in Norse society as Olav Tyggvason for example, went from captured slave to king of Norway. Arabic and Byzantine merchants bought the goods, and their Swedish traders and warriors were known as Varangians. One of the only accounts describing Norse slave practices in detail and first person is the Arabic merchant Ibn Fadlan meeting Volga Vikings. Describing Swedish Vikings using the Volga trade route using Saqaliba or Slavic slaves as translators when trading. There he describes the Norse ship burials only known in Norse society before the Viking expansion in 800 AD into Russia and Ukraine and that a slave girl was sacrificed to follow her master. Norse burials found in Sweden and Norway indicate that slaves were sacrificed in Sweden to follow their masters to the afterlife. However Swedish archaeology shows that mostly male slaves were killed to follow their master into the afterlife and not females. Even thou sacrificed female slaves also have been found sacrificed similarly in Norway. There a young girl of Iranian descent found in the grave showed signs of having her throat slit. In a similar manner to the execution described by Ibn Fadlan. Erik Anundsson a Swedish kings is also described as sacrificing his wife to the norse gods. Tasks for slaves in Sweden were helping with agricultural output for males and serving as concubines for women. The establishment of Kievan Rus likely decreased the number of slaves taken in raids creating a more local market for slaves in Sweden. Christianity changed the view of slavery to anathema to a civilized society. Giving freedom to a slave was seen as a holy act giving the nobleman more of a chance to reach heaven. While poorer farmers probably did not have the financial option as free noblemen had. This probably means that farmers or freemen were the last to free their slaves Trading Stations in Africa In 1650, Sweden established trading stations along the West African coast, with bases in an area called the Swedish Gold Coast which was later a part of the West African Gold Coast, and which is today part of Ghana. Sweden and Denmark were competing for positions as regional powers during this period, and the Danes followed the Swedes to Africa, setting up stations a couple of years later. In 1663, the Swedish Gold Coast was taken over by the Danish colonial power and became part of the Danish