Agriculture has been present in Jemtland since Roman times, with farmers cultivating barley and hemp by the shores of lake
Storsjön, which quickly became a thriving oasis in the midst of Scandinavian thick forest. It was also at this point that the first iron mines were opened in the region, and trade started taking place with the coastline to their west. However, Jemtland would need to wait until the Viking Age for its population to grow, benefiting quite a lot from the exile of Norwegians fleeing Harald Fairhair and his unification conquest of Norway to their west, as his political foes found refuge in Jemtland and added to the population. To some, it was this stock of exiles from Norway, fleeing the centralizing policies of the conquering king, that gave the region its anti-monarchical character, but that is but speculation. In any case, the rise of the Medieval Warm Period allowed Jemtland to flourish and truly become a regional hub, a crossroads in the heart of Scandinavia. Not only agriculture flourished during those days, but cattle-raising too, as the traditional livestock of today was introduced to the region with great success.
It was during this time, in the early 900s, that Jemtland introduced its most long-lasting institution, the
Jamtamót. This is one of the oldest popular assemblies in the world and has historically met annually on March 12, coinciding with the largest market fair in the region, to discuss issues of taxation, to settle disputes, give judgement on criminal cases and set laws, carrying the functions of both legislature and judicial corps, with the executive function being either delegated for a specific task (mostly military affairs in the older days) at the pleasure of the Jamtamót, or, more commonly, being a prerogative of the various villages that compose the commonwealth. What is interesting about the Jamtamót, in comparison with other legislative systems is, besides its longevity and its refusal to appoint a general executive branch, is the scope of its participants, with all inhabitants of Jemtland (traditionally only male inhabitants, but times change) being allowed to be present and speak at the assembly and all being obliged to vote on its resolutions (the vote is usually accomplished remotely, in modern times). One would think that would make the Jamtamót an unbearably long and maddening event, but it is surprisingly civilized, with most inhabitants of Jemtland appreciating both their own sovereignty and the ability to do their own business at the fair. The important of the Jamtamót in the public life of Jemtland is demonstrated in its designation as a "Motdom", a translation of the Jamska term "Mótarike", designating a realm governed by an assembly, a mót.
Christianity arrived to Jemtland in the following century, introduced by a Nowergian preacher named Austmaðr
. Christianity quickly replaced the older Norse faith, based on the worship of the Vanir gods, in the region, especially as the inhabitants of the region were aware of its spread in Norway and elsewhere in Scandinavia. Nevertheless, references to Norse pagan customs and stories are still common throughout the region, as cultural landmarks.
A curious cultural landmark is, of course, the Runic alphabet still used to write the Jamska language. A legacy of the Norse mode of writing, runes seem to have survived in the region out of sheer isolation and cultural isolation from the rest of Scandinavia, with even Christian inscriptions using runes to express themselves. It certainly makes the Jamska language quite distinct from its neighbours, although Jamska is, orally at least, quite similar to Norwegian and Swedish alike, although with some archaisms that remind one of Old Norse, or perhaps Icelandic. Due to Jamska influence, the runic alphabet has also been adopted in the region to write the local Sámi language, which is the second official language of Jemtland.
A history of Jemtland would be incomplete without talking about its Sámi inhabitants, which make up 19% of the population, making Jemtland by far the country with the largest Sámi minority. This is due to both its low population density and its rejection of efforts to assimilate the Sámi population, who were allowed to maintain their own communities and customs, and even today, most Sámi live in villages of their own, with little to non Jamska inhabitants in them. This doesn't mean prejudice or injustice doesn't exist, with the Sámi having been denied a voice in the Jamtamót until quite recently, which led the institution to overwhelmingly decide against them in conflicts between Sámi herders and Jamska landowners. That has changed, however, with vast tracts of land being set aside for the Sámi reindeer herding, and with Sámi being accepted into the Jamtamót and to the educational system of the land, giving them greater opportunities. Sámi settlement is particularly strong in the Norðfjålingan, in the land known as Frostviken.
