Transcript Amusement in Stockholm

Amusement
Sweden
The Olympic Games in Stockholm ”Sunshine
Olympics”
• After the Olympic Games the nationalistic ideology grew in the
country. During the 1800s and the dissolution of the Sweden Norway Union 1905, the Swedish nationalism strengthened,
particularly in the middle class. In the same social class there was also
the greatest interest for Swedish sports. The middle class and the
politicians thought that success in sports and by arranging the
Olympics, Sweden would gain prestige in the world. After a successful
application, Sweden arranged the Olympics 1912. This OS is called the
"Sunshine Olympiad". During this OS many technological innovations
was introduced in Athletics such as electric time-keeping and photos
at the finish.
• In Stockholm, it was also the first time that there were participants
from all five continents in the world and that made it for the first time
a full international event. A total of 2490 men and 57 women
participated. In front of 25,000 spectators the Crown Prince Gustaf
Adolf inaugurated the Olympics at the Stockholm Olympic Stadium on
July 6. A total of 327,288 people saw the races that took place from 5
May to 27 July.
The lost Japanese
• In Sweden, probably Marathon remains the competition that they talked mostly
about.
• The race started from the competition arena stadium and went to Sollentuna
Church and back again, with the finish at the Stadium.
• Of the reported 98 runners only 68 started, and exactly half followed through at
all. The reason that so few crossed the finish was the extreme heat during the day
of the race. A Portuguese runner collapsed due to dehydration and died in
hospital the next day.
• A Japanese contestant broke the race in Sollentuna when he was invited to drink
a glass of juice in a villa garden. Then he took the train to Stockholm and went
home to Japan without notifying the officials that he had quit the race. He gave
rise to the story of "The Japanese who disappeared". Almost 55 years later, he
was invited to Stockholm and then ran, symbolically, across the finish line at the
Stadium. The final time was, in other words 54 years, 8 months, 6 days, 8 hours,
32 minutes and 20 seconds.
Sport and politics
• However, there was also some politics
involved in these sports events:
Finland's participation in the
Stockholm Olympics was not easy. Finland was
at this time a Grand Duchy under the Russian
Czar
who first wanted to ban Finland from
participation in the games
with their
own troop. After Sweden mediated Finland was
allowed to participate but under the
Russian flag.
• The most obvious remains of the Olympic
Games in Stockholm today is the Stadium
building, which was built as the main venue
for the competitions 1910-12. Inside the
stadium competitions such as the shot put,
tug of war, spears and time was arranged
(photo from www.stockholmskallan.se)
Midsummer
• Midsummer
• Midsummer is Sweden's major summer festival and takes
place the Friday of the third week of June each year. We
celebrate that the warmth returned and the days are long. In
the northern part of Sweden, there is actually no sunset at all
during this time of the year. The sun is up in the sky the
whole night through.
• During Midsummer Eve we dress a long pole - Midsummer
pole - with leaves and flowers, we bind wreaths, dances
around the maypole and eat herring, new potatoes and
strawberries with cream and drink beer and aquavit
(schnapps). This is a standard menu that has emerged during
the 1900s.
• It is believed that dance around the maypole was originally
an ancient fertility festival to honor Summer Solstice and the
rod was originally a phallic symbol. Actually, we know very
little about ancient midsummer celebrations. It is likely that
in some way celebrated the summer solstice, and to guess
that the feast had with fertility to do is close at hand. In
contrast, we know nothing about how the party really
happened. (photo from www.stockholmskallan.se)
Midsummer
• Midsummer night was associated with love and eroticism and a youth party. One would
dance until the sun came up. The Christian world was very critical of the midsummer
weekend's festivities because it felt that it was immoral.
• The actual Maypole probably came to Sweden from Germany sometime during the
middle Ages. The word Maypole (which in some places still is called the midsummer
pole) is likely to be of German heritage and came from their May Day celebration. In
Sweden adapted tradition, however it´s midsummer because it is warmer in June and
there's more to dress the pole with. We have not really got any leaves from the trees in
early May.
• When Sweden was mainly a farming community in the 1800s it was believed that the
extended midsummer night was a magical night with many supernatural forces of nature
at play. Medicinal Plants would be extra powerful and therefore you would collect them
during midsummer night. Love Predictions were also common during this night. Until
today, it is believed, half in jest, on love magic. Among other things, it is said that if you
want to dream about whom you will marry, you shall gather flowers to put under your
pillow. The flowers were in the tradition picked in silence – if broken the magic was
supposed to be lost.
Music
• During the 1800s and early
1900s were folk-music common.
There were fiddlers on violin,
accordion or piano played dance
music as the waltz, schottische
or polka. Today, playing folk
music mainly happens in rural
areas.
Music
• Today, Popular Music is common and Sweden has got several
international successes. Eurovision Song Contest is a popular
festival. The most famous musicians or music groups are
likely ABBA who won in the 1970s and Loreen who won the
Eurovision Song Contest in 2012. Sweden has won the
Eurovision Song Contest 1974, 1984, 1991, 1999 and 2012.
• Since the success of ABBA in the 1970s and Roxette in the
late 1980s and early 1990s, Swedish pop has been popular
around the world. The amount of Swedish music sold outside
Sweden is huge. 1997 Sweden climbed up to third place
among music-exporting countries. Only music from the UK
and the US fared better in international competition, a survey
showed in 1998.
• One of the explanations for Sweden's international success is
that we have since the 1940s had a municipal music school.
Many children have got the opportunity to, at a subsidized
price, get music lessons and play instruments, sing lead
vocals and/or sing in a choir. This music knowledge is then
used in forming their own band.