Ubsola, or Upsalum, was the place referred to in Old Norse tales and sagas, and other contemporary sources, to be the seat of the the Svea kings of ancient Sweden, the land of sweonis. It is also the name stated as the main cult center of pagan (heathen) Asa-faith in ancient Scandinavia and Sweden, generally translated into modern day language as Uppsala.

This is were the supposed 'golden covered heathen temple' described by Adam of Bremen ([Ref. 11], [Ref. 12] and [Ref. 57]) should have been located. Upsalum is also often referred to by amongst others Snorri Sturluson ([Ref. 50] and [Ref. 65]) and other saga "historical" works.

Furthermore, the relevance of referring to Ubsola as a heathen cult center is a chief aspect to consider. This is discussed by Henrik Janson 1998 in his dissertation Templum Nobilissimum1 [Ref. 32], in which he finds it likely that the place Ubsola referred by Adam of Bremen in the 11th century is rather a Christian faith center opposing the roman-catholic church represented by Hamburg-Bremen.

The common belief today amongst most scholars is that the origin of the tribe of Sveas as well as the ancient pagan (heathen) Asa cult- and temple sites were located in Gamla Uppsala, (Old Uppsala), in the county of Uppland, Sweden. If not there, some scholar promotes East Aros, todays city of Uppsala, to resemble the cult center.

An opposing belief however states that the original site for the pagan Asa-temple was not located here, but in the province of Västergötland, in western Sweden. This belief commonly refers to a number of mostly non-scholatic writers under the term Västgötaskolan.

To differ between these to major interpretation views, this author uses the term Svealand theory, respectively Götaland theory.

Purpose:

This article will discuss the issue of localization of Ubsola in ancient Sweden, the mythical seat of the Sveas. It discloses some interesting points raised in a debate about whether the original site of the Asa cult was really Gamla Uppsala in Uppland, Sweden (the Svealand theory), or if Ubsola was located elsewhere (e.g. in Västergötland, according to the Götaland theory).

Question:
Hypothesis:

(Return to content list.)

Ruling paradigm and opposing beliefs

The generally held explanation of ancient Sweden bears upon the defintion of Sueones, translated as Sveas, to have been situated around the lake Mälaren, and origination of the tribe Sveas within the province of Uppland.

An opposing belief instead states that some - widely spread - hypothesis can be stated in favour of depicting the ancient history of Sweden into the province of Västergötland.

These two theories2, named by this author as the Svealand and the Götaland theories, are discussed in this chapter. The focus of this article will be the localization of the place Ubsola / Upsalir. In the article [Ref. 2] Sueones / Svìar - Ancient tribe or collective reference?. a discussion is held regarding the interpretations of the name Sueones and its meaning.

From this antagonism we can depict one important question that need to be clearly answered:

The answer to this question will either broaden the possibility to interpret the ancient sources references of the people, or land, named after the Sueones - if found positive, or, if found negative, undermine the foundations of the second belief.

The Svealand theory

Whereas there exist several places in Sweden bearing the name Uppsala, the mythic place for the old swedish pagan (heathen) Asa-cult is mostly believed to have been located in Gamla Uppsala (Old Uppsala), just outside the modern city of Uppsala. This belief may be referred to as the Svealand theory.

Within the forespokers of this theory, a debate is held as to whether the heathen temple was located in Gamla Uppsala, or in Uppsala.

(Return to content list.)

Main arguments for placing Ubsola in Uppland

Generally, the placement of Ubsola in Gamla Uppsala is based upon the following facts:

