Neil Shipley on Swedish culture – the strange, the special and the sublime
The Netflix series ‘The Crown’ which depicts the British monarchy has just started its 4th season. Featuring the sad destiny of Diana, and including events like the Falklands war, it is set to be a dramatic ride.
It got me thinking if they made a Swedish version, probably called ‘Kronan’, who would be the ideal cast? Which Swedish actors would fit the bill? Any suggestions?
In English, nicknames for men are often abbreviations of their name. Robert becomes Bob, Richard becomes Dick, Andrew becomes Andy. In Swedish, it’s not so. Usually, the nicknames get a bit longer and are signified by an ending that has a double consonant and ‘e’.
If you hear a Swedish name ending in double consonant and ‘e’, it is almost always a male name. The ‘e’ is pronounced ‘eh’. Jan becomes Janne, Dan is Danne, Leif is Leffe. Others are Olle, Beppe, Kalle, Chrille and Fredde. Some female nicknames ending with ‘e’ are Madde (Madeleine), and Mirre (Mariana), but female nicknames with double consonant and ‘e’ are quite unusual.
Names ending with ‘a’ are usually female names – Mia, Moa, Nadja and Ebba. If you hear a name ending in ‘a’ it is almost always a female name. There are a few male names, such as Gösta, Ola, Noa and Joshua but it is overwhelmingly female names that end with ‘a’.
Nicknames for women usually get shorter and often have ‘an’ on the end. Elisabeth becomes Bettan, Birgitta is Gittan, Therese becomes Tessan, Mikaela is Mickan.
So, how many men and how many women are in the following example?
I saw Nisse, Tobbe, Lottan and Nillan yesterday. They were sitting with Bosse, Kjelle and Affe. I’m not sure where Maggan, Nettan or Pelle were.
In ten posts, I am recommending good Swedish reads to enjoy during the dark days and pandemic lock down. This is the tenth, and final, one, and it’s a classic – ‘Doctor Glas’- written in 1905 by Hjalmar Söderberg.
The gripping tale of a young doctor who falls in love with a married woman. The woman is wedded to a sadistic minister and divorce is out of the question. To free the woman he loves, and enact revenge on her husband, Dr Glas is faced with a terrible dilemma. Söderberg is considered an important figure in Swedish literary history, and wrote several novels. Another of his famous works is ‘The Serious Game’.
In ten posts, I am recommending good Swedish reads to enjoy during the dark days and pandemic lock down. This is the ninth one – ‘Easy Money’ – written in 2006 by Jens Lapidus.
This book takes us into the brutal, criminal underworld of Stockholm. A thriller, the story follows the destinies of a group of young men all trying to get filthy rich, but paying a heavy price along the way. Jens Lapidus has written several books on the same theme and several have been made into movies.
In ten posts, I am recommending great Swedish reads to enjoy during the dark days. This is the eighth one – ‘The People of Hemsö’ – written in 1887 by legendary Swedish author August Strindberg.
Carlsson is on his way to the island of Hemsö in the Stockholm archipelago to work at widow Flod’s farm. With Flod’s husband dead, the farm is falling part. Drama ensues. A classic tale of greed, jealousy, love, lust and lies.
Over 10 posts, I will give you a recommendation of a Swedish book, translated into English, that is well worth a read. The sixth recommendation is ’Popular Music from Vittula’ from 2000, written by Mikael Niemi.
This brilliant book is set in the very north of Sweden during the 60’s and 70’s and is a young boy’s coming of age story. Based on the author’s own childhood, we get to experience a distant time in a remote region of Sweden influenced by communism, alcoholism, machoism, and rock and roll.
There’s been a lot of media coverage about the US election in Sweden, so much that many of us are sick of it. However, today the day is finally here. Millions upon millions of votes are counted and a winner will hopefully be announced. So, why should we in Sweden care what the outcome of the election is? Here are 5 reasons why.
1. Swedish economy. Sweden is a small, export-dependent country, heavily dependent on trade with USA. If Trump gets re-elected, he may very well continue to apply protectionist import restrictions on foreign goods. If Biden gets in, global trade agreements are probably safer. This will have a deep financial impact on Sweden’s economy.
2. Swedish jobs. Reduced trade with USA means fewer jobs in Sweden. It will be harder, and take us longer, to recover from the devastation of the pandemic and create employment.
3. Global health crisis. USA is one of the largest financial contributors to the WHO. Trump is a sceptic and wants to withdraw. Should this happen, the WHO will not be as effective in fighting future pandemics and world health crises.
4. Political quality. Trump’s divisive style of presidency sets a standard for the national stage. He normalizes hateful language, bullying and arrogance. This has ripple effects in Sweden, where some of our elected representatives imitate his style and, in my opinion, lower the quality of politics. Trump certainly has entertainment value, but I would like to see a resurgence of dignified, respectful debate both in the USA and Sweden. Hopefully Biden as president can pioneer its return.
5. Trust and security. There is a trust deficit in the world today. This has been exacerbated by Trump, with his unabated attacks on science, journalism and research. He is a fact denier, whose presidency has been characterised by lies, and more lies. The trust deficit is not Trump’s fault, it existed before he was elected, but he has fanned its flames. A global reduction in trust makes the world an unsafe place, and this affects us in Sweden. It increases the chance of conflict, of instability and in worse case, war. The leader of USA has a major influence on how trust develops or declines in the rest of the world.
So, USA is a deeply split country, and whatever the result, the large rifts will remain. The soul of the country will not be healed after this. We can probably expect a long period of chaos, civil outrage and refusal to accept the result, regardless of what it is. Without a doubt, what happens in USA affects us in Sweden. There is no getting away from that. Today’s election is crucial for setting the stage of how our world, our economy and our humanity develop.
Over 10 posts, I will give you a recommendation of a Swedish book, translated into English, that is well worth a read. The sixth recommendation is ’The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared’ from 2009, written by Jonas Jonasson.
The book follows Allan Karlsson who escapes his old people’s home on his 100th birthday, and embarks on a remarkable journey through Sweden, with the police and bad guys hot in his heels. It is a funny book full of historical reference. It was made into a film in 2013. Jonas Jonasson also wrote ‘The Girl who Saved the King of Sweden’ which is also well worth a read.
As the autumn darkness envelops us, what better than snuggling under a blanket with a good book? Over 10 posts, I will give you a recommendation of a Swedish book, translated into English, that is well worth a read. The fifth recommendation is ’Hanna’s Daughters’ from 1994, written by Marianne Fredriksson.
Set against the majestic isolation of Scandinavian lakes and mountains, this is a story of three generations of women from the same family. It is a moving testament of a time forgotten and an epic romance in every sense of the word. It also reflects Swedish society and a journey from poverty to prosperity.
Watching the Swedes 