Culture of Sweden

Historical provinces of Sweden

The 25 historical provinces (landskap) of Sweden, which early in their histories had poor intercommunication, each have a distinct culture, though today they have lost their importance as administrative and political regions while the population of Sweden still identifies with them. Each province has its own history and individual nature. In early times, some of them were so separate from Sweden (as known) that they had their own laws. Historically, some of the regions were independent or longtime parts of Denmark and Norway. They have more-or-less different indigenous dialects within the frameworks of North Germanic languages or Sami languages, and all have ethnic minorities.

The consumption of alcohol in the home was noted in 2006 as less than in many other European countries, owing to the government's monopoly on alcoholic beverages, but not at restaurants and bars.[1] Swedish punsch is a spirit of particular historical significance in Sweden.[2]

Sweden ranks among the top 50 nations in alcohol consumption per capita with 440 AA groups in the country working on problems with alcoholism.

Poster for The Seventh Seal

Ingmar Bergman, Victor Sjöström and Gunnar Hellström are three of many Swedish movie and TV directors who have had noted international careers, and British director Colin Nutley, living in Sweden, has been highly productive there.

Swedish-born actresses and actors known internationally include Maud Adams, Malin Åkerman, Bibi Andersson, Ingrid Bergman, Britt Ekland, Greta Garbo, Signe Hasso, Felix Kjellberg, Dolph Lundgren, Helena Mattsson, Michael Nyqvist, Lena Olin, Ann-Margret Olsson, Mikael Persbrandt, Noomi Rapace, Stellan Skarsgård and sons Alexander, Gustaf, and Bill, Peter Stormare, Ingrid Thulin, Alicia Vikander and Max von Sydow.

With singing popular in Sweden, of its 9 million inhabitants 600,000 belong to various choirs.[3]

Internationally known songwriters like Jörgen Elofsson and Max Martin live in Sweden.

ABBA in Rotterdam in 1979

In popular music, the ABBA group was world-famous during the 1970s and early 1980s. Roxette emerged in the late 1980s and early 1990s and was also successful in the USA. Europe, Ace of Base and The Cardigans are additional Swedish pop groups that have been popular internationally.

Pop promo director Jonas Åkerlund is from Sweden and known for The Prodigy's Smack My Bitch Up and Madonna´s Ray of Light video.

Indie pop/rock has done well in Sweden. Gothenburg has spawned prominent bands and artists, thanks to labels such as Sincerely Yours and Service. Notable Swedish indie bands and artists include Jens Lekman, The Knife, Love Is All, The Concretes, Broder Daniel, The Tough Alliance, Peter, Bjorn and John, Little Dragon, El Perro del Mar, Maia Hirasawa, Fever Ray, Popsicle (band), Studio, The Embassy, The Honeydrips, Brainpool, Air France, jj, Joel Alme and Pacific!.

In contrast to its large pop music output, Sweden has a most prolific death metal scene. Gothenburg is known for a "melodic death metal" sound. Many bands from there, such as In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, At the Gates, The Haunted, as well as Stockholm's Amon Amarth and Opeth have seen increased commercial success in Europe and the United States. Melodic death metal is a broad genre with many variations, but has roots in traditional death metal, black metal and classic metal such as that of Iron Maiden. Still, many bands are influenced by genres as broad as Swedish folk music, alternative music, electronica, gothic music, progressive music and even neo-classical music. Sweden is known in the extreme metal community for its late-80s to early-90s death metal scene, spawning bands like Entombed, as well as more obscure, brutal bands like Repugnant and Treblinka (later called Tiamat).

Other Swedish music acts on the international scene are Avicii, Swedish House Mafia, Ghost, Dungen, José González, Måns Zelmerlöw, Lykke Li, Mando Diao, The Sounds, The Hives, Neverstore, Sahara Hotnights, Robyn, Movits! and The Shanes. Some are only famous on the domestic Swedish music scene, such as Kent, Håkan Hellström and Lars Winnerbäck.

The work of Carl Linnaeus has had profound impact the world of taxonomy. Other Swedish authors known around the world include August Strindberg, Astrid Lindgren and Selma Lagerlöf.

Self-portrait by Anders Zorn in 1915

Anders Zorn was an internationally known image artist. Also in the 19th century, painter Carl Larsson shaped an idyllic image of domestic Swedish country life not unlike that of American artist Norman Rockwell in the USA. Among Swedish sculptors, Carl Milles and Claes Oldenburg are notable.

• Architecture of Sweden
• List of museums in Sweden

• Nordstrom, Byron J. (2010). Culture and customs of Sweden. Santa Barbara, California: Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 9780313343711. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
• Fast, April; Thomas, Keltie (2004). Sweden: The Culture. New York: Crabtree Publishing Company. ISBN 9780778793298. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
• Máiréad Nic Craith; Johler, Reinhard; Kockel, Ullrich (2012). Everyday Culture in Europe: Approaches and Methodologies. Farnham: Ashgate Publishing. ISBN 9781409487807. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
• Demker, Marie; Leffler, Yvonne; Sigurdson, Ola (2014). Culture, Health, and Religion at the Millennium: Sweden Unparadised. London: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9781137472236. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
• Fast, April; Thomas, Keltie (2004). Sweden, The People. New York, New York: Crabtree Publishing Company. ISBN 9780778793281. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
• Duchene, Alexandre; Monica Heller (2008). Discourses of endangerment : ideology and interest in the defence of languages ([Reprint.] ed.). London: A & C Black. ISBN 9781847063229. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
• Daun, Åke (2010). Swedish Mentality. University Park, Pennsylvania: Penn State University Press. ISBN 9780271041506. Retrieved 6 July 2015.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Culture of Sweden.

• Sweden at geographia.com
• Picturesque Sweden (1950s) at globalimageworks.com