A Flatpack History of Sweden

Even though he's been on the throne for a decade at this point, Gustav Vasa is still not sitting entirely comfortably as 1534 comes around. That's because an old enemy has risen from the ashes of political oblivion and is attempting to take back his lost Kingdoms. This time Kristian the Tyrant returns! 

Gustav Vasa's religious reforms didn't go unopposed. The Church and even ordinary Swedes showed their opposition to the changes the King wanted to make in a number of ways, including getting extremely angry about the removal of of local church bells. This time we look at all the ways in which the process of the Reformation in Sweden didn't exactly always win the full throated approval of the people. 

The ideas of a revolutionary German monk cause some ripple effects even as far away as Sweden. Gustav Vasa sees an opportunity to take advantage of these new ways of thinking about Christianity and moves to limit the power of the Swedish bishops and starts a process of Reformation throughout the Kingdom. Protestantism is here! 

Gustav Vasa is now embarking on his journey as King of Sweden. First up is making the country complete again by sending troops to Gotland, where there are also some fancy looking rocks! Back on the mainland, far from everyone is happy with the new King and a series of revolts break out. How will Gustav deal with them? 

Åsa also wants a disclaimer put in here to say that she had nothing to do with the blooper at the end of the episode...

And check out some Raukar here!

Becoming King after a couple of decades of civil war, you can forgive Gustav Vasa for maybe needing a bit of a recap about what kind of country he had just become the King of and what state it was in. So, in this episode, we step into the eyes of Gustav Vasa as he takes a look around to see what Sweden looked like in 1523, and what problems he has to deal with first! 

To celebrate our 100th regular episode, here's Special Episode 10! This time we cover just a couple of weeks in 1973. There's a big hostage situation in a bank, royal drama and a General Election! Somehow Swedes managed to process all these dramatic events over one late summer in the early 1970s.

Thank you to everyone for being on this journey with us!

In our 100th regular episode, Gustav Vasa and his merry band of Swedish rebels take on King Kristian and the Danes in a war that will see shifting allegiances, the nobility and peasants fighting side by side once more, and eventually even the birth of the Swedish Navy. King Kristian on the other hand, faces troubles on all fronts and eventually Gustav will take the throne. Is this what spells the end of the Kalmar Union once and for all? 

To celebrate the 100th episode, there's a particularly funny blooper left in at the end.

The dust has settled on the Stockholm Bloodbath and King Kristian continues his early reign with more bloodshed. He thinks he has Sweden under his thumb but he has hasn't counted on the return of one young nobleman. After escaping custody thanks to a sneaky ruse, Gustav Vasa tries to gather support for a rebellion by visiting his old uni friends and even has to escape through a toilet at one point to avoid the King's men. But will the peasants of Sweden unite behind this ambitious, snowshoe-wearing rebel leader? 

Here is the painting we mention in the episode.

And here is the museum we mention that is older than the USA! 

After King Kristian II takes over Sweden, he goes a bit cray-cray... That means we have reached one of the most famous events of Swedish history; A vengeful King and an angry Archbishop combine to put the Swedish nobility to the sword. But why, and how? 

We ended last episode with King Kristian II of Denmark sailing away with some Swedish hostages. This time he returns to Sweden to do more battle, during a cold winter, and he even brings some Scottish mercenaries along for the ride. Sten Sture and his wife lead the fight for the Swedes, with a bit of help from the Devil's Mother!

One of the biggest political showdowns in Swedish history begins this week, and it is all to do with the Archbishop! The King of Denmark, the Regent of Sweden and the Archbishop himself all clash over the powers and property of the office. It's going to be dramatic... 

Sweden seems to be stuck in a loop in the early 1500s: there's internal conflict, and there's conflict with Denmark. After their villages have been ravaged by Danish troops, a group of peasants writes to the regent saying "such fire and plunder was not useful", which is the understatement of the age. We also see someone get a new job, but not for long... 

Meanwhile, we also address the confusion around Sweden and Switzerland - here's a link to the video we mention in the episode!

And for those of you who want to check out the wreck of the Gribshunden ship that we mention in the episode, you can find that here. 

King Hans doesn't get to rest long on the Swedish throne before rebellion breaks out once more. This time a fish seems to be at least partly to blame! In the middle of all the fighting, rebel leader Regent Sten Sture starts to feel unwell, which leads to a comedic sequence of events involving some trickery and disguises! Meanwhile, Queen Kristina gets dragged into the fighting as well. It's a busy episode! 

If you're listening "live", remember to send us ideas for what we should cover in our special 100th episode!

We're squeezing in a final episode of 2023! We look at a major siege and battle over on the Russian border in Finland before turning back to look at political developments in Sweden. King Hans is on the move and Swedish Regent Sten Sture has his work cut out for him as even his own archbishop starts getting a bit agitated! 

Please let us know your suggestions for what we should cover as a special 100th episode topic!!

There are expeditions and battles in the east of the Baltic Sea region this week and we see changes in the political landscape back home too.

Sweden also makes a big cultural and scientific leap as the printing press arrives on our shores! The first few books might not exactly be best sellers and they also aren't that imaginatively named either, just like a new castle built over in Finland...

We're back and back with a bang! Or back with a battle at least! King Kristian of Denmark slogs it out with Swedish Regent Sten Sture in a battle long remembered. Both before and after the battle, we see a lot of nationalistic chat on both sides of the border, as the Kalmar Union descends into a conflict Sten Sture wants to define as Sweden vs Denmark. King Kristian also has to learn how to use the new mortar he is renting from Germany and Sweden gets its first university...

We also hear from possibly our oldest listener, and here is the song mentioned in his email, Hälsa De Där Hemma on YouTube.

KKB as King, peasants revolting, marriage alliances, political bishops, regents, splits in the nobility, angry Danes, oh, and a plague. This episode has it all! Listen for more details!

