#Öland Island

[ancestorsalive]

The grave of a völva, a female shaman and seer in Norse mythology, was discovered in Köpingsvik, on the Swedish island of Öland. This grave contained several intriguing artifacts that provide insight into the völva’s role and status in Viking society.

One of the most notable items found in the grave is an iron staff that measures 82 centimeters long. This staff is adorned with bronze details and features a unique model of a house on top. The term “völva” translates to “wand carrier” or “carrier of a magic staff” in Old Norse, indicating the significance of this artifact. The staff or wand was an important accessory in the practice of seid, a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late Scandinavian Iron Age.

In addition to the staff, the grave contained a jug from Central Asia and a bronze cauldron from Western Europe. These items suggest that the völva had connections to far-reaching places and was likely a part of the upper strata of society.

The völva was dressed in bear fur and was buried within a ship setting, or stone ship, which also contained sacrificed animals and humans. This type of burial is indicative of the völva’s high status and the reverence with which she was regarded.

These findings are on display in the Swedish History Museum in Stockholm. - Source: Pagan Trader ThePaganTrader.com

[wgm-beautiful-world]

BORGHOLM CASTLE - SWEDEN

[autismvampyre]

on vacation. öland. its raining

[michaelnordeman]

Random impressions of the northern parts of the island of Öland, Sweden (September 30-October 1, 2024).

[skamenglishsubs]

Subtext and Culture, Young Royals, Season 3, Episode 6

Out here in the real world it's been a week since the cliffhanger ending of episode 5 where Simon broke up with Wilhelm, but in-universe it's just the next day, and Wilhelm is being comforted by Felice.

Subtext: This entire episode is incredibly meta, there are so many times characters say things that reference earlier seasons or episodes, or the entire series as a whole. This is the first time, and Felice is saying what we're all thinking. IS IT REALLY OVER?!? 😱

Blink and you miss it: Felice gives Wilhelm her sunglasses and dries his tears so he can hide the fact that he's been crying. Also, look at that gorgeous Swedish summer. It is so pretty.

Culture: The third-years are painting the banners that go on the trucks on graduation day.

Culture: They're also signing each others' student hats, which is a common tradition. You can just sign your name or write something funny or do whatever.

Culture: This car is what we in Sweden call a sossecontainer. It's an old 90's Volvo, it's square, it's ugly, and it was pretty cheap and reliable, so it was very common and popular among working class and the lower middle classes. It was never a high-status car, so it perfectly illustrates the Eriksson family.

Subtext: Oh look, another throwback to season 1 when Sara argued with Simon about their dad, and said that he should stop giving people second chances.

Culture: Oh look, another poem by Karin Boye. This time it's Eternity, a poem about cherishing your time with your loved one, and the text is about how good times feel like an endless summer, which is what it certainly looks like for the kids and their teacher in the lush landscape. But just like in the poem, their endless summer is about to end.

Culture: This is pretty much exactly the reason used when real-world Lundsberg was temporarily closed.

Culture: And Wilhelm isn't wrong, the shitty traditions are in the walls of the place, it's always been like that, and it's always been upheld by everyone involved with the school, parents, teachers, staff, and students.

Subtext: Since this is the last episode, let's prepare the viewers to say good bye to the show, and let's do it with a little montage of students crying and taking their stuff down and emptying their rooms.

Culture: This is a 100% factually true statement, Göteborg is the worst city in the world. Source: I'm a native Stockholmer, and you just have to trust me on this, ok? Look, it's just common sense, alright? Don't listen to people from Göteborg, they're just jealous they're not living in the glorious capital. Also, they talk funny. And they have no sense of humour! And everyone is named Glenn or something.

Culture: I don't think they're referencing an actual school here, and the current Norwegian royal children went to school in Norway, not Switzerland. But the current Danish crown prince went to some boarding school in Switzerland for a while, but then he went to the Danish elite boarding school Herlufsholm. However, it was rocked by a bullying scandal in 2022, so they had to pull him out of that one and deny all knowledge of the events. Feels familiar?

