New Swedish Books, autumn 2020 1
51 Autumn 2020 Merry Games – Joys, Fancies and Am
usements During the Swedish Empire It is not easy to spot games and amusements in the source material from the bitterly cold, famineridden and war-torn Sweden of the 17th century. Yet, historian and writer Annika Sandén has found them: a snowball fight shows up in court proceedings because a grown-up got hit and caused a scuffle. The pretend wedding play of young farm girls is revealed thanks to the cathedral chapter’s dislike of the fact that the game was taking place inside the church. Some shepherd boys’ mock execution game is re-discovered in a travelogue on account of the axe they used being a bit too effective. In Merry Games – Joys, Fancies and Amusements During the Swedish Empire a myriad of such stories about children, young people and adults and their games, festivities and amusements are told. All, furthermore, are effortlessly connected to other research on play and partying: from other countries, other times and other fields. Henrik Brändén’s choice Annika Sandén Selected works Usla, elända och arma : samhällets utsatta under 700 år 2014 Bödlar. Liv, död och skam i svenskt 1600-tal 2016 Selected awards Årets bok om svensk historia 2013 Stora historiepriset 2018 History, 423 p. Annika Sandén Publisher Atlantis Rights Natur & Kultur Anders Bergman anders.bergman@nok.se Photo: Martin Alvehus