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Friendly Friday Challenge – Shadows

Forestwood

Sandy’s prompt for Friendly Friday reminded me of a visit to the Skansen Museum in Stockholm,where I felt the presence of old world shadows.

In the midst of a Swedish winter, the shadowy silhouette of the bell tower in Stockholm’s Skansen Museum was an imposing and slightly daunting sight set against the crepuscular morning light.

Swedish farm houses were dark and the winters bitterly cold. Many families lived in the same house for generations and the darkest corners of the room echoed with imagined shadows of the past.

Skansen’s Farm labourers cottage

Taking refuge inside, farmers and their labourers would enjoy consuming a hearty meal, particularly at Christmas.

For those who have Swedish heritage, visiting Skansen is a way to bring history alive and feel more of a connection with the past.

Linking to Friendly Friday- Shadows

shadows

Sandy is hosting the blogging challenge which runs until Thursday, this week.

A new prompt will be released here at StPA, next Friday.

Published by Forestwood

A philosophic Aussie writes here at StPA, one who will readily admit to loving Scandinavia. I'm interested in global politics and what drives us to be who we are. Scratch the surface and you'll find a practical Environmentalist with an egalitarian bent, trying to unleash a little creativity via the written word. Scandinavian culture, literature and traditions are close to my heart, even though I'm Australian. Travel and courteous discussions greatly broaden the mind, so I travel if I can and am always up for a vigorous, respectful discussion. I'm an avid reader, a writer and I enjoy photography and crafts, particularly traditional art forms. I hope you'll find 'Something to Ponder About,' in my WordPress Community.

19 thoughts on “Friendly Friday Challenge – Shadows”

  1. I love playing with shadows. The bell tower looks like its going to walk off. I love the simplicity of the little cottage dinner looks so inviting & it would be so soothing no harsh brightness iluminating everything.

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    1. True, Linda, subdued light can be comforting. I find I am startled by our bright summer sunshine in Australia, on my return from Scandinavia, with the low winter light.
      I think to are right about the bell tower. Imposing, isn’t it? Like a War of the Worlds character!

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  2. Love this post and how it revokes memories of my time spent on my wife’s parents farm in a small village in Finland. Home made-bread and the table settings with the woman and her head scarf. Just so wonderful.

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    1. I am glad it was nostalgic for you, Gerard. I suppose Finland is very Swedish and parts of Sweden very Finnish! I love the old open air museums in Scandinavia. There is not many I haven’t visited. Recreating these vintage scenes with modern day women dressed in period costume does bring the past alive. In a Danish museum, the ladies dressed in old time dresses and scarves were busy cooking and preparing food on an old stove using the old techniques! Marvellous for visiting children. The buildings at Skansen are so beautiful, I sometimes wonder if I was born in the wrong century?

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    1. I tried to take a slightly different angle to the prompt this time, Janaline. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment.

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    1. Shadows do make it trickier to photograph certain areas. There was also the old windmill at Skansen and due to the low winter light, I needed to lighten the photo afterwards, to see any detail.

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  6. It occurs to me that in the very olden days homes were a lot less lit than what we are used to today. Your picture of the dining room reminds me of the homes in an old Pioneer Village in Toronto. Always dark inside because the windows were small (presumably for heating reasons) and with one or two candles. How different a life that must have been. I think its very picturesque but I wouldn’t have wanted to live in these times 🙂

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    1. That is right, Sandy. I feel nostalgic about these old houses, and find them incredibly beautiful, with the natural elements of the wooden walls. No doubt life would not have been easy and doing anything after dark much more difficult without electric light! I have no idea how they managed to execute such intricate weaving and needlework by candlelight. Have you made a post about the pioneer village?

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