The Sword & The Sea

Goodbye...

2011-08-08T20:29:00.000-04:00

As my readers have probably realized, I have found it impossible to update Sword and Sea on a regular basis during recent months. As a result, I am sorry to say, I will no longer be posting here for the foreseeable future, although I plan to keep the existing articles online.

Many thanks again to all who have visited, read and commented on Sword and Sea.

Condolences

2011-07-29T21:27:00.000-04:00

I've been terribly absent from this blog, but I want to express my heartfelt condolences to the people and royal family of Norway in the wake of last week's horrific massacre. Trond Berntsen, step-brother of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, bravely saved the life of his 10-year-old son before being killed. May he and all the other victims rest in peace.

Speeches of the Finnish Presidents

2011-05-27T17:35:00.000-04:00

Here are some readings of inaugural addresses and other speeches of the Presidents of the Finnish Republic, in English translation. Below is the inaugural address of the first man to hold the office, liberal nationalist Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg. The speech was delivered in the Finnish Parliament on July 26, 1919. Keep in mind that Finland had recently suffered a series of tumultuous events: separation from Russia, then in the throes of the Communist revolution, a short but bloody civil war, sparked by a socialist insurrection, a brief flirtation with monarchy, and, finally, public debates over the drafting of a republican constitution. Already a seasoned academic, jurist and statesman, who had played a leading role in the development of Finland's new constitution, Ståhlberg won the first presidential election, trouncing rival candidate General Carl Gustaf Mannerheim, the civil war victor and former regent. In contrast to later Finnish presidents, who would be indirectly chosen by the people through an electoral college, Ståhlberg was appointed by Parliament.

Representatives of the Finnish People:-

I must obey the decision which the Finnish Parliament has made according to the Constitution. I must assume the responsible office of the President of the Republic of Finland. I do it, knowing deeply that the trust which the Parliament, on behalf of the Finnish People, has shown towards me obliges me, and I will try to fulfill my task according to my strength, having as my guidelines, the Finnish law and the well-being of the country and people of Finland. Our country's position is dangerous. Both the external security and the internal conditions need defense and stabilization. By the recently ratified Constitution, the solid base has been created, for the existence of Finland, which became independent, through historical world events and the renowned acts of Finnish citizens, and for its totally unique political and social life. Their condition of life is, however, that all attacks against the country's external security and internal legal order and legal government are repelled, and that the necessary means for doing so are cared for. But, at the same time, it must be demanded that the people in public offices do their duties so that every citizen feels that he enjoys the lawful, legal security, and with the State's measures, through the cooperation of Parliament and government, and through free, civic activity, must be built the political and social cohesion which will also bring outward solidity. If this succeeds, and if, in addition to it, the strong, serious work of peace is fully undertaken, which is now needed in all areas of public and private life, then our country, that I surely trust, can, by living at peace, and by fruitful interaction with other States, feel its place as a State of laws, and our nation, as a civilized nation, raising our living conditions so as to satisfy the present generation, and for the good of the future generations.

Karelian Refugees in the Winter War

2011-04-23T23:08:00.000-04:00

Playing Queen Christina

2011-04-07T15:21:00.000-04:00

An entertaining review of the historically wildly inaccurate 1933 film starring Greta Garbo.

The Idyll of Leopold & Astrid

2011-04-05T14:02:00.000-04:00

At The Cross of Laeken, there is an account of the happy young love of Princess Astrid of Sweden and Prince Leopold of Belgium, taken from the memoirs of a Russian sculptress, Catherine Barjansky, who was a member of the artistic circle of Astrid's mother-in-law, Queen Elisabeth of the Belgians.

Crown Princess Victoria

2011-04-05T12:38:00.001-04:00

The Royal Universe has an interesting article on Crown Princess Victoria, the only female royal heir apparent in the world, who is set to become Sweden's fourth queen regnant, following an amendment of the 1810 Act of Succession which places her ahead of her younger brother in the line to the throne. To quote:

Princess Victoria has received an impressive amount of education in preparation for her role as Head of State. She initially attended state schools, where she said she was bullied as a young child because she was dyslexic. She transferred to an exclusive private school, Enskilda Gymnasiet, at the age of 13. After graduating from school, she spent a year in France, studying at the Catholic University of the West in Angers. She returned to Sweden in summer 1997 and undertook a training course for several months in the workings of Parliament and the government. This was followed by a course of study at Yale University in Connecticut; an overseas university was chosen because the Princess was suffering from anorexia and it was felt that she needed to be away from the Swedish press and living somewhere where she could be relatively anonymous as well as receive the best possible therapy. After leaving Yale she spent some time working in the Swedish Embassy in Washington DC, returning to Sweden in 2000. Since then she has undertaken various courses of study in topics such as international relations, conflict resolution, and political science. She has also done internships at the United Nations, the European Union, and the Swedish Trade Council, and completed her military basic training. In 2006 she took part in the year-long Diplomat Programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2009 she graduated from Uppsala University, the university she would have attended in the late 1990s if not for the need to study abroad. She is also involved in the Crown Princess Victoria Fund, a charity focused on providing recreational opportunities for disabled children. She is patron of several organisations, mainly in the fields of health, sports, and culture.

Although I wish Victoria all the best, I find it unfair that her brother was retroactively deprived of the status of Crown Prince which he had held at birth. If a change to the succession laws was to be made, I think it would have been more just if it had taken effect only in the next generation. (Nevertheless, I have the impression that the Princess, as it turns out, is a finer character than her brother, so the change may be for the best). I also find it inconsistent to complain that the old rules, giving precedence to male children, had to be amended in the light of contemporary Sweden's egalitarian culture. At that rate, why have a monarchy at all, since the whole system of inherited rights to thrones is anti-egalitarian in the first place?

Photo by Prolineserver 2010, Wikipedia/Wikimedia Commons (cc-by-sa-3.0) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The Mannerheim Movie

2011-04-04T17:28:00.000-04:00

Will Renny Harlin's endlessly discussed, projected biopic of the revered Finnish soldier and statesman ever see the light of day? Here are some articles from Helsingin Sanomat.

Jewels of Royal Sweden

2011-03-17T17:41:00.000-04:00

With warmest thanks to "Lostsplendour".

March 3, 1861: The Emancipation Proclamation

2011-03-06T23:58:00.000-05:00

Gareth Russell discusses the liberation of the Russian serfs by Tsar Alexander II.

The White Eagle and the Northern Lion

2011-02-20T16:45:00.000-05:00

Here is a wonderful new blog by a kind reader, Gustavo Szwedowski de Korwin, a real estate broker and history teacher from Montevideo, Uruguay. A scion of the Swedes who followed King Sigismund III and his descendants to Poland between 1587 and 1659, and participated in the struggles between the Protestant and Catholic branches of the House of Vasa, he discusses the fascinating heritage of the Poles of Swedish ancestry.

(Image: Seal of the House of Vasa as rulers of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Kingdom of Sweden (1587-1668) - reconstructed by Avalokitesvara, tagged with the CC-BY-SA ver. 3.0 license)

The Baltic: A New History of the Region and its People (2005)

2011-02-18T23:00:00.001-05:00

In this long-needed history of the peoples and nations surrounding the Baltic Sea, we pass through the legendary castles of Elsinore and Helsingborg to enter a unique landscape and culture. Acclaimed historian Alan Palmer traces the history of the Baltic region from the early Viking days and its time under the Byzantine Empire through its medieval prime when the Baltic Sea served as one of Europe's central trading grounds. Palmer addresses both the nationalist sentiments that have driven Baltic culture and the early attempts at Baltic unification by Sweden and Russia. The Baltic also dissects the politics and culture of the region in the twentieth century, when it played multiple historic roles; it was the Eastern Front in the First World War; the setting of early uprisings in the Russian Revolution; a land occupied by the Nazis during the Second World War; and, until very recently, a region dominated by the Soviets.

In the twenty-first century, increasing attention has been focused on the Baltic states as they grow into their own in spite of growing neo-imperialist pressure from post-Soviet Russia. In The Baltic, Alan Palmer provides readers with a detailed history of the nations and peoples that are now poised to emerge as some of Europe's most vital democracies (~ Back Cover).

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I appreciate the effort to bring the Baltic region, with its rich history, culture and folklore, to more people's attention, as it tends to be sadly overlooked in favor of the major European players such as England, France, Austria and Spain. Russia is less neglected, but is usually discussed more in terms of her interaction with the great western powers or the Islamic world, rather than in terms of her relations with her small Northern neighbors. On the other hand, I think the book's objective is far too ambitious for a single volume. Palmer writes with enthusiasm, yet I found it impossible to read with enthusiasm. The author tried to cover too much material in too little space, and the result was a fatiguing feeling of jumping from topic to topic, coupled with a frustrating impression of skimming the surface rather than plumbing the depths. In addition, Palmer falls, at times, into tired clichés. I was irritated, for instance, by his reiteration of the often repeated, but unproven claim that Queen Christina of Sweden, the daughter of Gustavus Adolphus, was bisexual (p. 112). In fact, there is a serious lack of evidence that she ever had any affairs at all. Nevertheless, the style is elegant, and individual passages can be quite gripping, such as these closing reflections upon the future possibilities of a traditionally turbulent region:

Great questions remain, rooted deep in history and yet unanswerable. Have the Baltic republics the wisdom and patience to absorb and integrate their Russian and Ukrainian minorities? What future has the Baltic if a Russian nationalist comes to power in Moscow? Is the bear tamed or merely sleeping? Yet it is reasonable, if unfashionable, to be optimistic. In today's Baltic, confrontation has given way to collaboration. Never before have so many international councils and agencies sought to preserve and promote co-operation across the inland sea. To the East another 'Baltic Way' is slowly taking shape, a route by road along the southern Finnish coast, around St Petersburg and on to Riga, Vilnius and perhaps Gdánsk. In the West two magnificent bridges - the 1997 road and rail link over the Belts that joins Zealand and Fyn, and the Øresundforbindelsen with its tunnel bringing Copenhagen and Malmö together- at last provide Adam of Bremen's girdle with a clasp. A Baltic that is at peace with itself holds out for Europe the prospect of unity and understanding (p. 406) .

The Art of Alexandre Roslin

2011-02-18T15:32:00.002-05:00

Here is a mini-exhibit of the art of the Swedish painter Alexandre Roslin (1718-1793), often forgotten today but very well-known in his time. Born in Malmö, the son of a district medical officer, he worked mainly in France, but also traveled to Austria, Italy, and Russia, painting rich, famous, royal and imperial clients. A biography of the artist, translated automatically from Swedish, but quite readable, may be found here.

A teasing portrait, half-concealed, half-revealed: The Lady with the Veil, (1768), in fact the artist's much-loved wife, Marie-Suzanne Giroust, a pastel painter whom he had to wait five years to marry. Alexandre and Marie-Suzanne had six children; their son, Alexandre Antoine, founded the French branch of the Roslin family. Marie-Suzanne died of breast cancer in 1772, plunging her husband into depression.

King Gustav III of Sweden (far right) with his brothers Karl, later Karl XIII, and Fredrik Adolf (1771)

King Louis XVI of France, in the costume of the Order of the Holy Spirit (1782-1783). It's a magnificent image and quite rare; the King has a much more alert and intelligent expression than in most portraits. Note the bust of Marie-Antoinette in the background; this in itself seems rare, as there are very few images of Louis and Antoinette together.

The Eruption of Vesuvius, apparently the only landscape painting by Roslin. Quite eery!

"St. Astrid of Küssnacht"

2011-02-14T20:22:00.000-05:00

From my other blog, Cross of Laeken, an article inspired by a question from a kind reader, Aaron Davidson: did a cultus ever develop around the memory of Astrid of Sweden (1905-1935), Queen of the Belgians, an upright and charitable woman who converted to Catholicism in 1930, five years before her death in a car accident?

Sophie Piper

2011-02-14T18:54:00.000-05:00

In the past, I have discussed the Swedish-Finnish nobleman, soldier and statesman Carl Gustaf Mannerheim and his devoted older sister and confidante, Sophie, a pioneer of modern nursing in Finland. It seems that there was a similar, close sibling relationship between the Swedish soldier, diplomat and Marshal of the Realm, Count Axel von Fersen the Younger, and his younger sister, also named Sophie.

The daughter of Count Axel von Fersen the Elder and his wife, Hedvig Catherina de la Gardie, little Eva Sophie von Fersen was born on March 30, 1757. In addition to her beloved brother, Axel, she also had an older sister, Hedvig Eleonora, who became a lady-in-waiting to Queen Sophia Magdalena of Sweden, and gained the reputation of a gifted intellectual and keen wit. As for Sophie, she matured into a handsome, proud young woman, considered to be one of the reigning beauties of the court of King Gustav III. At 17, she was courted by Prince Frederik Adolf, the King's youngest brother, but her father, a prominent parliamentary leader often in conflict with the Crown, forbad the match. Anxious to preserve his political independence, he did not want to be allied so closely to the royal family. In addition, Sophie herself apparently had doubts about the prince's mental health. Three years later, in 1777, she married Count Adolf Ludwig Piper.

Sophie was destined to witness many grand and tragic events on the national and international stage. A lady-in-waiting, close friend and confidante of the King's sister-in-law, the future Queen Hedvig Elizabeth Charlotte, she was also the confidante of her brother throughout the triumphs and tragedies of his career. Unlike his father, a stubborn proponent of aristocratic resistance to the Swedish monarchy, known for treating Gustav III with outrageous insolence, Axel von Fersen the Younger was a devoted royalist. He loyally served his own sovereign, while championing the cause of the ancien régime throughout Europe in an age of revolution.

During his long sojourns in France, as Gustav's envoy to the court of Louis XVI, Fersen developed a deep personal attachment to the doomed monarch and his consort, Marie-Antoinette, a lady of legendary charm. (Many have claimed that Marie-Antoinette and Fersen became lovers at some point. Yet, although Fersen had many mistresses, there is no proof of a liaison with the Queen.) Gustav III, also an enthusiastic admirer of the royal couple, tried his best to assist them during the French Revolution. Fersen played a central role in these secret diplomatic intrigues, designed to enable Louis XVI to regain control of his realm. Unfortunately, it was all a tragic débacle. Within a brief space of time, Fersen lost the three monarchs he had most loved. Gustav III was shot at a masked ball on March 29, 1792. Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette died on the guillotine, respectively, on January 21, 1793 and October 16, 1793. Fersen poured out his sorrow, mingled with a sense of humiliating failure, to his sister, in sad and desperate letters.