Culture: Solliden is the private summer palace of the real-world Swedish royal family located on Öland, an island off the south-east coast of Sweden. The show has consistently stayed away from every likeness with the real world, but I guess they couldn't be arsed making up a fictional summer palace for the YR royal family so they went with something familiar.

Subtext: Farima is talking about the problems of finding a new school for Wilhelm from an academic perspective, but he's just thinking about how this means he won't be close to Simon any longer.

Culture: Vincent and the boys are pouring one out for Hillerska. It's a way to toast a dead friend, or in this case, a place.

Blink and you miss it: August places a king chess piece on the table before telling his friends that he's Wilhelm's reserve and might be king someday.

Subtext: And he's still so blinded by the glamour of it, despite everything. Thankfully, his friends can bring him down a couple of pegs.

Blink and you miss it: While Wilhelm is returning Kris, the book from last season, the second book in the pile is a book by Kjell Westö, Den Svavelgula Himlen - Yellow Sulphur Sky. It's about a working class kid in Finland becoming friends with his upper-class neighbour family, and his struggle maintaining a relationship with the girl of the family because of their class differences. Slightly on the nose there, show.

Meta: Henry interrupting our boys at the worst possible time is just a running joke at this point. How many times has it happened now? Four times? Five? Read the fucking room, Henry!

Subtext: Last chance to have a party together, but also last chance to see Simon, "maybe ever". Oh no, we have to start preparing for a sad ending!

Culture: Red solo cups are not a thing anywhere outside the US really, but you can buy them as a gag gift in Sweden, because to us they're just a weird movie prop we've seen American movies. Every other party scene in the show has featured regular plastic cups.

Culture: Drinking with the teachers?!? Yeah, sure, why not, everyone is an adult.

Subtext: Emo outfit? ✅ Sitting on the floor? ✅ Full of self-pity? ✅ Exaggerating the catastrophic state of his world in the way only a 17yo disaster boy can do? ✅

Meta: Another throwback to how Wilhelm was referred to as the party prince back in season 1.

Blink and you miss it: Felice hides the wine bottle behind her back before Malin comes in. She knows, Felice. Malin knows everything.

Meta: Another throwback to when Wilhelm was eating the dirt at the very same football field that disaster emo boy Simon is now sitting at together with his friends, who are trying to convince him to go to the final party.

Subtext: This time, August isn't just sorry that he got caught, he is genuinely sorry for everything he did to Wilhelm. He in turn forgives August, and we're all getting closure for this plot point.

Meta: Hey, hey, hey guys, do you remember that scene in season 1 episode 1 when Sara helped hold Felice's hair while she was throwing up? We're doing a throwback here!

Meta: Hey, hey, hey guys, do you remember that scene in season 1 episode 3 when Felice told Sara that maybe you don't have to speak the truth all the time? Well, Sara still doesn't understand why you would lie, but this time she's right, Felice was right to tell the truth.

Blink and you miss it: Stella and Fredrika are making out at the party, Felice saw it, and is making a very funny face. This is also why Stella rudely rejects Rosh, because of course she's gonna choose Fredrika, Rosh was just a distraction to make her jealous.

Subtext: Vincent is talking about Nils, who just came out, but August just saw Sara, and that's the whoever he wants.

Subtext: But despite saying that he doesn't care about anyone else seeing them, he still ducked behind a stack of pallets for this conversation.

Meta: This is a brutal Fleabag reference.

Cinematography: This scene is overwhelmingly lit in that sickly greenish fluorescent hue, but there's golden light coming from somewhere, so Sara and August share one final kiss in that golden light. But there's not enough of it to go around, not enough for their love to last, so August is left standing there alone, and all the golden light is gone.

Cinematography: Wilhelm and Simon left the party sometime after midnight, this is supposed to be a very early morning summer sunrise, and our boys are just gonna be bathed in the golden light throughout the entire scene. Gods, it is pretty.

Meta: Hey, hey, remember that scene in season 1 when Simon was singing that song, and Wilhelm instantly fell for him?

