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A model of Birka,
made by Swedish Television
Joint places of trade
The word birka may, from khazaric Turkish, be translated directly to the medieval latin word vicus of the chronicles. Both words do
roughly mean "site (on the shore) for joint trade" (Turkish bir[li]ki[yiev], composed by birlik - "cooperative trade" from bir - "unity,
joint" and kiyi - "on the shore" and ev - "site"). The ending of the word -ka is a traditional form of grammatical locativus and in early
Swedish representing a location. Bir, in early Swedish, may be interpreted as "[joint] trade". There are, of course, other official
interpretations, obviously biased by nordic romanticism and the poetry of nature, e.g. birch (birk), bear (bjarn), beaver (bjur) and hill
(bjark). However, there was a measuring system, once originated in Persia, in use along the Silkroad called birkivitch and the
interpretations of birlighi (Turk. "trading unity") and birlak (Turk. "trade") still seem actual regarding modern Turkish.
Birka of central Sweden, the very Byrca of the medieval European chronichles, was founded along with other similar trading places in
eastern and northern Europe, during the late 8th century. One such place was the present Staraja Ladoga, at the eastern connexion of the
eastern river systems to the Baltic, in the chronicles called Aldeigjuburg or Ostroburg (Turk. Altevkiyibir or Aldoghubir, that is "the lower
trading place" or "the trading place of the red east"). Another was the present day Hedeby, called Haithabu-Tängrilbyr in the chronicles
(Turk. Tängribir, that is "The trading place of the Lord"), at the southwest corner of the Baltic.
The significance of Birka
Birka comprised a strategically placed port of trade, in a secluded and secure bay midway in the Baltic, but still perfectly reachable for all
kinds of eastern and western ships of trade. According to Rimbert, an eyewitness and chronicler of the time, Birka was the place where
"negotiatores et populi", that is intermediary merchants and several different peoples, from the East to the West, met in trade and
handicraft. At Birka large loads of silk and other important merchandise were negotiated and subsequently handed over to the buyers.
When convenient and accounted for hundreds of thralls would transport the merchandise between the several separate harbours. They
would then take it through the separate domestic areas (Swe. Hemlanden of Swe. ta hem, "bringing home areas") of the houses of trade,
for storing, inspection and pricing and then reload it for new destinations. This trade of commerce had the function of a primitive bourse of
exchange, where all the main commodities probably were continously quoted.
The island of Birka, with the ancient town,
Svarta Jorden (The Black Earth) in the NW
Many imperial emissaries and agents were sent there, like e.g. Ansgar and Rimbert from the Frankic empire. The merchants and the
imperial emissaries ruled the Silkroad and probably any other traderoute of significancy, like those of iron, fur, hides and skins. Hence
they ruled Birka, by means of an imperial prefect (Lat. prefectus regis), Hergarius (Turk. hergar - "jack of many trades"), and their own and
separate legislation and court of law.
The local countrymen and their "king" probably payed tax and tribute to the rulers of the Silkroad in exchange for privileges of trade. The
local "king" had, at that time, a very limited political power even in "his" own domain north of Birka and none at all at Birka. The "apostle
to the North" Ansgar had explicitely been invited by both the "king" and the prefect. Yet he had to obtain permission to exercise his overt
task, the christian mission, from both the court of Birka and the regional court of the locals at their capital Uppsala. When christianity did
not suit the management of Birka the missionaries were cast out or slaughtered. There was no intervention to their favour, neither from
the "king" nor the (christian frankic?) prefect.
The commercial attraction of Birka was however so eminent to both the local "king" and his retinue, that they established a place and a
harbour for their own private mercantile and representative reasons just across the narrow waters from Birka. Their traditional cremational
burial mounds are still there to be seen.
Next page, Evidence in findings!
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