Ingvar the Far-Travelled

The Yngvars saga víðförla describes the last Viking campaign in the Caspian in 1041, embellishing the historical facts with a great deal of legend.

Ingvar the Far-Travelled launched this expedition from Sweden, travelling down the Volga River into the land of the Saracens (Serkland).

[2] Swedish archeologist and historian Mats G. Larsson notes that The Georgian Chronicles mentions a visit from a Viking expedition in the year 1040, which correlates with the description of such a meeting in Yngvars saga víðförla.

According to one theory, prominently held by Otto von Friesen and Elena Mel'nikova, Ingvar's saga has transmitted his origin correctly, and so he was the son of the Varangian Eymundr, who in turn was the son of a Swedish chieftain named Áki and the daughter of the Swedish king Eric the Victorious.

[5] Ingvar's origin was, however, debated as early as the saga writers, or to put it in the words of Oddr Snorrason: It is possible that it was King Anund Jakob or his brother and successor Emund the Old who mustered the Swedish leidang.

The participants were evenly distributed along the husbys, and 24 of the 26 Ingvar runestones were from Sweden (in the contemporary sense, i.e. Svealand) and the remaining two from the Geatish district of Östergötland.

The folkland of Attundaland did not take part and this was probably done on purpose in order to keep a defensive army in Sweden while the main force was away.

The expedition stayed for a few years in Kiev fighting against the Pechenegs, then in 1042 continued to the Black Sea and the Christian country Särkland ("Land of the Saracens", which here meant Georgia), where they took part in the Battle of Sasireti along with the Georgian Royal Army against Georgian rebels and Byzantine auxiliaries.

Larsson suggests that the expedition was partly decimated by combat and that the saga's description of them being ravished by disease is a realistic scenario.

Svein troops engaged in many wars in Kievan Rus against heathen nations and helped the Grand Prince of Kiev several times.

He refused however his large host of soldiers decided to settle down in Kievan Rus' since the climate was more fruitful and the Swedish lands were barren and cold.