The history of Eskilstuna

Eskilstuna from 1 st to 20th century

Painting from old Rademacher forges.

The first known inhabitants in my quarters, was Vikings and they had a larger settlement about 200 m from where I use to live. We don't have that any picture from that time (especially not taken by me) but I'll try to show you some remains as rune stone/runic stone, old graphics etc.

Later a monastery were built on the place. This monastery was handed over to "Johaniterna" (or monks in the Order of St. John of Jerusalem).

A king of Sweden, maybe the most well known to Swedish people, Gustav Vasa gave order to transfer a lot of the belonging from - at that time - very rich religious society to the state. It was rather expensive to be at war (at that time and nowadays I suppose) and Sweden had been in war for many years. The King thought that "the Church" have to contribute.

In Eskilstuna he had the monastery tired down and they built a royal building on the spot with material for the old buildings.

[Typical Swedish; being practical and using instead of wasting and being "lagom" (sufficiently) tactful]

I give you more details down below. Enjoy!

I added a lot of links i.e.. if you want more details from Birka, the old "Capital City" of Sweden just click the underlined link.

Eskilstunaån 

The river Eskilstunaån

The river Eskilstunaån connects The 3rd and 4th largest lakes in Sweden Hjälmaren and Mälaren. Mälaren has its out outflow in Östersjön right in the middle of Stockholm, at Riksdagshuset (Parliament building).

The river has been here since approx 5000 BC when the land started to rise. Settlement around the river bend downside the stream since 2000 BC.

Houses with craftsman and merchants since 1000AC.
The water at stream was tamed and the power was used for mills and hammers. The sound from the hammer of the forges must have been heard a long way from Eskilstuna.

Sigurdsristningen

Sigurdsristningen - rockcarving

One of the largest rock carving in Sweden. 4,7 meter wide from 8th - 9th century. 10 km North of Eskilstuna close to Sundbyholm. I live in Sundbyholm, approx 1 km from the Sundbyholm Castle and the Rock carving.

Few ancient monuments in Sweden have attracted as much attention as the Sigurd Carving at Ramundsberget near Sundbyholm manor. It is mainly the remarkable suite of pictures depicting episodes from the story of Sigurd the Dragon Slayer that attracts visitors. These illustrations are encircled by runic inscriptions telling us about the lineage of a distinguished Viking family.
The water level of Lake Mälaren was much higher towards the end of the Viking Age (mid-11th century), than it is today. The lake covered much of the countryside south of Sundbyholm.
At that time the flat rock with the engraved Sigurd Carving lay by the edge of the channel - Ramsundet or the Ramsund Channel. This channel was not only an important link, but it was also a very busy means of communication between Lake Mälaren and what is today known as Kafjärden, a bay in Mälaren. The site of the carving was a central meeting point for travelers.

Sigurdsristningen

Detail of rock carving

Part of the Sigurdsristningen where Sigurd kills the big snake called "Fafner"

The carving depicts the following story. Regin, a skilled smith, had two brothers, Uttar and Fafner. Uttar often transformed himself into the form of an otter and, on one such occasion, was killed by Loke, a heathen god. The gods were then made to pay the penalty of covering the otter's skin with gold. Fafner, in the shape of a dragon, guarded the treasure which he refused to share with Regin.
Regin encouraged his foster son, Sigurd, to slay Fafner with a sword he had forged. Sigurd hid in a hole in the ground and as Fafner crawled over the hole, Sigurd plunged the sword into Fafner, thus killing him. Sigurd then plucked out Fafner's heart and roasted it over a fire. While doing so some drops of blood fell on his fingers which he licked. Suddenly Sigurd could understand the language of the birds. A few birds revealed to him that Regin intended to slay Sigurd and take sole possession of the hoard of gold.

The story is a lengthy one and it is only the beginning which the carving illustrates. It was costly in these times to portray a picture epos such as this. The person who commissioned it must certainly have been wealthy. In this case it was a woman who had the carving and the runic inscriptions made in memory of her dead husband, Holmger. The text reads as follows:" Sigrid, Alrik's mother, Orm's daughter, made this bridge for her husband Holmger's, Sigröd's father's, soul." You can understand from the text that Sigrid had a bridge built for her dead husband's soul. This bridge must have been quite a masterpiece both technically and economically. Ramsundet was wide and rather deep which means that the bridge was a high one and not just a paved ford.
"Tourist Guide Michelin 1997" has awarded The Sigurd Carving two prestigious * * with the following commentary: "worth a detour"

If your interested in more info (in Swedish) there is an excellent site covering "Sigurdsristningen" (c) by Göran Årevik

Vikings

From "the Book of Vikings" by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg (c).

Viking religion or the Aesir cult

In the beginning it was a big gap or abyss. This was before the earth, heaven and sea where created. Before the Gods where born it was a cold icy world in the north and burning in the south. When the heat meet the ice and drops where made. The first drop was shaped into a giant; Ymer. When he slept a man and a woman grow out of his left armpit and his left foot got a son with his right.

The Viking our ancestors, believed that the world was a huge disc in a huge ocean. In the middle the human resided and up high on a cliff in the center the Gods dwelling called Asgård (gård=house). In the ocean it was a big snake “Midgårdsormen” and far away on the rim of the disc the Giants lived.

In the middle of the world there was a huge ash-tree “Yggdrasil” whose branches shadowed the world and the roots went down deep in the underground. At to foot of the tree was the Source of Wisdom. A dragon “Nidhögg” was eating on the roots of the tree and threatened its existents. In the branches there were different animal and on the top an eagle with a hawk between the eyes.

