History of HminnJord
From Scandia
Pre-history - Enra Skalg (-300)
The cold, rocky and maritime lands of HminnJord have basically been neglected by native Vendans, because of their barren nature and the Vendans marked dislike of sea fishing and maritime transportation. Hence, HJ has been very very sparsely populated by aborigenal Pochata and Vendan tribes, with the only small exception of few scattered settlements on the White River (HvitÄlv) valley and the Dalarn region around lake Silja.
Early Settlement - Gävle Bærna (300-538)
During the Great Vamarian migration, when many settlers left Vetlanda seeking for a new life in Vamar, some of the most unruly and restsless explorer ventured on, traveling westward seeking for new lands and adventures. Half merchands, half pirates, those expeditions wandered in their long oversea travels the Cisteceuvian ocean the waters south of Venda. It is reputed that one of these vamarian sea-farers, the famous Rauđ the blue-bearded (Rauđ BlåBröd) was the first Scandian of Niverian descent to complete a maritime travel around the planet, crossing the waters of the southern emisphere from Vetlanda to Vamar, to Venda and than back to Vetlanda across the Cisteuvan ocean. His grandson, Leik the cliffclimber (Leik RättTrekra) is also reputed to be the first overseas explorer to found permanent settlement on Venda, in the present-day village of ÄngVik (The bay of Meadows), UtHamnan. The remain of Leik’s village are still being excavated and the site is a state-protected open-air museum. Initially, Vamarian pirates utilized the westernmost bit of the Vendan continent (especially Tyillinge Island and ÅlvVik), as a temporary base for their oversea voyages. That area was especially relevant for its strategic importance for mastering the narrow passage between Morel and Venda. Upon discovering the immensely rich whaling and fishing banks of the Vendan sea, the Vamarian explorers soon started setting up fishing stations on the south cost, mainly in the regions around the actual towns of GrjtViken, HúsVik, GävleHamn, GrindaVik. Formidable navigators and warriors, they rapidly reduced in slavery the few Vendan natives they encountered, that were in fact treated with significant respect being used as household or farm workers. It should be noted that this unpleasant habit of slavery was completely unknown in Vamar, and is an original innovation of the early HminnJorders. On the other hand all armed opposition was quickly exterminated and survivers fled across the mountains to Central Venda. Vamarians called the new land HminnJord (Land of the skies) after the impressive mountains that filled the land towering the seashore, and went on colonizing most of the actual southern cost. Soon the need for food diversity forced them to develop Cattle, Sheep and Pig farming and some basic form of Agriculture, requiring them to establish some farms inland, especially on the flanks of southern mountains (Sør-Fjallar) and on the White river valley (HvitÄlvarDal). They ignored pretty much the northern coast and its milder climate because short on fish and too exposed to the raids and interests of other developed Doranian and Niverian nations (Thesia, Valania and Melka above all).
The first republic - Enra Lideveld (538-881)
At the end of the great Vamarian migration era, with the emergence of the Empire of Vamar founded by by Eric Morith in 523, a few of the most rebellious and hot tempered characters (mainly warriors and chieftains) that had left Vetlanda seeking fortune in the Vetlandic Kwasinan kingdoms found themselves at odd also with the new Vamarian state. Hence, they left once again looking overseas for yet more freedom and adventure. Many fled to the colonies in southern HJ. Discontent with the strong and organized government in Vamar they built a loose, independent federation of free farms (bærn) and fishing stations (Hamnan) in southern HJ. No central government was organized, but in the tradition of the early Vamarians they gathered once a year to summon a sort of “Parliament” (þing) to discuss common issues, trade and arrange weddings and alliances. All too often these gatherings degenerated in guerrilla or bloodsheds, but the unstable democracy managed to make its way through the Scandic middle age as an independent “Nation”. Vamarians were simply too busy in building a prosperous nation to care about this unruly bunch scattered over a dry and barren peninsula. The parliament summoned in different locations every year, but always around the banks of Lake Silja (SiljaJärv), in the central landlocked region of the farming valleys (Dalarn). Concurrently, the village of RättVik, for its central location, became the seat of a big 3-weeks summer market (þodd), and thus emerged as unofficial “Capital” of the young republic. Due to its baricentric location, the presence of the Rättvik market, and the yearly "parliament”, despite not being as densely populated as the southern coastal regions, the central farming district around lake Silja became the heart of the HminnJordic national consciousness. The white lion over a blue field, a very old haraldic symbol of the Vamarian Rätt family, (the descendants of legendary Leik the cliffclimber) that established the first farm at Rättvik became and is to this very day the coat of arms of HJ. The first þing or "parliament" was held on the meadows near Rättvik in 538, so this year is conventionally considered the founding date of the HminnJordic "republic".
