Why is Sweden called Sweden? Why is Sweden so depressing? Why is Sweden so rich? In this series of articles, The Local answers some of the most common questions that appear when you type "Why is Sweden..." into the Google search engine.
Ah, Vikings, the ruthless Scandinavian warriors who pillaged and plundered? Think again, because that reputation is only part of the picture. Here are five facts you maybe didn't know about Vikings.
Valheim, a Viking-themed video game designed by a tiny Swedish games studio, has quickly risen to worldwide fame, with millions of people riding the waves, swigging mead and slaying the enemy. How did the game and genre become so successful?
In the popular imagination, the Viking warriors who plundered northern Europe from the 8th century were as tall, fair and Scandinavian as they were murderous. In fact, according to a new study, they were far more diverse than previously thought.
The Vikings invaded England in the 9th and 10th centuries. They plundered, raped and burned towns to the ground. Or at least, this is the story we know from school and popular culture.
Swedish researchers have found references to Allah and Ali on woven silk from ancient Viking graves, a discovery which gives new insight into the link between the Vikings and the Islamic world.
When a Swedish neo-Nazi group staged a demonstration in the country's second largest city last weekend, they were by far outnumbered by counter-demonstrators.
An ancient Viking ring carrying the inscription "for Allah" has revealed evidence of close contacts between the Nordic warriors and the Islamic world – more than a century after its discovery on a Swedish island.
Precious artifacts from the Viking era were stolen from the Lund University Historical Museum after the thieves smashed a window and made off with several items, including ancient jewellery.
What is the quintessential Swedish stereotype? Blonde, blue-eyed, beautiful and bearded? More importantly, how do Swedes react to these claims? The Local took to the streets of Stockholm to find out.
With picturesque cobblestone streets, cozy cafes and an abundance of history, Gamla Stan island is, with good reason, one of Stockholm’s main tourist attractions.
Visitors to Stockholm will someday be able to take a virtual ride with a boatload of marauding Vikings if the head of the Museum of National Antiquities (Historiskamuseet) has his way.
