Explore history

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

Historical periods

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

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Themes

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

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History hub

Find exciting articles and objects in our knowledge database.

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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

Spooky stories

Just in time for Halloween and All Saints’ Day, read about graves, burial rituals and skeletons. Discover what archaeology and osteology can reveal about life and death throughout history.

What does an osteologist do?

An osteologist is a specialist in skeletons, both human and animal. The word "osteology" comes from the Greek osteon, meaning bone, and logos, meaning study – so it literally means "the study of bones."

The woman from Barum

Few skeletons from the early Nordic Stone Age have been discovered. One of the rare examples is the so-called Barum woman, formerly known as the Bäckaskog woman. She was buried nearly 9,000 years ago, in Barum, Skåne and her remains are on display at the Swedish History Museum.

The Stockholm blood bath

In 1520, Christian II of Denmark was crowned King of Sweden. But instead of marking the beginning of a festive reign, his coronation ended in a gruesome massacre. The event has gone down in history as the Stockholm blood bath.

Passage graves – monumental Stone Age tombs

Stone Age people built monumental tombs, so-called passage graves, from massive stone blocks. The largest concentration of these is in Falbygden, in the province of Västergötland. Explore some objects excavated from this area, from the collections of the Swedish History Museum.

Burials in the Iron Age

Graves are rich sources of knowledge about the past. They offer clues to people’s ideas about death, how bodies were treated, how burial rituals were carried out, and how people viewed the world.

A medieval skeleton's brutal fate

A young woman who lived in Sweden in the Middle Ages had an extraordinary life. She suffered from malnutrition as a child, walked with a limp as an adult, and endured shin inflammation toward the end of her life. Eventually, she met her death by beheading. When did she live? What was her crime? Her skeleton tells the story.

Popular theme: Norse mythology

Meet the gods and goddesses of Norse mythology.

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.

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.

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Vendel helmets

Three iconic Nordic crested helmets were discovered in Vendel Period boat graves. See 3D-scans of these objects and dive into their rich history.

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Objects in 3D

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

3D: Vendel helmets

The iconic Vendel helmets from the rich boat graves in Vendel, Valsgärde, and Ultuna represent the Vendel Period like no other group of artifacts. See 3D models and a film.

Knights in the Middle Ages

Explore a helmet worn by a medieval knight. Made of iron, the Aranäs helmet is one of the few well-preserved helmets from the 13th century in Europe.

The Bishop from Kumla

This sculpture of a holy bishop is made of limewood was likely made in the late 1400s. It has traces of green paint...

Wood sculpture – the angel from Njutånger

Candle staffs were used in the medieval church. The staff had a twisted rope-like design, often topped with an angel. This angel comes from Njutånger in Hälsingland.

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.

Exciting themes

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.

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.

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.

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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.

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.

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