This episode feels a bit like déjà vu, as all sides in Scandinavia recycle plans they've used before. Once again, there's conflict with Denmark, the nobility in in disagreement, the peasants revolt, and guess what - KKB is back!

This is the podcast you're looking for, just with a fancy new logo. Hope you like it!

Whilst Kings Kristian and KKB battled it out for the control of Sweden and Norway in the last episode, one Norwegian nobleman was busy playing an interesting in Norwegian society at the time.

We look at the life of Olav Nilsson Skanke and his indefatigable wife Elise, how their actions fit into the grand story of the Kalmar Union and why their relationship with the Hansa in particular was something to remember! It's a blockbuster ride, so strap in... 

It is time for our longest episode for over two years! Sorry if you like the shorter stories, there is too much madness with KKB to cover this time around.

After the sad, untimely death of King Chris, the Swedes and the Danes disagree about who should be King of the Kalmar Union. There isn't even really any unanimous decision within Sweden either... As always, Norway is the odd one out and has to deal with the power hungry ambitions of the two main candidates... Let's get going! 

We're on the road again! We thought we had maybe neglected Östergötland a little, considering its importance to the story of Sweden, so during the summer we headed south and went on a bit of a trip. 

We visited Linköping castle and cathedral, Vadstena Abbey and the island of Visingsö with its castles and woods. Taking our microphone for a ride, we look at these historical places and the important roles they've played in the story so far.

A special thanks to everyone at the Vadstena Abbey and Monastery Museum for showing us around their great museum and even more thanks to Linn for singing for us during the visit! 

As always you can check out our website www.aflatpackhistoryofsweden.com and find us on Facebook and Twitter (X). 

King Kristoffer is on the throne! Of Denmark at least... There will be some wrangling with the council first, before he can ascend the throne of Sweden and the Kalmar Union can once again be under the rule of one monarch.

We dedicate an entire episode to the reign of Chris' namesake king, looking at who he was, what he did, and if the introduction of a new law code is really as boring as it may sound at first.

To arms, all guards to the battlements! 

Castles have become increasingly important over the last century or so in our story and it is time we look into them in a bit more detail. How were castles built, what purpose did they serve and who worked and lived in them? We look into castles and fortresses in medieval Sweden and focus on a few examples to get a bit more colour on these unique locations in the storyline. 

It’s time for a surprise special episode, on a Friday no less!

We’re so happy to have teamed up with Mikael from The Scandinavian History Podcast. We’ve both spent so much time recently talking about the Kalmar Union and so we thought that we would mark the 500th anniversary of Sweden leaving the Union (spoilers!) by looking into a crystal ball to see what might have happened had the Union survived any longer than it did. Was the collapse of the Kalmar Union even a good thing anyway?

Check out Mikael’s podcast The Scandinavian History Podcast wherever you get your podcasts and follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

Erik Puke is dead and with his death the peasant revolt he led dies down. The Swedish council meets in Strängnäs to try and solve the "peasant problem" once and for all, putting a number of restrictions on those they looked down on. But will this just mean that the nobility will start fighting amongst themselves about who gets to take advantage of the situation?

We then cover a brilliant Danish insult as King Erik gets into more trouble, this time with politicians from Sweden's neighbour. 

You can find Roberto's Tsar Power on Twitter here, as well as The History of Saqartvelo Georgia.

When Venetian merchant Pietro Querini left Crete for Flanders in 1432, little did he know that his voyage would take him much further afield. We follow the unfortunate Venetian as he and his crew struggle their way through poor shipbuilding, storms, starvation and desolate environments. The story also includes a guest appearance by one of our favourite characters in the main narrative so far! 

Querini also manages to capture the culinary imagination of his fellow Italians on his return... 

The revolt that is tearing Sweden apart is starting to split apart, just like Engelbrekt's head. There are now two distinct groups, with the high nobility being led by Karl Knutsson Bonde, with Erik Puke taking up Engelbrekt's cause of wanting lower taxes for the peasants. Forget about King Erik, the real dispute is internally within the rebellion!

We also hear about the wonderful life journey of a man who went from from young nobleman, to murderer, to fugitive, to pirate, back to being nobleman again, and then councillor and a lawman. Exhausting stuff!

Engelbrekt really does mean business. His revolt is continuing to grow after peace talks with King Erik don't really come to much. Engelbrekt storms around Sweden, lighting the fires of rebellion, but will some personal disputes get in the way for the rebel leader? What does end in this episode though is the war with Holstein over Schleswig, so at least the King can be happy with that, can't he? 

We're back with the chronological narrative and things start piling up for King Erik. He clearly didn't listen to this episode's Swedish Phrase of the Week... Without Queen Filippa keeping an eye on Swedish public opinion, discontent spills over into outright rebellion, led by a man so good they named him twice, Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson. But is it possible to rebel against a King of three realms and what should the rebellion's plan be called? We discuss all this and more! 

After some excellent listener feedback, we're righting a wrong and focusing on animals throughout Swedish history. We start by looking at the lives of animals during the current period of the podcast, investigating what pigs, sheep, horses, dogs and other animals were up to in the medieval period. We then look at some famous royal horses and examine an English dog scandal with a bit of a Swedish twist! 

Note: This episode was originally released on 30th April 2023 but due to an editing error it is now being republished. 

This time we focus on King Erik's disastrous war with Holstein over Slesvig, as things take a turn for the worse when the Hansa join in. Queen Filippa helps out with the war effort and tries to get the discontented Swedes on side, before an unfortunate event means she is unable to help as the situation deteriorates...

We then end the episode with a look at archery in naval combat and what life might have been like for your average Hansa merchant sailing the Baltic sea.  

Last time we saw King Erik head out on a trip across Europe, looking for marriage alliances and help with Slesvig, before spending some quality time in Jerusalem. Whilst he is away, Queen Filippa takes the reins in Scandinavia. For almost two years she rules the Kalmar Union, introducing new coins and travels a lot around the realm. 

