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The Old Country Newsletter – Color Attacks, Vikings & Candidates
Your Weekly Newsletter From Sweden
Philip Hannes
November 22, 2024
Good morning!
It’s Friday, November 22.
Winter has reached Sweden. This morning, the temperature in the southern parts of the country was around minus 10 degrees Celsius (14 Fahrenheit). A relatively mild blizzard will hit Blekinge and Skåne during the afternoon and evening. Indeed, winter is coming.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Philip & Hannes
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Your Weekly Swede-ish
An Illinois-Swede Running for President
Did you know that John B. Anderson, the independent candidate who shook up the 1980 U.S. presidential election, had Swedish roots? Born in Illinois in 1922, Anderson was the son of Swedish immigrants. Known for his integrity and eloquence, Anderson spent two decades in Congress as a Republican before making his historic independent run, championing progressive policies like alternative energy and balanced budgets. His heritage instilled a sense of perseverance and fairness, values that defined his political career. Anderson’s Swedish connection added – if you ask me – a dash of Nordic practicality to his trailblazing legacy in American politics.
Statistics you didn’t ask for
Sweden’s largest city, Stockholm, houses around 1.6 million people in its metropolitan area, akin to the size of Phoenix, Arizona. Gothenburg, the second-largest city with about 580,000 residents, compares to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Malmö, with 350,000 people, is similar in size to Honolulu, Hawaii.
Unlike sprawling U.S. cities, Swedish cities are compact, with excellent public transport and bike-friendly infrastructure. Stockholm’s historic Gamla Stan contrasts with Phoenix’s modern grid, while Gothenburg’s maritime vibe rivals Milwaukee’s Great Lakes heritage. These cities highlight the diversity of urban development across nations, blending history and innovation in distinct ways.
China and Russia Tied to Swedish Cable Sabotage
Attribution: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Chinese ship Yi Peng 3 has been anchored in Kattegat, between Sweden and Denmark, since Tuesday evening. It is suspected of being involved in the recent undersea cable disruptions on Swedish territory and is currently being shadowed by the Danish Navy.
Sweden is investigating the suspected sabotage of a critical undersea communication cable near Gotland Island, with a Chinese-flagged vessel under scrutiny. The ship, stopped by the Danish Navy in international waters, was captained by a Russian national, adding to the speculation surrounding its activities near sensitive infrastructure.
The damaged Swedish cable coincided with similar incidents in Finland and Denmark, raising concerns of a coordinated attack on the Baltic region’s vital communication networks. Germany’s defense minister, Boris Pistorius, commented on the broader situation, stating, “No one believes that the cables were accidentally damaged,” and confirming his assumption that sabotage was involved.
Swedish Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin has called the incident a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities in undersea networks and emphasized the importance of protecting critical infrastructure as geopolitical tensions rise. The interception of the Chinese vessel by Danish forces adds an international dimension to the investigation, as authorities work to determine whether the ship played a direct role in the cable’s damage
In other news
🤖 A study at Danderyd Hospital and Karolinska Institutet tested an AI tool allowing patients with chest pain to input their medical history during emergency room wait times. The tool improved risk assessments, reduced hospital admissions by 20%, and showed potential for broader implementation with shorter and more user-friendly formats.
⚽ Sweden's men's national football team ended 2024 on a high note with a 6-0 victory against Azerbaijan, securing promotion to the B-division of the UEFA Nations League under coach Jon Dahl Tomasson. Dejan Kulusevski praised the team's growth and expressed confidence in achieving success in the 2026 World Cup, with key qualifiers ahead in 2025.
❌ Gregorian Bivolaru, leader of the Misa yoga sect, has had his Swedish residency permit revoked, according to P4 Blekinge. Bivolaru, originally from Romania and residing in Karlskrona, was arrested in France last year on allegations of imprisoning and assaulting women, among other charges.
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Color Attacks Target Three Swedish Airports
Attribution: OMNI
In a series of coordinated acts of vandalism early Wednesday morning, three Swedish airports were targeted with paint and other disruptive materials.
At around 9 a.m., the entrance to Malmö Airport was covered in bright red paint, prompting a swift response from the police. Two individuals have been detained in connection with the incident, suspected of being involved in the act of vandalism. According to police spokesperson Katarina Rusin, "It appears that these two people are involved, and they are suspected of property damage."