Early HminnJorders enjoyed a moderate prosperity especially related to fishing and whaling off the southern coast and to the inland farming. Harbours such as Grjtviken, GrindaVik and GävleHamn housed around 1/2000 inhabitants each, while inland villages in Dalarn such as Gardbær, Rättvik, Smedjebåcken could house a permanent population of 500/1000. A few scattered farm also developed across the mountains towards the Talathyrian Ocean (in the region that became known as Fjallarnback, or behind the mountains), that anyway remained very scarcely settled and explored. In particular, the northern coast remained uninhabited, due to fears of raids from Doranian (Especially Thesian and Valanian) navies. A phenomenon that is peculiar of the HJ republican period is the emergence of an original local literature in the form of Skalgan, (Stories), epical novels that tells the story of travels and settling by Vamarian Chieftans seeking their freedom and prosperity in HminnJord, and their adventures in confronting the new land. In an age where most Scandians could not read or write, and the only language of culture was Valanian, unlitered Vamarian warriors managed to build an impressive art and poetry form with their own language, that is still pretty much preserved in its original form in today's HimnJordic. Skalgan are widely read and diffused these days in HJ, and are matter of great pride for the people.
Vamarian Empire - SyørYfirnar Størna (881-1415)
Around the year 850 the reorganization of the Vamarian empire was complete. Vamar was building a solid navy and becoming to affirm itself as a Scandian maritime power. Soon the Emperors in Fariten realized the strategic importance of controlling the strait of Tyilling-øy between Morel and Venda. They also came to realize the richness of HJ waters. Claiming the obviously shared language, culture and ethnic background (that was in fact starting to appear diluted after three centuries of separation) Vamar rightfully claimed the HJ territory as Emperor's colony. The well-organized Vamarian navy under the command of marshall Hans Andersson took easily possession of the anarchist HJ people, without having to organize a proper military campaign: indeed, the coming of the “sjør yfir brođin” (cousins from across the waters) was much welcomed by many HminnJorders, in order to provide relieve from internal guerrilla and struggles. At the parliament gathering, June 17 881 in R\auml;attvik, HminnJord was declared to be a colony of Vamar. Slowly and steadily Vamarian Imperial governors set foot in re-organizing their new dominion. GrjtViken, the biggest and more secure harbor, and the starting point for sea travels to/from Vamar was selected as capital. The colony was subdivided in counties (Maan), respecting HJ traditional historic organization: GrjtViken, GämleHamn and GrindaVik around the main fishing ports, DalarnJordan (Valley Lands) in the farming lands around the Hvit Älv. plus the remote but wealthy UtHamnan (outports) on the Western fringes of the land. The huge but sparsely populated FjallarnBakJordan (Lands behind the mountains) remained unorganized territory under the direct control of the Vamarian crown.
