Yxsmedsgränd is an

alley An alley or alleyway is a narrow lane, path, or passageway, often reserved for pedestrians, which usually runs between, behind, or within buildings in the older parts of towns and cities. It is also a rear access or service road (back lane ...

Gamla stan Gamla stan (, "The Old Town"), until 1980 officially Staden mellan broarna ("The Town between the Bridges"), is the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Gamla stan consists primarily of the island Stadsholmen. Officially, but not colloquially, Gamla stan ...

, the old town in central

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

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 ...

. Stretching south from

Västerlånggatan Västerlånggatan ("the Western Long Street") is a street in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching southward between the squares Mynttorget and Järntorget, it follows the course of the city's now demolished 13th-century def ...

Stora Nygatan Stora Nygatan is a street in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. The troubadour Carl Michael Bellman lived at number 1 in 1785-1787 and at number 20 (still present) in 1787–88. Description *Old names: ''nyegatun'' (1636), '' ...

, it forms a parallel street to

Didrik Ficks Gränd Didrik Ficks Gränd (Swedish: "Alley of Didrik Fick") is an alley in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching from Västerlånggatan to Stora Nygatan, it forms a parallel street to Sven Vintappares Gränd and Yxsmedsgränd w ...

and

Kåkbrinken Kåkbrinken is a street in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching from the western waterfront Munkbroleden, to the central square Stortorget, it forms a parallel street to Yxsmedsgränd, Solgränd, and Bedoirsgränd, while ...

and is crossed by

Lilla Nygatan Lilla Nygatan ( sv, Small New Street) is a street in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching from the square Munkbron south to Kornhamnstorg, the street in intercepted by Yxsmedsgränd, Kåkbrinken, Schönfeldts Gränd, Tyska B ...

and

Munkbrogatan Munkbrogatan is a street in the western part of Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching south between Munkbron and Mälartorget squares, it forms a parallel street to Munkbroleden and Lilla Nygatan, crossed by Yxsmeds ...

. Throughout its history it appears under various names : ''Yskemes grenden'' (1612), ''Öskiemyss gränden'' (1623), ''Yxe Smedes Grenden'' (1646), ''Yxe-Smeds gr'' 'änd'' ''Ödesgr'' 'änd'' ''Uttermarks gr'' 'änd''(1733), ''Yxsmedsgränd'' (1885).

History

The present name is a corruption of the original ''Yskemes grenden'', probably meaning "The Alley of öranYskemes", mentioned as "the late ''Jörenn Yschemesses''" in 1606 and said to have owned a property in the alley. Other than leaving a widow called Marie, little is known about him. The name can arguably be of

Estonian Estonian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Estonia, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe * Estonians, people from Estonia, or of Estonian descent * Estonian language * Estonian cuisine * Estonian culture See also

...

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

origin, originally meaning ''öitsi-mees'', "night watchman" (e.g. over cattle). The part of the alley between the two Nygatan streets was however called ''Herr Amunds gränd'' ("Alley of Mr. Amund") as early as 1593, a name which appears as late as 1622. The names ''Hans Skuttes gränd'' and ''Olof Skottes gränd'', are recorded in 1557 and 1589, and might refer to the same alley. In 1684, the part below Lilla Nygränd was named ''Uttermarksgränden'' after the accountant Daniel Benktsson Uttermark who owned a property there. The uppermost part of the alley between Västerlånggatan and Stora Nygatan, the part originally called Yskemes gränd, is referred to as ''Sigfrid Olofssons gränd'' in 1589 and 1621 while a property there is referred to as ''Yskemetshuset'' ("house of Yskemet") in 1616 and 1618. The name then appears in various forms during the middle of the century, the corrupted version dominating historical documents by 1673. On a map dated 1733 the alley is still divided into three parts with individual names - Yxsmedsgränd being used exclusively for the upper part - only to get united as Yxsmedsgränd in 1885.

Song

The street features in

Carl Michael Bellman Carl Michael Bellman (; 4 February 1740 – 11 February 1795) was a Swedish songwriter, composer, musician, poet and entertainer. He is a central figure in the Swedish song tradition and remains a powerful influence in Swedish music, as well ...

's song ''

Fredman's Epistle ''Fredmans epistlar'' (English: ''Fredman's Epistles'') is List of Fredman's Epistles, a collection of 82 poems set to music by Carl Michael Bellman, a major figure in Sweden, Swedish 18th century song. Though first published in 1790, it was cre ...

'' no. 28, "

I går såg jag ditt barn, min Fröja I går såg jag ditt barn, min Fröja (Yesterday saw I your child, my Freya), is a ballad from the Swedish poet and performer Carl Michael Bellman's 1790 collection, ''Fredman's Epistles'', where it is No. 28. The epistle is subtitled "''Om et a ...

", when the muse

Ulla Winblad Ulla Winblad was a semi-fictional character in many of Carl Michael Bellman's musical works. She is at once an idealised rococo goddess and a tavern prostitute, and a key figure in Bellman's songs of ''Fredman's Epistles''. The character was part ...

, who lives there, flees from the police. The song begins with the lines

References

External links

hitta.se - location map and virtual walk
{{coord, 59, 19, 29, N, 18, 04, 09, E, type:landmark, display=title Streets in Stockholm