Viken (Old Norse:Vík orVíkin), orVika, was the historical name during theViking Age and theHigh Middle Ages for an area ofScandinavia that originally surrounded theOslofjord and included the coast ofBohuslän. Its definition changed over time, and from the Middle Ages, Viken included only Bohuslän.[1]
During the Viking Age, Viken was defined as the strait running betweenNorway and the northwest coast ofSweden and theJutland peninsula ofDenmark. It is located in what is now southeasternNorway and the northwestern Swedish province ofBohuslän. During the Viking Age, Viken was the northernmostDanish province. Control over Viken shifted between Danish and Norwegian kings in theMiddle Ages, and Denmark continued to claim Viken until 1241.
Viken was also controversially chosen as a neologistic name for the administrative region consisting of a merger of the counties ofAkershus,Buskerud, andØstfold.[2]
The cultural hub is centred inOslo, but the capital of the region was formerly atBorre. This area included the important cities ofTønsberg,Oslo,Sarpsborg andKonghelle. There is disagreement among modern historians as to where the boundaries of the geographical area called Viken were during the Viking era. It is commonly believed to have comprised the historical provinces ofVestfold,Ranrike,Vingulmark,Grenland andBåhuslen.[3][failed verification]
Historically the Danish kings had established dominion over the area. Norwegian royal power began to assert itself in Viken with KingOlav Haraldsson, mostly due to a sharp weakening of the Danish royal power. Olaf first declared himself king of Norway in 1015 and established control of the nation in battle, principally theBattle of Nesjar in 1016. King Olav subsequently founded the city ofSarpsborg in Viken during 1016.[4][failed verification]
During theCivil war era in Norway, theBagler faction frequently established themselves in the Viken area. The wealthier classes, particularly in Viken, were the basis of the Bagler party. The Norwegian kings achieved full authority with developments which reached its peak when the national capital was established atOslo during the reign of KingHaakon V of Norway in 1314.[5][failed verification]
Viken is derived from theOld Norse wordvík, meaning an inlet or creek (UK).[6] The English cognate is the-wich in many placenames (cf.Sandwich). The modern Norwegian formVika is derived from the definite form,Víkin (O.N. -in >M.Norw. -ĩ >Norw. -a), whilst the formViken is derived partially from its Danish cognate,Vigen (Norwegianized toViken inRiksmål), and partially from the local dative case name,Viken (pronounced intone 2).
Various theories have been offered that the word "viking" may be derived from this place name, meaning "a person from Viken". According to this theory, originally the word "viking" simply described persons from this area, and that it is only in the last few centuries that it has taken on the broader sense of early medieval Scandinavians in general.[7]