Table 8:
1
Gamla Uppsala holds several mounds, of which the most famous, the three great mounds known as the kings mounds are visible from far away. These are said to be the mounds of three famous mythological kings, Ane (Aun), his son Egil - also known as Ongentheow and sometimes Angantyr - (father of Ottar and Ale), Adils (Ottars son), living sometimes around 450 - 550 AD.
2
It is an indisputable fact that the county of Uppland holds several findings from around the 7th century, with a striking predominance for the 10th and 11th century AD that may be taken as an indication for that a kingdom was ruled from here.
No other province or region in Sweden can present a mass of findings of ancient remains as does the province of Uppland.
3
An often named place in the myths and sagas is Fyrisvallarna, supposedly a vast field near the temple site of Uppsala - and the river passing the modern city Uppsala is in fact called Fyrisån (the Fyris river).
4
In Snorri Sturluson's Heimskringla, the Ynglinga saga being part of the history of ancient Norwegian kings, the place Ubsola (Upsalum) is said to be located by the lake Lagen/Logen (Löginn), which Snorri means should be the lake Mälaren, dividing Uppland and Södermanland and hosting the capital of Sweden, Stockholm, at its eastern shores. The ancestor of the Ynglinga family is said to be Frey, the God that came to Scandinavia together with Oden. When Oden found the place to be, he named that country (or place, castle, town...) Sigtuna. In the days of Snorri, this town existed (and is archeologically proven to have existed around 1000 AD) to the north of Mälaren.
5
The same location, named Upsalum is pointed out by Adam of Bremen, who was a magister in Hamburg-Bremen that wrote the history of this large archbishop domain of northern Europe, which included Scandinavia until Lund was given an arch bishop seat in the 12th century.
6
Adam of Bremen also relates the missonary Ansgar who is said to have visited the trade town Birka, located not far from Upsalum.
7
There are as of today very little archeological findings to support the idea that Västergötland should hold the original site of Ubsola.

(Return to content list.)

The Götaland theory

An intense opposing interest from mostly non-scholars have long tried to present indications, and evidence, for placing the ancient Ubsola not in Uppland, but in the county of Västergötland. This theory might, with correspondence to the above used headline, be called the Götaland theory. Historically, stemming from the 19th century, these theories have been referred to as 'Västgötaskolan', the school of Västergötland orgins for ancient Sweden.

The original advocateours for the Götaland theory or Västgötaskolan are willing to seek evidence for Västergötland, and the Väner lake region in particular, to be the origin of both the different people called Sveas, Danes and Goths/Geats/Götar, and furthermore the location of all ancient myths, including Odin's Sithun (Sigtuna), Valhall, the ashtree Yggdrasil etc. and myths of e.g. Helge Hundingsbane and Sigurd Fafnersbane.

(Return to content list.)

