Early Finnish Saga 1.

Early Finnish wars are scattered descriptions of conflicts involving Finnish tribes or Finland prior to the gradual Swedish conquest of Finland in 13th and 14th centuries. Earliest historical accounts of conflicts involving Finnish tribes, such as Tavastians, Karelians, Finns proper and Kvens, has survived in Icelandic sagas and in German, Norwegian, Danish and Russian chronicles as well as in Swedish legends and in Birch bark manuscripts. 

The most important sources are Novgorod First Chronicle, Primary Chronicle and Eric Chronicles
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The Battle at Herdaler was a battle between the Norse Viking leader Olav Haraldsson (later King of Norway) and Finnish people at Herdaler in Finland around years 1007/8. The Saga of Ol Haraldson tells how Olav Haraldsson (Olaf II of Norway, also Saint Olaf), the King of Norway, plundered in Finland and was almost killed in the battle.

After this they sailed to Finland and plundered there, and went up the country. 
All the people fleafd to the forest, and they had emptied their houses of all household goods. 

Painting of the death of Olaf II in 1030 who was defeated in Finland in 1008 in the Battle at Herdaler

The king went far up the country, and through some woods, and came to some
dwellings in a valley called Herdaler, -- where, however, they made but small booty, and saw no people; and as it was getting late in the day, the king turned back to his ships. 
Now when they came into the woods again people rushed upon them from all
quarters, and made a severe attack. The king told his men to cover themselves with their shields, but before they got out of the woods he lost many people, and many were wounded; but at last, late in the evening, he got to the ships. 

The Finlanders conjured up in the night, by their witchcraft, a dreadful storm and bad weather on the sea; but the king ordered the anchors to be weighed and sail hoisted, and beat off all night to the outside of the land. The king's luck prevailed more than the Finlanders' witchcraft; for he had the luck to beat round the Balagard's side in the night. and so got out to sea. But the Finnish army proceeded on land, making the same progress as the king made with his ships. So says Sigvat: --

"The third fight was at Herdaler (willage), where 
The men of Finland met in war
The hero of the royal race,
With ringing sword-blades face to face.
Off Balagard's shore the waves
Ran hollow; but the sea-king saves
His hard-pressed ship, and gains the lee
Of the east coast through the wild sea."

The location of "Herdaler" in Finland is not certain. The expedition's possible place could have been north of Uusimaa in Hirdal in the present-day town of Ingå (inkoo). That makes it the first mentioning of a place located in present-day Finland in historical literature.

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Early written sources

King Eric Bloodaxe is instigated by his wife Gunnhild to kill the Sámi wizards (illustration by Christian Krohg), an incident of doubtful historical validity, but reflecting an early history of prejudice and conflict

Several medieval sagas and other early historical sources mention wars and conflicts related to Finnish tribes and to Finland.

Finland was probably the same as Terra Feminarum (Kvinnors Land) (Kvens-land or Quagers is right) which was attacked by Sweden in the 1050s, as described in Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum (Deeds of Bishops of the Hamburg Church) by Adam of Bremen in 1075 CE. According to the source, the attack ended in the Swedish defeat, and led to the death of the king's son who was in charge of the campaign. Information on the conflict is however convoluted.

Ynglingasaga written in early 13th century describes military expedition to Finland at the end of the 4th century by mythological Swedish king Agne. However, it is disputed whether the Old Norse concept of Finland refers to the present country of Finland; alternatively it could have meant the land of the Sámi (up to Jyväskylä - Ocean coast).

Legendary Orkneyinga saga written around 1230 tells about Nor who travelled from Kvenland to Norway and took over the entire country. Based on saga's internal chronologies, the war would have taken place on the 6th or 7th century. Another version of the saga, Hversu Noregr byggdist, however omits the Kvenland part completely.

Norna-Gests þáttr saga from the early 14th century tells that Kvens (probably referring to a group of Finns) were raiding in Sweden in the mid-8th century. In the late 9th century, king Eric Anundsson was said to have conquered Finland, with several other eastern countries. However, all other accounts of the king exclude Finland from his conquests. Norwegian Ohthere tells in the Old English Orosius from 890 that Norwegians and Kvens (Qwenas) were in conflict with each other from time to time.


The best-known Swedish war against Finland presumably took place in the 1150s known as the legendary First Swedish Crusade. Whether it ever actually happened, is however not certain as the information is based on the late 13th century legends. Sweden eventually took over Finland during the so-called Second Swedish Crusade around 1249 against Tavastians and the Third Swedish Crusade against Karelians in 1293. By the beginning of the 14th century, records of independent Finnish military activities ceased to surface.