Category: history

‘Pingis’ in Sweden

Posted on by Neil Shipley's watching the Swedes

Yesterday, Sweden qualified for the final in team table tennis at the Paris Olympics. This is following the unexpected silver won by Truls Möregård in table tennis singles. And table tennis fans up and down Sweden are going crazy!

Table Tennis, or Ping Pong as it is also called – a name originating from the Mandarin Ping Pang Qiu – has the nickname ‘pingis’ in Swedish. It is a very popular sport in Sweden, with the first game played in the 1890’s, and the first Swedish championship organised in 1925.

Although elite table tennis is generally dominated by the Chinese, Sweden has had some success over the years. Probably the best Swedish player through history is Jan-Ove Waldner. Known as ‘The Evergreen Tree’ in China, Waldner had an extraordinary successful and long career. He won a total of 20 Gold, 17 Silver and 9 Bronze medals in the Olympics, World and European Championships. Jörgen Persson, Kjell Johansson, Marie Svensson and Stellan Bengtsson are other successful ping pong athletes.

On a non-elite level, the game of ‘rundpingis’ is popular in Sweden. This is knock-out ping pong played in large groups where people run around the table and hit one shot each. Another popular pastime is outdoors table tennis, with many parks building tables and nets out of weather-proof iron.

So, if you feel inspired by the current Olympic successes, grab a racket and go play a round of table tennis. Who knows, maybe you’ll be the next pingis star in pingis heaven!

Swedish Americans and American Swedes

Posted on by Neil Shipley's watching the Swedes

When Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis won the Olympic Gold and broke the world record in the pole vault, he did it representing Sweden. Although he grew up in the USA, his mother is Swedish, and he has Swedish citizenship.

According to Statistics Sweden, Mondo is one of approximately 40,000 American citizens living in Sweden. Sweden and America have a long political relationship, with Sweden being the second country, after France, to officially acknowledge America’s independence in the 1700’s. Since then, the relationship has been smooth, with a couple of hiccups during the presidencies of Olof Palme and later Donald Trump. Today, the USA is Sweden’s third largest trade partner, and American-owned companies make up the largest number of foreign companies in Sweden.

Many Americans have family ties to Sweden due to the mass emigration of Swedes to the USA in 1885-1912. In fact, this is such a significant part of Sweden’s history that there is a tv program called ‘Allt för Sverige’ which helps Americans trace their Swedish Ancestry.

At the end of the 19th century 1.3 million Swedes fled famine and persecution in Sweden for a new life in the USA. This was a third of the population at the time. These Swedish Americans were mostly of Lutheran faith and settled primarily in the Mid West.

Prior to this, in 1638, the first Swedish settlers founded New Sweden, around Delaware. It only lasted 17 years before being absorbed into New Netherland and ceased to be a Swedish colony.

In 1639, Swedish settler Jonas Bronck settled a colony around the area of today’s New York. The settlement grew and flourished, and today is called The Bronx – after its original Swedish founder.

According the American Community survey, Swedish Americans and descendants make up around 2% of the US population today. Around 56,000 people still speak Swedish in their homes.

Some famous Americans of Swedish descent include: Taylor Swift, Emma Stone, Jake Gyllenhaal, Scarlet Johansson, Candice Bergen, Kirsten Dunst, Val Kilmer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Julia Roberts, Uma Thurman, Peggy Lee, Steven Soderbergh and George W Bush.

The ABC of Swedish town planning

Posted on by Neil Shipley's watching the Swedes

ABC is a concept in Swedish town planning, said to have been minted by Stockholm city planner Sven Markelius around 1952. ABC refers to the approach of building a suburb where modern families have easy access to work, dwelling and services, such as shops. A stands for ‘arbete’ (work), B stands for ‘bostad’ (accommodation) and C stands for ‘centrum’ (center for services and shops).

ABC city planning was introduced mid 1950’s and it expanded suburban Stockholm to the north and south. This growth was spurred on by the influx of people to the capital after the Second World War, and the severe shortage of accommodation.

In the original development plan from 1952, Markelius suggests that blocks of flats should be constructed within 450m of the centre, small houses should be built within 900m of the centre and light industry 600m from the centre. Everything should be built compactly in order to facilitate daily life for its 16000 residents. An underground system would connect the ABC suburb to the rest of the city and Stockholm’s downtown.

