Möre

Möre is one of the original small lands of Småland, a historical province (landskap) in southern Sweden. It corresponds to the south-eastern part of modern Kalmar County. Möre was divided into two hundreds: Möre Northern Hundred and Möre Southern Hundred.

The small lands of Småland. The black and red spots indicate runestones. The red spots indicate runestones telling of long voyages.

Möre is mentioned c. 900, by Wulfstan of Hedeby as Meore:

Then, after the land of the Burgundians, we had on our left the lands that have been called from the earliest times Blekingey, and Meore, and Eowland, and Gotland, all which territory is subject to the Sweons; and Weonodland [the land of the Wends] was all the way on our right, as far as Weissel-mouth.[1]

The mention is viewed as evidence that Möre was a well-known region. Traditionally, it has also been interpreted as evidence of 9th-century rule from the Mälaren Valley, but some modern historians instead opine that Sweons was a general term for peoples north of Denmark and did not imply centralised Swedish rule.[2]

From the late 13th century and onwards, Möre was responsible for supporting Kalmar Castle. Legally, it was part of the jurisdiction of Östergötland, until 1559, when it was transferred to the newly formed jurisdiction of Småland.

Nils Dacke, main leader of the peasant side in the Dacke War against king Gustav Vasa, was born in Vissefjärda parish in Möre Southern Hundred around 1510. Dacke's initial rebellion sprung up in Möre and spread fast due to heavy taxation, forced Lutheran reformation of the church, royal seizures of church property and restrictions on trade with the then Danish Skåneland; it was eventually defeated by the king's army. Today, Nils Dacke is celebrated locally as a freedom fighter and a symbol of regionalism.

In 1645, Möre Southern Hundred was given as a fief to Axel Oxenstierna.

References

Hakluyt, Richard (1893). Morley, Henry (ed.). The Discovery of Muscovy. From the Collections of Richard Hakluyt. With the Voyages of Ohthere and Wulfstan from King Alfred’s Orosius. Cassell & Company, Ltd.
Harrison, Dick (2017). Kalmars historia [History of Kalmar] (PDF) (in Swedish). Lund: Historiska Media. pp. 17–19. ISBN 978-91-7545-406-1. Retrieved 1 September 2018.

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[1] Hakluyt, Richard (1893). Morley, Henry (ed.). The Discovery of Muscovy. From the Collections of Richard Hakluyt. With the Voyages of Ohthere and Wulfstan from King Alfred’s Orosius. Cassell & Company, Ltd.

[2] Harrison, Dick (2017). Kalmars historia [History of Kalmar] (PDF) (in Swedish). Lund: Historiska Media. pp. 17–19. ISBN 978-91-7545-406-1. Retrieved 1 September 2018.