The oldest and most Christian of the Finnish lands: the river valleys of the Aura, the Paimio, the Halikko and the Mynä, the coast from Perniö to Laitila and the inner archipelago (Åboland).
The Finns proper (Old Russian Sum) farm in villages along the clay valleys; their burials have been Christian in form since the 12th century, and the presumed seat of the mission bishop is at Nousiainen, a few kilometres up the Mynä valley from the Aura mouth. The Aura river landing, where Turku will grow, takes its name from the Old Russian word for a market. Swedish, Danish and Gotlandic ships pass along the coast on the sea road to Novgorod, and expeditions have come in summer (the Danes in 1191); none has left an officer or a fort.
Vanhalinna above the Aura at Lieto is the district's hillfort. The outer archipelago and the islands may be only seasonally used; Swedish settlement in the archipelago is a 13th-century development whose start is not pinned.
Who holds it
- Name
- none named
- Title
- the farmers of the districts (no leader named)
- Confidence
- high
No chieftain or assembly is named in any source for 1200.
Overlord
None. The mission bishop (if one is in office) has no lordship; Swedish and Danish claims are later.
What it holds
- the Aura, Paimio, Halikko and Mynä valleys
- the coast from Perniö to Laitila
- the inner archipelago (Åboland)
How things stand that morning
Self-governing Finnish farming districts, largely Christian, with a mission church at Nousiainen (bishop not pinned). No Swedish or Danish lordship on the ground.
Wealth
Grain and cattle in the clay valleys, fish and seal on the coast, furs from the hinterland, the Aura market and the coastal sea road.
Military
District levies, boats; the hillfort of Vanhalinna (Lieto). No castle.
Threats
- Danish expeditions (1191; one reported for 1202)
- Swedish expeditions
- Estonian and Curonian sea raiders (none recorded that winter)
Law and courts
Customary law of the districts; the later Finnish words for district (kihlakunta) and court (käräjät) suggest assemblies of the farmers, undated. No written law.
What the year holds
What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.
- 1200 (no dated event)Nothing recorded.
Places of note
- Nousiainen: the likely seat of the mission bishop; church of the Virgin Mary (Nousiainen)
- the Aura landing: river landing and market; no town in 1200 (Aura landing)
- Vanhalinna: hillfort above the Aura (Vanhalinna)
- Halikko and the Salo valley: the eastern valley of Finland Proper
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Archaeology, papal letters of the 13th century naming Nousiainen (1232, 1234), and general accounts; no record of 1199-1200.
On the map: Drawn on the later medieval province of Finland Proper with the inner archipelago. The farming core lay in the valleys; the outer skerries were probably used only in summer.
Primary sources for Finland
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- The Swedish diplomatarium and its main register, SDHK (documents of 817 to 1540). The register of every known Swedish medieval letter, with full texts for the early centuries. Read online
Sources and studies
- en.wikipedia: First Swedish Crusade
- en.wikipedia: Northern Crusades (Danish expeditions to Finland, citing Dumell)
- en.wikipedia: Nousiainen
- en.wikipedia: Thomas (bishop of Finland)
- en.wikipedia: Lieto (Vanhalinna)
- en.wikipedia: Koroinen
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.