Culture of Sweden

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The Culture of Sweden is typically perceived as egalitarian, simple, and open to international influences. Sweden never had serfdom and peasant smallholders traditionally had a greater say in the nation's affairs than in virtually any other Western country. Protestant work ethic and trade unionism are other factors often said to have shaped Swedish mentality.

Contents 1 Foreign influence 2 Regions 3 Attitudes 4 Festivities and Traditions 5 Food 6 Film 7 Music 8 Literature 9 Architecture 10 Arts 11 See also 12 External links

[edit] Foreign influence

The greatest sources on influence on Swedish culture have been the Catholic church and Germany during the Middle Ages, France during the 18th century (mainly through king Gustav III), Germany again during the 19th century and the English-speaking world after World War II. Sweden is today very Americanized. See also Post-war Sweden#Culture and mass media.

[edit] Regions

The various historical provinces of Sweden, which earlier had poor communications, each have a distinct culture. Historically this was noted through the Swedish provinces that once (around 1,000 years ago) constituted separate countries. For brevity, one can make a crude distinction into seven areas. From north to south:

• Northern part: Norrland (Number 1 and 2).

This part was historically unexplored for centuries. For large parts wilderness dominates. The Scandinavian mountain range occupies its western part. The native Sami people have part of their habitat here, large parts of which have been declared a World Heritage Site under the name Laponian area.

• Lake and Folklore part: Dalarna, Värmland, Närke, Västmanland (Number 3 and 6).

The industry in these parts were dominated by mining, known as the Central Sweden mining district or Bergslagen. The Large Copper Mine of Falun, being active since 1347, has been declared a World Heritage Site. The falu red used on Swedish houses was created as a by-product from the copper mine. The traditional Swedish dish, the falukorv sausage, was also invented here and fed the miners for centuries.

• Stockholm and surroundings: lake Mälaren, the "east coast" (Number 4).

One of the three oldest parts of Sweden, together with Västergötland and Östergötland and home of the Suiones wherefrom the name Sweden is derived, the area has been the seat of the Swedish King since the captitol of Stockholm started to grow in the end of the 13th century. Uppsala near Stockholm has been the place of the archbishop for nearly a thousand years. Royal mansions are scattered around the lake Mälaren, and the royal palace Drottningholm has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

• Gothenburg and surroundings: Västra Götaland, Bohuslan, Dalsland (Number 8)

Historically the home of the Geats tribe, opposing the Suiones. People lived here at least since the Stone Age, for about 11.000 years ago (as shown by excavations along the Swedish west coast) and the rock carvings in Tanumshede, dating at least to the bronze age, have been declared a World Heritage Site.

• Forests and Glass: Småland (Number 7) and Östergötland, (Number 5).

The area is noted by glassworks such as Kosta Boda and Orrefors, for centuries providing both cheaper and costly glass products to the Swedish people. The land is generally unsuitable for agriculture, but has many dense forests leading to various wood-industries. Many industrious people stem from the area, including Carolus Linnaeus, Ingvar Kamprad (Ikea founder); and authors Astrid Lindgren and Vilhelm Moberg who characterized it in their worldwide appreciated works.

• Castles and plains: The Scanian lands (Number 9).

Until the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658, this area belonged to Denmark, as did the counties of Bohuslän and Halland (Bohuslän originally Norwegian), who equipped it with around 200 castles and fortresses, along with many Romanesque countryside churches. Much of Sweden's crops are also grown in the plains of this area.

• Island of Öland (unnumbered - Off the coast of Smaland).

This region is known for its mesolithic settlements, Iron Age ringforts and Viking history. About one fourth of the island is a desgnated World Heritage Site, known as the Stora Alvaret, noted not only for its rich history but also as a limestone barren habitat, holding numerous rare and endangered species.

• Gotland (unnumbered - Island in the middle of the Baltics).

Regarded by some historians and linguists to be the original homeland of the Goths.

Generally the word goes that the farther north you come, the quieter people become. Experience as well as popular literature confirm the general truth in this.

It should be noted that these regions are made for cultural distinctions only. The two historical subdidivisions are the Provinces of Sweden (amounting to 26), and the Lands of Sweden (amounting to three).

[edit] Attitudes

Swedes have an egalitarian outlook. The concept of Jante Law is in many areas and fields still today strong in Sweden, and any form of elitism is likely to meet strong criticism. This attitude goes in hand with the Swedish lagomhet, the appraisal of modesty and humbleness. Swedes generally express themselves in very modest terms, especially when it comes to compliments and praises - when they say something is “totally okay” that means it is very good indeed. In the same way they are not likely to be harsh in criticizing others.

There is however also a strong drive for more individualist values, and these have during the 19th century taken over from the more collectivist tradition. Notably there is a very strong support for tolerance towards same-sex relationships compared to most European countries, and Sweden is often thought of (and most Swedes think of their country) as a country with little xenophobia, despite recent growth of racism.

The combination of embracing capitalist values and the Swedish agrarian modesty has produced an atmosphere that encourages hard work and honesty. Sweden generally has low corruption.

Environmentalism and animal protection are important values in Sweden.

[edit] Festivities and Traditions

Main article: Swedish festivities

[edit] Food

Main article Swedish cuisine

Swedish food is traditionally simple, a typical meal consists of boiled potatoes, some kind of meat or fish, a simple sauce and some vegetables. Fish has historically been very important. Today Swedes eat roughly the same as other Westerners, spaghetti is rivalling the previously dominant potato in popularity.

