Kings, Grand Dukes, Town Councils and Tsars: A Brief Excursion to Historical Northeastern Europe 5
STOCKHOLM
Arrived in the morning after a quick flight from Helsinki. It was drizzling and cold, but the brightness of the city came through the grey weather. After dropping the bag off at the hotel, I made a beeline for the National Museum, which I had mistakenly thought would have a large archeological section. While that turned out not to be the case, the Museum is excellent and showcases Nordic and European art from the Middle Ages to the 20th C. A number of the Southern European pieces were collected as war booty and the plaques by the paintings mentioned that they were stolen. It is an interesting way to demonstrate the history not just of the artistic work, but also of the nation. Stockholm has the feel of an imperial city. It reigns along the waterways with grace and elegance, but also with a subtle power. It is a welcoming city, as traditional trading centers usually are, but there is also a sense of “don’t mess with me.” The country is very proud of its long-standing neutrality, but recognizes that events can, and have, changed traditions. From a kingdom based on war and booty, to one where it was economically smart to be neutral, to the recent application for NATO membership, the country has maneuvered its central place in Northern Europe masterfully.
Stockholm’s history really begins in the Middle Ages, and the Medieval History Museum was my next stop. The entrance is located in the middle of the Norrbro Bridge in front of the Parliament Building down a set of stairs to a small park; it is easy to miss if one doesn’t know exactly where to look. The museum has extensive plaques detailing life during the Middle Ages in the region with replica houses, taverns, trade shops etc. It is a good place to visit before moving on to the Old Town, Gamla Stan, at the other end of the bridge. Immediately in front of one after crossing the bridge is the Royal Palace, which can be visited during the day as the royal family no longer lives there. The Cathedral church, however, is currently closed for renovations. Walking around Gamla Stan is a delight with the old houses, fountains, the Nobel Museum, and lots of interesting restaurants and shops. While it is definitely a tourist hotspot, local people do live here. The two other churches on the island that I had wanted to visit, St. Gertrude’s, which was for the German population, and the Riddarholm Church, were closed; the first because it is only open until 3pm and the second because there was a private ceremony going on.
The next stop was the City Museum, which is about a 10-15 minute walk from Old Town. It is a small museum with plaques that explain the history of the city with corresponding paintings and etchings.
The next day began with the History Museum, which had a special Viking exhibit. This museum is a must for anyone visiting Stockholm. It is one of the most informative museums I’ve been in, and I’ve been in a lot of them! The exhibits start with a timeline on the floor from about 1000 to the present with entries that state the rulers as well as some of the most important events. On the walls and in the rooms are artifacts from the various time periods. After the historical overview, there is a separate section dealing with the 1361 Battle/Massacre of Gotland. This exhibit is followed by rooms filled with amazing Medieval altars and sculptures. The last room on this floor is dedicated to Swedish Baroque art. I didn’t have enough time to do justice to the last few rooms on this floor as I had a ticket for the ferry to Drottningholm, so I had to leave, knowing I could come back the next day as the museums are free.
The ferry ride to Drottningholm is a delightful way to see the city from the water. It passes by modern skyscraper complexes as well as houses from the 19th C. It is also fun to see the locals on their boats, - sail, motor and paddle.
Drottningholm did not disappoint. The Palace and grounds, including the Chinese Pavilion, are stunning. The theater, though, is in disrepair. When I asked about renovations, I was told they want to keep it in the original condition, even though no one is allowed on the upper floors as they may not be stable. Concerts and performances are, nonetheless, still held in the short summer months as the theater is unheated. It is perhaps the only theater in Europe that still uses ropes and pulleys to hoist and push the hand-painted scenery. As the queen had run out of money when building the theater, there were wars going on after all, she and the architect decided to make the theater itself an illusion. Instead of gold and marble, everything in the audience hall is painted wood. It is a fitting solution for the theater, but a couple of new coats of paint wouldn’t hurt. The trip back to Stockholm via public transportation involved taking almost any bus to Brommaplan and then the 19 Tram to the central station. The trip takes about 40 minutes.
