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One of the woven silk bands.

Researchers Discover ‘Allah’ Inscribed in Vikings Burial Costumes

Researchers from Sweden have discovered that Vikings had “Allah” and “Ali” embroidered into their funeral clothes, raising questions about the ties between the Islamic world and the Viking-era...
Detail of one of the pits found in Sunnsvära, Sweden.

Over 80 Strange Bronze Age Holes Discovered in Sweden. Why Did People Gather there 3000 Years Ago?

If preliminary analyses of the excavations are right, it appears food preparation and large gatherings have gone hand in hand in Sweden for millennia. 82 holes of varying sizes and a more modern...
Tjelvar’s Grave – Ship-shaped stone setting burial site, Gotland

A Bronze Age Burial Steeped in Legend: What Makes the Ship-Shaped Tjelvar's Grave Unique?

Gotland, Sweden’s largest island, is home to medieval churches, cathedral ruins, as well as numerous pre-historic sites. The archaeological and historical sites that pepper this land make up a...
The Mastermyr Chest.

Perfected Designs 1000 Years Ago? The Mastermyr Chest and the Timelessness of Everyday Tools

In archaeology, the most enduring and ubiquitous artifacts are often everyday items such as pots and simple tools. These items also tend to be used for the longest period of time. Even though the...
Bluetooth Before the Internet: What Ideas Are Transmitted by the Jelling Stones of Denmark?

Bluetooth Before the Internet: What Ideas Are Transmitted by the Jelling Stones of Denmark?

Harald Bluetooth survives history as among the most famous Viking chieftains, primarily because his personal rune stone has been repurposed for the Bluetooth software programmed into our phones, cars...
A 700-Year-Old Murder Mystery: Who Bludgeoned the Bocksten Man to Death and Why?

A 700-Year-Old Murder Mystery: Who Bludgeoned the Bocksten Man to Death and Why?

Around 700 years ago, a young man, who has come to be known as ‘Bocksten Man’, was struck three times on the head, then tossed into a peat bog and impaled with three wooden poles to prevent his body...
‘Blenda’ by August Malmstrom.

Blenda: The Cunning and Courageous Swedish Woman Who Defeated the Danish Army

Blenda is a heroine found in Swedish myths and legends. It is unclear as to exactly when she lived, but according to the legends, her heroic deeds took place during the time when Alle was the King of...
Kivik Kungagraven: A Tomb Fit for a King

Kivik Kungagraven: A Tomb Fit for a King

In 1748, two farmers stumbled upon an ancient stone tomb near the village of Kivik in southern Sweden while digging in a quarry. The tomb, now known as Kivik Kungagraven (‘King’s Grave of Kivik’),...
Archaeologists are Ecstatic that a Major Viking Age Manor is Finally Found in Sweden

Archaeologists are Ecstatic that a Major Viking Age Manor is Finally Found in Sweden

For centuries it has been speculated where the manor of the royal bailiff of Birka, Herigar, might have been located. New geophysical results provide evidence of its location at Korshamn, outside the...
Queen of Sweden Says Her Old Palatial Home is Haunted by Friendly Ghosts

Queen of Sweden Says Her Old Palatial Home is Haunted by Friendly Ghosts

Queen Silvia of Sweden has recently told the press that her home is haunted. The elaborate residence in question is Drottningholm Palace - a well preserved palace dating back to the 1600s. The royal...
Retaining Ancient Ways: Codex Runicus, How the Runic Script Survived in the Middle Ages

Retaining Ancient Ways: Codex Runicus, How the Runic Script Survived in the Middle Ages

Runic script was developed in Scandinavia between the 2nd and 8th centuries AD. It was originally used for short inscriptions. After the Viking Age, this famous form of writing was altered to compete...
: Deriv; Portrait of Gustav II of Sweden and his death on November 6, 1632.

