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''See [[Uppsala]] for the modern Swedish city.''
#redirect [[Gamla Uppsala]]

----
== <u>Ubsola</u>, mythical seat of the Sveas of old Sweden ==

'''Upsalum''', or ''Ubsola'', is the name stated as the main cult center
of pagan (heathen) [[Aesir|Ása]]-faith in ancient [[Scandinavia]] and [[Sweden]],
generally translated into modern day language as [[Uppsala]]. This is were
the supposed 'golden covered temple' should have been located, as
described amongst others by [[Adam of Bremen]] and [[Snorri Sturluson]].

The general opinion is that the origin of the tribe of [[Suiones]] (usually only called ''Swedes'' in English) as well
as the ancient pagan Ása cult- and [[Temple at Uppsala]] sites were located in
'''[[Gamla Uppsala]]''', ''Old Uppsala'', in the county of [[Uppland]], Sweden. An opposing belief however states that the original site for the pagan Ása-temple was not located here, but in the county of [[Västergötland]], in western Sweden, which was named after a different tribe, the [[Geats]].

This article discloses some interesting points raised by non-scholars
about the possibility of keeping a wider scope for finding the "truth"
behind the myths - in essence, whether the original site of the Ása
cult was really Uppsala in Uppland, Sweden (''the [[Svealand theory]]''),
or if Ubsola was located elsewhere (e.g. in Västergötland, according to
''the [[Götaland theory]]'').

=== The Svealand theory ===
Whereas there exist several places in Sweden bearing the name
'''Uppsala''', the original seating of the tribe of [[Suiones]] as well as the mythic place for the old Swedish pagan culture of the [[Aesir]].
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]].

=== Main arguments for placing Ubsola in Uppland ===
Generally, this is based upon the following facts:

#[[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 A.D.
#Also, it is an indisputable fact that the county of [[Uppland]] holds several findings from around the 10th and 11th century A.D. that indicates that a kingdom was ruled from here.
#Furthermore, an often named place in the myths and sagas is ''[[Fyris Wolds]]'', 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.
#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, 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 [[Odin]]. When Odin 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 A.D.) to the north of [[Mälaren]].
#The same location is pointed out by [[Adam of Bremen]], who was a bishop in Hamburg that wrote the history of the great arch bishop domain of northern Europe, including Scandinavia until Lund was given an arch bishop seat in the 12th century. He, however, did not ''explicitly'' state that the temple was located in ''Uppland''.

[[Adam of Bremen]] relates the missionary [[Ansgar]] who is said to
have visited the trade town [[Birka]], located not far from ''Upsalum'' and ''Sigtunir'' ([[Sigtuna]]).

=== The Götaland theory ===
An intense opposing interest from '''non'''-scholars from Västergötland 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 <u>the Götaland theory</u>. Historically, stemming from the 19th
century,
these theories have been referred to as '[[Västgötaskolan]]', ''the school of Västergötland origins for ancient Sweden''. Some adherers to Västgötaskolan are '''[[conspiracy theorist]]s''' accusing the academic scholars of lying and falsifying for example documents and runic stones to disprove Västgötaskolans theories.

=== 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 Ása cult, e.g.
the
following:

