The Götaland theory, or Västgötaskolan is a school of thought that Götaland, or specifically Western Götaland, held the orgins for ancient Sweden.
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2 History 3 Advocates |
Terminology
A term commonly referring to a set of opinions among some amateur historians that oppose the general professional scholar view that holds the ancient pagan (heathen) location for Asa-faith worshipers (named Ubsola in ancient sources) and the original homeland of the Sveas to be located in Gamla Uppsala outside the modern city of Uppsala in the Province of Uplandia, Sweden.
Generally, all views opposing the official Svealand theory might at times be summoned under this term, though not nescessarily suggesting that the province Västergötland was the origin of Sveas and the location of Ubsola.
Some adherers to the Götaland theory are conspiracy theorists accusing the academic scholars of lying and falsifing for example documents and runic stones to disprove the Götaland theories.
History
Basically, the 19th and 20th century opposers that rendered the term 'Västgötaskolan' stated that the original place and the location of Ubsola should instead be in the Swedish province of Västergötland, preferably in the old parts that used to be called Uplanden (the higher or upper land). In this area we find the impressive ridge/mountain Kinnekulle, and accidentally the village and church of Husaby, at which location the first Svea (or Swedish) christian king Olof Skötkonung was baptized.
Additionally, they also held the view that Västergötland and the region of lake Vänern was in fact the land of Sithun, translated to modern day language as Sigtuna where Odin and his Asa companions supposedly settled when they came to Scandinavia.
Advocates
Amongst its advocates may be mentioned Pehr Tham, from 1811 a member of Götiska förbundet who during the 19th century unsuccessfully tried to promote the view that the village Sätuna in Västergötland should have represented the ancient Sigtuna, and that the town of Birka related in ancient sources also were located in Västergötland, most likely by the lake Hornborgasjön. He is often denoted as "the last of the Rudbeckians".
Another entusiast was the very thorough Carl-Otto Fast - the one that forced the proof of the well in Gamla Uppsala to be disclosed. Despite eager disapproval of the scholar of the time, Fast enforced an endo-chronological examination of the oak tree wood inside of the supposed holy well of Urd found at the kings mounds in Gamla Uppsala. The king of Sweden accommodated the request in 1946 AD, and the wood was proven to be cut down around 1654 AD - not nearly old enough to have been placed in an original holy well.
See also: Lands of Sweden, History of Sweden