The spirit of revolution, moreover, also spread to Sweden, with terrible consequences for the Fersen family. In 1809, Gustav IV Adolf was deposed, and his ambitious, conniving uncle, Charles XIII installed in his place. Since Charles had no living, legitimate children, the Riksdag selected the Danish nobleman, Carl August of Augustenburg, as his heir. When Carl August died suddenly in May, 1810, the old Gustavian party, including Axel von Fersen and Sophie Piper, were falsely accused of poisoning him. During the funeral ceremonies, on June 20, 1810, Axel was savagely murdered by a mob. Sophie narrowly escaped a similar fate by fleeing Stockholm in disguise. Thankfully, however, an inquest subsequently revealed that the prince had succumbed to natural causes, and the Fersen family were rehabilitated. Axel received an honorable funeral, and Sophie spent her last years at the estate of Löfstad, where she passed away on February 2, 1816. Before her death, she had erected a touching memorial to her brother, bearing the inscription: "Åt en oförgätlig broder, mannamodet uti hans sista stunder den 20 juni 1810, vittna om hans dygder och sinnes lugn" ("To an unforgettable brother, whose courage in his last moments on the 20th of June 1810, bears testimony to his virtues and clean conscience").

Wedding March

2011-02-13T22:22:00.002-05:00

Apparently, this traditional Swedish wedding march was played at the civil marriage of Prince Leopold of Belgium and Princess Astrid of Sweden in Stockholm on November 4, 1926.

I wish everyone a happy Valentine's Day!

A Sympathetic Description of Sigismund Vasa

2011-02-13T21:40:00.000-05:00

I am reading Michael Roberts' wonderful book, The Early Vasas: A History of Sweden, 1523-1611, and wanted to share his description of Sigismund III of Poland and Sweden, son of Johan III of Sweden and his Polish-born consort, Katarzyna Jagiellonka. I think this is one of the best, most balanced descriptions of the fascinating, tragic, often disparaged King Sigismund, a devout Catholic doomed to lose his Swedish throne and his homeland to his ambitious, fiercely Protestant uncle, Duke Karl of Södermanland.

Sigismund was something of a sport upon the family stock: if one had not known he was a Vasa one would have said he was a Habsburg. He was the only member of his family for three generations to be blessed with an equable temper; perhaps also the only one not to be cursed with the sin of ambition. His Polish subjects, who found him heavy going and disliked the German atmosphere at his court, inquired irritably 'who is this dumb devil that they have sent us from Sweden?' and coined the famous phrase, 'Tria T fecerunt nostro Regi vae: Taciturnitas, Tarditas, Tenacitas'. He had his father's pride and melancholy; he inherited the aesthetic interests of both his parents, and was himself (to the contempt of his Polish subjects) a painter of talent; but he lacked the Vasas' gift of words and their ability to come to terms with the common man. Stiff and withdrawn, he had none of the easy affabilities and trivial insincerites which smooth human relationships. Probably he did not miss them. The dominant interest in his life was his religion: the core of his character was a profound seriousness and a fundamental integrity. In the last resort he could contemplate the loss of two kingdoms, provided that he were assured of gaining the kingdom of Heaven. The calm certainty of his faith distressed and irritated his Jesuit advisers, who like also to keep their powder dry: as Malaspina complained, he was too inclined to trust to the righteousness of his cause and leave the rest to God, accepting consequent failure with pious resignation as one more cross which it was his duty to bear. Slow he often was, and vacillating too; diffident of his own judgment, prone to accept bad advice. But he was a good man in a sense in which none other of the early Vasas can be called so; and a good man beset with cruel difficulties. He was, finally, one of those who seem born to be unlucky-not least in having to confront, in his uncle Karl, a master of the baser arts of politics.

To listen to a stirring Polish song about the ultimate civil war between Sigismund and Karl, and watch a short video evoking the struggle, click here.

Who Was Axel von Fersen?

2011-02-13T00:29:00.000-05:00

Here is a fascinating website on Count Axel von Fersen, the famous Swedish envoy at the court of Louis XVI, the friend of the King and Queen of France, and the would-be rescuer of the French royal family.

The Story of Saint Lucia

2011-01-23T15:58:00.000-05:00

A wonderful new blog, by a Danish student of English, explains how a Catholic martyr is celebrated in Protestant Scandinavia. (Many thanks to Tea at Trianon for enabling me to discover this blog).

...The story goes that her mother was sick, so the young girl travelled with her mother to the grave of holy Agatha to pray, and during her session of prayer, Lucia saw in a vision that she was to become the patron saint of Syracuse. Her mother became instantly well.

Upon her betterment Lucia’s mother made plans to wed Lucia to a Roman man who, to the Christian Lucia, was a heathen. She refused and refused and the Roman man then vengefully accused her of being a Christian to the officials. They gave her the choice of burning an offering to the Roman Emperor but Lucia said that she had no more to offer, she had offered it all up to God. It was instead decided to make Lucia the offer and burn her alive, but the men come to fetch her from her mother’s home, could not drag her from the doorstep to the pyre, not even when they used oxen. Lucia said to them that the Holy Spirit was protecting her and the Romans arranged for an executioner to come to her instead and she was killed in her mother’s home. She was martyred and later declared a saint by the church, patron saint of Syracuse and helper of the blind as she was also believed to have plucked out her own eyes, so that no man should see their beauty and fall thus in love...

Here is a photograph of Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, daughter of King Leopold III and his Swedish-born wife, Queen Astrid, dressed up as St. Lucia.

Maria and Alexandra: Queens of Fashion

2011-01-13T16:56:00.000-05:00

Author Melanie Clegg displays some magnificent gowns which once graced the last two tsarinas, Maria Feodorovna and Alexandra Feodorovna. (Via Elena Maria Vidal). Even if Maria and Alexandra did not see eye to eye on some matters, they clearly shared grand and exquisite taste!

More on Empress Maria, HERE. Born a Danish princess, she was a staunch supporter of the Finns during the Russification crisis around the turn of the 20th century. It is also said that she helped to arrange the marriage of Carl Gustaf Mannerheim and Anastasia Arapova, a socially and economically, but not emotionally, advantageous match for the impoverished young Finnish baron and cavalry officer.

A Prince and a Princess Born in Denmark

2011-01-08T21:51:00.000-05:00

Today, we have very joyful news from the Danish court: the birth of twins, a boy and a girl, to Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary. Congratulations and best wishes to the happy parents and to the whole royal family and people of Denmark!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T14:42:00.000-05:00

Heartfelt thanks to all who have visited this blog in 2009 and 2010. Best wishes for 2011~

RIP Anastasia Arapova

2010-12-31T20:32:00.000-05:00

Today is the anniversary of the death of Russian gentlewoman Anastasia Arapova, Marshal Mannerheim's wife from 1892 to 1919. Born January 9, 1872, she passed away in Paris on December 31, 1936. More information on Anastasia is available here; more on her husband, here, and more on their children, here.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T15:54:00.001-05:00

[T]he virgin knelt down with great veneration in an attitude of prayer, and her back was turned to the manger, but her face was lifted to heaven, towards the east. Thus with her hands extended and her eyes fixed on the sky she was standing as in ecstasy, lost in contemplation, in a rapture of divine sweetness. And while she was standing thus in prayer, I saw the child in her womb move and suddenly in a moment she gave birth to her son, from whom radiated such an ineffable light and splendour, that the sun was not comparable to it, nor did the candle, that St. Joseph had put there, give any light at all, the divine light totally annihilating the material light of the candle, and so sudden and instantaneous was this way of bringing forth, that I could neither discover nor discern how, or by means of which member, she gave birth. Verily though, all of a sudden, I saw the glorious infant lying on the ground naked and shining. His body was pure from any kind of soil and impurity. Then I heard also the singing of the angels, which was of miraculous sweetness and great beauty. . . . When therefore the virgin felt, that she had already borne her child, she immediately worshipped him, her head bent down and her hands clasped, with great honour and reverence and said unto him, Be welcome my God, my Lord and my Son. . .

~St. Bridget of Sweden

A Reflection on the Vendée Uprising: Part III

2010-12-23T23:09:00.000-05:00

Solzhenitzyn brings his thoughts to a close:

One might have thought that the experience of the French revolution would have provided enough of a lesson for the rationalist builders of "the people's happiness" in Russia. But no, the events in Russia were grimmer yet, and incomparably more enormous in scale. Lenin's Communism and International Socialists studiously reenacted on the body of Russia many of the French revolution's cruelest methods--only they possessed a much greater a more systematic level of organizational control than the Jacobins.

We had no Thermidor, but to our spiritual credit we did have our Vendée, in fact more than one. These were the large peasant uprisings: Tambov (1920-21), western Siberia (1921). We know of the following episode: Crowds of peasants in handmade shoes, armed with clubs and pitchforks, converged on Tambov, summoned by church bells in the surrounding villages-- and were cut down by machine-gun fire. For eleven months the Tambov uprising held out, despite the Communists' effort to crush it with armored trucks, armored trains, and airplanes, as well as by taking families of the rebels hostage. They were even preparing to use poison gas. The Cossacks, too--from the Ural, the Don, the Kuban, the Terek--met Bolshevism with intransigent resistance that finally drowned in the blood of genocide.

And so, in dedicating this memorial to your heroic Vendée, I see double in my mind's eye--for I can also visualize the memorials which will one day rise in Russia, monuments to our Russian resistance against the onslaught of Communism and its atrocities.

We have all lived through the twentieth century, a century of terror, the chilling culmination of that Progress about which so many dreamed in the eighteenth century. And now, I think, more and more citizens of France, with increasing understanding and pride, will remember and value the resistance and the sacrifice of the Vendee. (The Solzhenitsyn Reader: New and Essential Writings 1947-2005, edited by Edward E. Ericson, Jr., and Daniel J. Mahoney, ISI Books, 2006, pp. 604-605)

A Reflection on the Vendée Uprising: Part II

2010-12-17T17:44:00.000-05:00

Continued from Part I:

It is now better and better understood that the social improvements which we all so passionately desire can be achieved through normal evolutionary development--with immeasurably fewer losses and without all-encompassing decay. We must be able to improve, patiently, that which we have in any given "today."

It would be vain to hope that revolution can improve human nature, yet your revolution, and especially our Russian Revolution, hoped for this very effect. The French Revolution unfolded under the banner of a self-contradictory and unrealizable slogan, "liberty, equality, fraternity." But in the life of society, liberty, and equality are mutually exclusive, even hostile concepts. Liberty, by its very nature, undermines social equality, and equality suppresses liberty--for how else could it be attained? Fraternity, meanwhile, is of entirely different stock; in this instance it is merely a catchy addition to the slogan. True fraternity is achieved by means not social but spiritual. Furthermore, the ominous words "or death!" were added to the threefold slogan, effectively destroying its meaning.

I would not wish a "great revolution" upon any nation. Only the arrival of Thermidor prevented the eighteenth-century revolution from destroying France. But the revolution in Russia was not restrained by any Thermidor as it drove our people on the straight path to a bitter end, to an abyss, to the depths of ruin.

It is a pity that there is no one here today who could speak of the sufferings endured in the depths of China, Cambodia, or Vietnam, and could describe the price they had to pay for revolution...(The Solzhenitsyn Reader: New and Essential Writings 1947-2005, edited by Edward E. Ericson, Jr., and Daniel J. Mahoney, ISI Books, 2006, pp. 603-604)

(to be continued)

A Reflection on the Vendée Uprising: Part I

2010-12-12T22:59:00.001-05:00

An address by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, delivered at the dedication of a memorial in Lucs-sur-Boulogne, France, on September 25, 1993:

Mr. President of the General Council of the Vendée, Respected Vendéans:

Two thirds of a century ago, while still a boy, I read with admiration about the courageous and desperate uprising of the Vendée. But never could I have dreamed that in my later years I would have the honor of dedicating a memorial to the heroes and victims of that uprising.

Twenty decades have now passed, and throughout that period the Vendée uprising and its bloody suppression have been viewed in ever new ways, in France and elsewhere. Indeed, historical events are never fully understood in the heat of their own time, but only at a great distance, after a cooling of passions. For all too long, we did not want to hear or admit what cried out with the voices of those who perished, or were burned alive: that the peasants of a hard-working region, driven to the extremes of oppression and humiliation by a revolution supposedly carried out for their sake-- that these peasants had risen up against the revolution!

That revolution brings out instincts of primordial barbarism, the sinister forces of envy, greed and hatred--this even its contemporaries could see all too well. They paid a terrible enough price for the mass psychosis of the day, when merely moderate behavior, or even the perception of such, already appeared to be a crime. But the twentieth century has done especially much to tarnish the romantic luster of revolution which still prevailed in the eighteenth century. As half-centuries and centuries have passed, people have learned from their own misfortunes that revolutions demolish the organic structures of society, disrupt the natural flow of life, destroy the best elements of the population and give free rein to the worst; that a revolution never brings prosperity to a nation, but benefits only a few shameless opportunists, while to the country as a whole it heralds countless deaths, widespread impoverishment, and, in the gravest cases, a long-lasting degeneration of the people.

The very word "revolution" (from the Latin revolvo) means "to roll back", "to go back", "to experience anew", "to re-ignite", or at best "to turn over"-- hardly a promising list. Today, if the attribute "great" is ever attached to a revolution, this is done very cautiously, and not infrequently with much bitterness... (The Solzhenitsyn Reader: New and Essential Writings 1947-2005, edited by Edward E. Ericson, Jr., and Daniel J. Mahoney, ISI Books, 2006, p. 603).

(to be continued)

December 12, 1574 : The Birth of Anne of Denmark

2010-12-12T17:01:00.000-05:00

Supremacy and Survival: The English Reformation reminds us of the anniversary of the birth of Anne of Denmark, the consort of James VI of Scotland/James I of England. Although she was raised as a Lutheran, it seems that Anne may have secretly converted to Catholicism at some point.

The Forgiveness of Grand Duchess Elizabeth

2010-11-29T13:53:00.001-05:00

Another lovely article from Christina Croft describes the inspirational response of the charitable and heroic Grand Duchess Elizabeth of Russia (older sister of Empress Alexandra) to the horrific assassination of her husband, Grand Duke Serge, in 1905.

The Romance of Nicholas and Alexandra

2010-11-23T19:16:00.000-05:00

A moving account by Christina Croft, part of an extensive and informative series on Queen Victoria's granddaughters.

The Youth of Queen Astrid

2010-11-22T14:25:00.000-05:00

From right to left: the three daughters of Prince Carl and Princess Ingeborg of Sweden, Margaretha, Martha and Astrid

Astrid (left) with Martha

Here is a contemporary account of the childhood and education of the lovely bride of King Leopold III of the Belgians. It is somewhat idealized, but I like the focus on Astrid's joie de vivre, as certain revisionist Belgian authors have recently tried to portray her almost as a depressive.

From her earliest childhood the Princess showed a remarkably independent personality and considerable strength of character. Combined with this, she possesses fortunately a strong sense of humour, which the new King much appreciates. The Duchess carries this light-hearted humour into every department of her new life.

