The last large scale Swedish peasants’ revolt was spearheaded by men from Dalarna, hence the name ”The Great Dalecarlian Dance”. On June 6, 1743, the march from Dalarna to Stockholm began. There were many reasons…
One of the last large scale peasant uprisings in Sweden has been named The Great Dalecarlian Dance and took place in 1743. It played out in a transition between the old peasant society and the…
This is the true story of Emerentia Pauli, wife of the commandant at Gullberg Fortress, Sweden, in 1612. When the Danes suddenly attacked, it was she who led the defense of the fortress after her…
As a prominent Swedish noble woman and married to the regent and rebel leader Sten Sture the younger, Kristina Gyllenstierna was a powerful and determined woman, and the next to be explored in this serie…
In Medieval history, most women played subordinate roles, appearing mostly as mothers, wives or daughters, in the shadow of men. But of course there are exceptions. One such exception in the Nordics is Queen Margrete.…
War is associated with men. It is – generally speaking – men who make war. History books about war are therefore usually about men. Kings, generals, officers and sometimes ordinary soldiers. But very rarely about…
This post is the last part of three about the common people in the border regions between Sweden and Denmark. Caught up in the war between the countries and traditionally called Snapphanar, they fought harsh…
Unlike Nils Dacke in the 1540s, there was no ONE leader for the Snapphanar in the 17th century. One reason being, as previously mentioned, that there was no ONE Snapphane-movement. There was independent peasant uprisings,…
As we continue our journey through Scandinavia’s peasant uprisings, we turn to the 17th century and the guerilla fighters known as Snapphanar. I will explain it’s meaning below, but let’s start with some background: During…
Up until early spring 1543, everything had seemingly gone Nils Dacke’s way. Since midsummer the previous year, he had led the largest and most successful peasant revolt ever in Swedish history, known as the Dacke…