This paper introduces and discusses the new research and educational resource Mapping Saints, built by the cultural heritage research and digitization project, Mapping Lived Religion: The Medieval Cults of Saints in Sweden and Finland (MLR), launched in November 2024. The goal of the project was to create a digital resource to enable new, interdisciplinary approaches to the study of the cults of saints, applying research-driven digitalization with a theoretical focus on “lived religion”. The project was also tasked with the digitization of two cultural heritage collections: the analogue card catalogue, Iconographical Index of Ecclesiastical Art in Sweden (Ikonografiska registret) at the Swedish National Heritage Board; and the collection of photographs of ecclesiastical art taken by Lennart Karlsson, held by the Swedish History Museum, and previously available as low-resolution images in the database The Medieval World of Images (Medeltidens bildvärld). The paper critically reflects on the creation of bespoke tools for research projects in the digital humanities in its discussion of the digital methods applied in the project, which are of importance to medieval religious studies, a long-established field. These include the foundation of the resource itself: the place register and spatial analysis of past phenomena, as well as the application of the principles of linked open data to ensure sustainability. The paper concludes by providing two concrete cases which show the usefulness of Mapping Saints for research into lived religion: the inclusion of altars as unique places and the analytical possibilities of identifying and mapping previously unknown medieval individuals.

För att befästa det svenska rikets gräns i öster lät marsken Tyrgils Knutsson uppföra borgen Viborg 1293. I borgens skugga växte en stad fram, som trots sin rika historia är ganska okänd för de flesta svenskar. Gränsstaden Viborg kom genom århundradena att vara platsen för både kulturmöten och krig. I dag är det en perifer provinsstad i Ryska federationen. Staden präglas av arkitektoniska minnesmärken från flera epoker, men har farit illa under 1940-talets krig. I denna essä redogör Anders Fröjmark för sina vandringar i staden i augusti 2019, delvis på vägar som den finländske författaren Gunnar Mårtenson gick 1954.

Rupture or Continuity? The year 1523 in the history of Sweden [in Swedish]

In 1523, Gustav Eriksson of the noble family Vasa was elected king of Sweden. The year 2023 therefore marks a jubilee. However, this election has exaggeratedly been called the birthday of Sweden in numerous outlets. But in 1523, Sweden had already a long history, including personalities like King Eric the Holy, King Magnus Ladulås, and the prophetess St Birgitta. The election in 1523 was an episode in the history of Sweden, not its beginning.

This book chapter discusses when Sweden may be discerned as a kingdom within defined borders, and how elements of a state fostering the rule of law are visible in thirteenth and fourteenth century legislation.

The erroneous idea that Sweden was born in 1523 'has to do with a certain interpretation of the Kalmar Union. A large part of the chapter is therefore focused on the union period and some of the documents that were produced then. Three kingdoms came together to form the Kalmar Union, each with its own laws and institutions. It was not an empire, nor a foreign rule of Sweden.

The time in power of King Gustav (Gustavus) Vasa was indeed a period of significant change, not least in the domains of religion a forms of government, but there was also a large part of continuity,which must not be forgotten.

År 1523 var året då Gustav Eriksson av den adliga ätten Vasa valdes till kung i Sverige. I förberedelserna för jubileumsfirandet år 2023 har det påståtts, att Sverige föddes år 1523 i och med kungavalet. Men Sverige hade år 1523 redan en lång historia, som även innefattar gestalter som Erik den helige, Magnus Ladulås och heliga Birgitta. Kungavalet år 1523 var en episod i Sveriges historia, inte dess begynnelse.

I detta bokkapitel diskuteras frågan om när Sverige framträder som rike med definierade gränser, samt hur tolv- och trettonhundratalets lagstiftning låter Sverige framträda som en rättsstat.

Den felaktiga tanken att Sverige skulle ha uppkommit först 1523 hänger samman med synen på Kalmarunionen. En stor del av kapitlet ägnas därför unionstiden och några av de dokument den avsatte. Unionen var en förening mellan tre riken med varsin uppsättning lagar och institutioner. Det var inte ett storrike eller ett främlingsvälde.

Gustav Vasas regeringstid var en tid av stora förändringar på bland annat religionens och statsskickets område, men kontinuitetsaspekterna är också väsentliga och får inte glömmas bort.