We have also had the pleasure recently of featuring on the great Presidencies of the United States podcast, in a special episode rating the life and career of Attorney General Caesar A Rodney! Check out the episode here and follow Jerry and Presidencies on Facebook and Twitter.

Knowing he has a competent Queen back home, Erik can afford to go on a long road trip! He's heading off to Jerusalem, but on the way he wants to get some help with Slesvig from his cousin, the Holy Roman Empire strongman Sigismund. He's also in the market for a marriage alliance and more than happy to invite himself to some parties along the way, so he's got a busy journey ahead of him! 

Following Margareta's departure from the story, King Erik is now ruling Sweden and the rest of the Kalmar Union on his own. He has plenty of meetings dealing with the fall out of Margareta's death and it starts off really well for him. However, things will soon go from bad to worse in the war with Holstein over Slesvig and Erik will land himself in trouble that will only spiral from here. He earns a new nickname and at the same time his wife Queen Filippa gets some new land and responsibilities. 

Do not adjust your podcast player, this is a new style of episode! We are introducing an episode called Tangent Time, because we have finally snapped and gone off on a long tangent about something only vaguely related to the main narrative... 

We cover the pivotal Battle of Grunwald (or Battle of Tannenberg) between the Teutonic Knights and the forces of Poland and Lithuania. We mentioned this briefly in the latest regular episode (number 75) but felt that the story deserved the full Flatpack treatment. It is Jogaila and Vytautas versus Ulrich von Jungingen and it is going to be momentous! 

We suggest listening to episode 75 first, but it isn't mandatory!

The story of the Kalmar Union continues, as political intrigue engulfs the religious world when Sweden needs a new archbishop... There's also a lot of fighting on the battlefield as we cover a disaster for both the Teutonic Knights over in Poland and also for our friend Father Abraham down in Holstein. And then, we see the surprise departure of a significant figure in the story so far... 

Queen Margareta and King Erik are taking some time off from fighting German knights and reducing the property ownership of the nobility to attend to some personal matters, because it is time for King Erik to get married! After some scouting around for suitable wives, the choice falls on an English Princess, Filippa. We delve deep into the marriage negotiations, preparations and practicalities around this royal marriage of the ages. This includes how many squirrels were needed for the wedding dress and how much beer the English wedding guests brought with them (spoiler: a lot). 

First up in this action and intrigue-packed episode is a story that took Scandinavia by storm in the early 1400s. Margareta receives a letter from someone long gone and the revelations threaten to tear apart her Kingdom. A strange man arrives at court but doesn't exactly receive a warm welcome. The same applies to Margareta's men sent to deal with the situation on Gotland, with the leader of this group having a particularly singable name!

A special thanks to our voice actor Jerry, from the Presidencies of the United States podcast. When he isn't busy voicing German egg salesmen, he's covering the lives and politics of the presidents of the United States! Check him out wherever you get your podcasts, as well as on Twitter, Facebook and his website! 

Of course the first episode back after a Swedish Christmas has to include a healthy dose of herring! We round off the 1300s with a quick tale about Novgorod and more developments on Gotland, before diving into the great herring markets of Skåne to start off the new century. The 1400s was a time of great trade in Skåne and herring was of vital importance to the entire Kalmar Union. What happened if you tried to salt your own fish or carried your herring around in a bag? Find out here! 

A special episode for a special time of year! We celebrate the festive season with a visit to one of Sweden's most famous Christmas symbols and a discussion about symbols of the country in general. From the flag to the Three Crowns, we discuss the most common things people think of when they think of Sweden - we even include the Dala Horse by special request! 

Read more about the Christmas goat here.

A surprise arrival on the island of Gotland leads to our biggest digression yet! There's drama all over the north of Europe as we cover the backstory of these new players in the Swedish story - although some of them aren't that new. The Teutonic Knights are here and they're ready to take some new land! 

Note: The joke section at the end is not the announcement of a new project...! :) 

We have building up to this big meeting for quite a while now and trust us, it is worth it! A formal union between old enemies Denmark, Sweden and Norway is agreed in a major historical milestone. Erik will be crowned King of this new entity and it is a certainly a win for Margareta. But what was actually agreed on and was the meeting even that important at the time? Sources are confused and there is a lot of historical debate to cover! Plus, we try and figure out why not many Norwegians attended... 

Margareta is now truly in charge after capturing King Albert in battle last time around. In Sweden, her heir Erik is elected king at Mora Stenar, despite Margareta really being in charge. A sign of this power is how she curtails noble power and continues to make laws strengthening royal control over her three countries. Meanwhile, the Baltic Sea is still a bit of a haven for pirates though, and the Mecklenburgs aren't going to give up just yet. Oh, and some priests throw a sword through a window! 

The situation on the Baltic Sea is about to go from bad to worse as piracy takes hold. The Dukes of Mecklenburg assemble a giant fleet to try and keep Stockholm resupplied and terrorise all merchants foolish enough to risk a voyage on the water. It gets so bad that even the Dutch and the English are annoyed! Just like 100 years previously, icy water plays its part in naval combat, and two sides finally sit down to discuss peace. 

The 1380s is drawing to a close and the decade ahead has been described by historians as "one of the most troublesome, bloody and unstable times in the history of the nations around the Baltic sea.” Queen Margareta has lost her son King Olof and now her enemies in Mecklenburg won't give in. It is time for the two sides to meet in battle, namely at Åsle in February 1389. In this episode we'll cover that battle, what happens afterwards and a bloody event in Stockholm. 

We're back in the late 1380s after our two recap episodes. We pick up the story of Scandinavia after the death of the last of the Bjälbo dynasty, King Olof of Norway and Denmark. But fear not, his mother Margarete is ready to step up and take the reins. We'll see how she enforces her will on both Denmark and Norway, with the help of her allies in the Danish court. We then rewind and focus on her time as regent for her son in the previous decade and a half, and examine her on-off relationship with local pirates! 