The physical training of the Duchess was hardy, for much of her recreation took the form of ski-ing trips, or skating on the numerous waterways of Stockholm. These pastimes she can now share with her young husband, for the Belgian Royal Family enjoy all forms of winter sports. When they go to Switzerland, they take an enthusiastic part in every form of outdoor exercise.

Like the King, the Princess was brought up to take a deep and sympathetic interest in everything that concerned the life of her nation. During the later years of girlhood, one of her hobbies was to collect the folk-lore of her country, the myths and legends in which Sweden abounds.

Midsummer-day is kept as a festival in Sweden, and it is the pretty custom on that day to festoon the doorways of every house with the branches of the silver birch, for which the country is famed. One Midsummer-day the Princess chanced to be walking down a village street, when she came upon a house undecorated — a house in whose doorway there stood an old peasant woman gazing sadly at the birch branches at her feet.

Princess Astrid stopped and spoke. "Aren't you going to put up your branches ? " she inquired kindly.

The old woman, ignorant of the identity of the smiling girl before her, shook her head. "Alas, my rheumatism will not let me," she said, "and there is no one to do it for me."

"Oh, we must remedy that," came the instant reply. "Now, if I may go into your kitchen and fetch a chair, I'll have them up in no time."

The doorway was duly decorated, but, when the old lady learned who had done it, the branches were left there as a permanent souvenir of "when our Princess decorated my house with her own hands."

The home life of the Duke of Brabant's bride was very simple. Princess Astrid and her sister. Princess Marthe, frequently wore national costume, which proved an extremely effective setting for their good looks. There is a quaint tradition, common in many homes in Sweden, which in the Royal Household was never overlooked. At the conclusion of the family meal, the Royal children, when allowed to leave the table, would go first to their mother and then to their father and, kissing them on the forehead, would thank them for the bountiful meal provided.

Princess Astrid's education was not confined wholly to school-room studies. From her childhood the Princess had shown a fondness for culinary experiments. So, believing that every woman should know something of what goes on in her own kitchen, her mother encouraged her in her taste for cooking ; and often the Princess would cook simple dishes for the family dinner-table.

When Princess Astrid became engaged, she took an extensive course in housecraft and mothercraft, with the result that to-day she is, if required, as competent to run her own house as any woman in Belgium. Though she takes no active part in the work of her home, her practical knowledge has made its supervision easy.

Queen Astrid's 105th Birthday

2010-11-17T13:03:00.000-05:00

To mark this occasion, I have posted a review of Anna Sparre's memoirs of her friendship with the Swedish-born Belgian queen, Vännen min, at the Cross of Laeken.

A New Portrait of Tatiana

2010-11-11T14:06:00.000-05:00

Please see Anne Lloyd's lovely new painting of the second daughter of Tsar Nicholas II. It is a wonderful tribute, combined with a number of touching letters and anecdotes of this brave and beautiful princess.

A Swedish Royal Wedding, 1926

2010-11-07T18:53:00.000-05:00

Over at the Cross of Laeken, I am commemorating the anniversary of the marriage of Princess Astrid of Sweden and Prince Leopold of Belgium, Duke of Brabant. Here is an account of their civil wedding, on November 4, 1926, in Stockholm:

The wedding ceremony itself took place in the "Riks-Sal," or Royal Hall, where the Swedish Parliament meets. In the ordinary way, one end of the Hall was occupied by a dais on which stood the Royal throne, but, for this occasion, this was removed, and chairs put in place for the four Kings, two Queens and the other Royal guests who were present.

The guests, besides the Royal visitors, numbered over a thousand. The ladies being in white Court dresses, and the men in full uniform, the assembly made a brilliant spectacle as, seated on cushioned benches round the hall, they awaited the coming of the bridal procession. The young Duke was a gallant figure as with head very erect and the half-proud, half-embarrassed look usual with young bridegrooms, he walked by the side of his bride. Her face was delicately flushed, her eyes sparkling, and she looked a delightfully regal yet girlish figure in her bridal gown of glistening white. Twelve bridesmaids and twelve grooms-men followed, and the ceremony began after the band had played the Wedding March.

The ceremony was conducted by the Mayor of Stockholm. Bride and bridegroom uttered their responses in clear, composed tones, audible throughout the hall, and the look which the Duke turned on the slender figure at his side left no doubt as to the sincerity of his vows.

The young Duke and Duchess drove back to Prince Carl's Palace in a carriage drawn by four horses, with postilions and outriders carrying lighted torches. All along the route great crowds had assembled to cheer the bridal pair, and shout good wishes for their future happiness. After the wedding breakfast, the Duke of Brabant left for Ostend, and his bride and her family started for Malmo, to embark on the battleship Fylgia bound for Antwerp.

Tribute to Princess Margaretha

2010-10-30T17:47:00.001-04:00

The eldest, but least well-known sister of Belgium's Queen Astrid, Princess Margaretha has been discussed here before.

Marie-Antoinette and Alexandra Feodorovna

2010-10-27T16:09:00.002-04:00

I love comparing and contrasting figures of the past, so I was very interested to read this thread, on the Alexander Palace Forums:

Marie Antoinette and Alexandra- Who's More Tragic?

It has some fine contributions from American historical novelist, Elena Maria Vidal, who has thoroughly studied both the Bourbons and the Romanovs. To quote Miss Vidal:

Both women were vilified in ways that transcended all reality by their political enemies. In order to pull apart a family, destroy the image of the mother; in order to bring a nation into revolution, then destroy the reputation/ image of the queen/ empress, who was the mother figure of the people. If they could convince the people that the queen/empress was evil and that the king/tsar was an idiot, then it meant the children were no good and the entire family should be gotten rid of. It was a deliberate ploy. Antoinette and Alexandra are tragic because no matter what they did it played into the hands of their enemies. The Great Catherine outwardly had lovers and no one held it against her and she was loved by the people. Napoleon's Josephine spent more money on clothes in one year than Marie-Antoinette did in her entire life and yet Josephine was popular with the French people. It is sad that two women of virtue like Antoinette and Alexandra should be so terribly misunderstood.

Eugen of Sweden: Prince and Painter

2010-10-27T13:48:00.001-04:00

Youngest brother of King Gustav V and uncle of Queen Astrid of the Belgians, Prince Eugen (1865-1947) was one of the founders of the Swedish school of landscape painting in the 1890's. Here is a biography from A Mirror of Nature: Nordic Landscape Painting 1840-1910:

Prince Eugen was the son of King Oscar II and Queen Sophia of Sweden. His choice of an artistic career was not one he made lightly, even though he had the support of his parents. Quite clearly, however, he saw art as a calling, and his extensive training and devotion to his task set him worlds apart from the royal dilettante. Indeed, it could be said that Eugen became an artist more despite than because of his royal birth. With his open mind, he was drawn towards the radical tendencies of the 1880s, and was to include among his friends many of the Swedish artists who in that and the following decade figured among the ranks of the Opponents and the Artists' Association. Prince Eugen's significance for art policy and the support which his acquisitions for his own collection gave to contemporary Swedish art were considerable.

Eugen began his artistic education in his youth, under various teachers, and on completing his secondary schooling read history of art for a time in Uppsala. After his studies in Sweden, he was to receive the major part of his artistic training in Paris. Between 1887 and 1889 he was a pupil of Léon Bonnat, Alfred Roll, Henri Gervex and, for a short time, Puvis de Chavannes. The latter's classical simplicity, especially, was to mould Eugen's development.

Prince Eugen devoted himself exclusively to landscape painting. Geographically, his main areas of interest were the countryside around Stockholm and Lake Mälaren, along with areas further to the south, in Västergötland and Skåne. Most important were a number of places where he spent his summers, such as Tyresö south of Stockholm, Örgården near Vadstena in Västergötland, and Österlen in Skåne. Central to his work are park landscapes and views of the sea approach to Stockholm from the Waldemarsudde estate on the island of Djurgården. Eugen bought this property in 1899 and a few years later built a residence there which is now preserved as a museum.

Here is an interesting review by Trond Noren Isaksen of a new book on Prince Eugen's Danish connections.

String Quartets at the House of Nobility

2010-10-25T13:56:00.000-04:00

Here is a delightful website on a series of concerts offered at the beautiful House of Nobility in Helsinki.

Two Emperors: A Contrast

2010-10-24T20:26:00.000-04:00

Napoleon Bonaparte and Nicholas II.

Nathan Söderblom

2010-10-24T00:22:00.001-04:00

Here is a highly laudatory biography of the Lutheran Archbishop of Uppsala and ecumenist, Lars Olof Jonathan Söderblom. (My own view of the man is rather more skeptical). He was an important person in the life of Princess Astrid of Sweden, the future Queen of the Belgians. He enjoyed the favor of the Swedish royal house and the young Princess regarded him as a trusted, fatherly friend. Her conversion to Catholicism, however, cast a pall over their relationship...

As a student at Uppsala University, Söderblom won respect not only for his intellectual attainments but also for his personal charm, abundant vitality, and talent as a speaker. He took his bachelor's degree in 1886, with honors in Greek and competency in Hebrew, Arabic, and Latin. This admirable linguistic background equipped him for the exacting scholarship of the School of Theology at Uppsala where, for the next six years, he continued his wide-ranging studies in theology and the history of religion. From its founding in 1888, Söderblom was the editor for five years of Meddelanden, the Student Missionary Association review, in whose pages he published the first piece in what was eventually to become a personal bibliography of 700 items. In 1890 he attended the Christian Student Conference in New England and there, after listening to a lecture by a visiting clergyman, wrote in his diary a sentence that was to prove prophetic, «Lord, give me humility and wisdom to serve the great cause of the free unity of thy church.»[1]

After being ordained a priest in 1893 and appointed chaplain to a mental hospital in Uppsala, he cast about for a post that would enable him to marry Anna Forsell, a gifted woman student - one of twenty among 1,700 men at Uppsala University - who was later to bear him thirteen children, as well as to collaborate in the preparation of many of his published works. He accepted a call to the Swedish Church in Paris.

For seven years, from 1894 to 1901, Söderblom preached in Paris, where his congregation included Alfred Nobel and August Strindberg, as well as Swedish and Norwegian painters, authors, businessmen, diplomats, and visitors to the city. Summers he spent in Calais in research and writing while also serving as chaplain to Swedish seamen in the area. Meanwhile he pursued graduate studies in theology, history of religions, and in languages predating those of the classical ages, and eventually became the first foreigner ever to earn a Doctor of Theology degree at the Protestant Faculty of the Sorbonne.

Söderblom's experience in France strengthened his youthful resolve to promote «free unity» among Christian churches. One of his biographers, Charles J. Curtis, points out that fluency in French and understanding of French and Parisian culture gave him an international outlook, that the theological currents of France merging with those from his native land solidified his theological liberalism, and that social work among the Scandinavians in France convinced him that in the life of the church right action was as important as right belief[2].

From 1901 to 1914, Söderblom occupied a chair in the School of Theology at Uppsala University and concurrently, from 1912 to 1914, a chair at Leipzig University. In these productive years he wrote a series of books on religious history, religious psychology, and religious philosophy. With a group of brilliant colleagues and students at Uppsala, Söderblom led a theological revival in Sweden, giving stature to the field of comparative religion, pursuing the theme of the uniqueness of Christianity in the historical and personal character of Revelation, incorporating the study of non-Christian religions into the discipline of Christianity, and stimulating intense studies in the life and thought of Martin Luther[3].

Söderblom's election in 1914 as archbishop of Uppsala, and, in consequence, primate of the Church of Sweden, was a surprise. Customarily, the king chose the first name on a slate of the three who topped the list in the voting in the sixteen electoral colleges. In first and second place were two distinguished bishops who split eighty-two percent of the electoral vote almost evenly; in third place was Söderblom, a priest and professor, with eighteen percent of the vote. Not since 1670 had the bishops been passed over.

The Character of Axel von Fersen

2010-10-23T16:03:00.000-04:00

A lively debate via Marie Antoinette Online.

The Life of Marshal Mannerheim

2010-10-18T22:40:00.000-04:00

The Mad Monarchist gives an impressively detailed summary of the famed Finnish soldier and statesman's career.

Royal Hospitality

2010-10-17T22:43:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was the anniversary of the tragic death of Marie-Antoinette. Historical novelist Elena Maria Vidal has an interesting article on the visits to Versailles of Grand Duke Paul and Grand Duchess Maria of Russia in 1782 and of King Gustavus III of Sweden in 1784. (The Swedish sovereign was a great ally of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, and tried his best to save their lives during the Revolution, before his own assassination in 1792). Miss Vidal describes the French queen's enchanting garden parties at Trianon for the visiting Baltic princes and gives us a glimpse of the complicated political and personal relationships of the time.

Julia Dent Cantacuzène Spiransky-Grant

2010-10-14T20:44:00.001-04:00

I never realized General Grant had a granddaughter who became a Russian princess. Viola tells her fascinating story.

Born at the White House in 1876, she was the daughter of the President's son, Frederick, who was a diplomat. She remembered her grandfather who died when she was ten and described him as grave and serious but kindly. She was apparently very fond of him.

Frederick became the U.S. Ambassador to Austria-Hungary when Julia was older. She learned fluent Austrian in Vienna and made her debut at the Imperial Court. She must have also learned the accomplishments of most educated, upper-class American women and become quite cosmopolitan.

Although the family returned to New York, Julia traveled to Europe with her socialite aunt, Bertha Palmer, who was involved in the Chicago World's Fair, when she was about 19. She met a handsome, young officer in Rome from an aristocratic family. Julia and Prince Michael Catacuzene, who was attached to the Russian Embassy in Rome, soon fell in love.

They married at one of the Astor houses, Beaulieu in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1899.

There were two services - the Episcopalian one at this house and a Russian Orthodox one. Julia's wedding dress was described in the New York Times as 'severely cut and quite simple'. It was made of rich, white satin. She also wore a tulle veil with real orange blossoms attached to it. (Read full article)

More HERE.

Simo Häyhä: "The White Death"

2010-10-06T15:03:00.001-04:00

The Karelian Winter War hero considered by many to have been the world's greatest sniper. A touching personal account of an afternoon with the revered veteran, HERE. Despite his deadly skill and reputation, he was actually a very humble and soft-spoken man. After all, he was only fighting to save his beloved Finland.

Mathilde Kschessinska

2010-10-02T17:02:00.000-04:00

Jeffery Taylor reviews a recent biography of the notorious and extravagant Russian prima ballerina assoluta. How sad that such a talented and attractive lady led such a dissolute and tragic life.

Always surrounded by scandal, the ballerina adored roulette, diamonds, caviar and men, particularly when named Romanov. The full story of Mathilde Kschessinska has never been told before but new access to Soviet and Imperial Family archives sheds fresh light on her fascinating tale of love, wealth, power, and above all, survival vividly recounted in a new paperback, Imperial Dancer, Mathilde Kschessinska and the Romanovs.

