Mother Svea or ''Mother Swea'' (
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 ...
: ''Moder Svea'') is the female
personification
Personification occurs when a thing or abstraction is represented as a person, in literature or art, as a type of anthropomorphic metaphor. The type of personification discussed here excludes passing literary effects such as "Shadows hold their b ...
of
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
and a
patriotic emblem of the Swedish nation.
Background
Mother Svea is normally depicted as a powerful
female warrior,
valkyrie
In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ("chooser of the slain") is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become (Old Norse "single (or once) fighters"Orchard (1997:36) ...
or
shieldmaiden
A shield-maiden ( non, skjaldmær ) was a female warrior from Scandinavian folklore and Norse mythology, mythology.
Shield-maidens are often mentioned in sagas such as ''Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks'' and in ''Gesta Danorum''. They also appear in ...
, frequently holding a shield and standing beside a lion. Svea is a Swedish female
personal name
A personal name, or full name, in onomastic terminology also known as prosoponym (from Ancient Greek πρόσωπον / ''prósōpon'' - person, and ὄνομα / ''onoma'' - name), is the set of names by which an individual person is known ...
which derives from ''svea'', an old plural genitive form meaning "of the
Swedes
Swedes ( sv, svenskar) are a North Germanic ethnic group native to the Nordic region, primarily their nation state of Sweden, who share a common ancestry, culture, history and language. They mostly inhabit Sweden and the other Nordic countr ...
" or the ''Swea''. It appears in ''Svea rike'', a translation of the old Swedish word ''Sverige'', the Swedish name for Sweden.
The popular image is considered to have been created by Swedish writer, (1649–1725) when first introduced in his poem ''Svea Lycksaligheets Triumph'' (1672).
As a patriotic symbol, Moder Svea gained widespread popularity in ''Kunga Skald'' (1697), written by Swedish poet
Gunno Eurelius (1661–1709) in honor of King
Charles XI of Sweden
Charles XI or Carl ( sv, Karl XI; ) was King of Sweden from 1660 until his death, in a period of Swedish history known as the Swedish Empire (1611–1721).
He was the only son of King Charles X Gustav of Sweden and Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein- ...
. Eurelius was later ennobled with the name of Dahlstjerna.
Mother Svea appeared frequently as a national symbol in 19th-century Swedish literature and culture. She appeared on various
Swedish banknotes for over seventy years, such as both the 5-kronor banknote printed between 1890–1952 and the 5-kronor banknote printed between 1954–1963.
Swedish singer
Lena Philipsson
Maria Magdalena Philipsson (born 19 January 1966), known by her stage name Lena Philipsson, is a Swedish singer, songwriter and media personality. She represented Sweden in the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest, finishing fifth.
Career
Philipsson ...
and composer
Torgny Söderberg
Sten Torgny Söderberg (26 November 1944 – 5 August 2022) was a Swedish songwriter. He was mainly known for working with Lena Philipsson and wrote schlager songs such as " 100%", "Kärleken är evig" and " Diggi-loo diggi-ley". wrote a song entitled ''Moder Swea'' which was introduced in the 1995 album ''
Lena Philipsson
Maria Magdalena Philipsson (born 19 January 1966), known by her stage name Lena Philipsson, is a Swedish singer, songwriter and media personality. She represented Sweden in the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest, finishing fifth.
Career
Philipsson ...
''.
See also
*
Flag of Sweden
The national flag of Sweden ( sv, Sveriges flagga) consists of a yellow or gold Nordic cross (i.e. a horizontal cross extending to the edges, with the crossbar closer to the hoist than the fly) on a field of light blue. The Nordic cross design t ...
*
National anthem of Sweden
*
National personification
A national personification is an anthropomorphic personification of a state or the people(s) it inhabits. It may appear in political cartoons and propaganda.
Some early personifications in the Western world tended to be national manifestations ...
*
Three Crowns
Three Crowns ( sv, tre kronor, links=no) is the national emblem of Sweden, present in the coat of arms of Sweden, and composed of three yellow or gilded coronets ordered two above and one below, placed on a blue background. Similar designs are f ...
References
Sources
*
External links
Moder Sea displayed in the Tumba Bruk printing plant in Tumba, Sweden
{{National personifications
Swedish culture
National personifications
National symbols of Sweden
Fictional Swedish people