Wisdom of the Nords

Embracing new cultures while following old customs, loving life and giving public space a new meaning are just a few Swedish things falls in love with



Asterix and the Great Crossing, which I read as kid, introduced me to the Vikings. Intrigued by their culture—particularly the names of characters such as Here end the lessen and Hunting seassen—I looked them up in the World Book Encyclopaedia to discover that they lived in Sweden, Norway and Finland. Now, at 33, on a recent trip to Sweden, I expect to encounter the Viking culture for real, only to learn that Christianity, which came to Sweden in the 10th century, has taken over.

The New

“Christians were smart. They built churches over Viking burial grounds, so the transition of believers of Viking traditions to Christianity was seamless,” explains an educational institute's senior advisor that I meet in Stockholm.

“However, we still observe both traditions,” she adds.

The earliest sign of Christian influence in Scandinavia was seen at the ancient town of Lund in the form of a cathedral. Cobbled streets, providing more space to pedestrians and cyclists than anything I've seen in India, lead to this magnificent structure, now part of Lund University's campus. A tall tower, the cathedral may have once been white, but a tonne of soot has blotted the exterior with patches of black. Inside, as per our guide, Jacques Schultz, one will find a sculpture of a giant hugging a beam. “Legend has it that the giant, agreed to help

St Lawerence build the cathedral quickly, but on one condition: He must guess the giant's name once the structure was built. If St Lawrence failed to do so, the giant would eat him up. On the final day, St Lawrence followed the giant back to his cave and overheard his wife telling the kids, 'Finn will bring Lawrence's head back tomorrow'. Overjoyed, the next day, St Lawrence called the giant by his name, enraging him. Finn rushed to a piller to destroy the cathedral, but was turned into stone,” says Schultz.

I'm perplexed to find the doors shut; a couple of church workers open them at not-so-regular intervals. So I'm guessing that though the Swedes have adopted the religion, they are either not religious or consider it a private affair. In stores you won't find religious memorabilia; the most popular souvenirs are crystals, Absolut Vodka, Swedish flag magnets and stuffed reindeer toys.

The Old

But traces of Viking culture still remain. Stockholm has several Viking museums, one being the Nordic Museum. Unfortunately, I don’t have time to go in. But I manage to admire its tall, tower-like structures with sharp-tipped, cone-shaped roofs, resembling Gothic architecture. However, these buildings are black or dark grey, unlike the brown BMC headquarters or Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai.

While Christmas and Easter are celebrated grandly, Midsummer's Eve (a Viking festival that falls on June 21—the longest day of the year) is just as popular. I'm told, everything closes. "The streets are spookily deserted” and “people sing, dance, eat, and drink a lot of schnapps!”. Other Viking fetes are enjoyed too, such as Walpurgis Eve, when college closes at April's end; students don their characteristic white caps and sing songs to welcome spring, the budding greenery and a brighter future. On All Saints Day and St Lucia's Day, both Christian and Viking festivities prevail.

The Obscure

There's a day for everything! I'm starving and want to try the local food the day I land in Sweden. At the first bakery I enter, the girl behind the counter tells me it's National Cinnamon Bun Day and insists I have a bun. I expect it to be like what you get in Mumbai—traces of cinnamon overpowered by maida. But instead, it's like freshly baked bread, cinnamon gets to be the hero and its custard-like centre melts in my mouth. I haven't tasted anything like this and am pleased to know that it's a staple in Sweden. I've been sent with strict instructions to carry back alcohol available at grocery stores, since its “what locals would drink”, but I discover that hard liquor can only be bought from government-run stores (with a proper permit) that shut by 7 pm. Beer with less than 2 per cent alcohol is the only spirit available in stores.

The Refreshing

One thing I notice across the country—travelling north to Umea and south to Lund—is the sheer number of men pushing prams. A local tells me, “Seeing this, an American journalist went back and wrote, 'Sweden has a number of gay male nannies.'” Hilarious! Sweden is among the few countries that give long paternity leave and its new rule of six-hour weekdays for better productivity, shows that even companies value work-life balance. Even more fascinating is the Right of Public Access that lets you walk, cycle, ride, ski or camp on any land, except private gardens near a dwelling or land under cultivation. So Sweden, as you see, is charming and you're sure to come back changed if you truly explore its culture.