Meta: Hey guys, remember that scene in season 1 when they were discussing welfare politics in class and Simon threw shade on Wilhelm? This is a throwback to that.

Cinematography: Just fucking look at this shit. What a nice view. The nature and the sunrise is pretty, too! Going naked into the water? Yeah, that's a rebirth metaphor as well. Lisa said so!

Subtext: This entire scene is basically Wilhelm trying one last time to get Simon back. They said they weren't gonna, but he's trying anyway. They're talking about that politics class where Wilhelm couldn't speak up because he was "not allowed". So he's still bound by his royal duties, which is why Simon broke up with him last episode.

Subtext: And since Wilhelm is still stuck, he's left on dry land, while Simon swims away from him, free. Guys, I'm thinking we're actually gonna get a sad ending! This does not look good! 😭

Blink and you miss it: Stella and Fredrika are sleeping in the same bed and making out the morning after, and millions of #Stedrika shippers are rejoicing! Yay, fanservice!

Blink and you miss it: Walter is helping Henry up after he passed out in the grass outside after the party, and millions of #Walty shippers are rejoicing! Yay, fanservice!

Subtext: The last photo Wilhelm takes down from his wall is the one with him and Simon, because that's the most important memory of this place.

Blink and you miss it: Wilhelm shuts off his red lightstrip in his room. Those lights have typically been a symbol of his love for Simon, but he's turning it off. Sad ending confirmed.

Meta: Listen, it's a lovely little song that Simon wrote for Wilhelm, but it's 100% fanservice, it's referencing events in the show that Simon actually didn't witness, and it's even referencing the soundtrack to the show itself! I mean, come on! And we're getting yet another sad boy Wilhelm montage of him moping around Hillerska with his earbuds.

Subtext: Remember how the frog snowglobe was a gift from Erik, who in turn got it from their grandpa, the king? It's so obviously a symbol of the monarchy, but Wilhelm is dumping it in the trash. Are we... Are we not getting a sad ending?

Cinematography: The shot of the flag being raised is cut off at half mast, which is a pretty universal symbol for mourning. Oh ok, we're back on track for a sad ending.

Subtext: This is the first time this season that Simon speaks Spanish with his mom, and the first time in the entire series that Sara does, which shows that they're fully themselves again, they've pulled themselves out of the Hillerska world.

Culture: The graduating students are having a champagne breakfast before the graduation ceremony, that's also very common in Sweden.

Subtext: Felice and the rest of the choir decided to have a little rebellion and not sing the boring old Hillerska song, and instead the new improved one that Simon made last season. No-one told him about the switch though, which is why he's so surprised.

Culture: After the ceremony, the graduating students will run out of the school to find their parents and family and friends, who are waiting for them, usually with a big sign with the most embarrassing baby picture they could find of them.

Blink and you miss it: August's mom and stepdad have also made a huge sign with an embarrassing picture of August Malte as a kid. Adorable.

Lost in translation: The queen is saying "lilla gubben", which literally means "little old man", a very common term of endearment in Swedish families. The show has been pretty consistent in that Wilhelm's family are all using normal words, just like any other family would. So it's pretty funny that despite everyone else using titles and styles all the time, to Wilhelm, his parents are simply "mamma" and "pappa", as if he was a regular kid.

Subtext: As a graduating student you get little gifts from your family, flowers, champagne, stuffed animals, all with a blue-and-yellow ribbon so you can hang them around your neck. August is family, so the Queen gives him one as well. Of a frog with a crown. Which is a symbol of the monarchy in the show. Wilhelm threw his frog in the trash, August is getting a frog from the Queen. I think there might be symbolism here! I think we're setting up August to become the next king! Do we dare hope for a happy ending?

Cinematography: Just fucking look at this shit. The composition, the contrast, the height difference, the distance between them. It's so pretty. And they're talking about how good it was while it lasted, just like how a TV show with a sad ending can still be an amazing experience. Hint hint.

