Religion and belief

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

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Guided tours

Explore the Swedish History Museum’s exhibitions with a knowledgeable guide. We offer tours for children and adults, as well as private group bookings.

Medieval Massacre

Medieval Massacre – the Battle of Gotland 1361 tells the story about a horrifying medieval battle between the farmers of Gotland, Sweden and the well-trained soldiers of the Danish army.

The women of the hospital

Objects can offer a more immediate connection to the past than texts alone. Here, we take a closer look at a few items discovered at a hospital for women in Vadstena, Sweden.

Equestrian gear of a Bronze Age goddess

The horse has long been a highly desired and exclusive animal in Scandinavia. Throughout history, horses have often been associated with men and warfare. In the collections of the Swedish History Museum are several pieces of equestrian equipment from the Bronze Age.

The first runes

The runes were the earliest form of writing in Scandinavia. They were created as early as the first century AD. By the time the Viking Age runestones were carved, the runes had already existed for nearly a thousand years.

A spiral-wound rod

In 1825, farmer’s daughter Margaretha Jönsdotter discovered this twisted gold rod. No further details about the circumstances of the find were recorded.

Medieval saint: Anna

Anna is among the most common names in Sweden, and the best-known bearer of the name is Saint Anne. She is regarded as the grandmother of Jesus and the mother of the Virgin Mary, and she became one of the most venerated saints of the fifteenth century. Anne was considered the patron saint both of expectant mothers and of miners. Numerous depictions of her are preserved in the collections of the Swedish History Museum.

Schools

Visit the Swedish History Museum with your class. Book a guided tour on-site or online. You can also explore the museum on your own or use the museum’s digital resources in the classroom.

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.

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.

Published2025.11.10

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