I am Canadian. I don’t say “aboot” or live in an igloo, but I do love hockey and say “eh” on a pretty regular basis. I am also an American; one who isn’t illiterate, obese or rude, though I do love baseball and can be pretty loud when the time is right. Short of taking up a collection to fund the counseling needed to sort out the Canada vs. USA argument in my head, there isn’t much I can do about these stereotypes. All I know is that it’s pretty rare to find a stereotype that’s universally accurate (save Canadians saying eh), and it’s also near impossible to find one that isn’t at least loosely based on fact.
FYI: for all you non-Canadians, it’s spelled eh. Aye is what a pirate says.
So I wracked my brain for a Swedish stereotype to get an idea of the culture. It took a while, but the first thing I thought of was this:
But is this really a stereotype, and if so what does it say about Swedish culture? No, and not much, I can guess. Wracking my brain, all I can come up with is an image of Vikings who switch their v’s and w’s, say yah frequently, and eat creamy meatballs without utensils… And aren’t they neutral, with a pretty good social welfare system? Hmmm…
Officially, it’s The Kingdom of Sweden, though they run on a parliamentary system like we do here in Canada and the monarch has no actual authority. As a part of Scandinavia, it borders Norway and Finland, nabbing the title of fifth largest country in Europe. The capital is Stockholm, and the population density is low at only 20 people per square kilometer. Twenty-five provinces or landskap (landscapes) make up the country, though they’re only based on culture, geography and history and serve no political or administrative purpose… go figure.
Sverige is about the size of California, though the weather is pretty dissimilar to the state, as about 15% of the country lies north of the Arctic Circle. Surprisingly though, the climate is relatively temperate in Sweden, thanks to the Gulf Stream, which passes off the coast. The average temperatures in central Sweden range from –5 to -15 degrees Celsius in the winter and 16-22 in the summer months. The gulf stream can’t do much for the sun though, which never rises in the far north come winter and slices through the night in the summer, never setting. Even in more southern Stockholm it’s light enough in the middle of the shortest summer nights to read a newspaper, and in the short days of winter the sun only graces the ground for a mere 5.5 hours… Is a light box included in the social welfare program, I wonder?
Speaking of, WOW: I thought we had it good here in Canada. Free healthcare is standard, but it’s only the start. Starting at birth, Sweden’s social welfare system allots every parent a child allowance, a loan for their university studies, including adults who wish to return. On top of this, one parent (or a split between the two) is given fifteen months pay to use any time during the first eight years of the child’s life for parental leave. If that isn’t enough, parents are also afforded three paid months off per year for childcare or sickness, education is fully funded, and childcare is guaranteed up to age six. Basic pension covers everyone, and workers receive a supplementary pension based on previously earned income.
Sweden’s infant mortality rate is the fifth lowest in the world, beating Canada by about 16 places and the US by about 24. It’s ranked the 3rd safest country in the world, based on reported homicide rates, and the Global Peace Index– which studies countries based on 24 indicators including military spending, ease of access to ‘weapons of minor destruction,’ corruption and respect for human rights—ranked Sweden as the 7th safest country in the world. Global Peace Index placed Canada at the number 8 spot, and the good ol’ USA was placed in slot 97, just below Yemen and above Iran. Tough break.
I’m sure there’s more that I have yet to discover, but I think it’s pretty clear why Sweden has the 8th highest life expectancy in the world, with men living an average of 77.2 years and women living 82.0 years. By comparison, Canada falls in the 11th spot, the US in 53rd, and Andorra takes 1st.
The statistics are enough to make me dizzy. Starstruck, but dizzy… And speaking of starstruck…
They aren’t stars, but hey….
Aurora Borealis. The Northern Lights. Foxfire. Whatever you call them, I thought I knew a fair amount about the phenomenon, but I picked up some pretty interesting tidbits about the auroras thanks to a little Googling.