“Lion of the North” Gustavus Adolphus and the Thirty Years’ War: Victories and Downfall – Part II

This is the recounting of the dramatic life of the “The Golden King” and “The Lion of the North” Gustav Adolf, and the Swedish Empire during stormaktstiden – “the Great Power era”. As Gustav II Adolf...
The victory of Gustavus Adolphus at the Battle of Breitenfeld (1631)

“Lion of the North” Gustavus Adolphus and the Thirty Years’ War: Fighting the Holy Roman Empire – Part I

On 9 December 1594, Gustav II Adolf was born. From the time of his birth until his coronation, his upbringing involved many lessons in politics, literature, military science, and physical development...
Archaeologists Uncover 9,000-Year-Old Underwater Stone Age Settlement

Archaeologists Uncover 9,000-Year-Old Underwater Stone Age Settlement

Six years ago, divers discovered the oldest known stationary fish traps in northern Europe off the coast of southern Sweden. Since then, researchers at Lund University in Sweden have uncovered an...
Help Save Elfdalian, the Ancient Viking Forest Language of Sweden

Help Save Elfdalian, the Ancient Viking Forest Language of Sweden

The ancient Viking language of Elfdalian has been almost entirely wiped out, with only 3,000 people in a tiny forest community in Sweden currently keeping it alive. People having been fighting to...
Kungagraven – A Grave Fit for a Nordic Bronze Age King, But Who Was Buried Inside?

Kungagraven – A Grave Fit for a Nordic Bronze Age King, But Who Was Buried Inside?

The number of mysterious stone constructions and burials left by ancient Nordic people is impressive. However, the King's Grave near Kivik has a special place in history. It's one of the most...
Ale's Stones at Kåseberga, around ten kilometers southeast of Ystad.

Sailing into the Unknown: The Search for the Story Behind Stone Ships

Strange sequences of stones discovered in the Baltic Sea region are one of the most mysterious remains left by pre-Christian civilizations. They are shaped in a pattern that resembles ships, but...
Some of the skeletons found on one of the two Viking ships.

Vikings Brutally Slain in 750 AD May Have Been on a Peaceful Mission

When people think of Vikings going on voyages, many imagine a bloodthirsty crew bent on evil and domination, and armed to the teeth for the looting and pillaging of helpless villagers. That may have...
 Detail of the Codex runicus, a vellum manuscript from c. 1300 containing one of the oldest and best preserved texts of the Scanian law (Skånske lov), written entirely in runes.

Runes of Power and Destruction: Reading the Cursed Runestones of Sweden

Runes are often associated with magic and sometimes curses too. For many centuries, they were used as magical symbols to guide people to the knowledge which they believed was created by their gods...
The History of the Incredible Vasa Warship and its Humiliating Shipwreck

The History of the Incredible Vasa Warship and its Humiliating Shipwreck

The Vasa was a Swedish warship that was built during the early part of the 17 th century. The construction of this warship was commissioned by the King of Sweden, Gustav II Adolf, whose aim was to...
Metals in Bronze Age Weapons Discovered in Sweden Came from Distant Lands

Metals in Bronze Age Weapons Discovered in Sweden Came from Distant Lands

Researchers analyzing bronze daggers, swords, and axes found in bogs and graves at various places in Sweden over the years have made a surprising find. Some of the artifacts date as far back 3,600...
New Interpretation of the Rok Runestone Inscription Changes View of Viking Age

New Interpretation of the Rok Runestone Inscription Changes View of Viking Age

The Rök Runestone, erected in the late 800s in the Swedish province of Östergötland, is the world's most well-known runestone. Its long inscription has seemed impossible to understand, despite the...
Sigrid the Haughty, Queen Consort of Four Countries and Owner of a Strong Personality

Sigrid the Haughty, Queen Consort of Four Countries and Owner of a Strong Personality

In Norse sagas, Sigrid appears as the wife of Eric the Victorious of Sweden, then Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark. She's also known as a famous Polish queen of the Vikings, who was called Świętosława...
A portrait of Queen Christina by Jacob Ferdinand Voet.

Christina, The Minerva of the North Who Abdicated Her Throne to Live Life by Her Own Rules

Christina was a Queen of Sweden who lived during the 17th century. As Christina ruled in her own right, she may be called a ‘queen regnant’. Christina inherited the Swedish throne about a month...

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