Opposing notes of interest for not placing Ubsola in Uppland

Several interesting notes have been raised against the common theory of Svealand being the ancient home of Sveas and the Asa cult, e.g. the following:
Table 9: Arguments against placing Ubsola in Uppland
1
When the first really determined bishop of old Sweden, bishop Egino of Dalby (county of Skåne, Scania (Scandza, Scandia), located just outside Lund) sets out to destroy the pagan monuments in the 11th century, he goes to Skara (county of Västergötland (Western Gotaland), and crushes the sculptures of Frey, Oden and Thor. Furthermore, the first Swedish bishop seat was placed in Skara1, not in Gamla Uppsala or Uppsala. [Note 14]
2
In some ancient sources (Tacitus Germania), the tribe or country of Suiones, Sveoner or Sveas, are said to be living side by side with a different people, the Sitones, who is ruled and governed by women.
Jordanes in his The origin and deeds of the Goths calls these two tribes suehans (the Sveas) and suetidi. In Uppland, an ancient rune stone have been found (U 395), stating the name, or place, sithon.[Note 15]
3
The content of the kings mounds have not shown any remains that indicates the burial of great kings. On the contrary, the content of the two outer mounds that have been investigated instead indicates the burial of very prominent women2. It is shown that the mounds does stem from the period around 500 A.D., but there is actually no evidence found from ancient remains in Gamla Uppsala that verifies the theory of this place being the actual Ubsola mentioned in the old documents(!).
4
The same type of burial customs, the big mounds containing ashes in an urn, is not known in other parts of south and middle Sweden prior to the big mounds in Gamla Uppsala, but there are in fact the same type of mounds found further to the north, securely dated to the 3rd century A.D. Similar mounds are also dated to 200-300 A.D. in western Norway. This might indicate that the customs of big mounds had come from the north of Sweden to the south, rather than the opposite as could be expected for an expanding tribe of Sveas in Uppland. In fact, the burial customs could well indicate that they are the remains of the Sitones, perhaps stemming from the bronze age since the burial customs corresponds with those of the urn field culture in Europe during the younger bronze age and pre-roman iron age.
5
There is a certain group of women mentioned in ancient sources of Sweden, called diser, who were believed to be female witches or the like spiritual beings (most likely thought to be human, though). They were part of the ancient world, and were able to interact in human activities, such as battles, but also when children were born. In Uppsala (Östra Aros), a square has been called Distingstorget, the square of thing for Diser. There is also an ancient ceremoni called Disablot, when sacrifacies were made at the beginning of winter. There are said to be different kind of 'diser', basically from different parts of the old country, and possibly these female spritualists were representing another, perhaps older, mythological or religious belief. They are also known to have existed in other parts of the German hemisphere [Note 16].
6
No remains at all have been found that indicates that there was actually a pagan temple located in Gamla Uppsala.
Rather, some supposed pole holes found at the place of the old church in Gamla Uppsala (believed to be the place of the pagan golden temple) has most certainly been used as poles for holding the set when building the old church - there are absolutely no remains of timber found in the holes, and they seem to have been filled up immediatly after the church was built. The numbers and placements of these holes neither supports the theory of t hem being actual pole holes to build a large house - they are too few, a nd inconsistently located.
7
Also, an 8 m deep well believed to be the ancient holy well of Urd, and Mimer, found on a ledge facing the kings mounds, was during the 1940s proved to be covered with oak tree that were cut down in the 1650s AD3. The well was plugged in during the 1860s, and amazingly - if it actually was the spring of Urd - it was not filled up and destroyed when the bishops during the 1000s and 1100s raided the country hunting for pagan cult objects [Note ].
8
Another interesting fact is that the river Fyris changed its name during the 17th century, and was former called Salaån4 [Note 18]
9
If you were to take Snorri's Ynglinga saga literally, when Odin and his people, the Asas, moved from Fyn and travelled to the new won land somewhere north of here - where is it most likely that they ended up?
In Uppland, going first south, east and then north - around the Scandinavian peninsula?
Or in Västergötland/Bohuslän, Sweden, or Norway (Oslofjorden)?
Is it possible that there can be traces of immigrating tribes in western Sweden or southern Norway, dated around 50 BC to 200 AD?
10
When Odin came to the kingdom of Gylfe, he got the land by help of Gefjon, who 'ploughed the land westwards into the sea, leaving a whole in the land that became a sea', and that this land became Själland, said to be the increase of Denmark. Furthermore, the myth says that 'bays of Själland lies like capes in the sea'. Even today, any professional would find it hard to fit Själland of Denmark into Mälaren of Sweden.
With the lake Vänern, bordering Västergötland, on the other hand, is not at all hard to see the similarites of Själland as being 'taken from the land' of Sweden.
(Naturally, the inclination here is not that the land was actually taken from Sweden to form Själland - but rather that the land the invaders/immigrants accomplished was exchanged for Själland)
How can any bit of land from Mälaren be drawn westwards into the sea - crossing the whole landmasses of Sweden - and become Själland?
According to Jordanes, the Danes expanded - or where forced - southwards, in turn forcing the Heruliis (a German tribe, thought to be located at Själland around the first century A.D.) to emigrate southwards.
11
Written in english, the name Logen/Lagen for the great sea in Snorri's sagas is very easily deducted to be just that, not a name of a special lake, but the only real notion needed; it is the lake - the greatest of them all, Vänern.
Is it possible that Snorre got the name Mälaren to mean Logen due to the fact that Sigtuna, and Birka, was located here...?
12
In the recapitulation of Adam of Bremen (who, accidentally, never visited Sweden himself), the pagan temple is said to be placed 'in front of a large, horse shoe shaped hill', forming what is best described as a large theater scene, with the temple being set as the stage for the public to attend the ceremonies. He, however, did not actually state that the temple was located in Uppland.
There is absolutely no such physical surroundings near Gamla Uppsala!
13
Adam of Bremen also described the trade center Birka, as the town where the first bishop Ansgar during the 9th century was supposed to have come to declare Christianity among the heathen people of the north.
According to Adam of Bremen, the trade town was placed with a harbor to the north, facing the Baltic Sea. The width of the bay was supposed to be 100 stadies (1 stadie = 160 m), and across the bay there were hinders layed down to hinder surprise attacks of large pirat fleets from the north.
During the second visit of Ansgar to Birka, he is allowed to build a church there. So, the Ansgarian Birka should be able to present remains of an ancient church, to be dated around 860 AD.
He seem to have had several sources, but the places referred to in these sources must not nescessarily have been the same. One theory states that the epithet Birka in fact should define a general market location, rather than being the name of a specific town. There are several known trade centers in ancient Sweden.
The trade town at Björkön is not nescessarily the one referred to by Adam of Bremen. The above criterias do not really match for Birka at Björkön in Mälaren. The main thing in favour is the nearby located Sigtuna and Gamla Uppsala.
One possible alternate location is Köpingsvik in the county of Öland in the Baltic Sea, that not only have several remains from the 9th and 11th century, (including a church from the 9th century) but actually lies 'in a bay to the north into the Baltic Sea'. There are even findings of stone barriers across the strait (Kalmar strait), to the north of the old trade town.
14
Uppsala was former called Östra Aros (East Aros) and this place is in fact historically known from sources older than the ones that identify Gamla Uppsala. Thus, it is not nescessary so that the Gamla Uppsala of today was identified by the ancient Ubsola during the first millenium AD, although the place may have existed in the days of Snorri.
1Remember, Lund was a town in Denmark until the 17th century.
2The western mound contained an urn with burned ashes from two humans, and some melted golden jewelry, apparently worn by the deseased at the time of cremation. There are no clear evidence of weaponry or the like to suggest a powerful ruler that matches the otherwise given picture of warfare Sveas.
3Interestingly enough, this complies with the time of the famous Olof Rudbeck, who in 1678 presented the most "convincing" evidence for Scandinavia, and Uppland, being in fact the lost Atlantis, thus having Scandinavia harboring the whole ancestory of mankind... To say the least, he was eager to present the proud country of Sweden as well as he ever could, to the rest of the world.
4Sala is a small city further to the northwest of Uppsala.

