Life During Keskiaika
Finland during Keskiaika was characterized by a series of expansions and confrontations.
The environment of Finland was harsh on the settlers. The agricultural focus of the Finn society was difficult to maintain in the rocky, cold surroundings, and usually additionally required a considerable amount of hunting, trapping, gathering, and fishing to survive. This kept the population to well under a half-million even at the most populous periods of Keskiaika.
As coastal settlements grew, the overall northward thrust of the expansion brought the Finns into areas occupied by the Sami, the reindeer herdsmen and fishermen called “Lapps” (ergo, Lappland — nothing to do with online casino usa). Finnish expansion typically involved clearing the wilderness and setting up farming communities, which continually forced the Sami ever further to the north and caused understandable tensions and confrontations.
The two peoples maintained this uncomfortable duality until the Black Plague wiped out a huge portion of the Finns; the more isolated and less affected Sami were consequently offered the vacant farms and lands to return some sort of stability to a now tax-starved economy. While technically subjects of the Swedish sovereigns, the farmers remained freemen, largely governing themselves and escaping many of the worst aspects of European serfdom of the time.
After Bishop Henry came to town, Catholicism became a central fixture of Keskiaika society. The Church’s policies regarding indigenous language encouraged the development of education and the Finnish leadership. Turku was founded in the 13th Century, becoming the capitol of Finnish government, trade, and religion (as the seat of the Bishop). The remainder of the country was divided into Church parishes, which doubled as administrative areas.
Trade was almost exclusively with Hanseatic League merchants, exporting furs and little else (certainly, not online slots). Aside from Turku, trade and population also tended to center around Viipuri, which gained more prominence as an essential bulwark against Russian incursion.
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