A Flatpack History of Sweden – Details, episodes & analysis

Welcome to A Flatpack History of Sweden! In this perhaps too long introductory episode, we say hello to our new podcast, explain the format and give a brief lowdown on what we are going to be talking about on our journey through Swedish history!

Update: We have just re-released the first 8 episodes of the podcast, so people can enjoy the first episodes with an improved sound quality! We give a longer explanation at the start of the episode.

We kick off our podcast with a look at how Sweden physically formed after the last ice age. We meet the first people to move in after this change and see how they lived during the Paleolithic and Mesolithic Ages. Expect Mammoths, hunter-gatherers and a very special lady - Bäckaskogskvinnan! 

Please do follow us on Twitter on too! @FlatpackSweden 

They have arrived! The Vikings are finally here. In the first of many episodes on this famous period of Swedish history, we give a rough introduction to the Viking period as we look at origins of the name Viking, where they lived, what they got up to and what kind of people they were. Were they even all Vikings?

We also hear from Jerry of the Presidencies Podcast as he reads out a quote from us, so do check out his great podcast. You can find him on Twitter at @Presidencies89 and at presidencies.blubrry.com for his website.

This episode feels a bit like déjà vu, as all sides in Scandinavia recycle plans they've used before. Once again, there's conflict with Denmark, the nobility in in disagreement, the peasants revolt, and guess what - KKB is back!

This is the podcast you're looking for, just with a fancy new logo. Hope you like it!

KKB as King, peasants revolting, marriage alliances, political bishops, regents, splits in the nobility, angry Danes, oh, and a plague. This episode has it all! Listen for more details!

We're back and back with a bang! Or back with a battle at least! King Kristian of Denmark slogs it out with Swedish Regent Sten Sture in a battle long remembered. Both before and after the battle, we see a lot of nationalistic chat on both sides of the border, as the Kalmar Union descends into a conflict Sten Sture wants to define as Sweden vs Denmark. King Kristian also has to learn how to use the new mortar he is renting from Germany and Sweden gets its first university...

We also hear from possibly our oldest listener, and here is the song mentioned in his email, Hälsa De Där Hemma on YouTube.

There are expeditions and battles in the east of the Baltic Sea region this week and we see changes in the political landscape back home too.

Sweden also makes a big cultural and scientific leap as the printing press arrives on our shores! The first few books might not exactly be best sellers and they also aren't that imaginatively named either, just like a new castle built over in Finland...

We're squeezing in a final episode of 2023! We look at a major siege and battle over on the Russian border in Finland before turning back to look at political developments in Sweden. King Hans is on the move and Swedish Regent Sten Sture has his work cut out for him as even his own archbishop starts getting a bit agitated! 

Please let us know your suggestions for what we should cover as a special 100th episode topic!!

King Hans doesn't get to rest long on the Swedish throne before rebellion breaks out once more. This time a fish seems to be at least partly to blame! In the middle of all the fighting, rebel leader Regent Sten Sture starts to feel unwell, which leads to a comedic sequence of events involving some trickery and disguises! Meanwhile, Queen Kristina gets dragged into the fighting as well. It's a busy episode! 

If you're listening "live", remember to send us ideas for what we should cover in our special 100th episode!

Sweden seems to be stuck in a loop in the early 1500s: there's internal conflict, and there's conflict with Denmark. After their villages have been ravaged by Danish troops, a group of peasants writes to the regent saying "such fire and plunder was not useful", which is the understatement of the age. We also see someone get a new job, but not for long... 

Meanwhile, we also address the confusion around Sweden and Switzerland - here's a link to the video we mention in the episode!

And for those of you who want to check out the wreck of the Gribshunden ship that we mention in the episode, you can find that here.