(Return to content list.)

Discussion on the Götaland theory

It is quite clear that the name 'Uppsala' is far from uniqely associated with the modern city Uppsala or the ancient remains in Gamla Uppsala, as found in the background article Modern places aligned with named ancient locations on Ubsola locations in todays Sweden.

From 700 AD and mainly 800 - 900 AD the town of Birka at Björkön in the lake Mälaren was surrounded by a strong settlement of (pre-)viking era Sveas. The big question is whether they originated in Uppland, or if they originated in the oldest agricultural areas in Sweden, the Väner area in Västergötland.

Never the less, it remains a fact that very little evidence exists for Uppsala, Uppland to be the actual location for the original site of Asa faith ceremonies (the place named Ubsola), prior to the second millennium AD.

Note 14

Why go to Västergötland if the ancient temple was located in Uppsala, Uppland?

Why would the first bishop seat in old Sweden be located anywhere but in, or near, Ubsola?

Note 15

The most part is unreadable, but the conclusion might mean something like "he brought to sithons"; ... hna firthi til sihtunum, to the people, just as well as naming a place Sigtuna.

Note 16

Possibly these were the true ancestors of Uppland, later being included or engulfed by the expanding Sweas?

Note 17

Is it possible that, along time, the theory of Uppsala being located in Uppland has become so monumental that any other alternatives no longer can be sought?

Note 18

The name Fyrisvallarna is not at all known to be located near the city of Uppsala prior to this!

(Return to content list.)

When was Ubsola a heathen cult center?

Over the centuries, historians have based much of their foundations for interpreting the sources upon the recollection of Adam of Bremen about the heathen cult center called Ubsola. This chapter will discuss the circumstances for which there are actaul sources to rely upon, and on how these sources should be interpreted.

