(Mickevicˇius 1997 : 196 – 8 ). Denmark was more oriented to Prussia and south Curonia,
mainly in coastal areas. The interests of Sweden were directed towards the extensive
eastern routes, while the eastern Baltic was just a place en route. The concentration
of power increased the attempts of Scandinavian rulers to control the strategically
important waterways. The sagas repeatedly tell of the activities of kings against
both the Curonians and the Estonians (Nerman 1929 : 55 – 6 ; Mugure ̄vicˇs 1997 : 88 – 9 ;
Mickevicˇius 1997 : 196 – 8 ; Apals and Mugure ̄vicˇs 2001 : 371 – 2 ). Rimbert in his Vita
Ansgarii mentions already in 857 the besieging of the Curionian centres of Seeburg
(probably Grobin ̧a) and Apuole (in present-day Lithuania). Raids not only against the
Curonians but also deep inland are evinced by Scandinavian arrowheads from Lithuania
(Zabiela 1997 ). The hill fort of Iru near Tallinn, in the place where the Vikings crossed
the Gulf of Finland, was burnt down four times during the Viking Age and the finds
include arrowheads of Nordic origin (Lang 1995 ). Viking arrowheads were found also in
other centres of north Estonia and Saaremaa. Probably, it was not only internal con-
centration of power but also an external danger which made the people of Saaremaa
construct in the eighth and ninth centuries round-wall forts, similar to those on Gotland
and Öland. The fact that the Viking Age and post-Viking Age settlements in north
Estonia are not located on the coast but some kilometres inland is, evidently, also
conditioned by danger from the sea. Arrowheads from east Estonian centres (e.g. Tartu)
indicate the participation of Scandinavians in the Russian princes’ attacks on eastern
Estonia.
The military raids caused, however, no permanent Scandinavian supremacy.
Figure 36. 4 Local imitations of Scandinavian oval brooches from the Gauja Livonians’
Krimulda cemetery (AI 1222 : XXV. 1 ).–– Heiki Valk––