Subtext: We're saying our goodbyes, Wilhelm and Simon are saying goodbye to each other, Wilhelm wishes Simon a nice summer, just like how Simon wished Wilhelm a good Christmas back in season 1, and just like back then, they both understand that they love each other, but can't be together.

Cinematography: And then Simon exits the scene, again, leaving Wilhelm standing there alone, again, having seemingly chosen his family and royal duty.

Culture: It's common to either rent a truck as a large group of students, or to be driven in a flashy car alone or with a friend. The two girls in the centre are sitting in a very nice Aston Martin, while a bunch of their classmates are on a truck. I can't make out the full text on the banner, but I think it says something like "Lock up your sons because tonight we become like animals".

Culture: Svensson is a very common Swedish last name, so to "be a Svensson" basically means that you're super average and mediocre, you're like everyone else. Whereas these elite kids are used to having everyone else bow and scrape for them, so that message is on brand.

Cinematography: We're in the car, it looks like the ending of season 1, and we're doing a close-up of Wilhelm's face. We're ready for the fourth-wall-break of him staring sadly into the camera, having been once again broken down by the system and not getting the boy. We've said goodbye to everyone, roll the credits, start your crying...

Cinematography: ...except the show isn't ending here. We're having an honest conversation between Wilhelm and his parents for the first time. Because every other time he's said that he doesn't want to be crown prince of the next king, he's been angry or upset, he's been threatening, and definitely impulsive. But he's never wanted any of it.

Cinematography: His parents let him go, they open the door to their van, Wilhelm exits, and the show turns up the volume of the soundtrack. "Energetic music" my ass, it's the Harmony theme! It's the main theme of the entire show playing as Wilhelm runs away.

Subtext: Oh, yeah, August sees him run away, and understands that he's next in line now. Sorry buddy, sucks to be you, but never mind that now. RUN, WILHELM, RUN!!! GET YOUR MAN!

Cinematography: The shows turns into the most perfect rom-com, with Wilhelm chasing down Simon's car through the incredibly lush and green Swedish summer. He catches up to them, tells Simon that he ditched the crown for his own sake, and asks if it's really over between them.

VAD FAN TROR DU?

As if the soundtrack wasn't triumphant enough, it now starts playing As Long As you Are Here as they throw themselves in each other's arms. Happy ending! They're crying, I'm crying, we're all crying! 😭

Cinematography: A montage? With all the best scenes between our boys from the entire show? With the text of the soundtrack perfectly matching the montage? I should be outraged at how cheesy this is, but it is perfect. Perfect. I love it. I swear, this fucking show.

Subtext: Finally we are at the true ending of the show. Wilhelm has managed to escape Hillerska, him and Simon and Sara and Felice have all escaped the hierarchies, the expectations, the duties, and the toxic environment of the school. He arrived in a Ferrari, and is now running away with his boyfriend and friends in a crappy Volvo station-wagon. The stiff suit jackets are gone, they're all in white, his hair is ruffled in the wind, and for the last time ever Wilhelm looks into the camera. And he smiles.

He is finally free.

[lostinhistory]

Heritage News of the Week

Discoveries!

Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered the 3,200-year-old tomb of a possible military commander who may have served during the reign of Ramesses III. Inside the man's tomb, archaeologists found a gold ring containing the name of Ramesses III, along with bronze arrowheads.

2,200-year-old shackles discovered at ancient Egyptian gold mine

Two sets of iron ankle shackles found at an archaeological site in Egypt are revealing the "significant human cost" of gold mining undertaken to fund Ptolemy I's military campaigns, according to new research.

Rare Viking-era bracelet uncovered on Öland

The bracelet is extremely well-preserved due to the oxygen-poor environment of the wetland which helped prevent corrosion. Both ends of the bracelet depict animal heads and the length is decorated with intricate rows of dots.

Ancient sculptures didn’t just look good—they also smelled heavenly, study finds

New research suggests statues were scented with perfumes, oils, and flower arrangements.

Roman water conduit exposed beneath Slovak castle

Archaeologists from Trnava University were baffled by a discovery they made while working at Rusovce Manor House outside of Bratislava.