Historically, Jemtland had a complex relationship with its two neighbours. The Norwegian Kings were the first ones to look upon Jemtland as a natural part of their domain, and it was necessary to wage battles against them at times, with the Battle of Storsjön being particularly remembered in Jemtish folklore as a struggle against the tyranny of the Norwegian King Sverre Sigurdsson, who nonetheless saw his army massacred by the strength of the Jemtish free peasants, asserting their independence and kinglessness that way. Later, it was the rise of the Swedish Empire that caused most consternation to the Jemtish, but ultimately they were able to keep their independence from either state. The truth is that, despite their brave history of armed resistance, the Jamtamót would often simply pay tribute as a price of keeping foreign kings off their backs, firstly to the Norwegian kings and then to the Danish and Swedish ones. Certainly the Kalmar Union-era kings of Denmark considered Jemtland as a part of their realm and the kings of the Sweden during the modern era also saw it that way until the 19th century at least.
The Protestant Reformation came surprisingly late to the region, despite the lifestyle and religious practice of the region already matching quite a lot with the modesty of Lutheranism rather than the displays of wealth of the Catholic rite. Without a king to enforce it, however, Protestantism had to gain its way up the ladder and only in the late 17th century did it become the official religion of the land, promulgated by the Jamtamót. Catholicism would maintain its popularity in various villages, however, and Protestantism would only truly take hold through the preaching of Lars Levi Laestadius and his spiritual guide, the Jemtish Sámi preacher Milla Clementsdotter, who introduced a pietistic revival movement of Lutheranism into the country that really took hold of hearts with its emphasis on personal piety and living a vigorous Christian life. Jemtland remains the beating heart of the world's Laestadianist movement.
Sámi indigenous religions remain quite popular among their own villages, however, and despite many Sámi being baptized into Christianity, it is well known and generally tolerated that they still dabble in their old customs, a practice that is usually seen as being more cultural or spiritual than truly religious. A conservative Lutheran might have something different to say about that, but that's an attitude that's been quieting down in the last few decades.
Agriculture and forestry remain important parts of the Jemtish economy, with the agriculture being still mostly unindustrialized. Lumber is an important export product, sent mostly to Sweden. There are also important mines of iron, copper, lead, gold, silver, zinc and mica, and also of uranium, all of which are at different stages of exploration. Tourism has come to be a vital part of the Jemtish economy, with the country receiving tourists, mostly from elsewhere in Scandinavia, hoping to breathe fresh air and enjoy nature in its purest form. Winter sports are also quite popular and the country possesses a fair number of popular ski resorts. The country is also remarkable, even among Scandinavians, for being very egalitarian in economic terms, and also in economic terms. Many of its inhabitants are small business owners and cooperatives are also quite abundant in the Jemtish economy. Public services are excellent and paid for by a generous tax allotment, accorded by the citizens in the form of the Jamtamót, allowing the country to possess one of most developed educational systems, healthcare systems and infrastructure in Europe.
______________________________
Nothing says "Ancien regime" like a peasant direct democracy, hum?
Just to be clear, the idea is a Jämtland that maintains its independence and its mót system with a universally-attended assembly that has all State powers after a different outcome at the
Battle of Storsjön. I decided to make it a happy and prosperous place, because I found the region itself quite lovely overall. Then it was all about piling up interesting elements. Oh they have their own dialect? Oh and are those runes in that important landmark? Well, let's give them a Runic script, it fits well with the theme. Oh, they have a Sámi community? Let's give those fellas a bit more room to breathe, the Sámi are quite interesting. Oh, there's a religious movement that has some of its roots there? Let's give it some strength. And so on and so forth.
I quite like how the map ended up looking. It was a fun experience with representing a bit of topography elements, and I think it worked out quite well in the end.
I also probably butchered the Scandinavian languages I was using to write down the few Jamska words I needed (to say nothing of the Sámi language), so if I have anything wrong just ignore it and if you ask me about it I'll just say "linguistic divergences" and run away.