Two important contributions to this discussion are given by Henrik Janson, [Ref. 32], who claims that the people of the province of Uppland should be considered to be Christian in the days of Adam, when Adam gives his famous recapitulation of the heathen cult ceremonies, and Søren Nancke-Krogh, [Ref. 43], who states that their were Christian people in the ancient North already when the viking area began in the late 8th century.

Janson builds upon a thorough investigation of available documentation from the church of Hamburg-Bremen and the pope, whilst Nancke-Krogh discusses the appearance of Christian stone picture inscriptions.

Religious cults in ancient Sweden

Were the people of the province of Uppland already Christian?

It is an apparent fact that the science of religion have been overlooked in the scholaric interpretations of the heathen cult temple in Ubsola. As Janson puts it, the modern day rejection in Adams work of an actual temple building in the ancient Ubsola - authors comment; which not nescessarily always were located in Gamla Uppsala - has not lead to any questioning regarding whether there was any heathen cult at all during the mid 11th century3.

TBD

Alignments Rügen - Svantevit; misinterpratation of sanct Vitus cult.

Alignments rune stones; practically all 11th century rune stones in Uppland bear Christian symbols.

Religious cults in Götaland

When discussing the religious cults of Mälardalen and Uppland, also the religious cults in other parts of ancient Sweden must be referenced.

Ingemar Nordgren 1999, in his dissertation [Ref. 45], Goterkällan, finds the alignments between different references as götar, gutar, geater etc. and not least Goths to reflect not a people or tribe of people, but a specific religious cult. That is, those referred to as e.g. Götar in ancient Nordic sources first of all should be interpreted as the people following that religious cult.

Just as the different interpretations of Sueones and the like makes a confusing whole, there are not so much clear references to a land or tribe of Götar prior to the early middleages, when a coherent state can be identified in ancient Sweden. The interpretation by Nordgren very well fits the hypothesis of Sueones resembling the collective reference of people and tribes in ancient Sweden, out of which some were followers of the religious cult held within the name of Götar.

Conclusions

As of today (2003-09-04), this author has not drawn any definate conclusions regarding the localization of Ubsola. It is not easily deducted if there is any bearing for the hypothesis that Ubsola might have been located at different geographical locations in different times of history.

But it seems clear that a lot of taken-for-granted-facts may not actually stand up for a close encounter of (re)evaluation. It seems plausible that the Svealand theory has been based over the years on assumptions that, individually, may not hold. This, however, does not implicate that the theory at large is wrong.

It is quite clear, however, that the name 'Uppsala' is far from uniqely associated with the modern city Uppsala or the ancient remains in Gamla Uppsala, as found in the reference article [Ref. 8] Modern places aligned with named ancient locations on Uppsala locations. In fact, the Uppland province occurences lies to the northeastmost of the existing geographical references to Uppsala.

Offical view on the location of Ubsola, ancient Uppsala

Not much attention have been paid from the scholars as to whether there could be any bearing in the reflections made and the arguments raised by the Götaland theory. There are as of today very little archeological findings to support the idea that Västergötland should hold the original site of Ubsola.

As of today, the offical view stands unchanged: Ubsola was located in Uppland.

(Return to content list.)

Article references

Litterature and background articles

Background articles

Litterature

(Return to content list.)

External links

Article revision history

Table 10:
Rev
Date
Change summary
0.1
2003-06-30
First issue.
0.2
2003-07-04
Restructured layout.
0.3
2003-08-13
Added links to Ubsola places and back reference to main article. Also added Uppsala/Gamla Uppsala argumentation for the Svealand theory.
0.4
2003-09-04
Only one chapter for Svealand/Götaland theory.

(Return to content list.)

(Return to top of page.)

(Return to main article.)

(Return to home page.)


Information owner: Wilmer Thomas
Last updated: 2003-09-04

1Janson, [Ref. 32], Templum Noblissum - Adam av Bremen, Uppsalatemplet och konfliktlinjerna i Europa kring år 1075.
2For the used definition of theory, see List of terms, on page 107.
3See Janson, [Ref. 32], p. 20; Problemet Uppsala och Adam av Bremen.

http://www.wilmer-t.net
wilmer.t@comhem.se
TOC PREV NEXT INDEX