Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Part I - Reverend Georg Bergfors, Vittangi, The Swedish National-Character
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
where he might easily become a power, but he splits his strength and his interest
among many things and so becomes »jack*of*all*trades, master in none», although
this must be taken with a certain amount of reservation.
The Swedes’ ready courtesy, hospitality and polite manners are widely known.
— »The Frenchmen of the North» — But this quality can be exaggerated
and has reverse side too. They love festivity and splendour, which often
launches out into luxury, ostentation and theatrical arrangements, scarcely answe*
ring to the intrinsic value. »They often clothe themselves in the richest manner,
although they live in a poor way.» (Jordanes, in the sixth century). Taking
all classes into consideration one can say about the Swedes, even today, that
they both dress well and carry themselves well.
»Honour stands foremost in the Swedish mind.» (Tegnér). »The Swedes are
distinctly a governing race, with greater desire to rule and lead than to work »
No matter how unpretentious a Swede’s place may be in society, he still loves to
break loose and play the gentleman. This points to a certain carelessness and
tendency to live for the present moment, from which we cannot exonerate him.
He likes to pose as being more than he is. »To avoid the least suspicion of
seeming mean, the Swede scatters profusely both his own and other people’s mo*
ney, to the right and the left.» (Are Wærland). »The Swede can both work well
and save his money, but for the most part he spends all he has saved. His goal,
when he works, is not to improve his position, but to have money to spend; he
saves to throw away, and very often without any pleasure or any purpose.» (C.
J. L. Almqvist).
But in spite of this the Swede is rather duli and heavy in society. He has
a tendency to settie every thing according to a scheme he has in his own mind,
and judges everything in a rather superficial manner. This makes him, even
among strangers, feel awkward and absent*minded. »When he is working, the
Swede generally has a kind and humane manner, but he is all the more weari*
some when one meets him afterwards in society.» (Carl Laurin). »With us
nearly everything is equally tiresome and commonplace. Always the same gene«
ral system, never anything that takes the individual into consideration.» (Sund*
bärg).
The homedife, taken on the whole exhibits the same features. The Swede
has so little to give. His mind is directed to outward things. »The relation,
which warmly and sincerely binds father to son, and mother to daughter, under
all the changes of life, and makes of them almost one spirit, is not seen very
much in Sweden.» (Are Wærland). In regard to a desire for knowledge and
interest in education the inhabitants of Sweden probably stand highest in the
world. General elementary education in the whole country is, with us, of an
older date than anywhere else. The state grants a larger sum, in comparison to
the number of its inhabitants, to be spent on elementary education than is the
case in any other country. Practically one can say, that there are none who can*
not read in Sweden, if one excepts idiots and imbeciles, whom it is not possible
to educate, and whose percentage in our country is fåirly low. Public Libra*
ries, where books can be borrowed free of charge, are to be found, not only in
the towns but in every larger place in the country. The scheme of leetures
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