Swedes are among the heaviest coffee drinkers in the world, second only to Finland. Brewed coffee is totally dominant. For meals beer, milk or water is standard.

[edit] Film

Main article Cinema of Sweden

Swedish cinema is one of the most widely-known national film industries in the world. This is partly due to the innovation of its early days. The silent period saw the flourish of the gifted visionaries Mauritz Stiller and Victor Sjöström, who brought international attention to Swedish filmmaking and its particular vision of the world.

Ingmar Bergman, regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers of the 20th Century, emerged as a prominent figure in world cinema during the 1950s with his existential epic The Seventh Seal, which he followed with a host of critically revered psychological dramas. Two of his films in particular, Persona and Cries and Whispers, received unparalleled critical adoration and put Sweden in the map as a one of the most progressive cinematic entities. The revered naturalist Jan Troell as well as the socially conscious Bo Widerberg would quickly follow Bergman as the country's foremost visual artists.

Famous actresses and actors include Ingrid Bergman, Greta Garbo, Max von Sydow, Stellan Skarsgård, Ingrid Thulin, Lena Olin and Peter Stormare.

[edit] Music

Main article Music of Sweden

Singing is popular in Sweden, and of its 9,000,000 inhabitants, 600,000 belong to various choirs. ([1])

In popular music, the group ABBA became the essence of Swedish music during the 70's and early 80's. Later emerged Roxette, where singing happy music into the 80's, and this band was unlike ABBA also successful in the U.S. Europe and Ace of Base are Swedish rock groups that have been popular in the world.

It can be noted that Britney Spears had at least one of her early albums produced in Sweden, and so have Bon Jovi and the Backstreet Boys.

In contrast to the beauty and vocal melody of many other types of music from Sweden, they also boast one of the most prolific death metal scenes in the world. Gothenburg is famed in the scene for the "Swedish Death" sound. Many of these bands such as In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, and Stockholm's Opeth have seen growing commercial success throughout Europe and the United States.

The Swedish hip hop scene is booming, but admittedly it has attracted no international fame. However, a sociolect / dialect has emerged in the foreigners-populated suburbs, which perhaps may spice up the language. (See the term Rinkeby Swedish, so named after the Rinkeby suburb).

There are several reputable Swedish singers. In the 1850s, Jenny Lind was touring the United States, and the admission to enter her performances was at a rate never seen before. Not for nothing was she referred to as the Swedish Nightingale. Later, in the 1950s, Jussi Björling was one of few non-Italian opera singers, and still today a household name in opera circles.

[edit] Literature

Main article Swedish literature

Swedish literature is vibrant and active. Sweden ranks third in the list of countries with most Nobel Prize laureates in literature. Famous Swedish writers are Astrid Lindgren, Selma Lagerlöf, August Strindberg etc. Swedish mystery novels have a very human side. The feature films about Inspectors Kurt Wallander and Martin Beck. "They're frightened, exactly like ordinary people, not superheroes like the Americans". [2]

[edit] Architecture

Main article: Architecture of Sweden

Before the 13th century most buildings were made of wood. But a shift began towards stone. Early Swedish stone buildings are the Romanesque churches on the country side. As so happens, many of them were built in Scania and are in effect Danish churches. This would include the magnificent Lund Cathedral from the 11th century and the somewhat younger church in Dalby, but also many early Gothic churches built through influendes of the Hanseatic League, such as in Ystad, Malmö and Helsingborg.

Cathedrals in other parts of Sweden were also built as seats of Sweden's bishops. The Skara Cathedral is of bricks from the 14th century, and the Uppsala Cathedral in the 15th. In 1230 the foundadtions of the Linköping Cathedral were made, the material was there limestone, but the building took some 250 years to finish.

Among older structures are also some significant fortresses and other historical buildings such asat Borgholm Castle, Halltorps Manor and Eketorp fortress on the island Öland, the Nyköping fortress and the Visby ring wall.

Around 1520 Sweden was out of the Middle Ages and united under King Gustav Vasa, who immediately initiated grand mansions, castles and fortresses to be built. Some of the more magnificent include the Kalmar fortress, the Gripsholm Castle and the one at Vadstena.

In the next two centuries, Sweden was designated by Baroque architecture and later the rococo under King Gustav III. Notable projects from that time include the city Karlskrona, which has now also been declared a World Heritage Site and the Drottningholm Palace.

In the 19th century, the historicism and classicism made its entry resulting in several kinds of "Neo-" architecture. The current look of many of Sweden's churches and castles stem from between 1850-1910, the qualifications of which have been much debated.

1930 was the year of the great Stockholm exhibition, which marked the breakthrough of Functionalism, or "funkis" as it became known. The style came to dominate in the following decades. Some notables projects of this kind were the Million Programme, offering affordable living in large apartment complexes.

[edit] Arts

Main article: Art of Sweden

The oldest remains of Swedish art are found in the churches: frescos, altar pieces and baptismal founts. Little unique beauty is generally attributed to these, except for occasional. The motifs evolve around religious beliefs, focused on purgatory, the devil, Jesus Christ, and Virgin Mary.

In the 19th century, the painter Carl Larsson (1853-1919) shaped the image of the idyllic countryside home with his naïve picturesque illustrations.

[edit] See also

• List of Swedish cultural institutions

• Holidays in Sweden, Flag days in Sweden, Namesdays in Sweden
• National anthem of Sweden, Flag of Sweden
• Mother Svea, Three Crowns
• Heraldry of Sweden
• Swedish cuisine
• List of Swedes

[edit] External links

• Sweden at geographia.com