The years 1000-1200 were the most glorious in the history of the Vamarian empire. The whole Cisteuvian Ocean became a private Vamarian backyard, criss-crossed by sea trade routes. HJ largely benefitted from the prosperity and optimism of the period. Being part of the Vamarian empire proved very positive: roads were built, a proper justice and taxation system was introduced, state-ruled schools and hospital were opened. In particular, the Vamarian influence mitigated the very marked individualism of HJ people. Vamarian governors encouraged the chartering of the largest towns and villages, and the organization of trade towards Doranian and Niverian nations across the Thalantyrian ocean. Trade was organized as a monopoly, strictly controlled by the Vamarian colonial government, and only Vamarian ships could handle transportation and commercialization of HJ products. Also, Vamarian governors greatly sponsorized the development of the FjallarnBak region, as important naval links towards Niveria, Dorania and Morel. In 1101 a new Imperial colony independent from HJ was established in FjallarnBak. The new town of Amalienburgh (ÅmalBær in HminnJordic) was founded to act as capital, named after the wife of the Emperor, Amalia. Other important harbour towns were established in FredriksVik (1180) and Höfn (now Hamn) in 1201. To this days, these regions retain a markedly Vamarian flavour due to the relevant number of immigrants that arrived in those days from motherland Vamar. A massive immigration flow also hit the southern islands of Got and Rønne, that lie along the way to Vestlanda off the Gritviken coast on the sea route to Vamar. The islands were before inhabited only seasonally by HJ's fishers and were colonized in the years (1250-1400) by Vamarian settlers coming from the most underdeveloped regions of the Vamarian vast interior. Today these islands are part of the HJ nation but Vamarian is still spoken there as majority language. Later, in 1362, as a response to Doranian and Central Vendan increasing interest towards the small settlement of Nørrvik, that features a very sheltered deep water harbour very suitable as starting point for commerce towards Niveria and Dorania, Vamar founded a third colony in northern FjallanBack, called New Land, (Ny Land in Vamarian, NyrMaa in HminnJordic). The government of the new colony founded the town of NyBurg (New Town, now NyrBær) on Nørrvik bay as capital and built a huge military fortress to protect the city and the new region from hostile naval raids.
While from the social point of view HminnJorders quickly absorbed the Vamarian values and influences, from a cultural point of view they stubbornly resisted “Vamarification”. In particular, fishers and peasants all through the land alike clung to the the HJ language (Hutmål, or “The Language”) and refused to utilize Vamarian that they called (“SjørYfirMål”, Language from across the sea). Vamarian, though, was imposed as the official language of trade and bureaucracy. HutMål, as well as traditions like the Rättvik fair, the Skalgan and the yearly gatherings on the banks of Silja Lake remained the very soul of HJ's consciousness, and any attempt of abolishing or renewing these aspects of HJ's tradition were bitterly resented by the whole population, original settlers and Vamarian newcomers alike.
Trade monopoly, the Anchorist movement - Marktbän i Akkerin (1415-1490)
In 1415, the Vamarian Revolution closed the long history of the Vamarian empire. The episode was hardly felt in HJ, where the colonial government had gained force during the phase of decadence of the empire. The HJ governor at the time, Marshall Per Carlsson, was capable enough to come to terms with the leaders of revolution and maintained its post with the new government in Fariten. HJ was reorganized in a single colony, merging the HJ proper and the smaller colonies of FjallanBak and Nyr Maa. On the other hand, Carlsson welcomed to Grjtviken many Imperial officers in trouble with the new government and on the run from mainland Vamar. They built a sort of Vamarian exiled aristocracy in HJ. Their fresh capitals smuggled away from mainland Vamar and their entrepreneur mentality had a strong influence on a still basically rural HJ province. Their presence strongly influenced the HJ economy in the next 150 years. They organized the local trade building powerful trade firms, organizing and monopolizing all forms of economy around the peninsula, on both the north and the south coast. Only in the remote outports and in did independent fishing or farming cooperatives typical of the HJ tradition survive.
Concurrently, all through the 1400 an unexpected economic and demographic boom hit HJ. A collection of extraordinary seasons both in agriculture and fishing largely overcame the needs of subsistence economy. On the other hand, fishers and peasants were uncapable to trade their surplus products at free prices because prices were artificially kept low by Vamarian fish & farming companies strictly connected to the colonial government. In particular, in the GrjtViken area and around the main fishing harbours of GrindaVik, Gävlehamn and StromNes a black market grew, organized to route salted fish to neighbouring countries such as Vendan and Morielan ports or to Vamarian town themselves. Repression from the colonial government proved ineffective.
In the Outports the situation was even worse. The various fishing stations suffered tough economic underdevelopment imposed by Vamarian firms monopoly. In many occasions during the century the outports were crossed by calls for buiding an autonomous federated republic in the outports related directly to Vamar bypassing the GrjtViken colonial government (waving a flag recalling Vamarian colors but with white seagulls, symbol of freedom, on it). Although the Outport cause gained some sympathy in mainland Vamar, a mixture of military colonial repression and concessions of further fishing rights always managed to cool off separatist intentions, especially given the difficulty of organizing a sparse and scattered territory in a single political entity to be reckoned with.
