Häme Castle

Häme Castle (Finnish: Hämeen linna, Swedish: Tavastehus slott) is a medieval castle in Hämeenlinna, Finland. The castle is located on the coast of lake Vanajavesi in the city center. The castle was originally located on an island. The castle consists of central keep and surrounding curtain walls, surrounded by a moat. The keep has originally had five towers yet only two are today apparent. The curtain wall has a gatehouse, battlements, an octagonal brick corner tower and a round gun tower. The lower tiers of the keep and curtain wall are of masoned granite and upper tiers are red brickwork. The moat is in connection with Lake Vanajavesi and is filled with water.

The castle's age is disputed. Traditionally the construction of the castle has been connected to the legendary Second Swedish Crusade which would date the castle in the mid-13th century. However, there are no finds from the castle that can be firmly dated to a period earlier than 1320s. Also the contents of the crusade legend have been seriously contested. An earlier fortification from about 1300 only some 20 kilometres (12 mi) away in Hakoinen also makes a 14th-century dating for Häme Castle more probable. Only one castle ("Tauestahus") is listed in Tavastia in a royal document from 1308. Also, the Russian Novgorod Chronicle only mentions one castle during their plundering of Tavastia in 1311, its description matching well with the castle in Hakoinen:

The men of Novgorod went in war over sea to the country of the Germans (Swedes), against the Finnish (Yem) people – – And the Germans fell back into the citadel. For the place was very strong and firm, on a high rock, not having access from any side. And they sent with greeting, asking for peace, but the men of Novgorod did not grant peace, and they stood three days and three nights wasting the district.

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