Given its northern clime, Sweden is a prime spot for light gazing, and the aurora tends to grace the night skies often during prime months in fall and spring. All the scientific jargon aside, what it boils down to is that scientists have decided the energy source for auroras are like giant “Magnetic Ropes,” streams of charged particles from the sun that twist up and connect the earth’s upper atmosphere and the sun. Solar winds and other phenomenon abruptly release the charged particles, which dance across the polar skies in shimmering displays of light. An exceptionally intense solar flare on September 1, 1859 created the “great geomagnetic storm” of September 2, 1859—the most spectacular aurora ever witnessed in recorded history.
This particular aurora was so dramatic and widespread that it was recorded in ship’s logs and newspapers throughout the northern world. It was the first time the auroras were clearly linked to electricity, due in part to the fact that nearly 125,000 miles of telegraph lines were significantly disrupted for hours. More interestingly, some of those telegraph lines were the appropriate length and orientation to allow the current from the aurora to be induced into them—and were actually used for communication based solely on this power source.
A nearly two-hour conversation between two American Telegraph Line operators was supported purely by the current induced by the aurora, and was reported in the Boston Traveler as follows:
Boston operator: “Please cut off your battery [power source] entirely for fifteen minutes.”
Portland operator: “Will do so. It is now disconnected.”
Boston: “Mine is disconnected, and we are working with the auroral current. How do you receive my writing?”
Portland: “Better than with our batteries on. – Current comes and goes gradually.”
Boston: “My current is very strong at times, and we can work better without the batteries, as the aurora seems to neutralize and augment our batteries alternately, making current too strong at times for our relay magnets. Suppose we work without batteries while we are affected by this trouble.”
Portland: “Very well. Shall I go ahead with business?”
Boston: “Yes. Go ahead.”
Pretty eerie. It’s certainly one of those phenomenon that ancient cultures felt required explanation. One of the old Scandinavian names for the aurora translates roughly to “herring flash,” as it was believed they were the glittering of large schools of herring reflected in the sky. The Sami people (one of the largest indigenous nations in Europe, whose lands included parts of Sweden) believed the auroras demanded respect and solemn silence. Mocking or singing about the northern lights was exceptionally dangerous and could cause them to swoop down and kill the antagonist. Perhaps the Sami people had already proved the electric connection long before modern scientists…
Clearly, these myths reflect the attitude held by most Swedes in respect to the natural world. Allmansrätten, otherwise known as “Every Man’s Right,” is an integral part of Swedish culture and affords every person access to the country’s plentiful wilderness. With 25 national parks that cover more than 6,000 square kilmotres, Sweden is hardly hurting for places to enjoy nature. Even so, under loose guidelines such as “do not disturb, do not destroy,” one may travel on just about any land, including privately owned property thanks to Allmansrätten. In fact, landowners are actually forbidden to post no trespass signs on private land and roadways. While there are no prescribed distances, people are asked to use common sense and not disturb private residences, unique and fragile habitats, or agricultural land.
Pretty darned amazing, if you ask me. I can travel to a country with rocky coasts, sandy beaches, arctic tundras, 6,000 foot mountains, and lake-laden plains and walk and camp just about anywhere I want, so long as I don’t disturb any ecosystems or agricultural land and use common sense in terms of protecting flora and fauna.
I’m officially in heaven, and I haven’t even begun to touch on the musical language, interesting holidays and customs, or the women who wear candles on their heads… But methinks the splendour of maypoles and fermented herring deserves its own posting. Besides, I’ve rambled myself to sleep already without even cracking my newly purchased Lonely Planet guide to Sweden.
In case you haven’t guessed it already, barring some nasty surprises in the contract (which is in the mail!!), I’ve decided to go to Sweden. Sleep on that. I’m about to.
Tags: Allmansrätten, American Telegraph Line, Aurora Borealis, Countries, Global Peace Index, Hiking, I am Canadian, Safest Country, stereotypes, Sweden, Swedish Chef
