The Viking Age is tentatively dated to 8 June 793, when, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, warriors from the North attacked the peaceful Lindisfarne monastery in Northern England. This event marked the beginning of a new era, during which warriors, primarily from Norway, Sweden and Denmark, spread terror from Western Europe to Baghdad in the East.
However, Vikings were more than just raiders: they were cunning merchants, experienced seafarers, skilled craftsmen and master shipbuilders. The name ‘Viking’ comes from the old Norse word víkingr, meaning ‘one who goes on an expedition’.
Viking-era Saaremaa
Researchers have divided Estonia into two distinct cultural regions: coastal Estonia and inland Estonia Between these areas lies a vast belt of forests and marshes, where no evidence of permanent agricultural settlements has been found. In the Viking Age, Saaremaa was known as ‘Eysysla’ in the Scandinavian sagas, a name that referred to both Saaremaa and Hiiumaa, although fewer prehistoric finds have been discovered on Hiiumaa. Saaremaa was situated at the starting point of the route from the Varangians to the Greeks, and control over this trade route helped establish a strong economy, as demonstrated by a number of ancient finds. The foremost export of Saaremaa was iron, produced from local bog iron, traces of which can still be found in Tuiu today.
The heyday of Saaremaa is considered to be the 12th century when the Scandinavian Viking expeditions had ended and the islanders began to play a more significant role in Baltic warfare. One of the most famous events was the destruction of the Swedish city of Sigtuna, in which the islanders are believed to have played a major role. The recapture of Tartu from the forces of the Prince of Kievan Rus’ and the subsequent Battle of Pskov are also believed to have been led by the islanders.
The island of Vikings
The Viking Age is generally considered to have begun with the raid on the Lindisfarne Monastery in England in 793. The wrecks of two ancient ships were discovered in the small town of Salme on Saaremaa during construction work in 2008 and 2010. It quickly became apparent that they were Viking ships. Their discovery has rewritten the entire history of the Vikings in Europe through subsequent research. Finds from 730–750 place the cradle of Viking history on Saaremaa, half a century earlier than the oldest Viking Age datings previously known. The larger Salme ship is the oldest known sailing vessel in the Baltic Sea region. The introduction of the sail was one of the key prerequisites for longer overseas raids.
Battle of Salme
In the pre-Viking period, the landscape around Salme was quite different, as the land has since risen and the sea has receded. At that time, the Sõrve Peninsula was an island, separated from Saaremaa by a strait that existed where the Salme River is now. The low grassy area behind the Salme schoolhouse was once a quiet cove. Sailing through the Salme Strait, which connects the Baltic Sea to the Gulf of Riga, saved a lot of time, but it could also be quite dangerous, as the narrowest part of the strait was ideal for attacking ships from the sides.
Although the exact location of the Salme battlefield and the size of the enemy forces are unknown, some inferences about the course of the battle can be made based on grave goods. We know that the Swedish Viking fleet that reached Salme included several types of ships of varying lengths. Two of the ships were left behind at the burial site and there must have been at least one additional ship that the survivors used to depart.
Sudden and swift attack
Based on the grave goods found in the Salme ships, the warriors’ most important weapons were swords and bows. There were very few spears and no battle axes in the Salme ships. In terms of defence weapons, shields were extremely important. Although Vikings are often depicted wearing helmets and a few ornate metal helmets have been found in Swedish ship burials, none were discovered on the Salme ships.
The Battle of Salme began with an attack by archers. A hail of arrows rained down on both ships and men, claiming the first lives. This was followed by a bloody melee, with swords stabbing and slashing. Judging by the injuries inflicted. broken bones, severed limbs and split skulls, the attackers were exceptionally strong and skilled swordsmen. While the Vikings were known for their sudden and swift attacks, this time, they were caught by surprise. Some were stabbed from behind while unprotected and others were attacked by several opponents at once. Analysis of the bones suggests that the sword-fighting likely began with attempts to incapacitate opponents by striking their hands or shoulders. Once a warrior was wounded and fell, they were finished off with a sword blow to the head.
Who won the battle?
The exact number of casualties in the latter half of the battle and the ultimate winner of the battle remain unknown. However, the survivors evidently had the opportunity and time to provide their fallen comrades with a customary funeral. Most of the weapons found in the Salme ships had been heated in a fire or otherwise rendered unusable before being placed with the dead to prevent their use by the enemy. Sword blades were scored, bent or broken and shield bosses were dented.
Dead warriors and grave goods were placed in ships that were dragged ashore, where they were then filled with beach sand and gravel. It is possible that, in the second ship of Salme, only the dead were initially covered with soil, while the rest of the ship remained uncovered. This allowed natural forces to further damage the ship until storm waves eventually buried it beneath the sea sand.
Today, it is possible to see the sites of Salme ships, where a concrete sculpture and an information stand have been installed. As of 2011, three wooden statues of ancient warriors stand on the banks of the Salme River, gazing across the river towards the site of the ancient ship where the remains of the other 41 warriors are buried.
Exhibition Vikings Before the Vikings
The Salme burial ships are the only ones of their kind in Estonia and are considered among the most important discoveries in Viking research in recent decades. The large number of people buried in them (41 fallen warriors in total) and the richness of the burial inventory make this find unique on a global scale. The uniqueness of these ships is not only significant in the Estonian context but has also attracted considerable attention across Europe and the wider world. It can be said that this find has actually rewritten Viking history and brought to light new information about Viking raids.
After a decade of research, the Salme ship finds were returned to Saaremaa in 2021 and entrusted to the Saaremaa Museum. They were used to create the exceptional exhibition Vikings before the Vikings, which was displayed at Kuressaare Castle until the autumn of 2022 and, in 2023, the Viking finds were also showcased at the Seaplane Harbour in Tallinn. The exciting exhibition will sail across the Baltic Sea to Sweden in 2025. It is worth noting that this landmark exhibition was awarded the title of the best temporary exhibition in Estonia in 2021.
The discovery-filled Viking Age
Viking culture, associated with Scandinavia for decades, was in fact far more widespread, significantly influencing the daily lives of the peoples along the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea. Geopolitically, Saaremaa served as a crucial stopover for migrations from Scandinavia and rightly deserves recognition on the map of Viking expeditions. In light of discoveries made over the past decade, it must be considered that the Estonian coastal people, particularly those from Saaremaa, played a much more significant role in this region than the Nordic sagas and other ancient sources suggest. Recent archaeological findings reveal that the fearless seafarers of Saaremaa rose to prominence alongside the evolving warrior culture that ushered in the Viking Age full of exploration and discovery.