Under the leadership of Queen Margaret Valdemarsdotter (1353–1412), the three Nordic kingdoms – Denmark, Norway and Sweden – were united in the so-called Kalmar Union that lasted until 1523, when Sweden seceded. In this chapter, the rule of Queen Margaret Valdemarsdotter will be analysed in light of earlier and contemporary medieval queenship. Queen Margaret was confronted with all the challenges posed by female rule. She dealt with them in a way that shows her awareness of contemporary and historical models, but she also contributed to creating a new form of government when she was elected “authorised lady and the right owner of the realm” in the Kingdom of Denmark in 1387. This model was subsequently introduced also in Norway and Sweden. We will look into possible role models for Queen Margaret. We will also investigate some aspects of her rule to see what may be learnt about her style of government. Her choice of collaborators is a significant part of her politics. A queen regnant of the fourteenth century was dependant on men to carry out her orders and act as her representatives and intermediaries in her lands. Where did Queen Margaret find her associates and what were the virtues she expected them to display in her service? Further, we will make use of Niccolò Machiavelli’s concept of ‘New Rulers’, to find out if they may help us analyse Queen Margaret’s actions.

Medieval miracle stories from Småland and Öland

Miracle collections and canonization processes from the Swedish Middle Ages contain some 600 individual miracle stories. A number of these have their origin in the diocese of Växjö within its present borders. They date from the thirteenth through the fifteenth centuries. Persons involved in those stories and the circumstances that made them turn to the saints are discussed in this book chapter. Miracle stories offer unique glimpses of the everyday life of women, men, and children of the Middle Ages and allow us to see that they are in reality quite close to ourselves.

Medeltida mirakelberättelser med ursprung inom de delar av Småland och Öland som tillhör dagens Växjöstift diskuteras i detta bokkapitel. De tidigaste är från 1200-talet och de senaste från 1400-talet. Människor som förekommer i dessa berättelser identifieras och de omständigheter som fick dem att söka helgonens hjälp diskuteras. Mirakelberättelser erbjuder unika inblickar i medeltida vardagsliv och låter oss komma närmare kvinnor, män och barn som levde då. Därigenom kan vi också erfara att de var ganska lika oss själva.

A short biography of Katarina Ulfsdotter (Catherine of Vadstena), daughter of St Birgitta of Sweden, co-founder of Vadstena Abbey, and a saint of the Catholic Church. Katarina was born in c. 1331. She passed half of her life in Rome, as assistant to her mother as long as she lived, and thereafter to fulfil her work. She also actively furthered the interests of the Swedish Church province in Rome.Katarina succeeded in gaining the trust of the people with which she interacted, including the Pope and the curia, and heads of state like Queen Joanna of Naples. She was also a keen organizer of the monastery in Vadstena that had been founded according to the instructions of St Birgitta. She passed away on March 24, 1381, already with a reputation for sanctity. A biography was written, miracles were reported, and in the 1470s, a process of canonization was undertaken.

When you talk about history in the Baltic Sea Region, it will not take long before sensitive issues come up. It may often be hard to find a common ground. In this book, researchers and educators from seven countries present 19 case studies of conflicting views and interpretations of history, together with a selection of sources. The book should be useful for teachers, guides, and others who present history to a larger audience, as well as to all who are interested in the History of the Baltic Sea Region.

Chronologically, the case studies range from the perception of Vikings, and the Christianization of the Eastern Baltic, to the appearance of central parts of present-day Tallinn and Riga, marked by the presence of some heavily symbolic buildings and monuments.

I Östersjöregionens historia råder det inte någon brist på hädelser som tolkas olika. Det kan många gånger vara svårt att hitta en gemensam grund. I denna bok presenterar forskare och lärare från sju länder runt Östersjön 19 fallstudier, som demonstrerar hur olika historiska händelser kan betraktas och tolkas från olika utgångspunkter. Till varje fallstudie hör ett urval källor. Boken är tänkt för lärare, guider och andra förmedlare av historia, likaväl som för var och en som intresserar sig för regionens historia.

Kronologiskt sträcker sig fallstudierna från vikingatiden och Baltikums kristnande till den prägel vissa tungt symboliska byggnader och monument ger åt dagens stadskärnor i Tallinn och Riga.