If you’d like to visit an ABC suburb, the two that are mostly still in tact are Vällingby to the north of Stockholm, and Farsta to the south.

The Swedish sandwich cake

Posted on by Neil Shipley's watching the Swedes

You’ve probably heard of the word smorgasbord. It is a Swedish word that we borrow in English for a plentiful buffet of food. It stems from the Swedish word for sandwich – ‘smörgås’.

So while smorgasbord might be known to you, I am doubting that ’smörgåstårta’ is as familiar. The ’smörgåstårta’ translates as ‘sandwich cake’, and it is a dish served at celebratory events such as birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and even funerals. It has an almost iconic status in Sweden.

The Swedish sandwich cake is not a sweet dish. It is a cake-shaped dish built in layers of bread. Between each layer of bread is a variety of fillings, for example ham, beef, shrimps, salmon, vegetables. It is full of egg and mayonnaise and is garnished with various vegetables or herbs such as dill, caviar, cucumber and radishes. It looks like a layered cream cake and is sliced and served cold like a cake.

The smörgåstårta first was mentioned in a newspaper in 1934, and quickly grew in popularity through the decades. It easily took hold as Sweden had a tradition of eating open sandwiches, and of considering a sandwich a meal in itself. The sandwich cake became an elevated version of this and was considered to be luxurious – and it still is today. It even has its own day of celebration – 13 November is smörgåstårta’s day!

The sandwich cake has been imported from Sweden and become popular in other countries in the north – being a festive sight in Finland, Estonia and Iceland.

As you can imagine, a slice of sandwich cake is very filling. Its creamy consistency and rich ingredients make it difficult to stomach more than two servings for most people. This usually results in smörgåstårta being eaten for lunch for several days afterwards.

If you’re interested in making one, here’s a recipe in English: Swedish sandwich cake

Swedish Monsters: 10) the Troll

Posted on by Neil Shipley's watching the Swedes

When I was at the open-air museum Skansen, I heard a story about mythical creatures. This started me on a series of Swedish monsters. Today, I wrap the series up with one remaining creature – the Troll!

Today – the Troll

The trolls in Scandinavian legend are not the same as the cute shock-haired characters in the animated movies that came out in the late 2010’s. Oh no, they are something altogether more sinister.

According to legend, trolls are described as being extremely old, hairy, very strong, with bulging eyes and large noses. Some are giants and some are dwarves. They are depicted as slow and dim-witted. They are voracious – feared for eating livestock, and children.

However, noticing a troll isn’t always easy. Trolls can actually take the shape of anything, including human beings. Sometimes they have a tail that they hide under their clothes. They reside far away from human habitation but frequently kidnap people and overrun farmsteads and human dwellings.

Living in forests, mountains and caves, trolls are said to fear iron and steel. Placing items made of those materials on your threshold prevents them from entering.

Trolls are also said to turn to stone in the sunlight. Luring them out of their hideaways and into the light is a way to get rid of them. Petrified trolls are associated with stony Scandinavian landmarks such as Trolltungen (troll tongue) Trollstigen (troll path), Trollveggen (troll wall) and Trollberget (troll mountain).

Trolls have been sighted everywhere in Sweden – from Värmland to Småland, Norrland to Skåne. So be careful this summer when you are strolling through the forests of Sweden and Scandinavia!

Illustration: John Bauer

Swedish Monsters: 9) Skogsrå

Posted on by Neil Shipley's watching the Swedes

When I was at the open-air museum Skansen, I heard a story about trolls. This got me thinking about other mythological creatures and monsters that inhabit Sweden. And a new series was born!

Today – Skogsrå

Another Swedish creature is the Skogsrå. A forest spirit, she is often depicted as a fair-haired beautiful woman, with the skill of seduction as her most prominent weapon. Using her skills, she lures men deep into the woods, to their peril.

The Skogsrå have hollowed-out backs, concealed from view. They also have a long cow’s tail. Of course, they have to also hide this from sight if their seduction is to work. The only way for a Skogsrå to lose her tail is if she gets married inside a church, when her tail will drop off, and she’ll transform into a human.

Similar to the legend of the sea-based Sirens, these forest nymphs lure men into the woods with their beautiful singing or harp-playing. They are also hypnotic dancers. It is said that if a human male has sex with a Skogsrå, he becomes sick and dies.

