Mysterious Jomsvikings: Fearless Scandinavian Warrior-Brotherhood

Ellen Lloyd - AncientPages.com - The mysterious Jomsvikings were no ordinary Viking warriors.

They were a fearless Scandinavian warrior-brotherhood. Each fighter must obey the 11 military rules set by the order. Violation of these rules could be punished with immediate expulsion from the order.

Jomsvikings were the superheroes of Icelandic Sagas, and they were a legendary mercenary army. They offered their fighting skills and fought for any king who would hire and pay them what they required.

Credit: Adobe Stock - Nejron Photo

No one knows where they lived, and many historians question their existence, but archeological discoveries reveal that Icelandic Sagas about these fearsome warriors can be true.

According to intriguing stories told in the Icelandic Sagas, these courageous Norse warriors were based at Jomsborg, a fortress on the south on the southern Baltic shore.

The Beginning Of the Jomsvikings

It is not entirely clear how and when the order of the Jomsvikings was created. According to some sources, the brotherhood was established and patronized by the Danish king, Harald Bluetooth, King of Denmark. Later, he selected Palnatoke (“Toke the Archer”), a legendary Danish hero and chieftain of the island of Fyn, to be the leader of the Jomsvikings. He also supplied the Jomsvikings with their first fleet of longships.  However, the Jómsvíkinga saga says that Jomsborg was founded by Palnatoke alone. Apparently, he received the land to build the fortress of Jomsborg granted him by the Wendish ruler Borislav.

Remarkable Archaeology Discovery In Dorset Offers Evidence Jomsvikings Were Real

For many years the stories of Jomsvikings have been treated as myths, but in 2009 a remarkable archaeology discovery was made. Scientists came across piles of ancient skeletons outside the English town of Weymouth in Dorset county. At first, it was believed these must have been ancient Roman soldiers or Anglo-Saxons, but later investigations revealed the bodies belonged most likely to the legendary Jomsvikings.

DNA analysis showed the skeletons belonged to young Scandinavian men in their twenties. Some of them had filed their teeth. The most intriguing part was the marks on the neck and head bones. They showed the men had died by being executed not from behind but when they looked in the eyes of their executor. This execution method is mentioned in one of the Icelandic Sagas that tells of a courageous brotherhood of soldiers who refuse to be killed from behind. To look the person who kills you in the eyes is a sign of courage, and fearlessness was always associated with the Jomsvikings.

The discovery in Dorset can be one of the first pieces of evidence of Jomsvikings’ existence.

The 11 Military Rules Of The Jomsvikings

The Jomsvikings lived by a strict code of conduct, and military discipline was enforced among its members. Each member of the brotherhood must obey the 11 commandments.

1. Only men between 18-50 who were skilled warriors were allowed to join the order. No man was accepted without first having to prove his fighting prowess in a fighting duel.
2. Family background was unimportant when applying for membership.
3. It was forbidden to flee in the face of an enemy of equal or inferior strength.
4. Each member was bound to defend his brothers, as well as to avenge their deaths if
5. It was forbidden to show fear in words and actions.
6. All spoils of battle were to be equally distributed among the entire brotherhood.
7. To quarrel was forbidden.
8. Speaking ill of one’s fellows was forbidden
9. No women or children were allowed within the fortress walls, and none were to be taken captive.
10. During winter, no-one was permitted to be absent from Jomsborg for more than three days without the permission of the brotherhood.
11. Blood feuds between members must be mediated by Jomsviking leaders.

Possible Runestones Dedicated To The Jomsvikings

In the small village of Sjörup, just outside the town of Ystad, Sweden, there is a runestone that some historians think is dedicated to the Jomsvikings. The stone is erected in memory of a man called Asbjörn who died about 984 years ago because he " did not flee from Uppsala " Another runestone has a similar text mentioning a battle at Uppsala. The choice of words on the runestones suggests that Asbjörn was a Scandinavian warrior brotherhood member. The runes talk about great warriors who were fearless and never fled from their enemies.

According to some sources, Storbjörn, who was the first leader of the Jomsvikings, was killed at Uppsala. Perhaps the man mentioned on the runestone was the great leader of the Jomsvikings.

The Sjörup stone is a runestone just outside Ystad, Sweden. The runes suggest Jomsvikings' leader was killed at Uppsala. Credit: Ole E. Henriksen - Public Domain

The Jomsvikings intervened in dynastic disputes in Sweden in 984 and Norway in 986. In 1000, they fought with distinction at the Battle of Svoldr, one of the greatest battles of Viking Scandinavia. King of Norway, Olaf I Tryggvason, met his death in the Battle of Svolder (c. 1000). He jumped overboard, his heavy equipment quickly taking him to the depths of the Baltic Sea.

In 1009, Jomsvikings were hired by Sweyn Forkbeard (Sven Tveskägg) was king of Denmark, England, and parts of Norway. He was the son of King Harald Bluetooth of Denmark, and the father of Cnut the Great.

The Jomsvikings attacked the English King, Ethelred, as they had been ordered, but in 1013 they changed sides and fought with the English King against Sweyn Forkbeard instead. In 1015, the Jomsvikings changed sides once again, and this time, they fought for Cnut the Great. In 1016, Cnut the Great became King of England.

What happened to the Jomsvikings after this remains unknown. The information is not revealed in the Icelandic Sagas. Most likely, the Jomsvikings joined forces with Cnut the Great’s bodyguards and became one united military force.

Jomsborg was attacked and destroyed in 1043 by Norway’s King Magnus the Good. According to the Icelandic Sagas, Norway’s King killed many people, burning and destroying the city and surrounding areas. Nothing was left but chaos.

Updated on March 1, 2024

Written by - Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com

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