But the case was very different for the now largely populated southern coast, where the Vamarian government severely underestimated the level of social development and the capability of self-organization of HJ people. In fact, all through the 1400, a movement known as the akkerin, the “Anchorist”, worked to “anchor” HJ to its own values, traditions and language. They encouraged HimnnJordic language schools, local history studies, the reading of Skalgan, the revitalization of traditions from Dalarn and UtHamnan heritage. Anchorists from the large southern towns travelled on horse visiting the land far and wide, raising everywhere a renewed HJ national consciousness. The anchorists also made their own the struggle for development and independence of the Outports fishers, realizing that also in the south due to the private interest of colonial governors and their allied Vamarian firms and tycoons prosperity could only come with some forms of political autonomy. The colonial government at the beginning saw this movement as only cultural, and in true Vamarian tradition they were not prepared to enforce harsh military repression over their subjects. But the political impact of the anchorists raising awareness towards the rights of the HJ nation quickly spread to the farmers, Fish industry workers and sailors alike, raising their will for a free open market and their increasing uneasiness towards the Vamarian domain. While a fish trade union movement grew, men as Hans Magnusđar, Gimli Hröđar and Sturli Hakađar and women as Helge Torþar and Kita Lareþar collected and published HJ language books and HJ histories, organized the old Skalgan stories back to life, and gave fierce and stirring speech on the rights of the HJ nation, ultimately firing the harts and soul of HminnJorders.
When a global strike was called from Grjtviken fish harbour on february 14, 1482 to the astonishment of the Vamarian colonial government, not a single fleet left harbour from any of the HJ ports on the fishing coast, from the Vendan border to the outports. Shortly afterwards, colonial troops collected in the main southern cities. With a well-prepared surprise action, the harbour in the small eastern town of Stromnes, near Central Venda, was occupied by Anchorist strikers that declared it an independent “Free Town” under a blue flag sporting the “anchorists” symbol (blue is the color that the moderator of the medioeval parliament used to wear during sessions). The flag was later to became HJ national flag. The “free Stromnes republic” (Fry StromNesar lideveld) was bitterly defended by volunteers against colonial troops, while independent sailors form all over HJ used the harbour as a base for gathering fish and smuggling it over to neighbouring [[Central Venda]. Even more astonishing for colonial soldiers was to see thousands of farmers and paesants from Dalarn and Fjallarbak gather on the Silja Järv and walk across the VadBær Pass to support the Stromnes blockade. While colonial officers, pressured by the control/corruption of the local Vamarian industry oligarchy prepared heavy repression, the Vamarian government back home quickly realized the inutility of the reaction, and quickly called for a peaceful settlement to defend the many relevant private interests of Vamarian citizen in HJ enterprises. On September 17, 1482, a law issued in Fariten imposed to release the fish trade monopoly. At that point though, things had gone too far and the concession was not enough for HJ. After 3 more months of the fishery blockade, in an historical conference meeting in the Grjviken town hall, later known as the Grjtviken treaty, Vamar vowed to gradually withdraw its polical control on HJ. To defend Vamarian interest and to quench down allarmists that suggested that eventual independence would lead to HJ nationalization by force of all Vamarian property in HJ, the parties agreed on what was called "Graceful Devolution" in place of full independence. According to the final treaty of devolution, HJ obtained immediately a local government for internal issue, but would have remained a semi-autonomous federated state for 55 more years as a “tutoring” period before real independence. Vamarian properties, both public and proivate, would have remained untouched. The blockade was then released, Stromnes was re-opened and on September 21, 1484 a new autonomous republic under Vamarian sovereignity nation was born under the name “HminnJordar Maarn Lideveld” (Federal Republic of HminnJord).
The predominantly Vamarian Islands of Got and Rønne chose to remain part of Vamar. Several years later (1532), they voted to be incorporated in HJ as a separate Maan, with Vamarian as first offical language, at the time of full independence. Gimli Hröđar, one of the most prominent “Anchorists”, took post as first president of the new semi-autonomous republic. The anchor symbol is now sported in the national flag together with the historic white lion on blue field, and is contained also in the flag of arms of the southern Maan. After devolution, the county system was also reorganized: The large and very populated Maa of Dalarn was split in lower Dalarn (Now Inner Land, InraMaa) and proper Dalarn Maa while FjallarnBak Maa was split into FjallarnBak proper and “New Land” (Nyr Maa) around the town of NyBær.
