Lina Sandell (full name: Karolina Wilhelmina Sandell-Berg) (3 October 1832 – 27 July 1903) was a
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
poet and author of
gospel hymns.
Background
The daughter of a
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...
minister, Sandell grew up in the
rectory at Fröderyd parish in the Diocese of
Växjö
Växjö ( ) is a city and the seat of Växjö Municipality, Kronoberg County, Sweden. It had 70,489 inhabitants (2019) out of a municipal population of 95,995 (2021). It is the administrative, cultural, and industrial centre of Kronoberg County ...
in
Småland, Sweden. Lina greatly loved and admired her father. Since she was a frail youngster, she generally preferred to be with him in his study rather than with comrades outdoors.
When Lina was just 12 years of age, she had an experience that greatly shaped her entire life. At an early age she had been stricken with a partial paralysis that confined her to bed much of the time. Though the physicians considered her chance for a complete recovery hopeless, her parents always believed that God would in time make her well again. One Sunday morning, while her parents were in church, Lina began reading the Bible and praying earnestly. When her parents returned, they were amazed to find her dressed and walking freely. After this experience of physical healing, Lina began to write verses expressing her gratitude and love for God and published her first book of spiritual poetry when she was 16.
At the age of 26 she accompanied her father, Jonas Sandell, on a boat trip across
Lake Vättern
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...
, during which he fell overboard and drowned in her presence. Although Lina had written many hymn texts prior to this tragic experience, now more than ever poetic thoughts began to flow from her broken heart. All of her hymns reflect a tender, childlike trust in her Savior and a deep sense of His abiding presence in her life.
Career
Sandell went on to write over six hundred hymns, including ''
Tryggare kan ingen vara'' (Children of the Heavenly Father)
[''The Story of Our Hymns'' by Ernest Edwin Ryden (Rock Island, IL: Augustana Book Concern, 1930) pp. 176-180.] and ''
Blott en dag'' (Day by day).
Sandell’s popularity owed much to the performances of
Oscar Ahnfelt, who set many of her verses to music. He played his guitar and sang her hymns throughout
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...
. Of him she once said, "Ahnfelt has sung my songs into the hearts of the people". The "Swedish Nightingale"
Jenny Lind also promoted Sandell's hymns by singing them in concert and financing their publication.
Personal life
She was married in 1867 to wholesale merchant and future member of the Swedish Parliament, Oscar Berg (1839–1903). They established their residence in Stockholm. Their only child died at birth. In 1892, Lina became ill with typhoid fever. She died in 1903 at the age of seventy and was buried at
Solna Church in
greater Stockholm
Sweden has three metropolitan areas consisting of the areas surrounding the three largest cities, Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö. The statistics have been retrieved from Statistics Sweden and the statistics released on 10 November 2014. The ...
. Oscar Berg died due to complications caused by diabetes in October that same year.
Legacy
The train
Y32 1404, of
Krösatågen in
Småland and
Halland
Halland () is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden (''landskap''), on the western coast of Götaland, southern Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Scania and the sea of Kattegat. Until 1645 and the Second Treaty of Brömseb ...
, which moves across the railway tracks between
Jönköping
Jönköping (, ) is a city in southern Sweden with 112,766 inhabitants (2022). Jönköping is situated on the southern shore of Sweden's second largest lake, Vättern, in the province of Småland.
The city is the seat of Jönköping Municipa ...
-
Växjö
Växjö ( ) is a city and the seat of Växjö Municipality, Kronoberg County, Sweden. It had 70,489 inhabitants (2019) out of a municipal population of 95,995 (2021). It is the administrative, cultural, and industrial centre of Kronoberg County ...
,
Nässjö
Nässjö () is a locality and the seat of Nässjö Municipality, Jönköping County, Sweden with 16,678 inhabitants in 2010.
History
For many years, Nässjö was a rural village with agriculture as the dominant occupation. The turning point was t ...
-
Halmstad and Jönköping-
Tranås
Tranås () is a locality and the seat of Tranås Municipality, Jönköping County, Sweden with 14,197 inhabitants in 2010.
Overview
It is close to the lake Sommen in the north of Småland. Its main commercial center is located along the main stree ...
, has been named Lina Sandell.
There is a statue of Sandell at
North Park University
North Park University is a private Christian university in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1891 by the Evangelical Covenant Church. It is located on Chicago's north side and enrolls more than 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
His ...
in Chicago, Illinois.
References
Further reading
*
External links
Images
Lina Sandell photoLina Sandell drawingLina Sandell statue in FröderydArticles
The inspiration is called GodLina Sandell and Oscar AhnfeltLina Sandell at Augustana HeritageSwedish and English lyrics
Carolina Sandell at the HymnaryLina Sandell Berg at the HymnaryLina Sandell at Swedish WikisourceDiscography
Lina Sandellon
Victor Records
The Victor Talking Machine Company was an American recording company and phonograph manufacturer that operated independently from 1901 until 1929, when it was acquired by the Radio Corporation of America and subsequently operated as a subsidi ...
;Streaming audio
Lina Sandell and Oscar Ahnfelt
;Videos
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sandell, Lina
1832 births
1903 deaths
Swedish Lutheran hymnwriters
People from Vetlanda Municipality
Swedish Lutherans
Swedish songwriters
19th-century Swedish writers
19th-century Swedish women writers
Women hymnwriters
19th-century Swedish women musicians
19th-century Lutherans