Archaeologists unearth burials from the Schmalkaldic War

Archaeologists from the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation have unearthed burials from the Schmalkaldic War that correspond to details in a 1551 historical painting.

Archaeologists make several major discoveries in ancient Liternum

Recent excavations under the Superintendency for the Metropolitan Area of Naples have been focusing a study on the city’s necropolis, located a short distance from the Forum and Amphitheatre.

Ancient well dating back to 7th century AD discovered on Failaka Island

An ancient well, dating back to the pre-Islamic and early Islamic periods, has been discovered on Failaka Island, providing valuable insights into the region’s past.

Smallest human relative ever found may have been devoured by a leopard 2 million years ago

The left hip and leg bones from a young female Paranthropus robustus discovered in South Africa show she was extremely short — and ended up as a leopard's lunch.

Large mammoth bone discovery in Lower Austria

Archaeologists from the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) have uncovered the remains of at least five mammoths during excavations in Langmannersdorf an der Perschling, located in the Austrian state of Lower Austria.

Researchers define the borders of El Argar, the first state-society in the Iberian Peninsula

Recent research conducted by scholars from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology has identified the economic and political boundaries that delineated El Argar, the first state structure in the Iberian Peninsula, approximately 4,000 years ago.

Bulgar-Golden Horde period complex discovered in Alekseevsky

Excavations in preparation for the construction of a highway project has revealed two burial grounds and a settlement dating from the 10th–14th centuries AD.

European hunter-gatherers boated to North Africa during Stone Age, ancient DNA suggests

DNA recovered from archaeological remains of ancient humans who lived in what is now Tunisia and northeastern Algeria reveals that European hunter-gatherers may have visited North Africa by boat around 8,500 years ago.

Rare Roman-era columbariums discovered in Şanlıurfa

Rare Roman-era columbariums were discovered in Senem Caves in the Haliliye district and in the garden of a citizen in Bozova.

“Structurally sound” historic vessels discovered beneath fishpond

Preliminary studies indicate that both vessels remain structurally sound. However, archaeologists are still analysing the construction materials to determine the age and type of wood used.

5,000-year-old fortress discovered in Romania using LiDAR technology

The fortress, obscured by centuries of dense vegetation, was mapped with precision using drones equipped with LiDAR, which emits laser pulses to create high-resolution terrain models.

“Pompeian Gray” discovered in Pompeii excavations: a unique color in the Roman world

A recent study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science has revealed the discovery of a new color in the chromatic repertoire of the Roman world: Pompeian Gray.

Museums

The gift from Bloomberg Philanthropies is the largest private donation and largest archive of archaeological material given to the museum to date. The artefacts were discovered during construction of Bloomberg's European headquarters in the City of London between 2012 and 2014.

Anti-plague amulets and IOUs: the excavation that brings Roman London thundering back to life

With sandals that look fresher than last year’s Birkenstocks, gossipy messages recovered from writing tablets and 73,000 shards of pottery, London Museum’s new collection is like falling head-first into the first century

Victorian museum opens 'calm space' for visitors

The Sunflower Room at Blists Hill Victorian Town in Telford has been created for people with special educational needs and disabilities, health conditions, and parents who need to breastfeed or bottle-feed children in a quiet place.

National Trust freezes recruitment after £10m jump in costs

The National Trust has frozen all but essential recruitment and is pausing some projects as it faces a £10m jump in labour costs this year as a result of higher employment costs stemming from last autumn’s budget.

The secret life of LA’s small museums

With a fair dose of whimsy, Also on View draws attention to museums off the beaten track, centering the region’s rich diasporic fabric and cultural niches.

British Museum tops UK attractions list, but the effects of the pandemic still linger on

Official figures have revealed that the British Museum was – for the second year in a row – the UK’s most-visited attraction in 2024. While visitor numbers for cultural attractions are rising, however, the sector remains fragile.