Remember you can find all our episode pictures, maps, Swedish phrases, all of sources and a brand new family tree on our website. 

We are also on Facebook and Twitter!

We continue with part two of our double episode recap. We start with the first Swedish King and end up with King Albert in the late 1300s, where we left off in the last chronological episode. We see royal drama, powerful jarls, dukes, Queens, Kings and much more. There's so much to cover, so let's get going!

Remember to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more Swedish history content and check out our website for more information, maps, family trees and a lot more! 

After two and a half years, and after a request by a listener, we thought it was a good time to start recapping everything we have covered in the podcast so far. We open the Flatpack Archives and discuss a few highlights from each episode in the first half of our back catalogue. We'll finish this recap next time!

Remember you can find all our episode pictures, maps, family trees, Swedish phrases and our Swedish and English sources on our website. 

We are also on Facebook and Twitter!

In the spirit of a title from Åsa's favourite TV show, this is the one where everyone dies. Sorry about the spoilers... 

In this episode, everything we have come to know and love/hate about Scandinavian politics for the last 30-40 years or so and that we have covered over the last 10 episodes comes crashing down. Who will be left standing at the end of the episode and who will fall victim to the Grim Reaper? It is going to be messy...

Do give Tsar Power a listen to; you can find them on Twitter and on their website, plus wherever you find your podcasts.

As always, we have another family tree available on our own website too.  

We continue with the whirlpool that is late 14th century Swedish politics. Rebelling Swedish noblemen, with Bo Jonsson Grip at the helm, are ready to take the fight to King Magnus, with the help of their new allies Mecklenburg. Young Albert of Mecklenburg will eventually be placed on the Swedish throne, but he's really just a figurehead, as behind the scenes it is his dad and the council that wield the real power. 

We're back on track with our chronological narrative. We pick up where we left off after the battle of Visby in the summer of 1361. Gotland continues to suffer under its new Danish masters, but before long King Magnus decides to strike back. What follows is a Danish-Swedish-Norwegian-German-Hanseatic conflict in which alliances change quicker than in a Latin American soap opera. 

Make sure you listen to the very end, to hear a promo for a great podcast called the History of Saqartvelo Georgia! Check it out where ever you find your podcasts or visit their website - https://historyofsaqartvelo.com/ 

It is time for another special episode! We recently spent a whole week in the county of Skåne and got to see a load of historical gems. In the chronological timeline, King Magnus has just possession of Skåne, so let's take a look at what he has had taken away from him.

Listen as we talk about the tower watchman of Ystad, the stone ship Ale Stenar, the fish of Simrishamn and much more!

(Please note, the next episode will be out on 24th July instead of 10th July as we take a short summer break.)

We've talked about her on and off for a while now, so we thought it was time for a biographical special! Known as Birgitta up until now in the timeline, minor spoilers as we examine the life of the lady known in Swedish history as Saint Birgitta. It will be a journey, both literal and metaphorical, filled with visions, politics and death. She also writes a lot of letters... 

This is an extra special episode for two reasons! For the first time we have enough information to spend a whole episode focusing on just one battle, the Battle of Visby in 1361, and it is also our first ever interview episode. 

We speak to Thomas Neijman, PhD candidate in History at Stockholm University, an expert on the Battle of Visby and its modern day perceptions. In addition to his studies, Thomas is also a Swedish military officer, curator of the Swedish History Museum's exhibit on the battle and a re-enactor, making him the perfect person to explain the events of this tumultuous year and guide us through the exhibit itself. 

Listen as Chris interviews Thomas at the Swedish History Museum and hear them walk through the exhibit and look at some of the remains on display that Thomas helped to curate. 

Edit: Chris has recently (July 2024) visited Visby and recorded a video there. Check it out on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJw0M1-uTcg 

If you want to read more about the exhibit and the museum itself, you can find that information here: https://historiska.se/utstallningar/medieval-massacre/ 

This week it is all change in the Bjälbo dynasty in another action packed episode! We start off with King Magnus' son Håkon finally taking the throne of Norway as planned, in a relatively rare peaceful transition of power. This annoys elder brother Erik who attempts to grab more power for himself... We also see the Hanseatic League actually become the Hanseatic League and King Valdemar in Denmark still hasn't given up on his mission of restoring the entirety of the Danish Kingdom. 

We also finally have a new family tree! Find them all here: https://aflatpackhistoryofsweden.com/family-tree-gallery/ 

Novgorod and Sweden have been involved in on and off conflict for a couple of centuries as we reach the end of the 1340s. Things go into overdrive at the end of the decade, as King Magnus of Sweden heads east, determined to convert the Novgorodians to his version of Christianity and take control over vital trade routes. Battles centre around the Orekhov/Nöteborg castle and things get so bad for Novgorod, they need to call on their Archbishop for help! Back home in Sweden, Magnus decides it is about time that there should be just one legal system for the entire country and embarks on an ambitious project of law reform!

We also ask for help in this episode, welcoming the excellent Bry from Pontifacts to read out a long quote for us. Check out Pontifacts wherever you get your podcasts, and follow them on Twitter for some Pope related fun: www.twitter.com/pontifactspod

The Black Death has arrived in Norway and Sweden. Magnus "hade häcken full" trying to deal with its consequences, as the plague spread throughout the countries. The Black Death affected everything; bringing major building projects to a halt, devastating entire parishes and towns, and putting a stop to potential war plans. Unfortunately, Magnus' best advice doesn't stop the spread of the disease and before long, half the country is dead. It is grim reading - or listening! 

Oh, and Chris throws a pillow at Åsa...! 