<table border="1" cellpadding="2">
<tr><td>1</td>
<td>
When the first really determined bishop of old Sweden, bishop Egino of
Dalby (county of [[Skåne]], [[Scania]], located just outside
[http://www.lund.se Lund]) sets out to destroy the pagan monuments, he
goes to [http://www.skara.se Skara] (county of [[Västergötland]], Western
Götaland) and crushes the sculptures of Frey, Odin and Thor.
<br><small><b>Why go to Västergötland if the ancient temple was located in
Uppsala, Uppland? Answer: Because the sculptures of Skara were not as far away. Why go to Uppland, when there's a similar place closer by.</b></small>
</td></tr>
<tr><td>2</td>
<td>
In some ancient sources ([[Gaius Cornelius Tacitus|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.<br> [[Jordanes]] in his
[[The origin and deeds of the Goths]] calls these two tribes ''suehans''
(the Sveas) and ''suetidi''. Near the old town Sigtuna (being most
certainly proven to have existed at the time of [[Olof Skotkonung]]) an
ancient rune stone have been found, stating the name <u>sithone</u>.<br>
</td></tr>
<tr><td>3</td>
<td>
The content of the Western mound showed the rich grave offerings of a very powerful man. He was buried with a 6th century sword, gems from the Middle east and pawns of ivory, as well as a probably tame hawk. It is shown that the mounds does stem
from the period around 500 A.D.</small> <br>
</td></tr>
<tr><td>4</td>
<td>
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 correspond with
those of the ''urn field'' culture in Europe during the younger bronze age
and pre-Roman iron age.
</td></tr>
<tr><td>5</td>
<td>
There is a certain group of women mentioned in ancient sources of
Sweden, called '''<u>[[diser]]</u>''', 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 ceremony called
''Disablot'', when sacrifices 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 spiritualists were
representing another, perhaps older, mythological or religious belief.
They are also known to have existed in other parts of the German
hemisphere.<br><small><b>Possibly these were the true ancestors of
Uppland, later being included or engulfed by the expanding
Sweas?</b></small>
</td></tr>
<tr><td>6</td>
<td>
No remains at all have been found that indicates that there
was actually a pagan temple located in Gamla Uppsala. <br>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 immediately after the church was built. <br>
</td></tr>
<tr><td>7</td>
<td>
Also, an 8 m deep well believed to be the ancient holy [[Well of Urd|well
of Urd]],
and [[Mimer]], found on a ledge facing the kings' mounds, was during the 1940s
proved to be covered with oak trees that were cut down in the 1650s, A.D.
<br>
<small>(Interestingly enough, this complies with the time of the famous
[[Olaus Rudbeckius|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 ancestry 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.)</small><br>
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...<br><small><b>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?</b></small>
</td></tr>
<tr><td>8</td>
<td>
Another interesting fact is that the river Fyris changed its name during
the 17th century, and was formerly called Salaån <small>(Sala being a small
city further to the north of Uppsala)</small>. <br><small><b>The name
Fyrisvallarna is not at all known to be located near the city of Uppsala
prior to this!</b></small><br>
</td></tr>
<tr><td>9</td>
<td>
If you were to take [[Snorri Sturluson|Snorri]]'s Ynglinga saga literally,
when [[Odin]]
and his people, the Aesir, moved from Fyn and travelled to the new won land
somewhere north of here - where is it most likely that they ended
up?<br>In Uppland, going first south, east and then north - around the
Scandinavian peninsula?<br>Or in Västergötland/Bohuslän, Sweden, or Norway
(Oslofjorden)?<br><small><b>Is it possible that there can be traces of
immigrating tribes in western Sweden or southern Norway, dated around 50
B.C. to 200 A.D.?</b></small>
</td></tr>
<tr><td>10</td>
<td>
When Odin came to the kingdom of [[Gylfi]], 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.<br>With the lake Vänern, bordering Västergötland, on the other
hand, it is not at all hard to see the similarities of Själland as being
'taken from the land' of Sweden.<br><small><b>How can any bit of land from
Mälaren be drawn westwards into the sea - crossing the whole landmasses of
Sweden - and become Själland?</b><br>(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)</small><br>
According to [[Jordanes]], the Danes expanded - or were 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.
</td></tr>
<tr><td>11</td>
<td>
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. <br><small><b>Is it possible that Snorre got the name
Mälaren to mean Logen due to the fact that Sigtuna, and Birka, was located
here...?</b></small>
</td></tr>
<tr><td>12</td>
<td>
In the recapitulation of [[Adam of Bremen]] (<small>who, incidentally,
never
visited Sweden himself</small>), the pagan temple is said to 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.<br><small><b>There are absolutely no such physical
surroundings near Gamla Uppsala!</small>Comment: "has this writer actually seen the place? In fact, the mounds are built on what can easily be described as a curved hill" end of comment</b>
</td></tr>
<tr><td>13</td>
<td>
[[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.
<ul>
<li>He seems to have had several sources, but the places referred to in
these sources must not necessarily have been the same.</li>
<li>One theory states
that the epithet <u>Birka</u> in fact rather defines a general market
location, rather than being the name of a specific town.</li>
<li>The trade town was supposedly placed with a harbor to the north, facing
the [[Baltic Sea]] - which is not really the case for [[Birka]] at
[[Björkön]] in [[Mälaren]].</li>
<li>Furthermore, there are several known trade centers in ancient Sweden, and
the one at [[Björkön]] is not necessarily the one referred to
by [[Adam of Bremen]]. One possible location is [[Köpingsvik]] in
the county of [[Öland]] in the [[Baltic Sea]], that not only has several
remains from the 9th and 11th century, but actually lies 'in a bay to
the north into the Baltic Sea'.</li>
</ul>
</td></tr>
</table>