There are several ways to break the spell if you become bewitched by a Skogsrå. These include burning her with an ignited log and throwing tar in her face. To protect yourself, wear your clothes inside out and, under no circumstances give her your real name. If you do you will never break the enchantment.

Illustration: Kajsa Wallin

Swedish Monsters: 8) The Stalo

Posted on by Neil Shipley's watching the Swedes

When I was at the open-air museum Skansen, I heard a story about trolls. This got me thinking about other mythological creatures and monsters that inhabit Sweden. And a new series was born!

Today – The Stalo.

The far north of Sweden, in the area known as Lapland, is home territory for the Stalo. According to Sami legend, this demon is a one-eyed giant troll that wears impenetrable black iron clothing. Stalo is rich, evil, and very strong. He hunts and devours people and reindeer. Locals who live nearby are expected to leave offerings on an altar to the giant. If they don’t, Stalo sends packs of wolves into the village to wound and kill its inhabitants.

However frightening he is, he is also not very intelligent and is easy to trick.

Legends exist that involve luring him onto a frozen lake, where he falls into a hole in the ice and can’t get up again. Yet another, depicted below, shows a boy called Kauras who tricks Stalo into a competition where he butts his head into a tree trunk, rendering himself unconscious. Other, more complex tales, describe children, who have been trapped by the Stalo, escaping by crushing his hands with boulders and pouring molten lead onto his face.


Image: John Bauer, Stalo and Kauras

Swedish Monsters: 7) Näcken

Posted on by Neil Shipley's watching the Swedes

When I was at the open-air museum Skansen, I heard a story about trolls. This got me thinking about other mythological creatures and monsters that inhabit Sweden. And a new series was born!

Today – Näcken.

Summer is a time associated with bathing. But if you are bathing in-land, in a lake or stream or beck, keep an eye open for Näcken!

Näcken is a mythological creature in the shape of a naked man. He sits by waterways, or on lily pads, and plays beautiful music, often on a fiddle, but sometimes on a flute. With this music, he lures innocents into the water where they drown.

In certain legends, it is believed that Näcken can change his shape into, for example, a dragon, a worm or a beautiful white horse called Bäckahästen. As Bäckahästen, Näcken entices children to ride on his back and he carries them out the water to drown them. It doesn’t matter how many children there are, Bäckahästen’s back simply grows longer to accommodate them.

The name Näcken doesn’t come from the word ‘näck’ meaning naked in Swedish, as one might think. It comes from the Nordic word ‘nykr’ which meant ‘sea monster’ or ‘hippopotamus’.

So if you see a naked man playing a fiddle by the edge of a waterway – flee!

Painting: Ernst Josephson ‘Strömkarlen’

Swedish Monsters: 6) Torspjäsku

Posted on by Neil Shipley's watching the Swedes

When I was at the open-air museum Skansen, I heard a story about trolls. This got me thinking about other mythological creatures and monsters that inhabit Sweden. And a new series was born!

Today – Torspjäsku.

It’s a shame that so much rain is forecast this week, because then you have to be on the look out for Torspjäsku – especially if you are on the island of Gotland.

This monster is a kind of giant troll that from the front looks like a kind, friendly and normal woman. However from the back, she is a hollowed-out tree trunk.

When it is thundering and lightning, Torspjäsku wants to take shelter inside a house to protect herself from the wrath of Thor. But whatever you do, don’t let her in, she is not very nice! In what way she is not nice, nobody knows as there are no survivors to tell the tale.

To protect yourself from this monster, put a piece of steel on your threshold, for example a pair of scissors. Then she cannot cross.

So secretive is she, that I don’t even have a picture to share! So here’s a picture by photographer Claes Grundsten of the mystical Gotlandic rock formations (rauker) instead!

Swedish Monsters: 5) Gloson

Posted on by Neil Shipley's watching the Swedes

When I was at the open-air museum Skansen, I heard a story about trolls. This got me thinking about other mythological creatures and monsters that inhabit Sweden. And a new series was born!

Today – Gloson.

If you think pigs are cute, you might not after you hear about Gloson.

A monster from the southern part of Sweden, Gloson is a ghost-like creature that takes the shape of a giant wild boar or pig. It has piercing flaming eyes, sharp tusks and fangs and a strange snout.

Along its back, there is a spiky razored ridge which it uses to run between people’s legs and split them open at their crotch. Scary!

Picture: Freja Hammar