After having purchased Skåne, King Magnus is keen to continue expanding the Swedish territories, but so is King Valdemar in Denmark. The two lock horns over control of land around the Baltic Sea. There is trouble brewing on the island of Gotland, and over in Danish-controlled Estonia, the local population is rising up. Back home King Magnus wants to ensure the line of succession is secured and make sure that there were laws in place to keep the people fighting for him in line. 

At the end of the episode we see how news of a devastating disease arrives from the European continent. Once it reaches Sweden, it will change the course of the country's history. 

King Magnus is now finally old enough to take the reigns of Sweden and after a bit of argument, Norway too. One of the very first things he does is treat himself to some new land by buying Skåne. Åsa's home county is now finally under the rule of a Swedish King for the first! The rest of the episode revolves around money, or lack of it, as Magnus tries to fund his coronation, Eriksgata and wedding, plus pay off his previous debts. We also see the arrival of a Danish James Bond at the end of the episode... 

Our favourite enemy Novgorod is back in the picture, this time with siege engines and a really impressive new castle! This episode will see plenty of war between Sweden and Novgorod, but also a landmark peace treaty. Back home, King Mother Ingeborg causes so much commotion that she's removed from all positions of influence in the Kingdom. Meanwhile, down south, Denmark has time to completely fall apart! 

We're back in the 1300s and just like young King Magnus, it is time for a crash course on the status of his realm. For the first time, a King is monarch of both Sweden and Norway and there is a lot for him to take in and figure out.  Towns are growing and different types of farms are spreading throughout the country. At the same time, Denmark is falling apart and his mother starts meddling in international affairs.

Oops, Chris accidentally muted the intro and outro music when creating the audio file, so we're re-uploading it with the proper version now, sorry!

It is time for another special episode! This time, as we see Swedes win medals in Beijing in 2022, we thought we would look at some of their predecessors and the Swedish athletes who competed in the first modern Olympic Games. Meet Sweden's first Olympians, first medallists and a great old man who would become an Olympic legend!

Listen to find out about all this and more, including the mystery of a disappearing Japanese marathon runner... 

Just like at the end of the Viking Age and at the start of the High Middle Ages, we've now covered enough of the Medieval period to warrant an "everything else we haven't mentioned yet" style episode! Lots of things come up in the research that don't fit neatly into the chronological narrative, but they are still worth knowing, so we decided to talk about them in a dedicated episode.

Listen and enjoy some trivia, facts and stories about life in Medieval Sweden, as we discuss everything from medicine and skeletons to Hnefatafl and Tug of War!

Includes minor spoilers about our next special episode and keep listening for some rubbish whistling after the outro music...

Our milestone 50th episode is a case study on the Great Copper Mountain Mine (GCMM)! Since the Viking Age, we have seen great examples of entrepreneurship and business in Sweden, but nothing as long lasting as the Great Copper Mountain Mine, or Stora Kopparbergs Gruva. First mentioned in text way back in 1288 when the bishop of Västerås bought a share in the mine, but in reality a lot older, the GCMM is Sweden's oldest still operating company and is sometimes even called the world's oldest limited company. We look into the background of the mountain, what open cast mining entails and discuss Chris' visit to one of Australia's biggest bauxite mines... 

Welcome to the third and final instalment of the Shakespearean tale of an epic Swedish royal brotherly feud! Last time we saw Sweden being split in three with Birger, Erik and Valdemar getting one part each to rule over. At first it looks like this might work out, but it's not long before the three brothers are at each other's throats again. And this time, it's a fight to the death!

The final showdown has gone down in Swedish history as the Nyköpingsgästabud - The Nyköping Banquet! 

This episode will start and end with two of Sweden's most famous historical events from the Medieval period. That means that the 11 years between the two dramatic incidents are sometimes skimmed over in histories of the era. However, so much happens and the royal family drama somehow manages to go up a level!

Bonus mini story at the end as we recount the tale of Botulf, the only Swede to ever be convicted of heresy!

Our history of Sweden podcast has reached a point often compared to a level of drama usually seen in a Shakespeare play! King Birger is finally old enough to take the reigns from the regency council but it doesn't take long for his two brothers Erik and Valdemar to try and grab that power for themselves. Thanks to their web of marriage alliances, the brothers' feud lights the touch paper and all of Scandinavia is at war! The episode ends with a ploy worthy of Birger Jarl himself.

King Magnus III is dead and his young son Birger is too young to steer the Kingdom through choppy waters. Instead it is up to Marsk Torgil Knutsson to lead Sweden for the time being as head of the Regency Council. The 1200s end with Swedish attention turning to the east and a series of campaigns against old enemy Novgorod are launched. Back home, King Birger gets married to a Danish princess, setting up a marriage alliance that will affect the political layout of Scandinavia for many years to come.   

King Magnus gets a chance to spend at least some of his time formalising royal control in Sweden during the 1280s. His brother gets a Dukedom, influential figures get the titles of Drots, Marsk and Kansler, and the important building project of Uppsala Cathedral comes under new management. The King mediates in two high profile conflicts and we also explain his unusual Swedish name, Ladulås. Oh, and he imprisons his brother, former King Valdemar!

After nearly 10 years feuding with his brother King Valdemar over who should rule Sweden, Magnus Birgersson finally gets his way and takes the throne after the Battle of Hova in 1275. The next five years are action-packed for Magnus and the Kingdom, as ex-King Valdemar sticks around stirring up trouble for his brother. Magnus quickly realises that Danish mercenaries are expensive as he starts his reign off deep in debt and it only gets worse. He even manages to find the time to get married, fight off a rebellion and lay the foundations for the Swedish nobility with the Alsnö Stadga. Busy times!

King Valdemar is finally free of the shackles that his father, Birger Jarl, placed on his rule and he is ready to do some actual kinging! He will reign, he will rule, he will change things, and he will build things. Or no, he actually will not do much at all. Because Valdemar has brothers, and one brother in particular, Magnus, will cause endless trouble for him and hamper his reign. 