In the Trump era, the UK sector’s commitments to equity and inclusion risk being quietly eroded

Museums must not allow the wider political context to undo progress, say Suzanne MacLeod and Richard Sandell

Which of your possessions belongs in a trans museum?

It’s time for major museums to stand up for trans and queer people in the public and among their employees — instead the National Gallery of Art and Smithsonian have shuttered their diversity offices. That’s why community members are shifting focus back to small grassroots LGBTQ+ museums, archives, and galleries that have done this historical labor for their communities for decades.

Repatriation

The 350-year-old artifact is one of seven objects returned to the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo Native American tribe

Antiquities looted by notorious smuggling ring returned to Nepal

Works linked to the disgraced art dealer Subhash Kapoor are among the 20 objects seized by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Antiquities Trafficking Unit.

University scholar solves portrait theft mystery

An Exeter University art historian has solved the 70-year mystery over the theft of an original oil sketch, by Flemish painter Anthony van Dyck, from a stately home in Northamptonshire.

Heritage at risk

Palestinian experts and British archaeologists say more than two-thirds of heritage, cultural and archaeological sites in Gaza have been damaged

Trump administration seeks to starve libraries and museums of funding by shuttering this little-known agency

On March 14, 2025, the Trump administration issued an executive order that called for the dismantling of seven federal agencies “to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.” They ranged from the United States Agency for Global Media, which oversees Voice of America, to the Minority Business Development Agency. The Institute of Museum and Library Services was also on the list.

Act Now to Save IMLS

Trump names new director of museum agency he moved to dismantle

Last Friday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the dismantling of seven federal agencies. Chief among them was the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which provides critical funding to museums, libraries, and archives. Now, less than a week later, Trump appointed a new head of the agency, Keith E. Sonderling. “It is an honor to be appointed by President Trump to lead this important organization in its mission to advance, support and empower America’s museums and libraries, which stand as cornerstones of learning and culture in our society,” Sonderling said in a statement. ��I am committed to steering this organization in lockstep with this administration to enhance efficiency and foster innovation. We will revitalize IMLS and restore focus on patriotism, ensuring we preserve our country’s core values, promote American exceptionalism and cultivate love of country in future generations.”

😬😬😬

Pentagon restores histories of Navajo Code Talkers, other Native veterans after public outcry

The Pentagon restored some webpages highlighting the crucial wartime contributions of Navajo Code Talkers and other Native American veterans on Wednesday, days after tribes condemned the action.

In Winnipeg, land defenders fight to save a sacred forest

The Lemay Forest — housing unmarked graves, protected birds and old trees. Now, it’s being threatened by a housing development

Alien fever dreams fuel Peruvian grave robbings

Leandro Rivera says he chanced upon the cave in Peru's remote Nazca region that contained hundreds of pre-Hispanic artifacts – including human bodies with elongated heads and what appeared to be only three fingers on each hand. The plateau is famous for the Nazca lines, incisions on the desert floor forming birds and other animals visible from the air. The ancient geoglyphs have long intrigued anthropologists and exert a powerful fascination over some believers in extraterrestrials. Nazca is also known for salt flats that dehydrate and preserve human and animal remains, making it the site of important archeological finds that have deepened modern understanding of ancient cultures – and attracted grave robbers.

Odds and ends

Kathryn Yusoff sparked a culture war with her latest book, suggesting slavery and white supremacy informed the work of geology’s founding fathers. Here, she and other experts suggest that attitudes have changed little since

A scholar and a hater: new podcast focuses on historical figures that suck

When the historian Claire Aubin gets together with her colleagues for drinks after a conference or academic meetup, the conversation always ends up one way. “We’re all sitting around a table, talking about our most hated historical figure,” she said. For Aubin, it’s Henry Ford, an ardent antisemite whom Hitler called “an inspiration”. She believes being a hater can aid in scholarship: “Disliking someone or having a problem with their historical legacy is worth talking about, and brings more people into learning about history.” That’s why Aubin, who spent last year lecturing in the history department at UC Davis and San Francisco State University and is about to begin a full-time postdoctoral fellowship at Yale, started This Guy Sucked, a history podcast about terrible men. In each episode, Aubin speaks to a historian about their biggest villain, from Ford and Voltaire to Plato and Jerry Lee Lewis.

