In our story of Gustav Vasa, the first king of an independent Sweden and the founder of the Vasa Dynasty, we have come to the final chapters – his later years, death and legacy. We…
The Swedish colonial project in North America – New Sweden – was short-lived, and few women were part of it. But one formidable woman made her mark – Armegot Printz. Armegot was born in 1626,…
Gustav Vasa had subdued the rebellion of 1542-43, but he had been shaken by the initial success of the rebels. He needed to secure his position – and that of his descendants. Sweden had…
Gustav Vasa had made many changes since ascending the throne in 1523. The most profound was of course the reformation – turning the country from Catholicism to Lutheranism and changing centuries old traditions and belief…
Gustav Vasa was finally married to a woman of high birth and had a son, Erik. The royal couple must have been thrilled – a son would secure the Vasa Dynasty. But the happiness would…
Have you ever heard of New Sweden? Long before the mass-emigration from Sweden to North America in the 19th and 20th centuries, there was the short-lived colonial project of New Sweden, 1638 – 1655. The…
Gustav Vasa had finally become king. But his troubles were not over. Not everyone accepted his rule, as he was not of royal birth, and he owed the merchants of Lübeck a lot of money.…
We left the last post just when a new rebellion against Danish king Christian II was about to start – the rebellion that would become the Swedish war of independence. To be fair, there were…
Let’s move on from nightly courtship, where young people got to know each other and found a partner, to the real deal – engagements and weddings. Once a couple settled on each other, the man…
From the Middle Ages to the 19th century (even longer at some places) there was a tradition in Northen Europe amongst young people called nightly courtship. It meant that young men in the village (it…