Still, he does find time to get nice and cosy with a runaway Danish nun...!

Moi and welcome to Finland! From now, Finland will play an integral role in the history of Sweden. In this episode we go back in time, to cover hundreds of years of Finnish history until the Swedes come into the story. We cover how Finland developed, what the different societies living there looked like and what they go up to around the Baltic Sea. We then look at how the first interactions with Swedish Kings and their expeditions shaped the future of this land of lakes! 

This time we introduce a new landmass to our chronological story: The island of Gotland! We cover thousands of years of Gotland's history, with a focus on trade and how it fits into the story of the Baltic Sea and the surrounding regions. We'll see why as time goes on, the island becomes more and more integrated with the Swedish Kingdom, but it definitely is a gradual process. We then look at the origins of a new northern European trade network!

Includes our funniest/worst mispronunciation blooper so far at the end of the episode!

April 2021 saw the 35th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Whilst widely known around the world as a disastrous industrial accident, Sweden's involvement in the aftermath is usually overlooked. In this new special episode, we will explore how the world outside the USSR found out about the disaster, with help from a Swedish power plant worker's shoes! 

As it is a special episode, we have a special creator of the episode picture; Åsa!

In our third and final episode about Birger Jarl, the mighty Jarl continues to rule as the puppet master of his son, King Valdemar. He appoints his other sons dukes and even uses the title himself occasionally. He has a second marriage and with that creates an unholy alliance that annoys the Danes. Plus, Sweden fights some more in the east, along with other developments. But even a mighty man like Birger Jarl will eventually lay down for his final rest, and once he's done that, we look back at his life and rule and ask ourselves if he was Birger Jarl, or was he in fact more like Birger King?  

Stay tuned at the end of the episode to hear more about our new website: www.aflatpackhistoryofsweden.com

It is time to continue our discussion about the life and deeds of Birger Jarl. This time we look specifically at what happens in the 1250s, a busy decade for our rising leader. He is occupied by marrying off his kids to form political alliances, quashing domestic rebellions, and buttering up visiting German traders. We also see what happened in a war that never was!

Finally we skip forward to the 20th century to examine a rather rash decision by Stockholm City Council...

If Hollywood were to make a film on Sweden in the 1200s, the main character would be Birger Jarl. We saw him introduced to the story last time, but now we look at his life in detail, in the first of three episodes looking at his achievements and the impact he had on his country. In this first episode we cover his early life, entrance into politics and everything he does up until he declares his son Valdemar the King of Sweden in 1250. Strap in! 

We pick up where we left off in Episode 34, with the death of King Johan. Previously exiled Erik returns to Sweden from his mother's family in Denmark to take the throne as a young man. A regency council is appointed, before drama ensues amongst its members. Later in the episode, we witness the emergence of one of Sweden's most famous and important figures, as Sweden's first great statesman enters the scene... 

Surprise! It's not time for a regular episode this week, but instead we're bringing you an extra special episode. Back in April we had the pleasure of giving a talk at the Intelligent Speech Conference 2021. This is the recording of said talk, plus a brand new intro and outro that we've recorded specially. 

In our talk we look at how and why Sweden, unlike all of its neighbours, escaped invasion during the Second World War. We discover how one natural resource can make all the difference, and how the decisions of a few politicians on one fateful weekend echoed throughout history. Last but not least, we have a quick look at how Sweden was affected by the war, even though it wasn't invaded. Beware of accidental bombings! 

After a brief discussion of windmills in England, we pick up where we left off last time and continue our discussion of the legal system in the High Middle Ages in Sweden. Today we take a closer look at the practical aspects of legal practice, such as how courts worked and what punishments there were as society gradually moves away from Viking justice. We'll also meet Sweden's very first written down legal text, and its great list of Kings. Finally, someone will be stealing watermelons, even though they don't exist in Sweden yet. But Chris likes the idea.... 

Welcome to the office of Law and Order: Medieval Sweden Unit! In the first of this two-part mini series on crime, laws and justice in Sweden during the 12th and 13th centuries, we're looking into some overarching changes to legal practices. In Part One, we examine what and who influenced these changes, such as the church and more contact with northern Europe. There will be blood feuds and the church dictating who can have sex!

We kick off this episode with Sverker II, who returns from exile and becomes King of Sweden as the Jarl, Birger Brosa of the Bjälbo family, is busy pulling the strings behind the scenes. However, a few years later, after Birger Brosa finally leaves the scene, Sverker II quickly moves against the established system and the jenga tower of Swedish political power promptly comes toppling down. Who will try to pick up all the pieces and will the tower be put back together again?

Remember to check out our social media for some family trees, which should hopefully help clear up some of the complicated family connections!

Finally, after 32 episodes and thousands of years of Swedish history, we can welcome you to the nation's capital Stockholm! It hasn't been around until now, but from the late 1100s onwards, it will explode onto the scene, with German merchants, forts and a royal presence. And, as a bonus, the Swedish phrase of the week also has a Stockholm theme!

P.S. Have a closer look at this week's episode picture. Notice something different? This week it's not Chris who has drawn the picture, like he usually does, but rather Åsa, who tried her hand as the artist.

King Sverker is dead. He will be followed by decades of fighting over the throne between his own Sverker dynasty and the rival Erik dynasty. In this episode, we cover the first four decades of this drama, which includes a King being proclaimed a Saint, more royal intermingling and the rise of a powerful, non-royal family of Jarls. 

Seeing as the crazy marriages and family relations from last time just keep getting more and more complicated, we have uploaded a couple of helpful family tree images to our social media pages! Check them out if you need a refresher on who is related to who.... 

Today we are dedicating an entire episode to the tumultuous times of King Sverker! No shortage of drama here, as we see another extended Danish civil war, introduce the Novgorod Republic (who are worthy of their own podcast series!) and discuss an evil crime committed by Sverker's horrendous son...