Back at the History Museum the following day, I went first to the sections I had missed. The archeological section has fascinating painted stones such as the one with warriors and whirls from 300-500 CE. The Gold Room, in the center of the archeological section has gold and silver artifacts, including jewelry, crowns, and emblems, from 500 CE. As there has been a law in Sweden since the 17th C that all archeological artifacts belong to the state, the pieces in the Gold Room were often found by local people, not during official digs. This is somewhat true for the Viking Exhibit as well. The various rooms in the exhibit take one on a journey from the Early Middle Ages to about 1400, showcasing the life and beliefs of the Viking farmers. The exhibit stresses the fact that the Vikings were primarily farmers, and only went ‘Viking’ when it was necessary and that was primarily for trade. Clearly, they also plundered and while the exhibit doesn’t mention it, the influence of their plundering from the Irish monasteries is evident in the subsequent Viking Christian art.
From the public History Museum’s special exhibit, I walked over to the private Viking Museum, which costs E17. The exhibits here are also interesting and at the end one rides in a little cart as if one were in a horror hall at an amusement park, but rather than having scary things jump out, the journey follows the story a Viking farmer who has to go on trading missions to have enough money to keep his farm. It’s well done.
The last museum I visited was the Nordic Center that had a fabulous exhibit on the receding Arctic ice. It showcased the people of the Arctic and how their lifestyles are affected by the climatic changes. It also mentioned some of their creation legends. Two of them I’d like to share here as I found them especially interesting.
“The myth of Sedna, goddess of the sea, appears in many place and many versions in the Arctic. One version has her being left alone on an island after coupling with a stranger and bearing his child.
Eventually her father, the hunter, comes to pick up his daughter. On the way home, a terrible storm blows up and the boat is in danger of capsizing. To lighten the load, she is thrown overboard. She holds onto the boat, but the hunter chops off her fingers. Sedna sinks to the bottom, where she is transformed into the goddess of the sea. Her fingers turn into sea creatures. From that time onwards, people had to pray to Sedna for a successful hunt.
If the hunt failed, Sedna was angry and let the sea creatures hide in her hair. Hunger and death might result from Sedna’s anger.
- Many Arctic myths teach that one must show gratitude for the resources one needs to take from nature.”
Fyi: many goddess legends portray her as both protectress and warrior; those who show her respect are protected, but woe to those who don’t.
“Sami Creation Myth
No complete Sami creation myth has been recorded. However, the story of how a person is created and born provides insight into a religious conception in which various gods were essential in creating the basis of human life.
The Rå, or Keeper, empowered his son, the Keeper of the Horn, to create a soul, which he gave to the Great Mother, who created a body to house the soul. She then gave it to the Great Father. He took the human embryo in his belly and journeyed round the Sun on its rays to one of Great Mother’s daughters, who would give the foetus its sex. The Separation and Birth Mother created girls, while the Bow Mother created boys. The foetus was then given to an earthly woman who would give birth to the child. When her time came, the Separation and Birth Mother and the Great Mother came to her aid, and for this they were thanked with offerings. Once the baby was born, the Door Mother, the third of the Great Mother’s daughters, entered to serve as the child’s protector.”
Life is fragile in the Arctic and it takes a community to take care of one another.
From Vikings, to Medieval church altars, to palaces on waterways and the effects of climatic change on those living here and now, Stockholm’s museums were excellent and the city simply a delight.
Based on my experiences from this portion of the trip I formed a few general thoughts/opinions regarding the current situation in Ukraine. People in the neighboring regions are justifiably worried. Their histories have been filled with Russian invasions. They value their freedom and Western principles. They are European, not Russian. Ukraine is like them. It is its own country with its own traditions and language. Ukraine’s plight is felt deeply by the people in the Nordic and Baltic countries. Their issues and concerns are the same. If this war does escalate, then it will not end well for anyone, as regardless of NATO, these countries will fight tooth and nail to prevent Russian incursion.