More medieval texts were scribed by women than previously believed

A new study “provides statistical support for the often-overlooked contributions of female scribes over time,” said researcher Åslaug Ommundsen.

Did Michelangelo pull off art history’s greatest hoax With ‘Laocoön’?

The monumental sculpture stands as an exemplar of Hellenistic artistry—but not to everyone.

These are delightful

The 30,000 year old vulture that reveals a completely new type of fossilisation

A surprising discovery in the feathers of a fossil vulture from central Italy has revealed that volcanic deposits can preserve delicate tissue structures in unprecedented detail, offering new insights into the fossilisation process.

American History Lessons Edited to Comply with Anti-DEI Standards (McSweeney's)

Jackie Robinson Overcomes [NO SPECIFIC OBSTACLE IN PARTICULAR] in Professional Baseball Baseball hall of famer Jackie Robinson is best known for [NOTHING IN PARTICULAR, OTHER THAN BEING A GREAT BASEBALL PLAYER]. Though most major league baseball teams at the time refused to sign Robinson because [THEY JUST DIDN’T LIKE THE CUT OF HIS JIB], Robinson finally became the first [PERSON NAMED JACKIE ROBINSON] to play Major League Baseball in 1947. Jackie Robinson paved the way for [OTHER PEOPLE WHO WERE DISLIKED FOR NO REASON] to play professional sports.

McSweeney's hitting a bit to close to home

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

I don't mean to alarm, but in the Sirpaverse major islands of the inner Baltic like Gotland, Åland, Saaremaa and Öland are probably owned by the Kingdom of Osmeri. Don't worry about it! Don't, uh. Don't ask what Osmeri was doing with Sweden in the middle of the last millennium

[ltwilliammowett]

Naval battle off the island of "Öland" in 1676, by Vladimir Mikhailovich Mikhailovsky, 2005 

[onheirpodcast]

The three major birthdays and name days in the Swedish royal calendar are:

King Carl XVI Gustaf's birthday - Celebrated on his actual birthday, 30th April. There is a military display in the Courtyard of the Royal Palace where the King takes the salute and receives flowers from children. He then joins his family on the balcony to wave to the crowds.

Crown Princess Victoria's Name Day - Celebrated on 12th March, this event has been in place since the early 90s as a way to celebrate the highly popular Crown Princess in Sweden's capital city. The event is similar in structure to the King's birthday but is only attended by the Crown Princess and her immediate family.

Crown Princess Victoria's birthday - Celebrated on her actual birthday, 14th July. This event started organically as the Crown Princess went to greet crowds assembled outside the family's summer home on her birthday. Since then it has evolved into a multi-day event on the island of Öland with the Crown Princess greeting wellwishers, going on a carriage procession, and watching a televised concert during which she gives out the Victoria Prize to a highly accomplished athlete.

[professorbook]

Eketorp Fort – A Bridge Between the Iron Age and the Viking Age.

On the island of Öland lies Eketorp Fort, a fully reconstructed ringfort from the Iron Age.

[xavierbautistagarcia]

The slaughter of Sandby Borg

Sandby Borg is an archaeological site on the island of Öland in south-eastern Sweden. It is a fortified settlement dating from the late Roman period, around the 5th century AD. The site has gained notoriety due to its tragic history and the remarkable state of preservation of the archaeological finds.

It was a small fortified settlement, known in English as a ringfort because of its circular structure. Such forts were common in Scandinavia during the migration period, used mainly for protection. The fortress at Sandby Borg consisted of a stone wall surrounding several houses and communal spaces.

The site was discovered in the late 20th century, but systematic excavations began in 2010. Archaeologists quickly found evidence of a violent event that would have occurred around 480.

The remains of at least 26 individuals, including men, women and children, were found at the site, many in positions indicating a sudden and violent death. Investigations suggest that the inhabitants of Sandby Borg were massacred, possibly by a rival group, and that the site was abandoned immediately after the attack.

