Episode 9 | The Slow Death of the Old Gods

If you know one thing about the coming of Christianity to Scandinavia, you probably know the dramatic version. Kings baptized. Temples destroyed. The old gods cast out.

But the truth is slower, messier, and more human.

In this episode, we explore the conversion of Sweden, not as a conquest, but as a slow seepage.

But not everyone welcomed the new god.

We'll trace the rebellions against Christian kings, men like Blot-Sweyn, who took the throne in the 1080s by restoring the old sacrifices at Uppsala. We'll follow the legend of Folke Filbyter, the man on horseback in Linköping who searched for his grandson after the boy was taken by monks, slipping on wet stones as the old world lost its footing.

This is the story of the new god. And the slow death of the old ones. And the people who fought to keep them alive.

As promised, here are the places and objects we've talked about in this episode, so you can see them for yourself:

Kata Farm and the Christian Vikings in Varnhem, Varnhem, Västergötland. A protective shelter with a glass floor allows you to look down on the crypt and Kata's grave, one of the oldest Christian burial sites in Sweden. Kata, a wealthy landowner, was buried here in the early 11th century with a runestone and a cross marking her grave. The site includes the remains of a 10th-century wooden church, a later stone church, and a cemetery with thousands of graves. Open year-round. vastergotlandsmuseum.se

The Folkunga Fountain (Folkungabrunnen) , Stora Torget, Linköping. The fountain features Carl Milles's 1927 sculpture of Folke Filbyter on horseback, the legendary ancestor of the House of Bjälbo, who searched for his grandson after the boy was taken by monks. The sculpture captures the moment when his horse slips on wet stones, a man caught between the old world and the new. A replica of the equestrian statue is on display at Millesgården on Lidingö in Stockholm.

Millesgården, Lidingö, Stockholm. The home and studio of sculptor Carl Milles, featuring a replica of the Folke Filbyter equestrian statue and other works. millesgarden.seStora Torget (Main Square) , Linköping. The central square of Linköping, where the Folkunga Fountain stands. The square has been a gathering place for centuries and is where you'll find Carl Milles's sculpture of Folke Filbyter.

Gamla Uppsala, Uppsala. The site of the three great burial mounds from the 5th and 6th centuries, the royal halls, and the thing (assembly). According to Adam of Bremen's 11th-century account, there was a great temple here—though archaeologists have found only halls, not a dedicated temple building. This was the center of resistance to Christianity, where King Blot-Sweyn restored the old sacrifices in the 1080s. The museum tells the story of both the old gods and the coming of the new faith. gamlauppsala.se

The Swedish History Museum (Historiska museet) , Narvavägen 13–17, Stockholm. The Viking Age collections include runestones from the conversion period, early Christian grave goods from Birka, and artifacts that show the blending of old and new beliefs. Free entry to the permanent collections. historiskamuseet.se

The Vänge Runestone (U 905) , Vänge, Uppsala County. Raised by a woman named Þorgerðr—whose name means "Thor's protection"—this stone bears a Christian cross. A woman with a pagan name, raising a Christian monument, carved at the intersection of two worlds. Visible outside the church.

The Morby Runestone, Uppland. Raised by a woman named Gullög for her daughter Gillög's soul, with an inscription noting that she built a bridge—a Christian act of charity and remembrance. Located near Stockholm.

This episode traces the slow, sometimes violent transition from the old gods to the new; and asks who gets to tell the story. In the next episode, we'll turn to the women of the Viking Age: the warriors, the traders, the settlers, the rulers. The ones who have been waiting for us to see them.