We also meet the only English Pope, continue the story of Queen Rikissa, and try to figure out more complicated marriage alliances. All this before the story ends in a bloody, unexpected way!

Plus, a massive thank you to our listener Barbora for the amazing picture she sent us - we are using it as this week's episode picture as we love it so much!

In another episode full of regal drama, sometimes playing out more like a South American telenovela than Swedish history, we finish the story of the Stenkil dynasty, beginning with the brothers Filip and Inge the Younger. We also meet Ingegerd, in whom so many great historical narratives converge. Religious matters continue to keep the Swedes on their toes, as the Crusades turn local! We end up with a three-way fight for the Swedish throne as the Stenkil dynasty comes to an end, just before a potential hostage situation confuses things. 

As Sweden progresses through the High Middle Ages, Christianity is becoming an increasingly important part of everyone's lives, from the kings down to the peasants. The church is taking control over some parts of local administration, education, taxation and large public building works such as Sweden's first abbeys. We can't understand life in Sweden at this point, and going forward, if we don't understand how religion played its role in the running of the country. 

The relative stability of the Olof Skötkonung dynasty is thrown into chaos. Strap yourselves in for power struggles, pagan revolts, more Scandinavian wars and the construction of Sweden's first Abbey. We rattle through half a century of political and royal drama as the crown changes hands back and forth throughout the period. 

If you want to skip ahead in the narrative, on 24th April we will be talking about Sweden during the Second World War at Intelligent Speech 2021! Get your tickets here and use the code "Sweden" for an extra 10% off:

https://www.intelligentspeechconference.com/product/intelligent-speech-spring-2021/ 

We start this episode in 1022 as Anund Jakob ascends the throne of Sweden, becoming King after his father, Olof Skötkonung. We look at his reign and how he was followed by his half-brother Emund. There is as always more war among the Scandinavian nations, religious turmoil and an intriguing historical dilemma surrounding some coins minted in Sigtuna! 

(Had to briefly take down the episode as we noticed some bad editing at the end, if you got that copy, enjoy the rare outtakes!) 

After two special episodes, we return to the chronological narrative. We enter the High Middle Ages and prepare to finally say goodbye to the Vikings. We find out about the lovely herring people would have eaten, see slavery begin to disappear and generally see how life was changing for people in this period.

This time we celebrate one whole year of us talking about Swedish history! We look back at our favourite moments, and reflect on all the things we have talked about so far. We both go through our top 5 favourite things from the first year, thank all you lovely listeners and give a few shout outs to some fellow podcasts we have met along the way. 

Thank you as ever for all the lovely messages, reviews and emails! :) 

We're taking a break from our usual chronological journey and instead visit a historical site in our own home. In what could be seen as part two of our special episode about dog tags, we continue to look at Sweden's preparations for war in the 20th century. Just like with the dog tags, we found that we're living with a reminder of history, namely a bomb shelter in our own basement! We go to have a look and explore the background as to why there were so many shelters built in Sweden. 

We're out and about again! This time we visit Sweden's oldest town, Sigtuna. Founded by Viking leader Erik Segersäll and improved on by his son and King, Olof Skötkonung, the town still has lots of remains from that time visible today.  Listen to us explore the runestones, church ruins and Sweden's oldest main street, in our second on-location recording. Unfortunately, it also has some not very podcast-friendly ducks!

Bonus: brief history of the Dala horse included in the review section at the end.

This time we examine the first real King of Sweden, Olof Skötkonung (The Coin King!) His Viking dad set the stage, but now the son truly takes on the mantle of ruling Sweden. Olof makes coins in Sigtuna (with the help of some English immigrants), becomes Christian and his main enemy might have swum all the way to Rome! 

We have finally reached the real beginning of the Swedish monarchy! Or have we? Erik Segersäll sometimes gets the credit for being Sweden's first King, after establishing a new town and even taking over most of Denmark. We'll see how much his royal claim stacks up as we reach the final century of the Viking Age. Listen for a story full of blood, battles and bovine secret weapons! 

As we approach the end of the Viking Age in Scandinavia, we summarise everything we've learned so far and touch on some other topics we didn't cover in detail in the last few episodes. We set the scene for the arrival of the first "proper" Swedish Kings as we prepare to soon say goodbye to the Vikings. But first, let's talk more about runes, laws and thralls, plus other subjects.

Bonus jokes included after the outro theme tune! 

In a first for the podcast, we head outside to explore our new home city of Stockholm. We explore the island of Lidingö and find three Viking sites; two runestones and one grave site burial mound. Check out our social media pages for photos of all three places!

In our final thematic episode about the Viking Age in Sweden and Scandinavia, we explore what some Vikings would have believed and which Gods existed in their world. Prepare for a few strange stories and a godlike cow with a crazy name! 

(1: Unfortunately our resident artist (Chris) no longer has access to a fancy stylus to create the image art for our episodes, but hopefully they will return soon!)

(2: Republishing to remove 10 minutes of silence that snuck into the end of the episode!)

A slight change of format whilst Åsa is in Sweden, so this time we'll see Chris describe the lives of four Viking women to a special guest host. We look at the stories of a Swedish Princess, two residents of Birka and finally get to see how Olga led the Rus from Kiev after Igor's brutal death!

This is Part Two of our mini series on the lives of women during the Viking Age in Sweden and across the Viking world. We examine which sources can help us find out about these amazing people, then look at the role women played in marriage, politics, battle and what they might have worn. We also look at the darker side of Viking life as we see how women slaves would have been treated. 

We are back in Sweden and the rest of Scandinavia after our trip eastwards to look at the Rus. We are now starting a short series of episodes on the lives of women in the Viking age. We will look at everything they had to face in society in the next few episodes. This time we give an overview of all the things that these women would have got up to, including childbirth, running the farm, owning businesses and getting involved with politics and marriage. 

