History can be used in many ways. It can be rewritten, or used by radicals or conservatives to gain power. There are many myths about the Viking Age, for example. Therefore, one of the main goals of the archaeological museum Vikingabyn, where IAL had its summer workcamp, is to experience history in a practical way.

We learned all this when we spoke to Britta, a housewife at Vikingabyn. The village is part of “folkbildningen,” a word that is somewhat difficult to translate. “The crucial component is that folkbildningen is collaborative, where each participant contributes their own perspective and experience to the process.”

You can read more about folkbildning here.

Meet Britta and Malin

Britta is the housewife of the Viking Village. She is everywhere at once and if you want to know anything about the village—ask Britta. She is good at kulning, a special kind of song used to attract goats or cows.

She talks about the cemetery where there are 160 authentic Viking graves and of course she knows how to do crafts. Britta was one of the founders of the Viking Village 27 years ago and in addition to her commitment to the Viking Village, she is an ethnologist and researcher at the university. Britta believes in experiencing history practically. She says that many volunteers return to the village year after year, and that four of the foreign volunteers have actually moved to Sweden and become Swedish citizens.

Malin is a member of the organisation that inhabits the village. She lives in the village during the summers with her husband and three children. She knows a lot about the village, the people who live there and of course the crafts and history.