So, if Uppland is not the place of origin for the Sveas - where is it to
be found? <br>
The original advocates for ''the Götaland theory'' or
[[Västgötaskolan]] is willing to seek evidence for Västergötland, and the
lake
[[Vänern|Väner]] 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 [[Oden]]'s [[Sithun]] ([[Sigtuna]]),
[[Valhall]], the ashtree [[Yggdrasil]] etc. and
myths of e.g. [[Helge Hundingsbane]] and
[[Sigurd Fafnersbane]].

== Conclusions ==
Naturally, to hold any view at all regarding the existence, first, and the
location, second, of these ancient places of cult and religion, one has
to be very well read of the actual historical sources, and of the findings
in archeological and linguistical science being conducted over the years.

From a scientific viewpoint, the content of old myths and sagas cannot be
held as historically valid sources. For one thing, they are written down
centuries after they are supposed to have happened, following oral
traditions that at best have added some flavour to the original tales - if
there are any real matter to them at all. More often, the tales have lent
from one another and the final versions are likely to contain additions
that can only render them untrustworthy as historical sources. They can,
however, disclose elements that have bearing and references in known and
alleged sources from other parts of [[Europe]], and hence some traces of
the
original (again, if they ever existed) deeds and people may be identified from
them.

Especially, the story of Odin and the Aesir's emigration according to the
[[Ynglinga saga]] is generally considered invalid by the official views and scholars.
Other parts of the extensive work of [[Snorri Sturluson|Snorri]] (and
other saga writers) may
however be considered valid references for finding elements of the ancient
history of [[Scandinavia]]n people and their religious customs and beliefs.

=== The importance of keeping an objective view ===
To find any 'real' truth in historical myths and sagas, you are bound to
have to take into account
''all'' possible aspects of science, not just the religious, historical,
archeological and linguistic scholar domains.
It have to be put together, and viewed objectively. In this, also
geographical and natural sciences should be taken into account.
The inclination of this, of course, is that the myths and sagas and
historical sources must be considered
to have actual geographical bearing also for studying our ancient history.

Another example of the importance to do this, is the admirable, now late,
[[Thor Heyerdahl]].
Being not a historian, but a biologist, he has driven hypotheses to the
limit in a vast number of areas,
where the scholars of those affected disciplines have consequently
ignored, and ridiculed, his hypothesis.
Where different discipline scholars have been mostly concerned by their
own field of expertise,
Heyerdahl has found new approaches to solutions from simply combining
knowledge from different scientific disciplines,
and put them together as a whole.<br>
His last project, ''[[Jakten på Odin]]'' was aimed at finding out whether
[[Snorri Sturluson|Snorri]]
actually could be trusted when he states in [[Ynglinga saga]] that
[[Odin]] and the
Aesir actually had emigrated from the [[Black Sea]] around 60 BC.

=== Official 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.<br>
Nevertheless, 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, prior to the second millennium AD.

It is quite clear, however, that from 700 AD and mainly 800 - 900 AD
the town of [[Birka]] was surrounded by a strong settlement of Viking era
Sveas. The big question is whether they originated in [[Uppland]], or if
they originated in the oldest agricultural areas in [[Sweden]],
the [[Vänern|Väner]] area in [[Västergötland]].
As of today, the official view stands unchanged:
Ubsola was located in [[Uppland]].

== External links: ==
<ul>
<li>Historical sites in Sweden:
[http://www.raa.se/sites/index.asp Riksantikvarie&auml;mbetet]</li>
<li>Read about [[Thor Heyerdahl]]'s last project [[Jakten p&aring; Odin|here]].</li>
<li>All currently known [[Runic alphabet|rune stone]] inscriptions (in Swedish):
[[http://home6.swipnet.se/~w-61277/rundata/1.htm Samnordisk runtextdatabas på Internet]]</li>
</ul>

Latest revision as of 16:59, 23 April 2008

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