Among the most important finds at Sandby Borg are valuables such as gold jewellery, brooches, Roman coins, glass beads and household items. These finds indicate that the community had access to luxury goods and was well connected to trade networks that extended into the Roman Empire.

The Sandby Borg site offers a unique window into the life and tragedies of Scandinavian communities during the migration period. Evidence suggests that the attack was premeditated and that the attackers did not loot the site, making the event an even greater mystery. This site is one of the few archaeological examples where a virtually intact crime scene from antiquity has been found, providing valuable information about the social dynamics and conflicts of the time.

Sandby Borg continues to be the subject of archaeological study and is an important source for understanding the history of pre-Viking Scandinavia, as well as the complex interactions between communities in the region during a turbulent period in its history.

[calmasyoghurt]

I would like to share a thought with the very small group of people who will understand me. This line in everybody's waiting:

For you to shine like a light house after all

There is a triangle connection between that line, Jan Peteh, and the south tip of Öland, Sweden's second largest island

[royal-hair]

Queen Silvia of Sweden at the Swedish Royal Vintage Rally 2023 on the island of Öland - 26.08.23

[comeonhelene]

Why am I marching tomorrow? Among many reasons, I'm marching to honor my ancestors, like my beloved Grandma, Olive, in the photo above. She was the daughter of a Swedish mother who immigrated from Öland to Brooklyn, NY, via Ellis Island in 1920.

I missed out on growing up near Grandma, but we made up for lost time over 2 weeks every summer. It was just me and Grandma battling the crusty and graffitied subway cars, strong-arming it through Times Square when it was a scary dump in the 80s and early 90s, catching a Broadway matinee, going to high tea at The Plaza and then grabbing a Nathan's Famous hotdog from Coney Island because cucumber sandwiches never filled up these two Swedish broads. And that was just a typical Tuesday.

Olive loved to ice skate, she was Miss Brooklyn (she entered the pageant for the aforementioned skates), an adoring wife to her incomparable John (whose family also immigrated to the US from Öland, go figure), cherished mother of 4 children, friend to young and old, including those furry and finned, and the apple of everyone's eye. Olive liked her martini's dry, she read at least one book a day (seriously), and she'd take all my spending cash while whipping my hind quarters at cards. Zero apologies given.

We discovered at her funeral in 2012 that Olive made all of her grandchildren feel like each one of us was her favorite. She was the absolute best. I miss her every day and I hope I'm making her proud. I think about that a lot.

Billie Holiday - I'll Be Seeing You

[afactaday]

#aFactADay2025

Å for Öland- uh i mean Åland

#1465: Åland's coat of arms is a golden red deer, which is a species that doesn't even live there. it was originally intended for the nearby Öland, and somehow... they just messed it up. in 1560, Sweden, who presided over the archipelago at the time, designed a nice deer and granted it to the wrong island. there were some more kerfuffles: in 1569 when Åland was transferred, they made another one with two deer for Åland (so they still would've had deer...) but Öland started using it.... they officiated what was de facto the case in the 19th century, but apparently (I can't find any primary sources on this so a pinch of salt may be in order) Sweden didn't actually realise until 1944. by then, it was Finland's business and they didn't wanna give it back so they just reofficiated the wrong one in 1951. so now it's not wrong!

[bookmyride01]

Where do people in Sweden travel during the summer?

Many Swedes visit the archipelagos close to Gothenburg and Stockholm in the summer to take advantage of the island life, boating, and natural surroundings. Because of their beaches and historical monuments, Gotland and Öland are popular destinations. Another favorite is Dalarna, which is well-known for its picturesque scenery and Midsummer celebrations. In addition, a lot of Swedes travel north to Lapland to hike and see the midnight sun. Gothenburg and Malmö are interesting cities for weekend trips. Don't forget to utilize the Book My Ride app, which allows you to compare and locate all taxis in Sweden—including Stockholm—to make traveling easier!