Bjarmaland

Abstract

Bjarmaland (also Biarmaland, Biarmia, Byarmia, Bjarmia) and its inhabitants (Bjarmar, Beormas, Biarmar) are known to us through c. 30 medieval written sources, most of them written in Norse, a few in Latin and one in Anglo-Saxon. Majority of the texts were written during the 13th century, but the stories they relate may nevertheless be of earlier date. The Kings’ Sagas in particular often refer to 10th century events. Oldest of the sources is the so-called Ohthere’s account, a 9th century Anglo-Saxon text added to the OE Orosius translation. The rest of the sources are of Norse-Icelandic origin including a number of konungasögur, a few chronicles and íslendingasögur, some texts of geographical nature, a couple of þáttr, and a number of fornaldarsögur as well as six annals. Additionally Haralds saga gráfeldar contains a few skaldic verses.