Scandinavia
Being raised in America I heard stories of the vikings and their mythology from a very young age. And like most Americans my perception of the Scandinavian countries is largely painted by TV shows and Ikea visits. But the reality of Scandinavia both in history and in the present day, is a much different picture than many realize. Norway, Sweden, and Denmark all have their own unique language, so much so they cannot understand one another fully. This difference on the linguistic level radiates into their cultures and histories as well. My journey through Scandinavia showed me that our knowledge of history is still being discovered everyday and that not all countries preserve their history to the same levels.
Join me in my series of videos filmed across Scandinavia as I look to uncover the hidden and misrepresented history of the northern countries!
Denmark
My explorations into ancient Denmark actually began in modern day Germany in the region of Schleswig-Holstien. Schleswig was once home to the largest Viking settlement in all of Scandinavia and still has the remains of an impressive 19 mile earthen wall that was used as a defensive structure for nearly a thousand years. There are also many examples of rune stones throughout the region that serve as memorials for viking age people both pagan and christian alike.
Hygge
My love of Scandinavian culture goes beyond just their days as raiding vikings, but is more grounded in the reality that is the long winters of the northern countries. During the winter solstice most areas in Scandinavia only see a few hours of sunlight a day, plummeting some regions int near total darkness for the length of winter. These dark, long, and cold winter nights is what I believe birthed cultural traditions such as Hygge (Hoo-ga) which roughly translates to a feeling of coziness.
Traveling to Denmark you will find many cafés featuring Hygge themes as well as individuals having cozy hygge evenings with friends and family.
While the vikings are a fascinating subject, I believe concepts such as Hygge are more useful and inspiring for our modern world.
Sweden
Sweden is the middle child of the Scandinavian world. In between her flat sibling of Denmark to the south, and her mountainous sister to the west in Norway. Sweden is often left out of the conversation of famous viking raids as its people often traveled east rather than west. Sweden also hosts descent farming land in the south of the country and has housed some large civilizations because of it.
My time in Sweden would not have been as informed if it where not for my good friend Elin aka the Moose Lady who showed me many incredible sites in my brief visit to the land of endless summers.
Ancient Sweden
My collaboration with Elin lead to one of my most in depth explorations in my career so far. We would film in several amazing locations across Sweden including the Bronze Age Rock carvings of Tanum and the ancient meeting site of Uppsala.
What I believe separates Sweden the most from her Danish and Norwegian cousins is the intense preservation of ancient sites throughout the country. Sweden is one of the first countries in the world to establish laws to protect ancient sites for future generations of visitors and archeologist.
This love of history can be felt in much of Sweden from the capital of Stockholm to the countryside villages with passage tombs and rune stones hidden between golden fields kissed by the summer sun.
Norway
I visited Norway last in my journey across Scandinavia. I had dreams of falling in love with the fjords and tales of Norse Mythology, but what I found instead is a country full of nearly lost history. In comparison to Denmark and Sweden, Norway has done an incredibly poor job preserving its ancient history; especially when the wealth of the country is factored into the comparison. While the people of Norway are just as lovely and direct as. the other Scandinavians, I cannot deny that the available information on it’s ancient history left me wanting.
This lack of available information only fueled my dedication to researching into the hidden history of Norway, leading me to my most researched and groundbreaking video. I would spend a month in Trondheim looking into the history of a city that held a dark secret of its foundation as a Christian city under Olaf Tryggvason in 1000ce. What I share in my work below I believe scratches the surface of a ver deep vein of knowledge that is just waiting to be dug deeper into by myself and scholars from around the world.
A Deeper Look
My time and research into Scandinavian history and spirituality is far from over and has also spread into many smaller videos on my YouTube channel. I will add two down below which are full tours of the Danish and Swedish National Museums of History that house the most famous and important artifacts of the Bronze and iron ages. On my channel you will also find my look into the Norwegian National Museum, my time at the largest Viking Festival in Norway, and my explorations of a Bronze Age Boat Grave.