Sweden
1899
Sweden
1899
Written in 1899, this is a window into how a late-Victorian scholar understood Sweden's deep past. Victor Alfred Nilsson traces the Swedish people from the prehistoric archaeological record through the legendary ages of gods and heroes, the raiding and trading world of the Vikings, and the transformative arrival of Christianity that reshaped the nation. The book is at its strongest when reconstructing the material culture of early Swedenhunting parties, burial customs, iron-working, the longhouses and hill-forts that marked the landscape before written history. Yet the text also carries its era's assumptions, including discredited racial theories about an "unmixed" Swedish population. Reading it today offers a double pleasure: the genuine insights into archaeology and early history, and the fascinating glimpse into how a turn-of-the-century mind constructed national origins. For anyone curious about the deep strata beneath modern Sweden, this is an unexpected artifact of historical thinking.
Editions
X-Ray
The great liberator and founder of modern Sweden who freed the country from Danish rule and established the Reformation. Born 1496, he led a peasant revolt from Dalecarlia and became king, ruling from 1523-1560.
The first great patriotic hero of Swedish history, a minor nobleman from Dalecarlia who led the first successful revolt against foreign oppression in the 1430s. He was elected regent but was murdered in 1436.
The greatest figure in Swedish history, known as the 'Lion of the North.' He led Sweden to political grandeur through victories in the Thirty Years' War, championing Protestant cause before dying heroically at Lützen in 1632.
The great chancellor and statesman, closest friend and adviser to Gustavus Adolphus. After the king's death, he effectively ruled Sweden during Christine's minority and continued the German war.
About Sweden
Chapter Summaries
- 1
- Covers Sweden's prehistoric periods (Stone, Bronze, and Iron Ages) and early historical references by classical authors. Establishes Sweden as inhabited by the same Teutonic race for over 4,000 years.
- 2
- Examines the earliest Swedish kings through Snorre Sturleson's saga accounts, tracing the legendary Yngling dynasty and the unification of Sweden under the kings of Uppsala.
- 3
- Describes the Viking expeditions, particularly Swedish expansion into Russia and the founding of the Russian state, plus the first Christian missionary efforts by Ansgar.
Key Themes
- National Independence vs Foreign Domination
- The central theme throughout Swedish history is the struggle to maintain independence against foreign rulers, particularly the Danish kings of the Kalmar Union. This conflict drives the narrative from Engelbrekt's revolt through Gustavus Vasa's liberation.
- Religious Reformation and Conflict
- The Protestant Reformation transforms Sweden both internally and in its foreign relations. Gustavus Vasa uses it to break from Rome and strengthen royal power, while Gustavus Adolphus champions Protestant cause in the Thirty Years' War.
- Rise and Fall of Political Power
- Sweden's transformation from a medieval kingdom to a great European power and its eventual decline. The narrative shows how political grandeur depends on exceptional leadership and favorable circumstances.
Characters
- Gustavus Vasa(protagonist)
- The great liberator and founder of modern Sweden who freed the country from Danish rule and established the Reformation. Born 1496, he led a peasant revolt from Dalecarlia and became king, ruling from 1523-1560.
- Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson(protagonist)
- The first great patriotic hero of Swedish history, a minor nobleman from Dalecarlia who led the first successful revolt against foreign oppression in the 1430s. He was elected regent but was murdered in 1436.
- Gustavus II Adolphus(protagonist)
- The greatest figure in Swedish history, known as the 'Lion of the North.' He led Sweden to political grandeur through victories in the Thirty Years' War, championing Protestant cause before dying heroically at Lützen in 1632.
- Axel Oxenstierna(major)
- The great chancellor and statesman, closest friend and adviser to Gustavus Adolphus. After the king's death, he effectively ruled Sweden during Christine's minority and continued the German war.
- Queen Christine(major)
- Daughter of Gustavus Adolphus who became queen at age 6. Highly learned but extravagant and unstable, she eventually abdicated in 1654 and converted to Catholicism.
- Charles IX(major)
- Son of Gustavus Vasa, he deposed his nephew Sigismund and ruled as a stern 'Peasant King' from 1600-1611. He strengthened royal power and prepared Sweden for its period of greatness.
Link to this book
Add a free, dofollow link to Lex on your blog, forum, syllabus, or reading list.
<a href="https://lex-books.com/book/sweden-ded3938d-75e1-4ec3-b012-fbb3977a13f6"><img src="https://lex-books.com/badges/read-on-lex.svg" alt="Read Sweden by Victor Alfred Nilsson free on Lex" width="160" height="40"></a>[](https://lex-books.com/book/sweden-ded3938d-75e1-4ec3-b012-fbb3977a13f6)[url=https://lex-books.com/book/sweden-ded3938d-75e1-4ec3-b012-fbb3977a13f6][img]https://lex-books.com/badges/read-on-lex.svg[/img][/url]Read Sweden by Victor Alfred Nilsson free on Lex: https://lex-books.com/book/sweden-ded3938d-75e1-4ec3-b012-fbb3977a13f6Cite this book
Reading this edition for a paper or guide? Copy a citation.
Nilsson, Victor Alfred. Sweden. Lex, lex-books.com/book/sweden-ded3938d-75e1-4ec3-b012-fbb3977a13f6.Nilsson, V. A. (1899). Sweden. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/sweden-ded3938d-75e1-4ec3-b012-fbb3977a13f6Nilsson, Victor Alfred. Sweden. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/sweden-ded3938d-75e1-4ec3-b012-fbb3977a13f6.
