Vikings of Lofoten
South Pacific Familyadventure 2008
Claes Brodin
Tue 15 Oct 2019 16:49
The building belonged to different local viking chieftains who all had a strong position in the whole Norwegian viking society. It was probably inhabited from 500 until 870 a.c when it was descerted.
Several local viking chieftains mentioned in the viking sagas are believed to have lived here.Thorir the Stag is one of the more famous who was at war with the king,Olav Tryggvason, and finally killed by a spear thrown by the king himself. His successor Åsbjörn Selsbane (Åsbjörn the seal killer) was also killed by king Olavs men.
The area where the building is situated is today Vågan commune. Vågan was already in the times of the vikings,the centre for vikings in Lofoten,with a marketplace and a meetingplace for the local chieftains. Already in the times of the vikings,stockfish was the most important exportgoods (which it was until late sixties when oil was found).
870 a.c the building was descerted by Olafr Tvennumbruni (Olafr Uni-brow) who sailed away with his family and populated the southwest coast of Iceland perhaps escaping a conflict with the king.
