Walpurgis night (Valborgsmässoafton in Swedish and Vappu in Finnish), is a great celebration in Sweden and Finland. The tradition comes from Germany and celebrates of the 8th century abbess Saint Walpurga. (St. Walpurga inspired Walburga Black, one of the witches in the Harry Potter series of children’s books.) Since the Middle Ages the last day… More Walpurgis Night Is Upon Us
Today is the 88th birthday of Tomas Tranströmer. Tranströmer was one of Sweden’s leading poets of his generation and in 2011 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Born in Stockholm in 1931, Tranströmer was raised by his mother Helmy, a schoolteacher, following her divorce from his father, Gösta Tranströmer, an editor. As a… More Meet Sweden’s Tomas Tranströmer
One of the most popular folktale is the one about Rumplestilskin. It was made famous as a story by the Grimm Brothers. But as with most folktales, there are versions from many different countries – they are put in a category called “Name of the Helper” by University of Pittsburgh’s Folk and Fairy-Tale Site. In… More Scandinavian Folklore and Folktales #2: The Girl Who Could Spin Gold