In addition to the primary suspects, another individual is being investigated for allegedly assisting in the act by filming the attack. Shortly after the Malmö incident, police received reports of a similar attack at Arlanda Airport, near Stockholm. Two individuals were seen spraying paint on the exterior of the airport and also applying fire foam, according to Anna Westberg of the Stockholm police. This incident has also been classified as vandalism, and the perpetrators were escorted off the premises.
The attacks didn't stop there. Gothenburg’s Landvetter Airport was also targeted. In a statement, the activist group "Restore Wetlands" claimed responsibility for the actions, supporting the ongoing disruptions.
Word of the week
VANDALISM [VAHN-dah-lees-m]
Legacy Lanterns – shedding light on the stories of the past
Hans Dahl (1849-1937), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Leif Eriksson: The First Scandinavian to Set Foot in America
In our ongoing series exploring early Scandinavian journeys to America, we take a closer look at one of the most famous explorers of all: Leif Eriksson. While many of us grew up hearing the tale of Christopher Columbus, the explorer Leif Eriksson reached North America nearly 500 years before, carving a path that reveals our deep Scandinavian heritage . Leif’s journey to the New World is a fascinating story of courage, curiosity, and the enduring spirit of exploration.
Setting Out for the West
The story begins with Leif Eriksson's father, Erik the Red, who was exiled from Scandinavia after committing manslaughter, a fate he also faced in Iceland for a similar crime. Declared “lawless”, Erik sailed westward and discovered Greenland, where he established the first nordic settlements. This journey set the stage for Leif’s own explorations and further discovery.
Leif Eriksson was born in Iceland around the year 970, Leif grew up hearing tales of far-off lands and longed to explore beyond the familiar seas. According to the Saga of the Greenlanders and Erik the Red’s Saga, Leif set sail from Greenland around the year 1000, driven by reports of lands even further west. Some accounts suggest he was inspired by another viking, Bjarni Herjólfsson, who had sighted unknown shores when he was blown off course years earlier.
Leif gathered a crew of about 35 men and prepared his longship for the challenging journey west. Their ships were well-suited for this kind of exploration; they were fast, lightweight, and capable of crossing the open ocean as well as navigating rivers and shallow waters.
Discovering Vinland
After a long and perilous journey, Leif and his men landed on a series of new lands they named Helluland (likely Baffin Island), Markland (likely Labrador), and finally Vinland, which is believed to be somewhere along the coast of Newfoundland. Vinland, which translates to "Wineland" or "Land of Vines," was noted for its wild grapes and fertile soil, a land with resources they had not encountered in Greenland.
Leif and his men set up a camp in Vinland, where they spent the winter. The nordic explorers built shelters, hunted game, and gathered local resources. The remains of their settlement, thought to be the site known today as L’Anse aux Meadows, have been excavated and confirmed by archaeologists as the first European settlement in North America. These discoveries serve as evidence of our people's presence in America over a thousand years ago.
Returning to Greenland
After spending the winter in Vinland, Leif and his crew prepared to return to Greenland. They loaded their ship with timber and other valuable resources before setting sail. Unlike later explorers who would come with dreams of conquest, Leif’s journey was one of discovery and resource gathering. He returned safely to Greenland, where he shared news of the fertile land he called Vinland. The sagas say that Leif’s story inspired others to attempt journeys to Vinland.
Leif Eriksson's brother, Torvald, reached North America but was killed by "Skrälingar," their term for indigenous people. According to Erik Röde's Saga, around the early 1000s, Torfinn Karlsämne sailed with 160 men and women to establish a new settlement, bringing livestock and supplies. The land offered good conditions, but after three years of internal conflict, limited contact with the Nordic world, and clashes with the indigenous people, the settlement was abandoned. Today, we have no sources to tell us what happened afterward.
Celebrating Leif Eriksson Day
Today, Leif’s legacy is celebrated every year on October 9th, a national observance in the United States that recognizes Leif Eriksson Day. For Swedish Americans, this day offers a moment to reflect on our ancestral connection to Leif and the Viking spirit of exploration. Leif Eriksson Day also highlights the lasting impact that Scandinavian explorers had on the history of the Americas and invites us to celebrate the courage and resilience that Swedish and Scandinavian immigrants brought to the United States.
European Traits Among Native Americans?
On a side note, around 500 years later, an Italian explorer came across the Narragansett tribe in New York and Rhode Island. He noticed that some tribe members had European-like traits, including skin tones similar to Europeans, beards, and unusual height. The archaeologists have found a Native American who was 6 feet 2 inches tall. These individuals also seemed to be resistant to tuberculosis. This has led to speculation that Vikings may have traveled even further and mixed with Native Americans. What do you think, could there be a link?