The first baffling problem facing the famous dancer was naming the father of her newborn son. Thanks to his mother’s notorious sexual generosity his conception gave no clues. Nine months before his birth, Mathilde maintained a ménage a trois with two Imperial Grand Dukes. In 1894 her lover, Nicholas, the Heir to the Throne, became Tsar Nicholas II, and obliged to attend to dynastic matters, asked his cousin, the fabulously wealthy Sergei, to take responsibility for Mathilde. Sergei happily obliged. Mathilde jumped at the idea but never lost her lust for Nicholas with whom she always kept in touch. Six years later another besotted Grand Duke, Andrei at 20 eight years Mathilde’s junior, moved into her country house. Enslaved by love Sergei remained in situ but generously vacated her bedroom and paid their bills when asked. The arrangement still stood when Mathilde fell pregnant. (Read full review)

HERE is a photo gallery of Mathilde.

A Glimpse of Babette's Feast (1987)

2010-09-24T23:01:00.002-04:00

The best part of one of my favorite films. More HERE.

Fire and Ice

2010-09-18T19:43:00.001-04:00

Here is the first of six installments (all on Youtube) of a 2008 Finnish-American documentary on the Winter War of 1939-1940.

Future Posts

2010-09-08T15:17:00.000-04:00

I am currently ploughing through a seemingly interminable book by Alan Palmer, entitled The Baltic: A New History of the Region and Its People (2006). When I finally finish, I hope to post a review here. For now, let me just say that it is a noble attempt at compiling the entire, complicated saga of the entire, complicated Baltic into one book, but might have been better split up into several volumes. I find the author tries to say too much in too little space, and the result is a fatiguing feeling of jumping around from topic to topic and having to make do with confusing generalities. I have alot of trouble reading the book continuously, in consequence. More later...

I also hope to discuss some recent controversies over Marshal Mannerheim in the next few weeks.

Execution of Colonel Hästesko

2010-09-08T09:00:00.000-04:00

It was on this day in 1790 that Johan Henrik Hästesko, Colonel of the Turku Regiment, was beheaded for his role in the Anjala mutiny against King Gustav III. He was the only conspirator to suffer such a fate. All the others (including Carl Erik Mannerheim, great-grandfather of Finland's national hero and a subordinate of Hästesko's) received clemency.

Hästesko was born in 1741 into an old Finnish-Swedish aristocratic family. (Their name means "horse-shoe," after the heraldic image on their coat of arms). Johan's father, a military officer, died in Russian captivity in 1742. Raised by his mother near Mikkeli (later the site of Marshal Mannerheim's World War II headquarters), Johan likewise chose a military career. As a young man, he fought in the Pomeranian War (1757-1762). Handsome and ambitious, he rose fairly rapidly and his career was further advanced by marrying a wealthy and beautiful young heiress, Beata Helena von Morian, in 1770. According to the couple's great-grandson, Anders Ramsay, it proved a happy marriage and, by all accounts, Beata was utterly devoted to her husband.

There have been widely varying descriptions of Hästesko's character. Local tradition in Mälkilä (the estate he acquired by marrying Beata) painted him as a harsh and cruel figure, while Johann Albrecht Ehrenström, a statesman and fellow nobleman, vouched he was an upright man and a staunch royalist. Most controversial, however, would be Hästesko's leading role in the Anjala League.

This tragic episode, during the Russo-Swedish War of 1788-1790, pitted Finnish and Swedish noble officers against their monarch. The King was actually at fault. Contrary to the Swedish constitution, he had, without consulting the Diet, begun war with Russia. Relations between the Crown and the nobles were always fragile, especially as Gustav III was progressively moving towards absolutism, undermining the aristocracy which had been a powerful ruling elite prior to his reign during the "Age of Liberty", when the Diet reigned supreme. In this environment, the King's unlawful initiation of war was a spark to the fuse. Furthermore, many Finnish nobles, in particular, were weary of the constant feuding between Sweden and Russia. Time and time again, Finland became a battleground, devastated by endless warfare.

Swedish and Finnish officers soon began to plot against the King. At the military headquarters in Anjala, Finland, they launched a mutiny and appealed to the Russian Empress, Catherine the Great, for peace. Some remained within legitimate limits of resistance, but others overstepped the bounds, as one act of defiance led to another. A sideshow in the drama was the conspiracy of a few Finnish officers (although, apparently, not Hästesko) to detach Finland from Sweden altogether.

Catherine, however, rebuffed all the rebellious officers' overtures, and the rank and file of Sweden's army remained loyal to the King. For his part, Gustav escaped to Sweden, leaving his brother in command of the war, and (after many vicissitudes) managed to turn the crisis to his advantage. Rallying support among the lower Estates, he convinced the Diet to increase his constitutional powers further. Meanwhile, the Anjala conspirators were arrested, tried, and condemned to death. In a grand gesture of mercy, Gustav then pardoned the majority...but not Hästesko.

Why did the King, normally remarkably lenient, insist on executing Hästesko? True, he was a leading mutineer, but certainly not the only one. He had, however, in a heated interchange during the early stages of the revolt, behaved rudely towards the King, and some, including his descendant, Anders Ramsay, have cited this lèse-majesté as the reason for Gustav's implacability. Who knows?

In any case (and whatever view one takes of his role in the rebellion), Hästesko behaved with honor and dignity during his darkest moments. In contrast to other conspirators, he refused to flee Swedish justice and take refuge in Russia. In his trial, lasting for many long months, he attempted to justify his actions, arguing that he had been motivated by patriotism. When his defense failed, and the King rejected his appeal for clemency, he appears, based on his last letters, to have resigned himself to his doom, taking comfort in his (Lutheran) religion. On the scaffold, he left his gold watch to his weeping old servant, who had attended him during his imprisonment, gave him his wedding band to return to his wife, with his "last loving greetings," and died bravely.

Poor Beata, who had idolized her husband, was broken by grief. As Anders Ramsay describes in his memoirs, she never recovered from her loss and wore deep mourning for the rest of her life (51 years).

King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine of Denmark

2010-09-07T18:37:00.001-04:00

More HERE.

A Note from Olga

2010-08-24T00:21:00.000-04:00

Olga (far right) with her mother and her sister Tatiana in captivity in Tobolsk

Artist Anne Lloyd, who has just finished a lovely new portrait of Nicholas II's eldest daughter, shares some touching anecdotes and letters of this compassionate young princess. Here is a letter dating from a period when the imperial family were separated in captivity:

2/15 May, 1918.

Tobolsk.

My dear little Mama, Since your birthday, we had no news of you, I mean, that's why we're waiting for some news of you impatiently. And you, do you not receive our letters? We sent, all in all, two telegrams. I'm writing near the wide open window. Today, the weather is splendid; no wind. The little one is out in the garden. They moved him there in his wheelchair. He also got up and put his clothes on yesterday, but he didn't get out.

We also cut some wood, for the bath. Zhillik and Trina had cut it before with the saw. We were on the roof, sleeping under the sun. Yesterday, there was a splendid sunset, and a marvelous evening. It was so luminous, and the sky was filled with stars!. You certainly don't have such a deep silence when the night has arrived...My dearest, how do you live and what are you doing? I would like so much to be with you! We don't know when we'll leave. My little brother must go in the garden more often and regain more strength, then, I think we will be able to leave.

I've sent a card to Kay these days. Today, I got a letter from Trofimov. He salutes you all, and send his regards. He's writing that the little Anatoly, his son, sends his wishes to his "grand-mother". There's a lot of funny couples coming and going in the street, even sometimes on bicycles.

Tell Mashka that I saw N. Dim. and Pimy from afar. We have moved the piano in your lounge, also the couch that was impeding us during Mass. Last night, the fan exploded with a lot of noise, and in our rooms, upstairs, we had no electricity.

I hope that, at least, you get our letters. A strange man has just passed, with a red fez on his head. Well, it's time. May the Lord protect you, my dear Mama, and all of you. I kiss Papa, you and Mashka, I take you in my arms and love you all.

Your Olga.

Nicholas the Tyrant?

2010-08-13T23:08:00.001-04:00

Author Christina Croft continues her defense of the last Tsar.

Nicholas II

2010-08-10T16:10:00.003-04:00

"The Weak and Ignorant Tsar?" To quote Christina Croft:

Imagine if you - and only you, one person - were faced with trying to sort out the the present situation in Afghanistan and the recent conflict in Iraq , together with all that happened in Serbia and Bosnia a couple of decades ago, and on top of that you were personally responsible for the well-being of 180 million people from different cultures in one of the largest empires on earth, and in the middle of a time of great change through industrialisation and the speed of advances in technology...oh and you also had a son, whom you loved very deeply, who was seriously ill and a wife who was badly treated by your own family, and that same family had, for the most part, decided not to support you...Well, that is a little of what the 'weak' and 'ignorant' Tsar Nicholas faced every day. It wasn't his choice. He would have liked to have lived a simple life on a Dacha somewhere, caring for his family and spending his time outdoors, but he had been saddled with this responsibility and with more moral courage than any of his contemporaries he tried to rise to that challenge.

In 1913, while King George V (who is never described as 'weak' or 'ignorant') shot over 1000 pheasants in one day for 'sport' or pored over his precious stamp that had cost him over £1000, and while Kaiser Wilhelm strutted around in his uniforms, laughing too loudly and playing at being a king, the weak Tsar, Nicholas, who frittered his life away in luxury, was spending all day and most of the night trying to resolve the crisis in the Balkans. He wrote to the Kings of Bulgaria and Serbia, offering to arbitrate between them and even when 'Foxy Ferdinand' of Bulgaria, refused to listen and sent his troops into a disastrous campaign, Nicholas had the foresight to realize that if the Bulgarians were humiliated by their defeat, it would lead to resentment and future carnage. Nicholas successfully persuaded his ally, Serbia, to relinquish some of their gains to Bulgaria. Meanwhile, he was faced with the problems of German interests in Persia (Iran) and trying to maintain the balance of power to prevent the outbreak of war.

The Riddle of Henrik Marhein

2010-08-08T17:07:00.003-04:00

And the ancestry of the Mannerheim family. Recent research has concluded that they were not, as was long believed, of Dutch origin after all. To quote Arnold Pieterse, Georg Haggrén, and Peter Starmans:

In contrast to what has generally been reported in the literature, it has been incontestably shown that the progenitor of the Mannerheim family, the merchant Henrik Marhein, who settled in the city of Gävle in Sweden in the 1640’s, has not originated in the Netherlands, but in Germany. He was baptised in the city of Hamburg on December 28 1618, where his father, Henning Marhein, was also a merchant.

The previous assumption that Henrik Marhein had been Dutch, was in fact solely based on a publication of the Finnish researcher Bruno Lesch in 1924. Lesch had found letters in Swedish archives written in Dutch, which were signed by Henrik Marhein. This, as well as the apparent intensive trade connections between Henrik Marhein and merchants in the city of Amsterdam, made Lesch to conclude that Henrik Marhein had migrated from the Netherlands to Sweden.

In the present study a detailed examination of the available documents in Swedish archives made it clear that Henrik Marhein had not himself written the Dutch letters, which he had signed. A main indication for this conclusion were subscripts written in German, characterised by a seventeenth century German way of writing the ‘e’, whereas in the Dutch scripts the ‘e’ was written in the, at that time, Dutch way. In addition, it could be concluded which handwriting was authentic for Henrik Marhein, and which was not. It appeared that he had only written texts in German and in Swedish. After a likely German identity of Henrik Marhein had been established via this indirect way, it was hypothesised that, before his migration to Sweden, he had lived as a merchant in one of the seaports in northern Germany. As, according to one document, his Swedish brother-in-law, Johan Gammal, had been living in Hamburg, this city was considered as one of Marhein’s possible hometowns.

After contacting the national archives in Hamburg via e-mail, it became clear that a merchant Henning Marhein had lived in Hamburg in the beginning of the seventeenth century. As the second name of Henrik Marhein’s eldest son in Sweden was Henning (an unfamiliar name in Sweden during that time) it was evident that the search for Henrik Marhein’s origin had come in a final stage. A subsequent visit to the national archives in Hamburg showed that Henrik (Hinrich) Marhein had indeed been a ‘Hamburger’. The ultimate proof was a note in the parish register of the St. Jacobi church, which referred to the christening of Hinrich Marhein on December 28 1618. The family Marhein lived from 1607 until 1653 in the Steinstrasse on the corner of Spersort, in the centre of Hamburg. It also appeared that Hinrich Marhein had various brothers and a sister. One of his brothers was called Augustin, which clarifies why he named his second son in Sweden Augustin. In 1693 Augustin Marhein changed the family name into Mannerheim, after he was ennobled in 1693 by king Charles XI.

As Henrik (Hinrich) Marhein was mentioned as one of the owners of a house in Hamburg in 1646, and he has supposedly married Margareta Gammal in Gävle in 1649, it has been assumed that Marhein’s migration to Sweden took place between 1646 and 1649. However, as his father Henning Marhein was a merchant in Hamburg and his father-in-law, Olof Gammal, a merchant in Gävle, it could be hypothesised that their sons Henrik (Hinrich) Marhein and Johan Gammal have been travelling between these cities at already an earlier date. Henrik (Hinrich) Marhein’s close business ties with Amsterdam, which existed already in 1645, suggest that he may have visited this city before settling in Gävle. (Read more)

A Catholic Queen

2010-08-06T11:54:00.002-04:00

August 29, 2010 will mark the 75th anniversary of the tragic death of Astrid of Sweden, Queen of the Belgians. Here is an account of the (originally Lutheran) princess' conversion to Catholicism, taken from the memoirs of Lars Rooth, a Swedish Jesuit who had served with British Intelligence in World War II. During this period, he spent time in Belgium. He later wrote movingly of Astrid:

...This Swedish princess, who had married Leopold, had become most popular, and you could find a photo of her in almost every window in Belgium at that time- she had become a symbol of patriotism and of Catholicism.

Here I must relate a story that one of the Jesuits in Sweden told me years later. He had been approached by Astrid when she was a princess of Sweden and the fiancée of Leopold's. She came to our parish in Stockholm and told the priest that she wanted to become a Catholic. Fortunately, she met the right man, Fr. Ansgar Meyer, who asked her why? Well, she said, I am going to get married to prince Leopold, become the crown princess of Belgium and later queen of a Catholic country, so it seems reasonable for me to join that church. Father Meyer asked her if she had any other reasons or if she had studied the teaching of the Catholic Church at all. When he got a negative answer, he told her to leave things as they were. If later on, she were to take a personal interest in the Catholic Church, she could always ask someone for instruction. As it was, Astrid did later contact a priest in Belgium and became a convinced Catholic. If she had been received before the marriage, she most likely would have become just a nominal Catholic, without much interest in religion.

