NOTES and NEWS Georg Haggren, Teemu Mokkonen, Marianna
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NOTES AND NEWS Fennoscandia archaeologica XV (1998) Georg Haggren, Teemu Mokkonen, Marianna Niukkanen, Karim Peltonen and Raija YlOnen HELGA AND NASE, TWO CROWN ESTATES IN PERNIO Abstract In 1992 students of archaeology and art history at the University of Helsinki established a multidisciplinary study circle for gaining deeper information about historical archaeology, which has been neglected in Finland until the late 1980s. In 1993 the study circle established the Medieval Manors Research Project, M.M.R.P. (Fi. Suomen keskiaikainen kartanolaitos, SUKKA-projekti) with special interest in medieval and early modem manors in Fin land. After preliminary investigations, two manor sites, Helga and Nase in Pernio (Sw. Bjarna) in southwest Fin land were chosen as examples of medieval manors and as subjects for further investigation. In the years 1993-1995 fieldwork was carried out at these sites, and in 1997 the results were published and exhibitions were held in Pernio, Turku and Helsinki. Both sites are characterized by well-preserved remains of wooden buildings and a rich and varied material; both manors were centres of crown estates, or demesnes (Fi. kuninkaankartano, Sw. kungsgard). Helga was in use during the 14th and 15th centuries, Nase between 1556-1642. The results are a contribution to available knowl edge on the manorial system in Finland, and especially of royal manors and their material culture. Generally speaking, the results open perspectives on the opportunities of historical archaeology in Finland. Keywords: Finland, PerniO, royal manors, crown estates, rural sites, Middle Ages, Renaissance, material culture. Marianna Niukkanen, Punavuorenkatu 22 C 39, FIN-OOI50 Helsinki, Finland. Georg Haggren, Nurmilinnuntie 3 A 8, FIN-02620 Espoo, Finland. Karim Peltonen, National Board of Antiquities, Department of Monuments And Sites, P.O. Box 187, FIN-OOI71 Helsinki, Finland. Teemu Mokkonen, Korkeavuorenkatu 7 C, FIN-00140 Helsinki, Finland. Raija YlOnen, Porthaninkatu 3 B 25, FIN-00530 Helsinki, Finland. ROYAL DEMESNES IN SW FINLAND Varsinais-Suomi, Sw. Egentliga Finland) in the south (Haggren & Peltonen) western part of the country (Fig. 1). These estates also served to organize colonization in border areas to bol The Sweden to which southwest Finland belonged in ster the authority of the Swedish crown in southern 2 the twelfth and thirteenth centuries was far from a uni Finland , and were centres for tax collection and admin form state. It was not until the fourteenth century that istration. the central government in Stockholm managed to es Helga (Fi. Pyhajoki) in the parish of Pernio (Sw. tablish effective authority over the entire realm.' As part Bjarna), the focus of this study, was one ofthese royal of this process, three to five royal estates or demesnes manors. The others were Ruona (Sw. Runagard) in were established in the province of Finland Proper (Fi. Sauvo (Sw. Sagu), Kuusisto (Sw. Kusto) in Piikkio (Sw. 43 Helga • o 15 30 - KiI'OiTiele'rs Fig. 1. Crown estates established in south-west Finland by the early 14th century with places mentioned in the text. Pikis), lnkere in Pertteli (Sw. St. BertiIs) and Parainen ized colonization in southwest Finland. However, the (Sw. Pargas).3 The estate of Kuusisto belonged to the sources concerning the early fourteenth century in Fin same phase of colonization as the others but it belonged land are very scarce and the question of the exact dat already in 1295 to the Bishop of Turku.4 The bishops ing of the other royal manors is far too involved to be had an active role in governing Finland in the 13th cen solved with these sources. tury and it is possible that Kuusisto was originally founded by them. With the possible exception of Kuu sisto, there is no evidence that these early manors would Establishing the first crown estate in Pernio have been fortified. However, the location of these manors along the coast, near inland waterways and The crown manor of Helgii, like the other royal man major roads suggests an attempt by the crown to ors, had its own fixed demesne whose peasants were strengthen its econornic control over the southern part tenant farmers of the crown. The background of these of the core area of its new province. demesnes lies in the origins of the manors themselves, The earliest surviving reference to Helgii is a letter involving activities and measures organized by the issued by King Magnus Eriksson on August 21,1347 crown. The manors represent colonization in the mar in Hitis (Fi. Hiittinen). The letter suggests that the de gins of areas already settled in the Iron Age. It was as mesne had already been founded by the beginning