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THE SWEDISH N ATI ON AL,CHARACTER
SCATTERED THOUGTS AND APHORISMS
FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES
BY
THE REV. GEORG BERGFORS
V ITT AN G l, LAPPLAND
T yow CAN SUCH A HARD NATION HOLD SO MUCH OF
I–-1 tenderness and feeling in its soul», a Japanese is said to have uttered
I M 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 selfisacrifice, 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 veil of bash*
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 harddiearted 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. Sundbärg).
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 wardike 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. Sundbärg). One can depend
J
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