Oil and Industry - Olj i Iđnag (1490-1530)
After the devolution treaty, the Anchorist movement dissolved as a political entity but most of the prominent members moved on to found the HJFF (HminnJordar Fryrad Flokur, HminnJord liberal party), that gained majority in the parliament pursuing a quiet policy of transition. Strong economic ties towards Vamar were maintained, with a careful development of relations with neighbouring Vendan countries, and encouragement of local economy. While HminnJorders were still confronting the shock of separating from their historical mother country, a new disruptive change suddenly hit the young nation: huge fossil oil deposits were discovered in the HminnJord waters. The first and more consistent discoveries took place in the cold Vendan sea in 1503. Many more discoveries were to follow in the next ten years, also along the western and northern coast. This gave way to a very heavy industrialization: on one hand, the low cost of petrol led to an immediate, massive diffusion of road transportation, in a society where before independence horse, boat and train were basically the only means of transportation. Only in 1514 a highway system was designed and rapidly implemented while many Outports are still not connected today to the main road network. More significanltly, cheap power led to a massive migration of foreign heavy industries to the shores of HJ. Vamarian companies were quick in consolidating their historical presence, quickly followed by other Scandian multi-nationals. The overpopulation of the southern towns also offered cheap workpower, while the outports and the farming village were quickly emptying as young people fled to the industry to look for a better future abandoning the harsh work of farmer or fisher their ancestors had been carrying on for centuries.
At first, the young government and the society were not ready to handle such sudden changes. The towns grew up in a disorganized manner, workers were discontent with their conditions, while all incomes were transferred to the headquarters of the companies outside HJ. Social unrest grew and a strong labour/socialist party (HJVF,HminnJordar Vinnrad Flokur) grew up from the discontent of the workers. An unprecedented rate of criminality and a gloomy depression darkened the perspectives of the young nation. Thankfully, HJers were able to fight back, due to the ability of a new young generation of politicians and the wisdom demonstrated by the leader of the HminnJordic Industries Federation, the Vamarian Karl Lastroem. The political elections of 1519 were the turning point in the recent history of HJ. Industrials strongly feared a victory of the labour party, that had a significant advantage in the polls, as essentially the HJL, after many years in office, had no more perception of the expectancies of the people. In turn, the labour party was lacerated by a fierce struggle between “radicalists” that wanted the nationalization of the oil industry (to the horror of Vamarian and Foreign companies) and “negotialists” that suggested a policy of confrontation with the industry leaders. Basing their political platform on a very pragmatic program of enhancements of the work conditions and on the introduction of social benefits, the “Negotialists” won the internal struggle and later went on to gain office despite the bitter opposition of the Industry federation that yielded all its power to ensure a re-election of the HJL candidates. When the new government called for negotiations, the industry federation had a new leader, Karl Lastroem. Born in a small mining town in Southern Vamar, as the last son of the owner of one of the richest copper mines in Scandia, Lastroem had quickly become a prominent figure in Vamar’s biggest car-building company, and was dispatched when 42 years old to HJ to lead the local branch (1516). He was chosen as industrial representative with the labour government because reputed a conservative, hard-nosed leader hardly inclined to negotiation or diplomacy. With the astonishment of colleagues and opponents alike, he came to the negotiation ready to make concessions. Most of all, he recognized HJ rights to all oil extracted in his waters, but pretended the immediate renounce of HJ to any nationalization plan of all the extracting infrastructures related industries in HJ. The government was wise enough to accept that, pretending and obtaining in change a significant attention towards condition of works of HJ workers. The final platform, named the Lastroem agreement, was focused on the idea that wages would experience a 15% raise in the following 5 years but 90% of that would have been absorbed in taxation in order to build a HJ national social system providing free Sanitary assistance and education to HJers. Although considered a failure by most industry workers at the time, the agreement proved largely succesful, and the establishment of a solid social infrastructure benefit the HJ economy and the workers alike. Conversely, the newly defined platform slowly gained the trust of the Scandian Economists, to the point that after a difficult start in the period 1525-1535 due to its political stability HJ has been benefited by significant foreign investments despite the very high taxation level. Lastroem died in his native Vamar in 1536 and is considered by HJers one of the founding fathers of their nation.
Green party and high tech industries - Græn Flokur i här tækni (1530-today)
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