Ancient kings of Finland

[2] The geographer al-Idrisi born in the realm of the Almoravid dynasty mentions in his 1154 book Tabula Rogeriana lands called Fymark and Tabast, which could possibly refer to Finland Proper and Tavastia.

According to Jalmari Jaakkola, this would mean wilderness lands in the north owned by people coming from Upper Satakunta (Pirkanmaa).

[4] The Egil's Saga from approximately the 13th century mentions the people of Kvenland led by their king Faravid waging war against the Karelians.

[7][8] Fornjótr's son Nórr is described as the founder of Norway and king Harald Fairhair as his distant descendant.

[7] The historian Saxo Grammaticus repeatedly describes Finland and the Finns in his book Gesta Danorum about Danish history.

A list of these peasants remains, which mentions a person called Cuningas de Rapalum, meaning "King of Rapola".

According to Georg Haggrén, the "King of Rapola" was, like the other excommunicated peasants from Sääksmäki, a member of a council, one of the most prestigious trusted men in the village.

[citation needed] Also other middle European rebel leaders in late medieval times declared themselves as kings without requiring a monarchical kingship as such.

[14] It is probable that during the Iron Age, the people living in what is now Finland called their elected chiefs, men with inherited power, or other prestigious persons with the term "kuningas".

[17] Most probably the area around Finland resembled Iron-Age Gotland, Iceland or Jämtland in Northern Sweden, where power was held by local leaders competing with each other.

[23] A tool found from a grave in Käräjänmäki in Eura from the late 6th century has been interpreted as referring to the high rank of the buried person.

[29] Modern research mostly sees ancient hillforts as evidence of unorganised communities whose warfare was based on short raids and defence from such.