Swedish Cultural Overview

Swedes are the people of Sweden, a nation of northern Europe and the Scandinavian Peninsula.

Geography

Sweden is a large nation that runs north-south along the Scandinavian Peninsula. It borders Norway to the west, Finland to the east, and Denmark to the south by water. Its climate, like its latitude, varies dramatically. The far north extends beyond the Arctic Circle, a cold and mountainous region that sees long winter nights and summer days. The south is a more forgiving environment of dense forests and plains, though it still sees cold and snowy winters.

• Climate: Temperate to subarctic

• Capital: Stockholm

• Total Population: 10,040,995 (2018 est.)

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History

Sweden’s history as a unified kingdom begins at a relatively late date, but its older cultural heritage is well documented through archaeology, sagas, and the histories of surrounding civilizations. Its earliest inhabitants likely arrived around 10,000 years ago, moving in after the last Ice Age. Early Sweden was home to a much warmer climate, allowing its people to flourish as traders, farmers, and fishermen. Its climate cooled over time, pushing Germanic peoples south into Europe. During the time of the Roman Empire, ancient Swedes conducted trade primarily through those related southern tribes. By the medieval era, following the collapse of Western Rome, they had developed into sophisticated societies of sailors, traders, raiders, and farmers. While Norway and Denmark are best known for their Viking raids, the merchants of Sweden also sailed down the rivers of Eastern Europe to reach the markets of cities like Kiev, Constantinople, and Baghdad.

By the 11th century, Christianity began to slowly move through the region. The first verifiable King of Sweden was Olof Skötkonung, who reigned from 995 to 1022 and was a notable early Christian. In 1397, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, and Greenland united to form the Kalmar Union. The three primary kingdoms remained in an uneasy alliance until 1523, when Gustav Vasa led a successful rebellion and was elected king. Vasa transitioned Sweden to a hereditary monarch and also embraced the Protestant Reformation. In the centuries that followed, Sweden rose to prominence through military victories in the Thirty Years’ War. It grew into a major empire of Europe controlling much of the Baltics.

The Swedish Empire decline through the 17th century before unifying again with Norway in 1814. This lasted until 1905. Sweden declared its neutrality through both of the World Wars, a controversial decision that nevertheless left its infrastructure almost untouched. From this advantaged position, the modern nation has built a stable society based on social welfare for its people.

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Daily Life

Despite its reputation as a home of seafaring adventurers, Sweden’s common people have historically been farmers. They raised mainly grain crops and hardy vegetables as well as livestock, leading to a diet rich in breads, porridge, meat, and dairy. In addition, fishing along both rivers and coastlines was common. The later introduction of the potato would also prove fundamental to Swedish cuisine, which is now famous for its meatballs, preserved fish, pancakes, and pastries. Most medieval families lived in wattle-and-daub longhouses, which might contain a separate area for livestock. Over time, these homes transitioned into more modern cottages and townhouses. Apparel and cuisine followed suit. The “Sundborn Costume” often seen today was actually created by Swedish artists to represent folk costumes from across the nation. Today’s Swedish people for the most part lead typical European lifestyles.

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Society

Unlike much of Europe, medieval Sweden never adopted serfdom on a wide scale. While its society was still stratified, the majority of its peasant farmers, or karls, owned their own land. There was, however, also a class of slaves. Social mobility was relatively high; it was possible for slaves to buy their freedom, for free men to become jarls or kings, and for nobles to fall through the ranks. Laws were held in memory by court officials known as lawspeakers. Important decisions were made by assembled free men at meetings known as things.

By the 11th century, the many small kingdoms of Scandinavia had for the most part unified as Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Sweden implemented an elective monarchy, its rulers still chosen via thing. The ancestor of Sweden’s modern legislature, the Riksdag, first convened in 1435 and would later expand to represent the broad classes of Swedish society. Gustav Vasa, reigning from 1523 to 1560, brought an end to the elective monarchy and set the stage for Sweden to grow as an empire. Since that time, modern Swedish society has formed through a series of peaceful reforms. The power of the Riksdag has increased relative to the monarchy, and the nation has adopted a policy of social democracy.

• Major Languages: Swedish

• Urban Population: 87.4% (2018 est.)

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Economy

Since its prehistory, the economy of Sweden has been balanced between trade and subsistence agriculture. Bronze Age communities imported the metal in exchange for amber, slaves, furs, and crop surpluses. Over time, Sweden became part of the larger trade network of the Roman Empire. Its communities became skilled sailors and navigators, traveling over both seas and rivers. Their knowledge of European waterways opened up access to the wider world, including the wealthy Byzantine Empire. Its foreign trade diminished, however, with the rise of the Hanseatic League, which assumed control of Sweden’s island Gotland.

Sweden regained its economic position during its period as an empire, but the 19th century for the most part saw economic stagnation. More recently, the country has enjoyed a small but stable economy that balances free-market principles with social welfare, meant to provide a basic standard of life for all citizens without curbing competition.

• Major Industries: Iron and steel, precision equipment, wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles

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Beliefs

The earliest known faith of Sweden is Germanic paganism, the polytheistic faith made famous by the Vikings and practiced by many Germanic groups. Prior to this, its people appear to have followed a form of sun worship. Germanic paganism recognizes major gods like Odin, Freyja, Thor, Tyr, and Loki. They and other deities, monsters, and spirits are part of a larger, layered reality revolving around the world-tree Yggdrasil. Its major religious center was Uppsala, which would then become a Christian hub from the 12th century on. Compared to most other European nations, Sweden spent relatively little time as a Catholic state. It converted to Protestant Lutheranism in the early 16th century, which has remained its major faith. Modern Sweden, however, is home to diverse faiths and a growing population of non-believers.

Religious Demographics:

• Church of Sweden (Lutheran): 61.8%

• None or unspecified: 30%

• Other: 8.2% (2016 est.)

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Arts & Music

Sweden’s art history has seen many changes since its earliest known rock art, inscriptions left behind nearly 3,000 years ago. Petroglyphs and carvings at sites like Tanum show detailed depictions of ancient people and their daily life. Later, Nordic cultures would begin raising rune stones to commemorate their dead. The pre-Christian medieval era is characterized by ‘Viking’-style art, including metalworking with elaborate interlacing patterns. Over time, the rune stones gradually adopted Christian imagery, a sign of changing sympathies among the general population. They transitioned into a long era of almost exclusively Christian art, used to illuminate manuscripts and decorate churches. Architecturally, the Gothic style was likely most influential.

During its golden age as an empire, Sweden’s artists began expanding into Renaissance schools, depicting more secular or mythical themes with greater realism. The empire drew heavy influence from France, including its adoption of the Rococo style. Modern Sweden is home to many internationally known artists. Its design principles have also proven commercially popular, especially through the furniture chain IKEA.

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References

Henderson, Helene. The Swedish Table. University of Minnesota Press. 2005.

Kent, Neil. A Concise History of Sweden. Cambridge University Press. 2008.

Magnusson, Lars. An Economic History of Sweden. Routledge. 2002.

Scott, Franklin Daniel. Sweden, the Nation's History. SIU Press. 1988.

Sprague, Martina. Sweden: An Illustrated History. Hippocrene Books. 2005.

“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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