Swedish Beliefs
A short religious history of Sweden.
Pre-Christian Faiths and Germanic Paganism in Sweden
The earliest human inhabitants of Sweden left behind no writings to describe their lives and faiths. Instead, scholars have pieced together their ancient beliefs through burials, petroglyphs, stone monuments, and later religious practices. Scandinavia’s Bronze Age, for example, is associated with widespread sun worship. Solar chariots are commonly depicted in petroglyphs from this era. This imagery may be tied to the ‘sun cross’ or ‘wheel cross’ seen throughout prehistoric Europe.
The Old Norse religion, also known as Germanic Paganism, developed as a blend of these earlier customs and an influx of Germanic peoples in the Iron Age. This faith worshipped a pantheon of deities, each of whom represented aspects of humanity and nature. Best known of these gods today are Odin, Thor, Freyja, Tyr, and Loki.
Norse cosmology views reality as a series of nine layers, all connected by the world-tree Yggdrasil. Humans occupy Midgard, one of the middle realms of the cosmos. The gods reside in Asgard, connected to Midgard by Bifrost, a rainbow bridge. Other worlds are inhabited by beings like elves, dwarves, and giants. Several afterlives are possible, depending on the manner of a person’s death. Perhaps the most desirable of these is Valhalla, where warriors slain in combat fight and feast with Odin in preparation for Ragnarok, the prophesied destruction and renewal of the world.
Practice of this religion was not standardized, and beliefs shifted by time and place. Its adherents transmitted their knowledge orally, later documented by medieval poets like Snorri Sturlusson. Rites and sites of worship were closely tied to nature, including sacrifices held by priests and kings. The religious center of modern Sweden was Uppsala, which later transitioned into its major Christian site as well.
The Christianization of Sweden
As accomplished seafarers, traders, and warriors, medieval Scandinavians came into frequent contact with Christianity. Those who settled in new lands like Kievan Rus or Norman France were relatively quick to adopt the religion. Conversion in the ancestral homeland of Norse Paganism, however, was slower and prone to periodic violence. Ansgar, later a saint, led a missionary expedition north from Germany in 829. After the destruction of his newly founded church, the faith struggled to gain a foothold for almost 200 years. True progress began with King Olof Skötkonung in the early 11th century. Catholicism, influenced by English immigrants, grew to become the region’s dominant religion within a century. Many elements of Norse religion have survived to the present day as mythology and folk customs.
King Gustav I, considered to be the founder of modern Sweden, broke with the Catholic Church during the 16th century. He and his successors instead embraced Lutheranism, a Protestant sect, and seized lands formerly held by the Catholic Church. The Lutheran Church of Sweden was firmly established by the 17th century. Lutheranism would dominate Swedish religious life to the modern day. This period also saw the expansion of Swedish settlers northward and the subsequent forcible conversion of Sami peoples.
Modern Religion in Sweden
Until 2000, all Swedish citizens were automatically enrolled in the Church of Sweden at birth. While observation of religious holidays and customs remains high, church enrollment and religious belief have declined in recent years. A 2014 WIN/Gallup poll found that 8 of 10 Swedish citizens claimed no faith. Despite this, about 63 percent of the nation still identifies with the Church of Sweden. A recent wave of Islamic immigrants, many of them refugees, has caused some political tension within the nation.
Learn More About Swedish Culture:
Cultural Overview | Geography | History | Daily Life | Society | Economy | Beliefs | Arts & Music
References
DuBois, Thomas. Nordic Religions in the Viking Age. University of Pennsylvania Press. 1999.
Kent, Neil. A Concise History of Sweden. Cambridge University Press. 2008.
Magnusson, Lars. An Economic History of Sweden. Routledge. 2002.
Mountfort, Paul Rhys. Nordic Runes: Understanding, Casting, and Interpreting the Ancient Viking Oracle. Simon and Schuster. 2003.
Myrdal, Janken and Mats Morell, eds. The Agrarian History of Sweden: 4000 BC to AD 2000. Nordic Academic Press. 2011.
Peterson, Gary Dean. Vikings and Goths: A History of Ancient and Medieval Sweden. McFarland. 2016.
Price, T. Douglas. Ancient Scandinavia: An Archaeological History. Oxford University Press. 2015.
Scott, Franklin Daniel. Sweden, the Nation's History. SIU Press. 1988.
“Sweden 'Least Religious' Nation in Western World.” The Local, The Local Europe, 13 Apr. 2015, www.thelocal.se/20150413/swedes-least-religious-in-western-world.
“The World Factbook: Sweden.” Central Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, 14 Aug. 2018, www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sw.html.
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