Under the Tree of Life there where three goddess of Fates who spanned, measured and cut the thread of life. They decided every mans destiny and gave him happiness and sorrows.

The Vikings believed in two types of Gods in the Aesir cult. The Asarna and the Vanerna. The most important God of Asarna was Oden - the good of war and death. He had a 8-legged horse and two raven: Hugin and Munin which was his spy-eyes. They flied around in the world observing and came back to Oden and reported.

Oden was quite a fighter. Hi killed Ymer the Giant and made the earth from him. His blood became rivers and seas. His teeth and jaws became mountains and from the scalp they made the vault of heaven.

With material from the heated, burning South, Oden and his sons made the stars. The stars are moved for ever by a female giant and her sun riding a horse and carriage doing the work.

Tor was the God of thunder and lightning. He had a hammer ”Mjölner” to fight and work with. The lightning came when Tor hits with his hammer. He had bucks (he-goat) instead of horses in front of his wagon. He was very strong, hot-tempered but more “human” than Oden. Not as clever as the other Gods but brave and maybe foolish.

One time he almost had the whole world to tip over. In a fight with the Midgårdsormen he grabbed the snake by the tail. The snake took a bite in the disc of the world and Tor pulled. He pulled so hard that the world almost tipped over. A little bit foolish but he was the most popular God. The most important of Vanerna was Frej: the Fertility God. The Swedish word “frö”; seed comes from Frej.

Viking sacrificed to the gods at special places outdoors; in groves and at stones. The most used burial method was cremation sometimes along with cows, horses, pigs and pets, usually dogs.

Link to Norse mythology

Runic Stone

There are about 10 Runic Stones in closest area to my home and more then 50 in a 30 km circle. You can read more (in swedish) about Runic stone and their inscriptions at Göran Åreviks site "Runstenar" (c) by Göran Årevik

Runic Stone

Runic stone in Eskilstuna

Stone close to home. At Balsta the big old house in the background was the second hospital built in Eskilstuna, 1920

The Monastery

Webpage of Johanniterorden

A monastery was built at the 10th century on the places of the old Viking house. The monks of the monastery was of the Order of St. John founded around 1000 ac in Jerusalem. Called "Johanniter" in Swedish.

More info click: Svensk historia or English summary or English site

Wooden statue of
Eskil in the Church of Fors

Built 11th century - on same place as a wooden church from 10th century used by bishop Eskil from England. The Church was enlarged several times but have remains from original church.

Eskil

The picture is from a wooden statue of Sankt Eskil , the English missionary who became a martyr and later gave name to Eskilstuna.

He was stoned to death by order of the King Sven who didn't like the missionaries. His Gods was Tor and Oden, the asar-Gods (see above)

Fors Kyrka

Church of Fors 

Köpmangatan

Alley of Köpmangatan

Långa gatan - was the name of the long street that was the path that went alongside the river and then contiuned to Strängnäs further on to Birka and then to Stockholm. (You must click this  Birka Link, it's a very interesting site). Picture shows an alley at "Långa gatan"

Köpmangatan

Långa gatan later got its name changed to Köpmangatan (Merchant Street) but it started a path along the river. This is from the "younger" part with buildings from 1800 to 1920

Sundbyholms Castle

Painting of Sundbyholms castle
 

This castle was built 1638-1648 on land formerly owned by the "rich" monks of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. They became rich since they were hired to perform prayer. They more prayer the better chance to come to heaven. The richer you wer to more prayer you could buy from the monks. The really rich, royalties and aristocrats gave large properties, building, land to be sure to go to the right place. The monks became one of the most riches churches in Sweden and owned for that time enormous sums. 

The house was built as a Royal castle, rather small but on a beautiful peninsula north of Eskilstuna. Link: Sundbyholms slott - History

Menu from Sundbyholms Castle Restaurant

Nowadays there is a excellent restaurant down in the old cellar. Ask the waiter and he/she could tell you stories about all ghost that exist.
Link: Sundbyholms slott - restaurant

If you want to stay there is also lodging with luxury suites.
Link: Sundbyholms slott - lodging

 Rademacher forges

Inside a black smith forges

Sweden was in war with Russia in early 15th century. The Swedish King, Carl X Gustav, was a little bit nervous that the black smith forges in Livland (Estonia today) should fall in to the hands of Russia so he moved them to Eskilstuna, Sweden. 

 Rademacher forges

In this forges they made most of the weapons used in the Swedish army. So they moved, not the forges, but all the black smith employed to Sweden and Eskilstuna. This was around 1650. Picture from the original forges built then.

 Eskilstunahus 

Drawing of Eskilstuna Hus

The Castle Eskilstuna that was built 1622  with material from the and on the same place as the monastery.  The castle burned down 1680 , an accident, probably fire in a kitchen; overheated oven. Ordinary sized castle at that time: square 100 m x 100 m. In the same period the Royal Castle in Stockholm was damage by fire. As firebricks / building bricks were expensive in those days, a lot of bricks from Eskilstuna was brought-- by order of the King-- to Stockholm to repair "Slottet Tre Kronor" (Castle Three Crowns). Click for link to Royal Palace in Stockholm.  The bricks were skipped 150 km on the river Eskilstunaån and lake Mälaren with barges.

Map of "Eskilstuna" - area 1600 AC

Map created in 20th century

The castle Eskilstunahus to the right. Långa gatan along side the river. Fors church northern/west side of river. The Rademacher forges up high in picture close to river.

More pages will come