A Flatpack History of Sweden

64. From the Stone Ages to Runestones

After two and a half years, and after a request by a listener, we thought it was a good time to start recapping everything we have covered in the podcast so far. We open the Flatpack Archives and discuss a few highlights from each episode in the first half of our back catalogue. We'll finish this recap next time!

Remember you can find all our episode pictures, maps, family trees, Swedish phrases and our Swedish and English sources on our website. 

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65. Olof to Albert

We continue with part two of our double episode recap. We start with the first Swedish King and end up with King Albert in the late 1300s, where we left off in the last chronological episode. We see royal drama, powerful jarls, dukes, Queens, Kings and much more. There's so much to cover, so let's get going!

Remember to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more Swedish history content and check out our website for more information, maps, family trees and a lot more! 

66. Margareta and the Pirates

We're back in the late 1380s after our two recap episodes. We pick up the story of Scandinavia after the death of the last of the Bjälbo dynasty, King Olof of Norway and Denmark. But fear not, his mother Margarete is ready to step up and take the reins. We'll see how she enforces her will on both Denmark and Norway, with the help of her allies in the Danish court. We then rewind and focus on her time as regent for her son in the previous decade and a half, and examine her on-off relationship with local pirates! 

Remember you can find all our episode pictures, maps, Swedish phrases, all of sources and a brand new family tree on our website. 

We are also on Facebook and Twitter!

67. Worst First Day Ever

The 1380s is drawing to a close and the decade ahead has been described by historians as "one of the most troublesome, bloody and unstable times in the history of the nations around the Baltic sea.” Queen Margareta has lost her son King Olof and now her enemies in Mecklenburg won't give in. It is time for the two sides to meet in battle, namely at Åsle in February 1389. In this episode we'll cover that battle, what happens afterwards and a bloody event in Stockholm. 

68. The Mecklenburg Menace

The situation on the Baltic Sea is about to go from bad to worse as piracy takes hold. The Dukes of Mecklenburg assemble a giant fleet to try and keep Stockholm resupplied and terrorise all merchants foolish enough to risk a voyage on the water. It gets so bad that even the Dutch and the English are annoyed! Just like 100 years previously, icy water plays its part in naval combat, and two sides finally sit down to discuss peace. 

69. The Road To Kalmar

Margareta is now truly in charge after capturing King Albert in battle last time around. In Sweden, her heir Erik is elected king at Mora Stenar, despite Margareta really being in charge. A sign of this power is how she curtails noble power and continues to make laws strengthening royal control over her three countries. Meanwhile, the Baltic Sea is still a bit of a haven for pirates though, and the Mecklenburgs aren't going to give up just yet. Oh, and some priests throw a sword through a window! 

70. And So It Was Spoken In Kalmar

We have building up to this big meeting for quite a while now and trust us, it is worth it! A formal union between old enemies Denmark, Sweden and Norway is agreed in a major historical milestone. Erik will be crowned King of this new entity and it is a certainly a win for Margareta. But what was actually agreed on and was the meeting even that important at the time? Sources are confused and there is a lot of historical debate to cover! Plus, we try and figure out why not many Norwegians attended... 

71. Not the Only Union in Town

A surprise arrival on the island of Gotland leads to our biggest digression yet! There's drama all over the north of Europe as we cover the backstory of these new players in the Swedish story - although some of them aren't that new. The Teutonic Knights are here and they're ready to take some new land! 

Note: The joke section at the end is not the announcement of a new project...! :) 

S7. Swedish Symbols

A special episode for a special time of year! We celebrate the festive season with a visit to one of Sweden's most famous Christmas symbols and a discussion about symbols of the country in general. From the flag to the Three Crowns, we discuss the most common things people think of when they think of Sweden - we even include the Dala Horse by special request! 

Read more about the Christmas goat here.

72. How I Met Your Herring

Of course the first episode back after a Swedish Christmas has to include a healthy dose of herring! We round off the 1300s with a quick tale about Novgorod and more developments on Gotland, before diving into the great herring markets of Skåne to start off the new century. The 1400s was a time of great trade in Skåne and herring was of vital importance to the entire Kalmar Union. What happened if you tried to salt your own fish or carried your herring around in a bag? Find out here!