Scandinavian History

17th Century

  • Queen Christina’s life in exile

    April 19* marks the 336th anniversary of Queen Christina’s death, and it might be a good idea to examine her life after she left Sweden. Of course, my text is only skimming the surface, simply to function as a blog… Continue reading

  • Queen Kristina

    On October 20, 1650, Kristina Vasa was crowned Queen of Sweden. By then, she had already been the country’s regent since the age of 6, even though the reign took place with a guardian government until she reached adulthood. According… Continue reading

  • Fet-Mats, the lost miner

    There is one story I’ve never been able to forget since I heard it the first time. It’s the story of Mats Israelsson, called Fet-Mats. The name he was known by, Fat-Mats, means Fat-Mats. Allegedly, he had been given this… Continue reading

  • The Witch Trials of Dalarna

    The connection between the witch trials in Salem, USA – those that have been the subject of at least one horror film – and Sweden may not be obvious, but they are there. It started in Mora in Dalarna. The… Continue reading