sweden
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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
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Scandinavian bog bodies
Imagine that, for whatever reason, you are out walking on a bog, and suddenly you see what appears to be human remains. A hand sticks up, or maybe even a face looks back at you from between the tufts. It… Continue reading
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Ingrid Ylva – medieval power woman
Like the vast majority of women during the early Middle Ages, Ingrid Ylva has left few traces behind for posterity to note. This is in contrast to her son, Birger Magnusson, much better known as Birger jarl. However, he becomes… Continue reading
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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
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Murder at the Masquerade Ball
On Friday, March 16, 1792, Gustav III held a public masquerade ball at the Stockholm Opera House, and it did not end as he had planned. Instead, it was an evening that developed into one of the most dramatic events… Continue reading
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Viking Dynasties – The Royal Families of Lejre and Uppsala Between Archaeology and Text
Red. Tom Christensen, John Ljungkvist & Neil PriceAarhus University Press, 2024623 pages Ancient Scandinavia attracts many with its mythical kings and wars, tales of heroic deeds and grand central places with royal hall buildings, not infrequently adorned with details in… Continue reading
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Gamla Uppsala, ancient power seat
The entire landscape of Stone Age Uppsala was mostly underwater, and during the Bronze Age, Old Uppsala, in particular, consisted of two islands. Only during the Early Iron Age did the region begin to be populated to any great extent… Continue reading
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From princess to ortodox saint – Ingegerd Olofsdotter
She is believed to have been born around the beginning of the 11th century, Ingegerd Olofsdotter. Her father, Olof Skötkonung (Scotking), had been king for around five years after his father, Erik Segersäll (the Victorious), died in 995.While Erik was… Continue reading
