Denmark
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Ragnar Lodbrok – myth or reality
Few characters in television history have had as much impact as Ragnar Lothbrok from the series Vikings, which premiered in 2013. Just as in the 13th-century Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok — written roughly 400 years after Ragnar himself is said… Continue reading
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Sweden’s own Game of Thrones, part II
But returning to Knut: his reign was relatively peaceful, largely because those who had opposed his kingship—believing themselves better suited to rule the realm—were either dead or in exile. During his reign, he resumed the minting of coins that had… Continue reading
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Sweden’s own Game of Thrones, part I
It aired a few years ago. Still, many likely remember ”Game of Thrones”—George R.R. Martin’s story about various noble houses vying for power and the throne in, among other places, the fictional realm of Westeros. One of Martin’s sources of… Continue reading
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Hemming Gadh – bishop and warrior
The Swedish Middle Ages, not unlike those in other countries, had their power players who were often unscrupulous and, therefore, at least many centuries later, are more exciting than those with more ethical concerns. Not infrequently, these unscrupulous power players… Continue reading
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The Battle of Brunkeberg
When you walk along Norrmalm in central Stockholm today, you usually don’t think that you are walking on a former battlefield. But it was here that Sten Sture the Elder and King Kristian I’s forces clashed on October 10, 1471.… Continue reading
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Ulrika Eleonora – the woman who chose her own path
Not feeling at home as the person one was born with is by no means new. There have been those throughout history who have chosen to live as the opposite sex, and one of these was Ulrika Eleonora Stålhammar. She… Continue reading
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The Norse history of Greenland
It cannot have escaped anyone that Greenland is high on the agenda right now, as certain forces imagine that it is only a matter of demanding that a country and its population can be taken over without anyone actually having… Continue reading
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St Bridgid of Sweden
On 7 October 1391, Birgitta Birgersdotter was canonised by Pope Boniface IX in Rome. She had been dead for 13 years at that time. Internationally, she’s mostly known as St Bridgid of Sweden, as in the headline, but will throughout… Continue reading
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Erik the Victorious
The numbers that are found after, or in the middle of, king names can be confusing. For example, Erik XIV was not preceded by thirteen other Eriks. Instead, each of his numbers is a way of trying to show a… Continue reading
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From English Princess to Nordic Queen
She is probably the most powerful queen in Swedish history, apart from Kristina, who actually ruled in her own name. But Filippa of England is also probably the most forgotten, even though she became queen not only of Sweden, but… Continue reading
