Wòlin (Civ6)/Vikings, Traders, and Raiders!/Civilopedia

Wolin is a Baltic island just off the coast of Pomerania where the rivers Swina and Dziwna empty into the sea. The ford to the island across the Dziwna meant it was settled as far back as history reaches. At some point in the 9th Century AD it was filled seemingly by a mixture of Scandinavians and Slavs; fortifications date to this period as well, as it became both a commercial and fishing center. Indeed, during the Viking Age it was the second-largest Viking marketplace, behind only Hedeby. Historians have speculated that Wolin may have been the basis for the semi-legendary Viking stronghold of Jomsborg that existed between the 960s and 1043. According to the sagas, the Jomsvikings were a band of elite warriors who adhered to a special codex and were loyal only to their leader. Supposedly, when their last jarl Sigvald died, most of the Jomsvikings left, following his brother Thorkell to England, where they took up arms as Cnut’s fierce huscarls.