A chronological journey through the history of Scandinavia from the last ice age to the dawn of the space age. Geographically, we cover the five modern Nordic c...
In a few days Christmas will be upon us. To mark the occasion, this episode of the Scandinavian History Podcast is dedicated to quirks of Nordic culture. It’s a totally subjective list of the five weirdest Scandinavian Christmas traditions–from the most normal to the weirdest.
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097 Absolut Denmark
The peace in Roskilde had been a triumph for Sweden. But Karl X Gustav wanted more, so he renewed hostilities hoping to capture Copenhagen and take over all of Denmark. The very reign of Frederik III hung in the balance.
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30:39
096 Revenge
When Frederick III became king of Denmark, he was determined to get revenge. Revenge on the scheming nobility, including his own extended family, who had robbed him of almost all royal powers. But most of all, he wanted revenge on the Swedes for the defeat in the Torstenson War.
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095 The Apostate
Gustavus Adolphus’s daughter and successor Queen Christina had no time for fashion or suitors, but she loved culture and intellectual pursuits. She was mighty impressed by continental art, literature and philosophy. Maybe a little too impressed.
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33:32
094 Dowager Drama
When Gustavus Adolphus died, Axel Oxenstierna was left to handle several thorny issues. One of the thorniest was what to do with the king’s widow Maria Eleonora. Oxenstierna wanted her to disappear from political life and into the footnotes of history. The dowager queen herself had other plans.
A chronological journey through the history of Scandinavia from the last ice age to the dawn of the space age. Geographically, we cover the five modern Nordic countries of Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Sweden and Finland—as well as a few other bits and pieces here and there where it‘s relevant.
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