Explore history

Welcome to the Swedish History Museum! Explore historical periods, themes and objects in the museum collections.

animal skin and horn lying on the ground with a field and source of water in the background

Historical periods

Swedish history, from the Stone Age to the Early Modern Age.

Explore historical periods

Themes

People, beliefs, art, skeletons - what interests you?

Explore themes

Two visitors lightly dressed with viking gear in the musuem laughing

History hub

Find exciting articles and objects in our knowledge database.

Search the History hub

Who were the Vikings?

The vikings were not a people but various groups in Eastern Scandinavia. They lived thousands of years ago and still capture our fascination today.

Explore the Viking Age

Viking woman lying in a bed with multiple objects lyijng around her

Popular theme: Norse mythology

Balder – the beautiful and beloved

Balder is one of the most beloved gods in Norse mythology. He is the son of Odin and Frigg, and is renowned for his goodness, wisdom and beauty. The myths about Balder centre on his death and the attempts to bring him back from the realm of the dead.

Freyja – goddess of fertility and war

Freyja is the goddess of fertility, love and beauty, but she is also associated with magic and war. She is the daughter of the sea god Njord and the twin sister of Freyr, who, like her, belongs to the family of gods known as the Vanir.

The worlds and beings of Norse mythology

Old Norse mythology and the Viking worldview are rich in realms and mythological beings. Evocative names such as Midgard, Asgard, Utgard and Nifelhel. Giants, gods and monstrous creatures.

Thor – God of Thunder

Thor is the mighty god of thunder in Norse mythology. He is often called “the Thunderer”, for he commands thunder and lightning. Thor is also the god of farmers and free men. He is known for his fiery temper, his red hair and his thick, bushy brows.

Skadi – goddess of the wilderness

Skadi is the goddess of the wilderness, who hunts in the mountains on her skis. Her father is the giant Thjazi. And despite being a giantess, she is accepted by the gods of Asgard when she marries the sea god Njord.

Odin – leader of the gods

Odin bears many names and is both a god of war and a god of the dead. Half of all warriors who fall in battle come to his hall, Valhalla. He is the one-eyed Allfather, who sacrificed an eye in order to see everything that happens in the world.

Sources for Norse mythology

How do we know what we know about people’s beliefs, mythological tales and ideas about the afterlife a thousand years ago – in the era known as the Viking Age?

The mythological world of the Vikings

Norse mythology forms the foundation of the Vikings’ religious and mythological beliefs. During this period, people in Scandinavia worshipped multiple gods. Stories of gods, giants, and humans and originate from the time before Christianity.

Iðunn – goddess of youth and vitality

Iðunn is known as the goddess of youth and renewal. Her most famous attribute is that she guards and dispenses the golden apples that keep the Æsir young. Without her apples, the gods would age like ordinary mortals, and so she plays a crucial role in the world of myth.

Heimdall – forefather of humankind

Heimdall is the forefather of humankind, and he teaches them many things, such as the knowledge of runes. He is a mysterious god, connected to the world tree Yggdrasil. One interpretation of his name is “He who shines over the world.”

Frigg – mistress of Asgard

Frigg is the mistress of Asgard, the home of the gods, and the wife of Odin. She is the protector of marriage and motherhood, and is mother to Balder, Höðr and Hermóðr.

New article

The Stockholm Blood Bath

In 1520, Kristian II of Danmark was crowned king of Sweden. But instead of a good start to his reign, it ended in a brutal massacre in the streets of Stockholm.

Exciting themes

Behind the scenes

Curious what happens behind the scenes at the Swedish History Museum in Stockholm? Gain a deeper understanding of our operations, what our staff does, and our areas of expertise.

Art and handicraft

Explore art and handicraft throughout history, in the collections of the Swedish History Museum in Stockholm.

Burials and skeletons

Explore burial practices and skeletons through history, in the collections of the Swedish History Museum in Stockholm.

People and culture

Explore people and culture through history, in the collections of the Swedish History Museum in Stockholm.

Religion and belief

Explore people and culture through history, in the collections of the Swedish History Museum in Stockholm.

Treasures and hoards

Discover treasures and hoards throughout history, in the collections of the Swedish History Museum in Stockholm.

Search the collections

The Swedish History Museum has millions of objects in its collections. It shares a collections database with sister museums in the government agency National Historical Museums. In the database you'll find information and images of these objects (in Swedish).

To the database

All historical themes

Explore Swedish history through interesting, curated themes.

Explore themes

Audio guides

Hear old norse myths, discover museum highlights, or do a deep dive in the museum's exhibitions. All for free!

Listen to audio guides

A person listening to an audio guide beside a lion sculpture.

Objects in 3D

Get closer to the objects in the collections than ever before.

3D: Drinking horn with mythical creatures

Drinking horns have been used for several thousand years during celebrations and festivals. In the Middle Ages, horns were used by royalty, wealthy individuals, and priests. They were often decorated with animal motifs, patterns, and various inscriptions.

3D: A three-legged ceramic pot

This three-legged medieval pot is made of ceramic about 400 years ago and was used for cooking or preparing food. This pot was found outside Kalmar Castle.

Medieval Aranäs helmet

The Aranäs Helmet, from around AD 1300, is a unique and well-preserved helmet that contributes to our knowledge of medieval warfare equipment in the Nordic countries.

3D: The Väversunda Madonna

This wooden sculpture of the Madonna with the Christ Child from Väversunda Church in Östergötland is one of the few preserved early Gothic sculptures of its kind.

3D: Skull from the Battle of Visby

In 1361, King Valdemar Atterdag of Denmark invaded Gotland, and a battle took place between the Gotlanders and the Danes at Visby. The dead were buried in mass graves just outside the city walls, at the site now called Korsbetningen. Archaeologists have examined the skeletons, now in the collections of the Swedish History Museum, which show many severe injuries.

3D: A medieval shoe

This leather shoe with laces was used about 600 years ago during the Middle Ages. Shoes like this were common then and worn by both children and adults.

Björn's tomb from Botkyrka

This tomb chest was carved from a single block of sandstone in the 12th century. It is shaped like a church and has runic inscriptions in old Norse.

A round brooch from Birka

Explore a 3D-model of a round brooch found at Birka, in the collections of the Swedish History Museum.

An oval brooch from Birka

Explore a 3D-model of an oval brooch fron Birka, in the collections of the Swedish History Museum.

An Iron Age vessel

Explore a 3D-model of a vessel from Pre-Roman Iron Age in the collections of the Swedish History Museum.

Exhibition

Prehistories

Captivating stories about people and objects from prehistoric times.

Exhibition

The Gold Room

See unique gold and silver jewels and sparkling treasures.

How we work with knowledge at the Swedish History Museum

The Swedish History Museum is part of the government agency National Historical Museums. The agency employs experts in various fields, such as history, archaeology, conservation, and more. The texts on the website are produced in collaboration between different experts, educators, and other staff. The texts have been fact-checked and are based on established research. In some cases, written sources are lacking and the physical remains are limited and ambiguous, especially far back in time. In such cases, the material is interpreted by the experts. However, the interpretations are always based on research.

Text summaries and translations have been created with the help of AI and have been fact-checked.

If you have questions about the factual background of our texts, please contact webb@historiska.se.

History hub

Search for articles and objects in the History hub. Sort and filter by time period and theme to find what's relevant to your specific interests.

To the History hub