Astrid Lindgren, Vilhelm Moberg, Selma Lagerlöf and Bellman. Several expected names are included on the works list published by the committee for a cultural canon for Sweden. Something that, on the other hand, can raise eyebrows is that Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö's “The Abominable Man from Säffle” is included on the literature list.
The committee proposes that the cultural canon become part of school education and that it can also be used in SFI, Swedish for immigrants.
The Swedish people have been allowed to have their say and submit proposals to the committee. If the people had been allowed to decide, we could have had a list where the cabbage root, bandy and Abba were included. Other recurring proposals were “The Red Room” by August Strindberg. Strindberg is included, but with the short story collection “Giftas. Marriage stories 1–2” and the drama “A Dream Play”.
Viggen and Ikea
The total of 100 works that have been selected within the two areas of arts and society are to constitute Sweden's cultural canon together.
In the area of inventions, the Viggen fighter plane has made it onto the list and the first Ikea store in Älmhult has qualified under the economy category.
But those who had hoped for Swedish food culture will be disappointed, since no gastronomic examples are included at all. Among the proposals submitted were, for example, the snaps song, the smörgåsbord and pea soup with pancakes.
In film and performing arts, Ingmar Bergman's “The Seventh Seal” and Stefan Jarl's “They Call Us Misfits” are notable. Also included is Suzanne Osten's “Medea's Children”, a theater piece described as “a milestone in children's culture”.
Men dominate
Regarding the musical works, the historic Drottningholms music has been included, in the company of songs by the fiddler Hjort Anders Olsson.
In the category of image and form, well-known landmarks such as Stockholm City Hall are notable, but also more unexpected choices like the work “Sitting … Six months later” by the avant-garde pop artist Öyvind Fahlström.
Men clearly dominate among the creators. But at the same time, it can be noted that, for example, both Karin Larsson and Carl Larsson are represented through their jointly created artist home Lilla Hyttnäs, also called Carl Larsson-gården.
It is also clear that the committee wants to reflect the importance of the Sami cultural heritage, not least through the choice of Johan Turi's “Muittalus sámid birra. A book about the life of the Lapps”.
Helena Nordenberg/TT
Facts: Cultural Canon for Sweden
TT
The cultural canon that has been developed consists of two different categories: arts and society. Within these categories, the committee has appointed a total of ten areas, five for arts and five for society.
In the category of arts, the following areas are included: literature, image and form, music, film and performing arts, as well as learning and non-fiction. Ten works for each area have been selected. One criterion was that the works selected should be at least 50 years old.
In the category of society, the areas of law and justice, religion, economy, inventions, and public life are included.
The committee that has worked on developing the cultural canon emphasizes the importance of it becoming accessible to school students, teachers, and newcomers.