News Update: We are moving to live in Sweden and the podcast is coming with us! Listen to this brief announcement as we talk more about it and explain how the move might have an impact on the next few episodes, but also the exciting opportunities to come. Tack så mycket! 

Still with the Viking Rus in the east, this time we quickly finish off leader Oleg with a dramatic, prophecy heavy death. We then examine his successor Igor and look at what we know about the events from his time ruling the Rus from Kiev. Spoilers: Heavy use of Greek Fire as the Byzantine Navy appears, more trade treaties with help from the Primary Chronicle and another ugly death to finish with.

In this episode we continue the story of our Swedish Vikings as they venture both east and south, heading towards Kiev, the Black Sea and Constantinople. The Rurik dynasty of rulers take hold of a few major towns in the region, such as Kiev and Novgorod and begin to set up a bit of a power base. We look at about 50 years of relations between these Rus and the Byzantine Empire, covering attacks, trade and treaties as we delve into what happened during this dramatic period in Viking expansion eastwards.

We begin this episode by getting to know the Rus in more detail, a name for the Swedish Vikings as they headed east towards modern day Russia, Ukraine, Greece and Turkey. We see how the Byzantine and Arabic sources describe these new arrivals and determine exactly how "Swedish" they remained after their many trips to the region. We also talk about how some of these Rus ended up back in western Europe, as part of a Byzantine diplomatic mission to Louis the Pious from the last episode, and how this explains in more detail how these Vikings could be Rus and Swedish at the same time.  

In this episode, the Vikings get a visit from our most interesting character so far. Ansgar is the fascinating first Christian missionary to Sweden, who tirelessly tries to spread his religion throughout Sweden, in the town of Birka. We meet many other interesting characters, including the Viking "Kings" Björn and Anund, Father Witmar, Gautbert, King Louis the Pious and a host of supporting characters in this exciting story of exploration, violence and religion. We also look in detail at Birka itself to see what life was like in Viking towns. 

In this episode we start the real chronological journey through the Viking period. We begin with a look at the first large Viking raids on western Europe, in the rough period of 790-850. The Vikings started their now famous raids in this period, with the pivotal moment being the attack on the Christian monastery of Lindisfarne in 793. We look at the reaction to this attack and the following raids over the next few decades, before having a look at what day to day life would have been like in rural Sweden during the Viking Age. Chris even dusts off some of his basic Maltese to thank our guest reader! 

They have arrived! The Vikings are finally here. In the first of many episodes on this famous period of Swedish history, we give a rough introduction to the Viking period as we look at origins of the name Viking, where they lived, what they got up to and what kind of people they were. Were they even all Vikings?

We also hear from Jerry of the Presidencies Podcast as he reads out a quote from us, so do check out his great podcast. You can find him on Twitter at @Presidencies89 and at presidencies.blubrry.com for his website.

Surprise! This is our first special episode, breaking the chronological order to talk about an interesting historical object we found in our flat recently. Sweden issued civilian dog tags to all new born citizens for 50 years between 1960 and 2010. But why? We look into it and also have a brief chat about the history of dog tags in general. 

In this episode we're taking a break from the chronological narrative, as we stop to reflect on the crossover between fact and fiction, and the problems this may cause going forward. We discuss the Nordic Sagas, crazy kings and the many peoples who may or may not have existed in Sweden in the gap between the Iron Age and the Viking Age. We will meet colourful characters like King Weatherhat and a travelling Icelandic storyteller, plus many more. 

Welcome to Part 2 of our investigation of the Iron Age in Sweden and south Scandinavia. This time we take a look at the Germanic Iron Age, with its Migration Period and Vendel Period. See how society gradually shifts as we head towards the Viking Age. We also visit one of our favourite Swedish historical sites, Ales Stenar! 

In this episode we introduce the Iron Age to our story of Swedish history. This week we cover the first two major periods of the Iron Age; The Pre-Roman Iron and the Roman Iron Age, as we look at nearly 1,000 years of history. Bonus: There are Romans included... 

It's time for part two of our Bronze Age journey. This time we focus on graves, rock art and a little bit of a phallic obsession. From 1800 BCE to 500 BCE, there's a lot of physical evidence to talk about!

This time we welcome you to the Swedish Bronze Age, a time of trading and adventure. Packed full of new discoveries, contacts across Europe and even potentially a bit of murder, Sweden begins its journey into the world of metals. See how Sweden developed into a real export powerhouse, funding some of the more impressive developments back home. 

In this episode we delve much deeper into the three major cultures of the Swedish Neolithic Period: The Funnel Cups, The Pitted Ware Culture and the Battle Axe Culture. Listen as we learn more about these three different cultures and lifestyles, explore their differing burial methods and learn about what was happening around the world too!

Please do follow us on Facebook and Twitter and give us a review or follow.

We continue investigating the Stone Age in Sweden, this time focusing on the Neolithic period. We find out how farming was developed, why so much fire was involved and touch on the amazing graves and burial chambers we will focus on more next time around.

Please do follow us on Twitter on @FlatpackSweden and give us a like and a follow on Facebook too! 

We kick off our podcast with a look at how Sweden physically formed after the last ice age. We meet the first people to move in after this change and see how they lived during the Paleolithic and Mesolithic Ages. Expect Mammoths, hunter-gatherers and a very special lady - Bäckaskogskvinnan! 

Please do follow us on Twitter on too! @FlatpackSweden 

Welcome to A Flatpack History of Sweden! In this perhaps too long introductory episode, we say hello to our new podcast, explain the format and give a brief lowdown on what we are going to be talking about on our journey through Swedish history!

Update: We have just re-released the first 8 episodes of the podcast, so people can enjoy the first episodes with an improved sound quality! We give a longer explanation at the start of the episode.