(More Joy Than Pain, Lars Rooth, 1991, pp. 84-85)

Another account, from a Catholic journal of the period, described the fruits of her conversion in Sweden:

We made mention last week of the sad death of Astrid, the Belgian Queen. Since that time many stories have come to us which show the unmistakeable effect the sincerity of her conversion had upon her own people in Sweden. It was to be expected, of course, that her marriage, and especially her conversion, would not meet with the universal approval of the Swedish public. Once, however, the Queen had made up her mind about the truth of Catholicism she let nothing stand in her way, not even the possibility of losing the love and esteem of her own people. Last June when she was on a visit to Sweden she appeared officially at Mass in St. Eugenia's church. The effect of this act was a greater respect for the Queen, and a greater tolerance toward the four thousand Catholics in Sweden. None, perhaps, will miss Queen Astrid more than the Catholics in Sweden for whom she had a very deep affection.

(The Ave Maria: October to December 1935, John O'Conner, 2005, p. 441)

A true daughter of St. Bridget!

Imperial Russia and Royal Belgium

2010-07-27T18:27:00.000-04:00

A new blog, The Exiled Belgian Royalist, discusses the long-standing ties of friendship between the two countries. Prior to his election to the Belgian throne, Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha served with great distinction in the Tsarist army in the struggle against Napoleon. During the First World War, Belgian King Albert I, appalled at the massacre of the Russian imperial family, openly blamed Great Britain, Belgium's foremost ally, for failing to make every effort to save the Romanovs. Subsequently, many White Russians found asylum in Belgium.

I also recall that Albert I, as a young man, prior to becoming king, attended the coronation of Nicholas II and wrote an interesting account of the magnificent occasion. I will have to try to find that letter and hopefully post some excerpts here. I find it intriguing that Russia and Belgium had these friendly ties, it might surprise some, since the Tsars' autocratic traditions seem completely opposed to the Belgian kings' liberal regime. Another fact to challenge stereotypes...

Russian Treasure

2010-07-24T22:29:00.000-04:00

A sampling of magnificent jewelry and Fabergé creations, set to stirring music.

The Fall of the Russian Empire: Part III

2010-07-23T22:55:00.000-04:00

Marshal Mannerheim concludes his reflections on the Russian Revolution of 1917:

Had the army been commanded by a strong man, it would have provided the new Russia with powerful support. The man was there, the Grand Duke Nicolai, who had declared himself ready to support the new order. In 1905 the Grand Duke had quickly restored order in Petersburg and would have done so now too. A requisite for success would have been to remove the conditions which made rioting possible. Through carelessness or lack of foresight, there had been no reliable troops in Petersburg, but only recruits and reinforcements composed of local reservists, mostly factory workers. This was very unusual in Russia, where it was the rule that troops were never stationed in their home country.

Many years later the Grand Duke and I exchanged reminiscences at the spartan establishment in Choigny, outside Paris, which the French Government had placed at his disposal. The Grand Duke thanked me for my contribution to the war, and spoke with bitterness about the many mistakes of the past years, of the unexampled sufferings of the Russian people, and the lack of understanding and ingratitude of the Western Powers who had left Russia to her fate when the common enemy had been defeated. He also gave Finland credit for the rampart it had raised against Bolshevism, and congratulated me on having been able to do my duty.

It is astonishing that the interim government should have permitted the duality in power that continued from the March Revolution until the Bolshevik coup d'etat in November 1917. Side by side with the interim government was this illegal organization which systematically undermined the position of the former, thus contributing to its growing helplessness. This divided power was the principal reason for the political revolution degenerating into anarchy. The first measure of the Soviets, the Order of the Day No. 1 and the suppression of the Press, showed clearly what was to be expected. From their midst stepped Russia's grave-digger, Kerenski, who gave his name to the experiment which was to lead to the usurpation of power by the Bolsheviks eight months later. Occupying the dual posts of Minister of Justice and representative of the Soviet in the interim government, it was he who forced through the Grand Duke Michael's renunciation of the throne, and it was he who, more than anyone else, was responsible for the removal of the Imperial Family to Siberia where they were to meet their grim fate.

Because of his indulgence towards the extremists, and his opposition to all attempts to strengthen the executive power, the socialist Kerenski contributed actively to the downfall of Russia. He was also responsible for the mistakes of the successive governments, among which the most important were the delays in dealing with land reform and the election of a constituent assembly. If these measures had been undertaken in time, there would have been the possibility of stabilizing the situation. As it was, only the Bolsheviks benefited. As has since been demonstrated in more than one country, socialists are incapable of defending democracy. Everything was done to facilitate Lenin's coup d'etat, which was, indeed, no difficult task.

Numerically the Bolshevik party was insignificant and found little support in the country. It only possessed strong footholds in Petersburg and Moscow, and the prospects of crushing this purely anarchical growth were excellent. Russia's new rulers made no secret of the astonishment they felt at the ease with which they were able to seize power, and how uneasy they felt in the saddle. The best indication of this was that they did not dare to oppose the election of a constituent assembly decided on by the Kerenski government. When this took place at the end of November the Bolsheviks gained only nine million votes out of thirty-six millions. By the time the constituent assembly met in January 1918 Lenin had had time to consolidate his position, and the assembly's first session was also its last. By a decree of the Bolshevik government the constituent assembly was dissolved. The freedom so suddenly won had been too much for the Russian people. They sank back into a slavery which was to develop into a world menace. (The Memoirs of Marshal Mannerheim, translated by Count Eric Lewenhaupt, E. P. Dutton & Company, New York, 1954, pp. 127-129)

Part I, HERE.
Part II, HERE.

Imperial Russia in Color

2010-07-23T16:56:00.001-04:00

Rare, beautiful color photographs of the land, life and people of Russia of the early 1900's. (Via Tea at Trianon).

The Fall of the Russian Empire: Part II

2010-07-23T02:07:00.001-04:00

Continued from Part I. (I unfortunately lost access to Mannerheim's memoirs for a while, hence the delay in posting the second installment. My apologies.)

It is still generally believed that the Empire of the Tsars was a 'Police State' comparable to the Soviet State, but actually the state interfered very little in the citizens' private lives. Even thought it was known that the 'intelligentzia' dabbled in revolutionary politics, the authorities did not interfere so long as they remained on an academic plane. If one compares the penalties imposed by the Tsarist courts for political offences with those of the Soviet courts of to-day, the former can only be described as humane. At that time, too, the penalty was generally exile, but there were no concentration camps. The convicted person was usually exiled to a distant place, generally in Siberia, where he enjoyed a considerable degree of personal liberty and was able to arrange his own life, receive parcels and letters and keep in contact with his relatives. A deported person endowed with energy and initiative was often able to create a new life for himself and even attain prosperity.

Capital punishment was very seldom applied in the case of political offences, and when it was, the sentences were openly and passionately discussed by the general public, and trials were lengthy and careful. Human life and personal freedom were certainly held in higher esteem than now.

The war was to decide the course of events. At its outbreak the Duma placed itself behind the Emperor, expecting him to appoint a parliamentary government with a real share in the government of the Empire. His neglect to do so, and his abandonment of all personal direction of affairs in order to assume the supreme command of the army, was a brave act, but none the less a disastrous one. At General Headquarters, the Emperor could not have his finger on the pulse of the Empire, and in consequence the outbreak of revolution in 1917 came as a surprise to him, and the rapid sequence of events made it impossible for him to take the steps the Duma hoped for and to deal with the insurrection with vigour. It can be said that nobody ruled the Empire while the Emperor was at General Headquarters.

The last remaining strength in Russia's structure went when the Tsar was compelled to abdicate and to renounce the succession of his son. The Grand Duke Michael's refusal of the Crown the following day confirmed this fact. Had he reigned until a constituent assembly had been able to place the Empire upon new and solid foundations, events would probably have taken another course. As it was, the ship of State was left to drift at the very moment when a strong hand was needed at the helm. (The Memoirs of Marshal Mannerheim, translated by Count Eric Lewenhaupt, E.P. Dutton & Company, Inc., New York, 1954, pp. 126-127)

(to be continued)

Anna Sparre

2010-07-22T02:01:00.004-04:00

In 1985, a Swedish noblewoman, Countess Anna Sparre (1906-1993), published her memoirs of her friendship with Queen Astrid of Belgium (1905-1935), niece of King Gustav V of Sweden. The book, Vännen min ("My Friend"), has since been translated into French in several editions, most recently, to my knowledge, as Astrid mon amie (2005). Under Anna's pen, the personality of the beautiful, beloved, tragic Astrid comes to life; tender, sensitive and loving, (although not without her strict side), a loyal and devoted wife, mother and Queen. Anna sensitively portrays Astrid's blossoming, through love, from a painfully shy, fearful, rather melancholic little girl into a radiant, dignified young woman, courageously assuming the difficult role of royal consort under tragic circumstances. But who was Anna herself?

Anna Eva Elisabeth Sparre, née Adelswärd, was born in Stockholm on February 2, 1906. She was the daughter of Baron Theodor Adelswärd , an industrialist and politician, and his wife, historical novelist Louise Douglas, herself the daughter of a prominent Swedish courtier, Ludvig Douglas. During her youth, Anna divided her time between her family's country estate of Adelsnäs and Stockholm, where her father served, first as a member of Parliament, and later as Minister of Finance in the second government of Karl Staaf (1911-1914).

In 1927, a year after Princess Astrid's marriage to Prince Leopold of Belgium, 20-year-old Anna Adelswärd married the handsome, charming, but stubborn Count Clas Sparre, an engineer and aviator, eight years his bride's senior, and the scion of an aristocratic family dating from the Middle Ages. Clas' father was the Swedish painter Louis Sparre; his mother, Eva Mannerheim, the sister of the Marshal of Finland of Winter War fame. Clas and Anna had a daughter, Christina, who became a beloved playmate of the eldest child of Leopold and Astrid, Princess Josephine-Charlotte. Sadly, Anna's marriage would end in divorce.

In 1939, World War II erupted in Europe. Sweden managed to remain neutral, but was dangerously isolated, trapped between Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia. In response, the Swedish army was permanently kept in readiness and a regime of rationing imposed on the population. Anna contributed to the patriotic effort by joining the women's auxiliary forces and becoming a chief of propaganda. After the war, she remarried, following her new husband, a Danish dentist, to Denmark, where she remained for eight years. Yet, again, this marriage sadly fell apart. Anna later admitted she was a difficult person to live with.

Always a bold, free spirit, Anna forged a new, independent life, transforming her manor into a golfing resort. In the 1970's, a disabling accident imposed a more sedentary lifestyle on the aging Countess, who now took up writing in earnest, publishing a long series of novels over the next twenty years. Like her mother, she drew inspiration from history, weaving the tales of Nordic queens and noblewomen of the past, struggling with tragedy but ultimately triumphing over misfortune. I have not read any of Anna's novels, but her memoirs of Astrid, the real-life queen and tragic heroine whom she knew intimately from childhood, are, indeed, very touching and vivid. I would be interested to read more of the Countess' work.

Comments

2010-07-17T22:46:00.000-04:00

I fear that I mistakenly deleted somebody's kind comment the other day, along with some spam. My apologies.

Massacre of the Romanovs

2010-07-17T14:39:00.001-04:00

Send us, Lord, the patience, in this year of stormy, gloom-filled days, to suffer popular oppression, and the tortures of our hangmen. Give us strength, oh Lord of justice, Our neighbor's evil to forgive, And the Cross so heavy and bloody, with Your humility to meet, In days when enemies rob us, To bear the shame and humiliation, Christ our Savior, help us. Ruler of the world, God of the universe, Bless us with prayer and give our humble soul rest in this unbearable, dreadful hour. At the threshold of the grave, breathe into the lips of Your slaves inhuman strength — to pray meekly for our enemies.

~Grand Duchess Olga (1895-1918)

Please see author and historian Gareth Russell's moving post on this tragic anniversary. I was particularly impressed by these passages describing the heroism of the Tsar's second daughter, Grand Duchess Tatiana:.

The Emperor and Empress's second daughter, Grand Duchess Tatiana, was the tallest and most beautiful of the four Romanov sisters. A courtier, who knew her, said: "One never forgot she was the daughter of an Emperor." It is clear from the horrific physical wounds revealed by the examination of Tatiana's remains and the memoirs of those who helped kill her that she used herself as a sort of human shield, to protect her two younger sisters, during the first and second hail of bullets fired upon the family.

It is clear however that Tatiana died, eventually, from a single bullet wound to the head. Yakov Yurovsky, who was in charge of the execution that night, delivered the fatal gunshot and he recorded that as he marched towards her, Tatiana struggled to her feet from the corner where her eldest sister lay dead, her youngest lay unconscious and another lay in hysterical convulsions after sustaining a bullet wound to the leg. It is often assumed that Tatiana was attempting to run away from her executioner - a perfectly natural assumption, but one which Yurovsky himself did not suggest. There was, in fact, nowhere for her to run. She was backed into a corner - the bodies of her parents and eldest sister were in front of her, her two youngest sisters were cowering in a corner behind her and there were eleven men (so to speak) blocking the only exit from the cellar. Moreover, Yurovsky does not record her attempting to move, but rather pulling herself to her feet, using the blood-soaked wall for support.

The Grand Duchess chose to die standing. Death was coming and rather than weep on her knees in the corner, she hauled herself to her feet. She was relatively calm, under the circumstances, as Yurovsky fired a bullet through her head. And it is perhaps the perfect way to look at the disgusting, hideous massacre of Ekaterinburg. Those who were degraded were not the bleeding or the dying, the sobbing or the maimed, but those wielding the guns.

As an admirer of Marshal Mannerheim of Finland, I often wonder how he felt upon hearing of this terrible event. He must have been heartbroken; he had always been so loyal and devoted to the Tsar and his family, and knew them all very well.

Maud of Wales

2010-07-14T21:27:00.001-04:00

An interesting account of the British princess who became the first queen consort of modern Norway. Her wedding anniversary, July 22, is coming soon. I will try to post an account of the ceremony.

(P.S. I love her expression in this photograph!)

Dedication

2010-07-09T19:55:00.001-04:00

Astrid was not granted a long life; she was too good for this base world. But all her life, as wife, mother, and queen, and especially as she was short-lived, like our Nordic summer, was a rare and brilliant proof of the truth of the words her father addressed to her, as a twenty-year-old bride. For, throughout her whole life, she was the same person, with a heart that was pure, devoted, and frank, as she was during her childhood and youth; and she was truly loved as no human being had ever been loved on this earth. She was granted every happiness, until the moment when her young heart broke and she departed into eternity.

