If I would start talking about Vikings and burial mounds, most of you would probably get pretty graphical pictures and visualisations in your head. Romanticised ideas (not the kiss kiss smooch smooch ones, the literary kind) of glorified deaths in ancient times. And probably huge tourist attractions with well known routes to these historical and archelogical locations.
Reality doesn't even come close.
Every day at lunchtime I take a walk with my dog a few kilometers into the woods. Usually following smaller or larger trails and paths, or like now during winter, snowmobile tracks. Well, one of these tracks, just a few hundred meters into the woods, not far at all from where I live, there's a Viking grave. Not that kind of Viking that sailed across the seas or so, no, but one of the real kind. The ones that stayed put here in Sweden. Iron age tribal people trying to survive best they could.
Isn't that fascinating, just outside my door, a real Viking grave? How exciting and exotic? Right? No, not the least. It's just a piece of mosscovered rubble, barely distinguishable to the untrained eye. And noone knows of it. It's in the middle of the forest, no real path there. The sign marking the place is slowly rotting away, leaning somewhat twenty or thirty degrees to the right. Noone in the surrounding area probably knows of it. Heck, probably almost noone in the entire city, except me and the archeologist students I know sometimes go here on some excursions. It's an important part of our history that noone gives a shit about, except my dog who loves jumping around in the woods and sniffing out the squirrels that live in the area.
And that's just it. In other parts of the world people cling to every little notion of historical heritage. In the Americas there's a huge fuss over the smallest fragment of an arrowhead. While here, in Scandinavia, we merely let our pets piss on our legacy totally ignorant of it's presence.
Isn't that fascinating?
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4 comments:
I would have to agree with you, Johan. When I was visiting Sweden, my husband and in-laws took me to a couple historical sites (a huge runestone and a Viking grave field). I was quite surprized at the absence of "velvet ropes" and glass cages, not even a sign pointing out what they were and their significance. As I listened to the stories about the relics, I grew a bit concerned about how open these things are to vandalism. A can of paint would really jack up the beautiful runestone's carvings... but then this isn't the US, where I live. But it was very cool to see stuff like that, just sitting there, as if I happened upon them myself.
I guess the biggest risk of vandalism here is when the government decides to build a new road straight through one of these locations.
No, but cynicism aside, it has it's benefits. As you say, it feels more personal this way. It is your find, and your experience. Although a runestone is a bit more exciting than this small pile of overgrown rubble.
Johan..
see? people do care hehe ;) I've always been intrigued by you,your knowledge and insight on so many things i A: have never taken the time to truly think about or B: can not fully grasp the concept of. Im simplicity at its best. As for the viking grave,i think if i stumbled across it my own self i would be fascinated for a very long while just for the simple fact that its something "I" dont see everyday in my simple world hehe. very very cool. And speaking of cool..how cool would it be to visit Sweden. I feel like im stuck inside a bubble,so cut off from the big picture. Have only taveled to 3 locations in my 33 years and all being no more than 6 hours away.*sigh* For what its worth ,your words,insight and opinions do catch my attention and i will be popping in from time to time to see whats runnin thru that brilliant mind of yours :)
warmest wishes ,
Trina
When I see some of the things they put in museums in The Netherlands nowadays I usually wonder what the people that produced said things would think about it all. People that can do and make things they never even dreamt of and here they are, digging up pieces of broken furniture, dead animals, etc. to put them into a building for other people to see.
My bet is they'd think we are insane for dwelling in the past that much, instead of focusing on the problems that we face today.
Maybe it's just better to leave history to the people that are interested in it, instead of catering to the masses who just go there to brag to their friends and neighbours. The saying "those who don't remember the past are doomed to repeat it" seems to be lost on mankind anyway, we've known mistakes people made centuries ago, yet we are repeating them today.
Leave the past the past I'd say.
/ramble off
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