of signed the outlying lands of old villages, or areas that the fourteenth century. The king refers to a nobleman were otherwise unoccupied. In practice, this was most named Harald Elg as the organizer of the tenants' tax probably done so that the crown first took possession es and duties at the crown estate of Helgii. Other sources of the lands, which were then distributed to the colo indicate that Harald Elg acted in Finland between 1306 nists. This gave to the crown a convenient way to es and 1308 as a royal advocate or governor.5 tablish its manorial network. Every manor was organ The four other manors were also probably estab ized to form a larger independent and self-supporting lished during late thirteenth century as the crown organ- demesne with one centre or caput supported by the 44 adjacent demesne.6 Unlike the inhabitants in the inland estate already in 1353 as punishment for severe of Finland Proper, the colonists in the demesnes of crimes. 10 In 1364-1365 Sweden was in the state of civ Helga, Ruona, Kuusisto, and Parainen - as well as in il war, which ended by midsummer 1365 when the cas several other coastal areas in Finland - were S wedish tle of Turku fell after a long siege into the hands of the speakers.7The original size of the demesne of Helga is new king, Albrecht of Mecklenburg. After the fall of not known, but it probably consisted originally of less Turku Castle, the estate of Helga was secured as a hold than ten villages. By the 1540s at the latest, there were ing to a nobleman named Hartvig Aegh. II 17 villages with 42 holdings.8 (Fig. 2). Aegh became one of the most influential men in The system of crown estates, however, began to Finland Proper by the late fourteenth century. His seal break down almost as soon as it was established. Kuu appears on a letter from 1389 in which the representa sisto had passed already in the late thirteenth century ti ves of the province of Finland Proper stated to the king into the hands of the bishop of Turku, who took it as their choice in the election of Finland's lagman (a his residence, later becoming the actual centre of the senior judge and provincial representative of the King bishopric. Helga remained under crown ownership until in legal matters). Aegh had other estates in his posses around 1350 when the king, as a means of solving his sion besides Helga, but it seems that he used Helga as financial problems, sold it and other estates or manors.9 his main residence.'2 It is unknown to whom Helga The crown estates had lost their significance to the passed from Aegh, but by the 1440s it was in the pos crown's new central castles in Turku (Sw. Abo), session of the heirs of a nobleman named Godik Hameenlinna (Sw. Tavastehus) and Viipuri (Sw. Vi Fincke. 13 borg) which were complemented a few decades later by In the early 1440s the Bridgettine Order made plans Raasepori (Sw. Raseborg) and Kastelholm (Fig. 1). to establish a new monastery in Finland. At first, the After the king relinquished Helga, it passed through monastery was planned on the site of the former crown the hands of at least five noblemen. First of them was estate of Stenberga in Masku but the place was found Benedikt Akesson, probably a royal bailiff, who lost the unsuitable for reasons of health. After several negotia- Fig. 2. The southern part of Pernio showing the estate boundary and the villages belonging to it. Non-arable woodland is hatched. ... , IQ I. 45 tions between the crown and the Order, 1441 the Coun A new policy cil of the Realm donated Helga to the Order on July 7, 1441 to serve as the seat of the new convent. However, The manor of Nase formed part of King Gustav Vasa's the convent period at Helga was short-lived. Although goal of creating an efficient network of livestock-rais the site had been given a town charter, construction of ing estates for the maintenance of troops and other the convent buildings never began. The convent of needs of the crown. The productive and well managed Vallis Gratiae and its charter were removed to present royal estates were to be model farms and examples for day Naantali (Sw. Nadendal). The estate of Helga lost spreading reforms and improvements in agriculture. its former independent status and became a part of the The royal manors were also meant to be the adminis landed property of the new convent as a subsidiary es trative centres of their respective bailiwicks. 15 tate.14 (Fig. 1). In Finland, this system was developed by Duke Jo Following the Reformation and King Gustav Vasa's han of Finland, second-eldest son of King Gustavus confiscation of church property, Helga, along with other Vasa. Nase became the most important royal estate in property of the church, returned into the hands of the the southern part of Finland Proper.