~Prince Carl of Sweden

Today, I am formally dedicating The Cross of Laeken and The Sword & The Sea to Astrid (1905-1935), Princess of Sweden, Queen of the Belgians. A kind reader, Aaron Davidson, once suggested I do so, since Astrid unites my two blogs - Belgium and Scandinavia. I thought it was a lovely idea. So, dear friends, when you visit this site, please remember this tragically lost queen and pray that she may rest in peace.

Videos of Crown Princess Martha

2010-07-09T12:34:00.001-04:00

Some time ago, I posted on the much-loved Crown Princess Martha of Norway (1901-1954), heroine of the Second World War and mother of King Harald V. Recently, I came across these interesting videos of Martha.

The Princess decorates Norwegian officers in New York in the name of the King of Norway.

A beautiful tribute, including some footage of the Princess with her husband. Martha had much of the grace and radiance of her sister, Astrid, Queen of the Belgians, with more confidence.

Johan Mannerheim (1868-1934)

2010-07-06T19:35:00.001-04:00

It can be challenging to find images of Gustaf Mannerheim's siblings, so I was delighted to stumble upon this one. Here is a painting of Baron Johan Mannerheim, one of the Marshal's younger brothers. The artist was their brother-in-law, Count Louis Sparre, husband of their sister Eva. From childhood, Johan and Gustaf were devoted companions, while Gustaf and his older brother, Carl, were constant rivals. Like Carl, however, Johan disagreed with Gustaf's decision to volunteer for the Russo-Japanese War in 1904, at the height of the constitutional crisis in Finland sparked by the Tsar's Russification policies. Carl had already been forced into exile for opposing, on juridical grounds, the oppressive measures introduced by the hated Russian governor, Nikolai Bobrikov.

In danger of similar persecution, Johan left for Sweden in 1904, settling in Östergötland. There he would build a new life as a prosperous industrialist and farmer, with his wife, Sofia Palaemona Treschow, and their six children, including the acclaimed poet Augustin Mannerheim. Like his grandfather, Count Carl Gustaf Mannerheim, Johan also had deep scientific interests. He supported the South American research of his cousin, botanist and ethnographer Erland Nordenskiöld. Meanwhile, like all the Mannerheims, he always remained keenly concerned with the vicissitudes of his homeland. During the Finnish Civil War (1918), he put his wealth to political use by funding the White army, led by his brother Gustaf. He did not, however, live to see Finland's heroic resistance to the USSR in World War II.

An Exciting Discovery

2010-07-02T00:25:00.000-04:00

Archaelogists have uncovered the remains of the palace of Harald Bluetooth, the 10th century king who converted Denmark to Christianity. (Via Royal Rendezvous).

Princess Margaretha of Denmark

2010-06-28T18:19:00.002-04:00

Here is a fine article by Trond Norén Isaksen on Princess Margaretha of Denmark (1899-1977). Born a princess of Sweden and Norway, she was the eldest sister of Astrid, Queen of the Belgians. Lovely but unfortunate, Margaretha had to contend with a difficult marriage, financial reversals, and the tragic loss of both her sisters. Throughout many sufferings and disappointments, she remained a supremely elegant and regal woman and a kind and comforting aunt to her orphaned nieces and nephews.

Artistic Advice

2010-06-26T22:09:00.000-04:00

Words of wisdom from Anne of Stay at Home Artist. She is currently working on a painting inspired by this photograph of the tragic last Tsarevich, Alexei Nikolaevich, with his spaniel, Joy. To quote:

When I am making a painting from a Romanov photo, it's as if the photo picks me, rather than I do the picking. I look at a great many, and I have seen most of them for many years. One will give me that go ahead feeling, like it has been waiting.

It's an adventure to paint a photo you have known for some time...well you think you know it. But one really comes to see a photograph if you are making a painting of it. Everything has to hang together properly and make visual sense. I also find something new in these photos almost every painting session and as I say I have been looking at them for years.

I also tell others who wish to make art from a photo, to look at the reference photo at least as much, if not more than their art work. It is easy to be lead astray and other parts of the picture will not add up if one area is incorrect. When having trouble , look where the part giving you a hard time lines up with another area in the photo as a guide. It's always a help.

The Fall of the Russian Empire: Part I

2010-06-25T12:11:00.005-04:00

Some interesting reflections from Marshal Mannerheim's memoirs.

When in 1889 I became an officer in the Imperial Army, Russia was at the height of her power, and the strong-willed Alexander III was the human symbol of an empire which seemed so safe and confident, and so superior in strength to other Great Powers, that in a speech the Emperor referred to little Montenegro as 'the only faithful friend Russia could rely on.' Alexander III, who in spirit and demeanour was very 'Russian', impressed by his mere size and gigantic physical strength. He seemed created to be an autocrat who ruled his gigantic realm without being influenced by anybody. The Tsar personified Russia. It was hard for a foreigner to realize to what an extent he was the absolute central point, beyond which nothing seemed to exist. The constitution gave the Emperor absolute power.

Ever since Alexander I's armies had come in contact with Western ideas during the occupation of France after the fall of Napoleon, this state of affairs had led to much criticism and opposition. During the reign of Alexander III there had been a widespread demand for liberal reforms and a Western parliamentary form of government which, it was believed, would overnight raise Russia to the general democratic level of western Europe. Opposed to those who held those views were others who saw in autocracy the surest foundations for the development of the Empire. They pointed to the warning examples in Russia's history, which proved that too much freedom invariably led to anarchy, and believed that the Russian people had not yet attained the political maturity which a freer system required.

It cannot be denied that Russian society lacked those stabilizing elements without which democratic government is impossible. The cultured middle class was small. As for the free peasant class, which in the northern countries had gradually become one of the pillars of the State and from whose ranks it found its most faithful supporters, this class was completely absent in Russia. Alexander II's splendid gesture in 1861 of giving the serfs- numbering about fifty millions- their freedom proved to be a half measure, since it was not accompanied by a distribution of land. It was not until forty-five years later that Prime Minister Stolypin's agrarian law of 1906 made possible the change-over from collective village farming- called Mir- to individual ownership. But such an enormous task required time, and though the results achieved were by no means negligible, the outbreak of the World War found Russia lacking in one important requisite for national harmony and strength- a numerous class of yeoman-farmers.

Even today the idea is prevalent that liberal ideas were alien to Imperial Russia, but the truth is that the State, personified in the Tsar, had long realized the necessity for reforms. Insurmountable difficulties, however, made it impossible to transform Russia in a short time into a constitutional State based on law, according to Western ideas. The enormous extent of the Empire with its many races and languages, added to which was the low educational and cultural standard of the ruling race, the 'Great Russians', made it impossible. In spite of this, efforts to lead the Empire into new channels were not lacking, and the efforts and failures in regard to this were clearly reflected in the Tsars and their policy. For more than a century 'liberal' and 'reactionary' rulers had alternated. The reason for this was that certain revolutionary elements did not realize the sincerity of the Tsars' efforts and tried to hasten reforms by violent methods.

The assassination of the Liberator- Tsar Alexander II- was a deadly blow to the reform movement. A couple of hours after the great reformer had signed a decree promising a new constitution, on March 13, 1881, a nihilist's bomb put an end to his life. As was the case in the Decembrist conspiracy against Nicholas I, at the time of his accession to the throne in 1825, the assassination changed the course of developments. Alexander III postponed the reforms his father had decided on, and instead followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, Nicholas I.

According to the historical precedent mentioned, Nicholas II should have been a progressive Tsar. That he was not was principally due to his lack of a sufficiently strong character to free himself from his strong-willed father's principles and the influence of his own advisers. The operation that was so necessary for the health of the State and which could have been carried out in stages was postponed from year to year, and it was only the revolution brought about by the Japanese War which compelled the Emperor to make liberal concessions. The 'Charter of Freedom' of October 1905 was followed by a period of anarchy throughout the Empire which continued for two months. In view of these conditions, it is not surprising that the new constitution, proclaimed in May, 1906, proved a half-measure, and that the hopes it roused were largely unfulfilled... (The Memoirs of Marshal Mannerheim, translated by Count Eric Lewenhaupt, E.P. Dutton & Company, Inc., New York, 1954, pp. 124-126).

(to be continued)

Victoria & Daniel: Sweden's Royal Wedding

2010-06-20T15:54:00.001-04:00

All my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to the young couple! Here is some live footage of the wedding. (Via Tea at Trianon)

The Romanovs as Muses

2010-06-07T22:38:00.002-04:00

Although I said I would be taking a break from this blog, I want to draw my readers' attention to a new blog, Stay At Home Artist, by our kind friend, Anne, an artist and Romanov enthusiast in Philadelphia. Since 2009, she has been painting the children of the last Tsar. To quote the artist:

It's a powerful experience to bring these young people back into being and in color even if it's just with paint. I have been interested on and off in the Russian Royal family for 40 years. But what captured my heart and always will, is their example of grace under fire during the 16 months of their ever worsening captivity after the Russian revolution. The more I learn of this period of their lives, the more I admire them.

Please visit the site; Anne's paintings are very beautiful and touching.

A while back, I did a series of brief biographies on the Romanov children:

Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna (1895-1918)
Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna (1897-1918)
Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna (1899-1918)
Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna (1901-1918)
The Last Tsarevich

A Short Rest

2010-06-04T22:59:00.000-04:00

I regret to say I will have to take a break from this blog for a few weeks. The Nordic muse has left me...I hope to return soon, with renewed inspiration, but, in the meantime, you are welcome to follow me over at Cross of Laeken.

The Sauna

2010-05-27T01:12:00.001-04:00

Far from being a mere cliché, it is a sacred institution in Finland. According to an old Finnish saying, one must behave in the sauna as one would in church. To quote the Finnish Sauna Society:

At its most primitive, the sauna was probably a pit dug into a slope, with a heap of heated stones in one corner. The dugout developed into a four-cornered log hut with an earth floor and a chimneyless stove; this served as both a primitive dwelling and a bath. There was smoke in the room when the stove was being heated, but afterwards it vanished, leaving behind a smoky smell. The smoke sauna, with some modern adaptations, is nowadays becoming quite popular again. The next step in the story of the sauna was the addition of a chimney to the stove, which was then heated just once each time; still later came a newer type of stove which could be kept hot by continuous heating.

Today the Finnish word sauna may refer to a building or just a room with wooden walls, floor and ceiling. There is a stove, called kiuas, which is heated with wood, electricity, oil or gas. The top of the stove is covered with a thick layer of natural stones, which radiate the heat to the room.

Humidity is regulated by small doses of water ladled repeatedly onto the kiuas stones. The resulting vapour, rising from the stones, is called löyly. The temperature varies between 70 and 100 °C, depending on the size of the room. Bathers warming up in the hot room help perspiration by using whisks made of tender birch twigs (vihta or vasta). Warming-up is followed by washing and cooling off; arrangements for cooling off in the open air are welcomed.

In due course a dressing room and a washing room were added to the original one-roomed sauna. Sauna suites, frequently used by business people for entertaining guests, may include other additions such as a sitting room with a fireplace. A small private summer sauna often consists only of the hot room and the dressing room. In any case, modesty and simplicity are traditionally characteristic of the Finnish sauna; ostentatious decoration of the facilities is out of the question. (Read more)

May 26, 1896: Coronation of Nicholas II

2010-05-26T18:44:00.001-04:00

For an account of the fateful day by Finland's Marshal Mannerheim, who served in the Chevalier Guards at the Tsar's coronation, click HERE.

The Passing of Leonida Georgievna (1914-2010)

2010-05-24T23:55:00.000-04:00

Russia's Grand Duchess Leonida, mother of imperial claimant Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, passed away yesterday. May she rest in peace. More at these links:

~Royal World
~Et Lux In Tenebris Lucet!
~The Mad Monarchist

Pentecost

2010-05-23T13:56:00.000-04:00

The Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles.

Archbishop's Novgorod School, Russia (15th-16th century)

A Stir in Sweden

2010-05-22T18:52:00.001-04:00

By choosing to be given away by her father, King Carl XVI Gustav, at her upcoming wedding to Mr. Daniel Westling, Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria has scandalized her country's church leaders, who condemn the practice as "sexist." (Via Theodore Harvey). Apparently, the Swedish custom is for bride and groom to walk down the aisle together. This is supposed to emphasize gender equality and the fact that the parties are entering into the marriage of their own free will, all seen as very important in modern, liberal Swedish society. But, for goodness' sake, live and let live! Why should these eager guardians of freedom begrudge their future Queen the freedom to choose an alternate custom?

(Image source)

What is Sisu?

2010-05-21T23:50:00.003-04:00

HERE are some quotes on the indefinable Finnish trait.

Sisu has been called by The New York Times "the word that explains Finland", and the Finns' "favorite word" - "the most wonderful of all their words." During the famous Winter War of 1939-1940, the Finnish perseverance in the face of the invasion by the Soviet Union popularized this word in English for a generation.In what might have been the first use of sisu in the English language, on January 8, 1940, Time Magazine reported:

The Finns have something they call sisu. It is a compound of bravado and bravery, of ferocity and tenacity, of the ability to keep fighting after most people would have quit, and to fight with the will to win. The Finns translate sisu as "the Finnish spirit," but it is a much more gutful word than that. Last week the Finns gave the world a good example of sisu by carrying the war into Russian territory on one front while on another they withstood merciless attacks by a reinforced Russian Army. In the wilderness that forms most of the Russo-Finnish frontier between Lake Laatokka and the Arctic Ocean, the Finns definitely gained the upper hand.
—Time Magazine, January 8, 1940

Singled out for kudos for this attribute was "Finland's wiry old peasant President, Kyosti Kallio — 73 years old and full of sisu (courage) — last week thought up a new scheme to get supplies for his country."It was also used to describe the Finnish stubbornness in sticking to its loose alliance from 1940 to 1943 with The Third Reich:

Finnish sisu — meaning a peculiarly Finnish brand of doggedness, capable of facing down death itself — was at work against the Allies. ... The Finns are not happy. But sisu enables them to say: "We have nothing worse than death to fear."

—Time Magazine, May 10, 1943.
During the 1952 Summer Olympics, sisu was further described in the context of the continuing Cold War looming over the Finnish capital city of Helsinki:

HELSINKI, host to the Olympic Games, a city of 400,000, was abustle. ... The Finns are not stupidly hiding their eyes from their future, but they are determined not to fall into another fight with a powerful and predatory next-door neighbor 66 times their size (in area, Finland is the sixth largest country in Europe; in population it is the third smallest). Under popular, 81-year-old President Juho Kusti Paasikivi and able, unpopular Agrarian Premier Urho Kekkonen, the Finns have learned to walk the nerve-racking path of independence like tight-rope walkers.

