The open coast, the fjords and the great plateau of the far north are Sami country, where the siida hunt wild reindeer, fish the fjords and hunt seal and whale.
The Norwegian king's tribute-takers come by sea along the coast; the Karelians, with Novgorod behind them, come overland from the east and take tribute too. No one rules the land.
Who holds it
- Name
- The Sami of Finnmark (no named leaders)
- Title
- The Sami siida of the coast and the plateau; no names survive
- Since
- Time out of mind
- Confidence
- low
Finnmark (Finnmǫrk, 'the Sami march') is the Norse name for the lands north and east of Hålogaland, beyond Lyngen and Malangen. The Norwegian king's men sail north to take tribute and trade along the coast; from the east, Karelians in Novgorod's service also take tribute from the Sami of the inland and the Varanger side. Around the turn of the 13th century Norwegian expansion northward is beginning to compete with Novgorod for the Sami tribute (English Wikipedia, History of Finnmark), but Norse settlement on this coast is at most a scatter of fishing stations, there is no church, and the fortress of Vardøhus (1306) and the treaty frontier (1326) are far off.
Who took tribute in 1200 is not recorded by name.
Overlord
None in the land; tribute claimed by the Norwegian king and taken also by Karelians from the east
What it holds
- The coast and fjords from Lyngen and Kvænangen to Varanger, and the plateau of Kautokeino and Karasjok
How it was acquired
Not applicable.
Allies and rivals
Norse tribute-takers from the west; Karelian tribute-takers from the east.
How things stand that morning
Shared tribute land; no lordship on the ground.
Wealth
Furs, reindeer skins, down, walrus ivory and hide rope, fish.
Threats
- Competing tribute demands from Norse and Karelians
Laws and assemblies
The siida's own customs.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Very thin for 1200: the Karelian tribute is attested in later treaties (1251, 1326) projecting older practice; the Norwegian tribute from the sagas and Historia Norwegie.
On the map: The southern edge follows the modern Finnish border, which did not exist; the same Sami siida crossed it. The western edge, between Norse Troms and Sami Finnmark, is coarse.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.