sweden
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Axel von Fersen – at the centre of history
Axel von Fersen’s life began in the secure world of the Swedish nobility, but he would be thrust into some of the most transformative events of the 18th century. He moved between the court of Gustav III, the battlefields of… Continue reading
-
Elisabeth Stride – the Swedish victim of Jack the Ripper
When Elisabeth Gustavsdotter was born on November 27, 1843, in Torslanda, it is highly unlikely that anyone would have looked at the little child and thought that she would become a person whose fate would be debated over a hundred… Continue reading
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Ragnarok – end and beginning
In troubled times, when threats seem to be looming from all directions, a dark thought may slip in and dwell on the possibility of doom. This is not unique to our times; in most cultures, the idea that everything can… Continue reading
-
Birger jarl – founder of a nation
Birger jarl is a name that most Swedes recognise; even if it’s the only thing you know about Swedish history, you likely know this: there once was a man called Birger jarl. Except he wasn’t—that was his title, akin to… Continue reading