—Time Magazine, July 21, 1952

Well into the 1960s, "sisu" was used to describe the Finnish resistance to the invasion of 20 to 30 years prior and its continuing discontents. In 1960, a notable reviewer of Mortlake wrote:

"HAVE you heard of Finnish sisu?" asks a character in "Mortlake" -- and it turns out that sisu is a sort of stamina or staying-power which the Finns have had to develop as a result of living next door to the Russians.

—Nigel Dennis, New York Times Book Review

"She Walks in Beauty"

2010-05-19T17:04:00.000-04:00

In a stirring article on the sorrows of Leopold III (1901-1983), King of the Belgians, Michael Geelan, to describe his beloved Swedish-born queen, Astrid, cites the opening lines of Lord Byron's "She Walks in Beauty" (1814). Intrigued, I looked up the quote and decided the whole poem suited Astrid perfectly:

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes :
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!

~The Complete Works of Lord Byron, 1841, p. 254

More on Queen Astrid HERE, HERE and HERE.

The Faith of Empress Alexandra

2010-05-17T14:43:00.000-04:00

What did she actually believe? Janet Ashton explores the issue.

Russia and the Romanovs

2010-05-14T22:39:00.000-04:00

An interesting talk with H. I. H. Maria Vladimirovna. For the record, Nicholas II and his family were officially rehabilitated, after this interview took place, by the Russian supreme court in 2008.

Johan Ludvig Runeberg

2010-05-12T22:28:00.003-04:00

Finland's famed National Romantic poet. It seems a pity that his personal life did not measure up to the lofty ideals set forth in his literary work. To quote Petri Liukkonen:

Johan Ludvig Runeberg was born into a relatively poor Swedish-speaking family in Jakobstad (Pietarsaari), on the shores of the Gulf of Bothnia. His father, Lorenz Ulrik Runeberg, was a ship's captain, who had briefly studied theology. Anna Maria (Malm) Runeberg, the poet's mother, came from a family of merchants. Among Runeberg's famous relatives was Jacob Tengström, Archbishop of Turku. At the age of eight, Runeberg was sent to Oleåborg (Oulu), where he was taken care of by his uncle. He entered the school there, and after his uncle died, he studied at the Vaasa Gramar School, and at the University of Åbo (Turku). In the 1820s he became friends with J.L. Snellman and Zachris Topelius, who gained later fame with historical novels. Runeberg's early erotic poems were inspired by Frederika or "Frigga" Juvelius, a pastor's daughter. In Vasa (Vaasa) Runeberg had started to read Swedish poets, such as Bellman, and in Turku he started to contribute to newspapers.

When his economic situation became difficult, Runeberg took a job as a personal tutor to a family, who lived in Saarijärvi in central Finland. Making acquaintance with the ordinary Finnish-speaking people affected him deeply. During this period he heard tales of the Russo-Swedish war of 1808-09. The war led to the cession of Finland from Sweden to Russia, and Finland became an autonomous Grand Duchy. Runeberg started to develop his idealized picture of the rural population. In this he was influenced by classical antiquity, Greek literature, and German idealism. Later the war formed the background for his ideal of patriotism.

In 1827 Runeberg received his Master of Arts degree. When the university moved its activity to Helsinki after the fire of Turku, Runeberg continued his studies in Helsinki and in 1830 he became a lecturer in Rhetoric. After reading Serbian folksong in a German translation, he was so impressed that he published a translation of them in Swedish. Runeberg's first collection of poems, DIKTER (1830), reflected his love of Finland's landscape and the heroic inhabitants of the backwoods. One of its most famous poems, 'Bonde Paavo' ('Saarijärven Paavo'), was about a peasant, who repeatedly loses his harvest to the frost, never complaining of his lot. When he has nothing else to eat, he nibbles hard bread, pettu, made from pine bark. The figure of Paavo has become a proverbial representantive of the Finns, and an enduring personification of the concept "sisu" (endurance, stick-with-it-ness). Later Runeberg's vision has been criticized patriarchal – honest, hard-working common people are not supposed to rebel against their fate, or against God, but to understand instinctively their proper position, shown by the poet. This picture of the people, adopted by the educated elite, was shattered eventually during the Civil War (1917-18). However, in a prosaic description "A Few Words about the Nature, Native Character and Way of Life in the Parish of Saarijärvi", Runeberg did not hide the poverty and misery of the inland areas.

Runeberg was secretly engaged to Maria Juliana Nygren, but he married in 1831 Fredrika Charlotta Tengström; they had eight children (see Frederika Runeberg below). Their son Walter Runeberg (1838-1920) gained fame as a sculptor and his statue of his father was unveiled in Helsinki in 1885. Between the years 1831 and 1836 Runeberg worked as a teacher at the Helsingfors privatlyceum (private secondary school) With his wife Frederika Runeberg he contributed to Helsingfors Morgonblad. To earn extra money the Runebergs took lodgers – Zachris Topelius was one of them. In his diary Topelius wrote that Frederika was hard of hearing, she was shy and silent, and had poor health. Their first child, Anna, died in 1833.

Frederika Runeberg (1807-1879) was a pioneer of historical novel in Finland, whose work show the influence of Walter Scott. She was also a talented drawer, and while she was studying at the University of Turku, she earned money by selling her paintings and drawings. As a writer Frederika started her career about in the same years as J.L. Runeberg finished his last great works. Frederika Runeberg's Fru Catharina Boije and hennes döttrar (1858) could be called Finland's first historical novel. The story was set during the Great Wrath of 1710-21. Sigrid Liljeholm (1862) contrasted the domestic world of women with the world of men. The female protagonist, Sigrid, is a fictional character, but the ruthless governor of all Finland, Klaus Fleming, is a real historical person. Frederika Runeberg tries to prove, that Fleming was not so black as he was painted. The book got bad press from J.V. Snellman, her husband's friend, and Frederika decided to publish no more fiction. However, she wrote for the magazines Litteraturblad, Finsk Tidskrift (1877-79), Helsingfors Dagblad, Litteraturbladet, Svenska Familj-Journalen (1872-75, 1877, 1882), Tidskrift fö Hemmet (1860-69). - Selected works: Fru Catharina Boije och hennes döttrar (1858, Rouva Catharina Boije ja hänen tyttärensä); Teckningar och drömmar (1861, Kuvauksia ja unelmia); Sigrid Liljeholm, (1862, suom.); Anteckningar om Runeberg: Mina pennas saga (1946, Kynäni tarina). Muistiinpanoja Runebergista; Brev till sonen Walter 1861-1879, 1971. - For further reading: Den frivilligt ödmjuka kvinnan: en bok om Fredrika Runebergs verklighet och diktning by Åsa Stenwall (1979).

Runeberg's second collection of poems appeared in 1833. His breakthrough work was the short epic HANNA (1836), an example of bourgeois romanticism written in the spirit of J.H. Voss – nowadays a nearly forgotten work. When Runeberg's hopes to be appointed professor of Latin and Greek at the university were crushed, he took in 1837 a post as a lecturer in classics at Porvoo Gymnasium (the college of Borgå). Next year he founded the Borgå Tidning and worked as its editor. His liberal views and attacks on pietistic narrow-mindedness provoked one of the most important debates about religion of the period. Porvoo, a small town, found also a good source of gossip in Runeberg's relationship with the beautiful daughter of Hauho's head pastor, Emilie Björkstén, who was nearly 20 years younger. Their passionate correspondence started in the 1840s. Emilie and Frederika Runeberg also had a lively correspondence and she was a regular guest at the poet's house. "What can I do, if I have got a man, who feels attraction towards young women," complained Frederika once. But she also admitted later: "My husband was a fierce lover".

As a teacher Runeberg was rigid, he did not spare the rod. Runeberg's disciplinary actions with the students strained his relationship with some of the parents. In 1839 Runeberg received in Sweden the Academy's highest award for poetry. For his literary merits he was granted a state pension. As an answer to growing interest in his work in Russia, Runeberg wrote NADESCHDA (1841), about two brothers, one good, the other bad, who love the same girl. In 1847 Runeberg was appointed rector of the college. He moved with his family in 1852 to a new home, which was later transformed into a museum and opened to the public in 1882.

In the 1850s Runeberg wrote a several hymns – he also was a member of the Cathedral Chapter of the Diocese of Porvoo, and a bishopric was not an impossible idea for him. During a hunting trip in 1863 – he was an enthusiastic fisher and hunter – Runeberg suffered a stroke and was unable to write for the last 13 years of his life. Frederika left the house only once during in period, when her husband needed her. She sat by his bed 12 hours a day, and read him books. Runeberg died on May 6, 1877, in Borgå. The poet's death was the occasion for national mourning.

Among Runeberg's best-known works are ELGSKYTTARNE (1832, The Elk Hunters), composed in Homeric Hexameters, KUNG FJALAR (1844), in which the setting was taken from old Norse sagas and Macpherson's Ossian, and the greatest Finnish classical epic poem FÄNRIK STÅLS SÄGNER (1848-1860, The Songs of Ensign Stål; The Tales of Ensign Stål), about Finland's war of 1808-09. Although the war ended in defeat, Runeberg transformed it into a patriotic praise of its known and unknown figures. However, Runeberg himself never served in any army. The different characters soldiers, from generals like von Döbeln to ordinary infantrymen, are treated empathetically with emphasis on personal traits. All of them are eager to die in the name of the fatherland: "And if I am one, both in joy and woe, / Of the valiant soldiery, / Then say when to battle or death we go! / God grant it tomorrow be!" Noteworthily, the Russians are treated in the poem with respect, and the censor passed the collection for publication after only a couple of small revisions.

Perhaps the most memorable Finnish character is Sven Dufva, not too bright but a brave hero. When the others retreat, Dufva doesn't, and dies in defending a bridge. Väinä Linna (1920-1992) has later criticized in his essay 'Runeberg ja suomalainen kansallismentaliteetti' (1980) the poet's cult of sacrifice and death. After Paavo Cajander (1846-1913) translated the work into Finnish it was used as compulsory reading in schools...

The first poem in Fänrik Ståls Sägner, 'Vårt land', set to music by Fr. Pacius, became the Finnish national anthem ('Maamme', Our Land). It was enthusiastically sung at the student's traditional spring festival on May 13, 1848, after the official speech and in between heavy drinking, In the following decades the patriotic heroism of Fänrik Ståls Sägner colored Finnish attitudes to Russia. However, Runeberg himself had been loyal to the government. By the end of the century, the relatively harmonious political situation in autonomous Finland as part of the Russian Empire had began to shake, and Runeberg's poems were adopted in political debate by promoters of the independence movement. Runeberg's work also served as a cultural weapon in the Civil War (1917-18), and again in the Second World War. A line from The Tales of Ensign Stål, "Let not one devil cross the bridge", served a slogan directed against the Russians.

Several of Runeberg's poems have been set to music by such composers as Karl Collan, Axel Ingelius, and Jean Sibelius. Albert Edelfelt's illustrations for The Tales have done much to shape the commonly accepted visual image of the heroes of the Russo-Swedish war. Among the famous historical paintings inspired by Runeberg's poems is The Wounded Soldier (1880) by Helen Schjerfbeck. 'Runeberg Day' is celebrated in Finland on the 5th of February. A delicacy connected to the festival is called 'a Runeberg tart'. It is a small, cylindrical sponge cake decorated with a spoonful of jam. The cake was introduced as early as the 1840s.

Princess Cecilia of Sweden: The "Black Sheep" of the Vasas

2010-05-11T23:57:00.000-04:00

One of the most controversial Swedish princesses was the beautiful and scandalous Cecilia (1540-1627), daughter of King Gustav I, the initiator of the Protestant Reformation in Sweden, and his second wife, the Catholic, long-suffering Queen Margareta Leijonhufvud. As such, Cecilia was the half-sister of the doomed Erik XIV, the full sister of the dubious John III and the usurping Charles IX, and the aunt of the Protestant hero of the Thirty Years' War, Gustavus Adolphus. As a child, Cecilia is reported to have been fragile, but she matured into a spirited and robust beauty. One of her tutors wrote a poem, in praise of her charms, loosely translated: "Her brow is white as snow, her eyes shine like the sun, her lips are fairer than roses, her locks more beautiful than gold."

Unfortunately, this beauty did not bode well for the future. Cecilia became involved in a series of scandals, bringing a great deal of embarrassment to the royal house of Sweden. In 1559, there was a doomed romance with John, Count of Osterfriesland, the brother of the bridegroom of Cecilia's eldest sister, Princess Catherine of Sweden. At the wedding celebrations in Vadstena, Cecilia's brothers observed a man climbing into her window several nights in a row. When they decided to investigate the matter, they caught the Count, scantily clad, in their sister's chamber. Not surprisingly, a huge uproar ensued. John was thrown in prison (and possibly castrated) and Cecilia brutally beaten by her father; she later accused him of tearing out her hair. Nonetheless, the family tried to hush up the scandal, attempting to shift the blame onto Cecilia's maids.

The Vasas were eager to marry off the "black sheep" of the family. In 1561, the Polish envoy to Sweden, Johan Tenczynski, sued for Cecilia's hand, but nothing came of the idea. In 1564, Cecilia wedded Christopher II, Margrave of Baden-Rochemachen. Soon afterwards, she traveled to England, reportedly on a mission to press her brother Erik's suit for the hand of Elizabeth I. The suit, however, was unsuccessful and Cecilia's extravagant expenses landed her deeply in debt. After a number of vicissitudes, Cecilia was granted the fiefdom of Arboga, Sweden, where she ruled as Countess, earning money by levying customs duties and taxes. In true Viking tradition, she also financed a fleet of pirates, supplementing her income through plunder on the high seas. She became involved in various political intrigues, possibly including plots against her brother, King John III of Sweden, and, after her husband's death, served as regent of Baden-Rochemachen in the 1580's.

Meanwhile, Cecilia had converted to Catholicism during the 1570's. Her decision anticipated that of her great-niece, Queen Christina of Sweden. In Reformed circles, this only served to reinforce Cecilia's reputation as a "scarlet woman," as Protestant propagandists maliciously accused her of running brothels. This was untrue, but the fact that Cecilia continued to become involved in scandal, giving birth to an illegitimate daughter in 1579, did nothing to enhance her good name. After a tumultuous and tragic life, she died in Brussels at the age of 87. One of her descendants, curiously enough, was Louis-Philippe, King of the French from 1830-1848.

The Mourning of Beata Helena von Morian

2010-05-10T11:59:00.000-04:00

Some may remember my post on the execution of the Finnish Colonel, Johan Henrik Hästesko, one of the leaders of the controversial Anjala League and the only conspirator not to be pardoned. I have mixed feelings about the Anjala League, but the story of Hästesko's widow, Beata Helena von Morian (pictured above), inconsolable, yet always proud and haughty, has always appealed to my imagination. The formidable Beata is dramatically recalled by her great-grandson, Anders Ramsay, in his memoirs, Fran Barnaar till Silfverhar ("From Childhood Years to Silver Hairs"). After her husband's execution, Beata's once cheerful and hospitable household on the Mälkilä estate became a place of everlasting mourning. As I was recalling this story, these lines sprang to my mind.

