THE SWEDISH NATIONAL. CHARACTER 



SCATTERED THOUGTS AND APHORISMS 

 FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES 



BY 



THE REV. GEORG BERGFORS 



VITTANGI, LAPPLAND 



OW CAN SUCH A HARD NATION HOLD SO MUCH OF 

 tenderness and feeling in its soul», a Japanese is said to have uttered 



H 



once, and stirred by emotion he burst into tears, as he listened to a 

 selection of our most beautiful folk»songs, sung by Swedes. He had lived under 

 the impression that the Swedes were hard and brutal. Their reputation as daunt* 

 less warriors was probably not unknown to him. Perhaps he had read of their 

 courage, bravery, heroic self*sacrifice, silent self-denial, modest fulfilment of duty, 

 all martial virtues. Perhaps he had noticed that a certain coarseness can still be 

 found among them, a disposition towards fighting and a strong desire for spi* 

 rits, which he also interpreted as being an inheritance from the old war times. 

 Now he sees, opening before him, a whole world, showing the sweet, serene, 

 open temper of the Swedes, which they usually hide behind a yeil^jsf—bashf, 

 fulness. 



»The Swede is a curious mixture of idealism and realism, of sentimentality 

 and hardness. This is connected with his power of imagination. He is a realist 

 and can be hardshearted when it is a question of something he has just in front 

 of him, but he is an idealist and can be sentimental in regard to things he can 

 only see at a distance.* (G. Sundbarg). 



Undoubtedly there is found, in the depths of our people's character, much 

 that is beautiful, gentle and dreaming. 



Another quality which the Swedes, as soldiers, have had an opportunity of 

 showing, or perhaps in spite of their wartlike qualities, is their chivabrousness. »Vin« 

 cere scis, Suecia, victoria uti nescis.» (Thou knowest how to conquer, Sweden, 

 but not how to profit by thy conquest). A pronounced humanity is one of the 

 principal traits of the Swedish character. No one has ever been more forbearing 

 towards a beaten foe, no one has ever found it easier to forget an injury. One 

 might with more reason, rather reproach the Swedes for unnecessary pliability. 

 It is very significant in this connection that the inhabitants who live on the 

 boundaries to the north, the west and the south, which are inhabited by other 

 races, and the inhabitants of the provinces which have belonged to neighbouring 

 nations, are heartily desirous of belonging to Sweden. 



The Swede possesses also in a large measure, »the noble integrity, which is 

 one of society's firmest foundations, and which many times mitigates the conse* 

 quences of an, in itself, imperfect social order*. (G. Sundbarg). One can depend 



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