Black Mourning reigns at Mälkilä,

And in the halls, where Joy once dwelt,

Grief holds court.

The Ramsays of Finland

2010-05-07T02:04:00.005-04:00

In a warm and fascinating chronicle, Issabella Penttila, née Ramsay, tells of the Scottish family who became one of Finland's most distinguished noble houses. The article was written in 1977, to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Ramsays' arrival in Finland. To quote:

Let us look back and then try to place ourselves in the political situation 400 years ago in the two countries that are of interest to us: Scotland and Sweden-Finland. In Scotland, we have the 11-year-old boy-king, James VI. His mother Mary, Queen of Scots (Stuart) still had to serve ten years of her 20-year sentence in prison in England. Scotland's mightiest earls were arguing over who of them would reign in the boy-king's name. In Sweden, it was war campaigns as usual, on the eastern border and against Denmark. The rivalry of the royal brothers of the Vasa dynasty (1523-1668) had resulted in the dethronement and imprisonment of Erik XIV. The conflicts between his brothers Johan III and Hertiga Karl and between the Vasa's and the Swedish noblemen kept the political situation inflamed. Foreign experts had already been called to assist in various positions at the court. It was thus that foreign troops were recruited to strengthen the army. During the summer 1573 a troupe of 3,000 Scots stepped off the boat in Gothenburg. Among them were Alexander Ramsay and his son John Ramsay.

What did the Scots understand of the quarreling of the Vasas! Their leader let himself be misguided by the persuasive powers of the Frenchman Charles de Mornay and was thus involved in the so called 'de Mornay conspiracy' to free Erik XIV from prison. The air was filled with plot and rumour. It was decided to send the ferocious Scots to Livonia (an area comprising the modem states of Estonia and Latvia, under Swedish rule 1621-1721) so that they would be out of the way. In Livonia they could use their pent up energy to fight off Ivan IV Tatar warriors. Alexander Ramsay died in Livonia in 1576. He was called, according to the protocol of justice, 'der douve Schotte', which is a thoroughly German expression, which can be translated, according to my aunt Carin Quesnay, best as something close to 'the foolhardy Scot. The following year his son moved to Finland to stay. The genealogical tables present us with a problem at this point. Where there one or two that came at that point? Is it a case of Johan with his son Hans, or was it Hans who was known as Johan? What we are sure of is that Hans Ramsay in 1611 owned lhamiki in Somero. Here he made his home and established his family. It is from here that he rode out with the Scottish banner, later with the Finnish nobleman’s banner, when the call to war came. By request, he received evidence of his origin from Scotland, dated in Brechin by bishop David and signed by, among others, eight members of the Ramsay clan.

He accustomed himself well to the new settings. Jakob de la Gardie writes that "the noble and well-bred Hans Ramsay was always eager to serve the best interest of the Swedish crown and comported himself in a good and manly manner". Hans Ramsay's name is often mentioned among the men who visited the royal manor at Esbo with errands for the king and received provisions and forage. The relations to Scotland and the by now Stuart-led England were maintained. Two brothers Ramsay were sent to present themselves to the Scottish family and to study at Oxford. One may wish that they enjoyed some pleasant and bright days in college before they came home and met their death in Livonia. When the youngest son had reached the suitable age, the fight of academic studying had already been lit in Finland. He entered the Royal Abo Academy in 1642.

Hans Ramsay gave up his duties due to old age in 1644, and died in 1649 and was buried at the Somero churchyard. He was a typical example of a 16th and 17th century soldier, who fought where fighting was called for, and was awarded land in a country that he'd never heard spoken of, but who nevertheless set his roots down there. A few days ago, in Hufvudstadsbladet (=the main Swedish language daily newspaper in Finland) we were presented with a good explanation to why Hans Ramsay never left Finland: in the winters it was all but impossible, and the summers were too beautiful to even think of leaving. I want to quote another explanation, which I found in the biography of the Nobel prize winner Sir William Ramsay: the Scots were more concerned with their immediate homes rather than if they belonged to Sweden or Russia (this was written in 1907), and this is why they stayed and kept on living according to their old traditions. (Read more)

Finnish Pulla

2010-05-05T20:29:00.001-04:00

Here is a recipe for making three loaves of pulla, Finland's delicious, sweet cardamom bread. I encourage everyone to try it!

Ingredients:

~2 cups milk
~1/2 cup warm water (110 F)
~1 (1/4) package active dry yeast
~1 cup white sugar
~1 tsp. salt
~1 tsp. ground cardamom
~4 eggs, beaten
~9 cups all-purpose white flour
~1/2 cup butter, melted
~1 egg, beaten
~2 tbsp. white sugar

Directions:

Warm milk until it bubbles, then remove from heat and let cool down.
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in lukewarm milk, sugar, salt, cardamom, eggs, 2 cups flour. Beat until dough is smooth and elastic. Add 3 more cups of flour, keep beating. Add melted butter, stir batter well. Beat again. Stir in remaining flour until dough is stiff.
Turn dough out of bowl onto floured surface, cover with inverted mixing bowl. Let rest for 15 min. Knead dough. Place it in lightly greased mixing bowl. Turn the dough to grease the top. Cover with a dishtowel. Let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk (1 hr). Punch down, let rise again.
Turn out again onto floured surface. Divide into 3 parts. Divide each third into 3 pieces. Roll each piece into a 12-16 in. strip. Braid 3 strips into a loaf. Make 3 large braided loaves. Put braids on greased baking sheets. Let rise for 20 min.
Brush each loaf with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 400 F for 25-30 min.

Some versions of the recipe include currants or raisins to taste.

Fire and Ice, Revisited

2010-04-29T21:00:00.000-04:00

Several blogs are discussing the theory that a volcanic eruption in Iceland in 1783 may have been an indirect cause of the French Revolution. More at Tea at Trianon, Le Fleur de Lys Too, and Confessions of a Ci-Devant. Could history repeat itself?

The Lotta Svärd

2010-04-24T19:58:00.000-04:00

Finland's heroic women auxiliaries during the struggle with the USSR. HERE are the tenets of the Lotta Svärd organization, inspired by zealous Christianity and patriotism:

May the fear of God be the greatest strength in your life!
Learn to love your country and your people!
Value your Lotta ideals. Only when you are righteous, pure and sober can you be a true Lotta!
Always demand the most from yourself!
Be good!
Be loyal even in the smallest things!
When you encounter misfortune, remember the greatness of our goal!
Respect your Lotta sisters and aid them in their work, thus you can strengthen the feeling of unity!
Remember the work of the past generations. Respect your elders, for they have done more than us!
Be modest in the way you behave and dress!
Submit to self-discipline in order to raise the discipline of the organization!
Lotta, remember that you represent a great, patriotic organization. Be wary of doing anything that may hurt it or damage its reputation!

Mannerheim: Hero in Finland and Russia

2010-04-22T18:09:00.002-04:00

An article on the 2005 Mannerheim exhibition at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg explores the conflicts of loyalty faced by this remarkable soldier and statesman.

It was only when the Bolshevik revolution of 1917 crushed the old order that Mannerheim realised his ties of loyalty to Russia had been cut. After the revolution he became a champion of the White Finnish cause.

His loyalty towards his native land was now total and he always respected its democratic institutions even though he was hardly a true democrat by conviction.

Mannerheim’s career in the service of two states is an intriguing story that excites curiosity. To Russians - as the director of the State Hermitage says in his foreword to the exhibition catalogue - Mannerheim is above all the cultivated young officer of the Chevalier Guards who stands by Nicholas II in the latter’s coronation procession.

In Finnish eyes Mannerheim stands tall as the elderly Marshal, the man of honour, the fatherly figure whose moral integrity and intelligence could always be trusted.

Perhaps it is not, after all, in any way unnatural that both Finns and Russians have rediscovered their own Mannerheim, now that the nightmare of communism has passed.

In life, Mannerheim was always a leader who came between Finland and the Soviet Union. In death, he is a figure who brings together Finns and Russians.

More HERE.

Risto Ryti

2010-04-18T16:12:00.001-04:00

Finland's president during the Continuation War (1941-1944) with the USSR. Subsequently, in the infamous "war responsibility trials," he was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment. It took decades to restore his reputation.

Fire and Ice

2010-04-16T13:41:00.000-04:00

The volcanic eruptions in Iceland. More HERE.

Music of the Romanovs

2010-04-15T14:38:00.000-04:00

"Knowing the creative heritage is absolutely necessary for people to understand the feelings and the inner world of the Imperial Dynasty. Judging a governor only by the state affairs is a little unilateral. In music the author reveals his human sides." (Via Elena Maria Vidal)

The compositions to be performed at the concert are mostly small pieces of saloon music from the second half of the 19th Century – piano pieces or pieces for voice and piano, marches, polkas, songs and romances, the director of the Globalis orchestra, Stanislav Simonov told Utro.ru. Apart from these, a remarkable composition by the Tsar of the Russian Empire, Alexander II – a fantasy on Ukrainian themes titled “Maria” – will be played.

All members of the Royal family were traditionally given a brilliant musical education, which turned into beautiful musical artworks. The orchestra will also present compositions by Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich of Russia and Grand Duchess Aleksandra Iosifovna of Russia.

Incidentally, Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich of Russia was not only a talented musician, but was also known in poetic circles. Many of his poems were turned into romances that are still being performed. Moreover Konstantin Konstantinovich wrote several plays and was also a successful painter.

The paintings of Empress Maria Feodorovna, the mother of the doomed Nicholas II.

The poems of Grand Duchess Olga, his eldest daughter.

Posting

2010-04-03T12:04:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry for my absence of late, I've been very busy and will probably have little time for posting during the next few weeks. In the meantime, Happy Easter to all my readers!

Russia's Daughters

2010-03-26T20:38:00.000-04:00

A kind reader, Annie, directed me to her beautiful tribute to the two eldest Romanov sisters, Olga and Tatiana. Congrulations to Annie on the wonderful painting of the princesses in their nursing uniforms!

The Song of Hiawatha and the Kalevala

2010-03-20T13:35:00.000-04:00

Was Longfellow imitating the Finnish national epic?

Anna Vasa

2010-03-19T17:58:00.002-04:00

Anna Vasa, (1568-1625) was the daughter of King John III of Sweden, and his first wife, Polish-born Catherine Jagellonica. Sweden had already turned Protestant, but, like her brother, Sigismund (later to become King of Poland and Sweden), Anna was raised as a Catholic by her mother. Yet, around 1582, the young Anna became a Lutheran. She remained a convinced Protestant for the rest of her life, despite her brother's efforts to re-convert her to Catholicism.

Although the two women embraced opposite religions, Princess Anna has been compared to her relative, the later Queen Christina of Sweden. Both were very intelligent, learned, spirited, strong-willed, and independent. Both remained unmarried.

Anna accompanied her brother, Sigismund, to Poland, when he was elected King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1587. Anna was an able politician, and her father, King John of Sweden, hoped to use her to further Swedish interests in the Baltic, especially in the long-standing dispute over Estonia between Poland and Sweden. Anna remained in Poland for two years. During this period, Sigismund, frustrated with the turbulent Polish nobility, decided to abdicate. He planned to marry Anna to an Austrian Archduke, who would assume the Polish throne in his place. Nothing, however, came of these plans. Political circumstances obliged Sigismund to remain King of Poland, and his sister's marriage never materialized. In 1589, she returned to Sweden.

In 1592, however, Anna again journeyed to Poland. She represented her father at Sigismund's wedding to an Austrian Archduchess (also named Anna). The Swedish princess arrived at the royal court in Cracow with a large Protestant retinue, arousing bitter hostility towards her among prominent Polish Catholics. Although Sigismund was a devout Catholic, he seems to have been quite indulgent towards his sister, for whom he felt deep affection. He allowed her preachers to remain at court. Much to the outrage of his entourage, she was even permitted permitted to carry his infant daughter to the baptismal font. In 1592, Stanislas Karnkowsky, Archbishop of Gnesen, and Germanico Malaspina, Apostolic Nuncio to Poland, severely rebuked the King for exposing the court to the "heretical hymns and sermons" of Anna's Protestant retinue. They threatened Sigismund with excommunication, unless he banished her Lutheran preachers (and, by implication, Anna herself) from the royal entourage. Sigismund was shattered by this reprimand. His aunt, however, Dowager Queen Anna Jagellonica, reacted more calmly. She wrote to the Archbishop that she understood his criticisms, yet did not agree that her niece should be forcibly expelled from court. The awkward situation was resolved, in 1593, when Princess Anna decided, voluntarily, to leave Poland, accompanying her brother to Stockholm and Uppsala for his coronation as King of Sweden.

Anna remained in Sweden during the ensuing struggle for the crown between her brother and her uncle, Duke Karl. After Sigismund's crushing defeat by Karl, at the Battle of Stångebro, and his escape to Poland, in 1598, Anna could no longer endure life in Sweden. Although Duke Karl and his niece were both Protestants, they were bitter enemies. Anna was far too spirited to tolerate Karl's tyrannical ways; the Duke, in turn, launched vicious personal attacks on the Princess. He called her a "venomous person," "a fountain of evil, born for the destruction and depravation of peoples and kingdoms." Not surprisingly, Anna decided to settle in Poland. King Sigismund provided her with extensive lands (away from court) in Prussia.

Anna devoted the rest of her life to relief work and science. Kind-hearted and warm, she used the proceeds of her rich estates to assist Swedish political refugees, regardless of their religious persuasion. Fascinated by botany, horticulture, and medicine, she established an elaborate conservatory, where she cultivated rare plants and manufactured remedies. She was a generous patron of naturalists and scientists.

Castle of Golub-Dobrzyn, Anna's residence from 1616 to 1623 (credits)

When Anna died in 1625, King Sigismund deeply mourned his sister, and planned to bury her in the royal vault in Cracow. The Pope, however, refused to allow Anna to be buried in a Catholic church. In 1634, following Sigismund's death, his son, King Wladyslaw IV of Poland, obtained the reversal of this decree. Anna was then interred in the Church of the Blessed Virgin in Torún, where a magnificent monument honors her memory.

Nave of the Church of the Blessed Virgin in Torún (credits)

Tribute to Queen Astrid

2010-03-13T21:04:00.000-05:00

In memory of the beautiful and beloved Princess Astrid of Sweden, Queen of the Belgians (1905-1935), I have prepared this. A kind reader, Aaron Davidson, once suggested I dedicate both my blogs to Queen Astrid, since she unites them - Belgium and Scandinavia! I thought it was a lovely idea.