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The last warrior-king of the North

On November 30, 1718, Karl XII was killed under mysterious circumstances during the siege of Fredriksten Fortress. Even today, "the young hero king" remains one of the most debated personalities in Swedish history and is often highlighted as an example of courage and sacrifice.

Published 30 November 2024
– By Editorial Staff
The body of Karl XII of Sweden is brought home from Norway.

Karl XII, one of Sweden’s most legendary kings, whose reign was marked by military triumphs and a dramatic, mysterious death, continues to fascinate both historians and the Swedish public. His short but eventful life is a tale of courage, sacrifice, and a tragic final act.


This article was originally published on The Nordic Times on December 2, 2023.


Born in 1682, Karl XII ascended to the throne at the age of fifteen following the death of his father, Karl XI. He was the last monarch of the Swedish Empire, an era built up by his predecessors, and a king of his time, deeply influenced by military culture and a profound sense of duty to his kingdom.

His reign quickly became dominated by the Great Northern War, where his leadership and military prowess were put to the test. His most famous triumph was the Battle of Narva in 1700, where a smaller Swedish force defeated a Russian army more than three times its size. This victory, achieved through what is often described as tactical brilliance and personal courage, cemented Karl XII’s reputation as one of history’s great military leaders.

In the following years, Karl XII continued to lead his country in war against several European powers. He was a combative monarch, personally leading his troops in the field and often participating in battles. His tactics and courage on the battlefield made him a feared opponent and a symbol of Swedish strength and resilience.

Karl XII in the Battle of Narva. Painting: David von Krafft

The Battle of Poltava in 1709 marked a fateful turning point well-known to most Swedes. The Swedish army suffered a crushing defeat against the Russians under Peter the Great. This setback was followed by a period of difficulties and defeats. Karl XII spent several years in exile in the Ottoman Empire, a time when his kingdom simultaneously struggled to maintain its position as a European superpower.

Mysterious death

The death of Karl XII on November 30, 1718, during the siege of Fredriksten fortress in Norway remains one of the greatest mysteries in Swedish history. The details surrounding his death are still disputed and have given rise to many theories. According to some reports, he was hit by a bullet in the temple while observing enemy positions, leading to immediate death. There has also been speculation about whether the king died in an accident, an assassination, or perhaps even a murder organized by his own in some form of conspiracy.

According to investigations carried out by Finnish researchers as recently as 2022, it is most likely that Karl XII was killed by canister shot ammunition made of iron with a diameter of over 20 millimeters. They also consider it likely that the bullet was fired from the enemy in the Norwegian fortress.

Karl, who had no wife or known children, was succeeded by his sister Ulrika Eleonora, who soon abdicated in favor of her husband Frederick of Hesse. They also had no heirs, and the next Swedish king became Adolf Frederick of the House of Holstein-Gottorp. The warrior king’s death definitively marked the end of Sweden’s status as a great power, and the country became a less influential actor on the European stage.

Hero king or tyrant

More than 300 years after his death, Karl XII is still remembered in many circles as a bold, self-sacrificing, and uncompromising leader. His military exploits have been praised for bravery and strategic genius, but the exhausting wars have also been criticized for draining the kingdom’s resources and leading to its decline as a superpower. Historians usually say that Karl’s death marked a definitive end to an era and the beginning of a new phase in Swedish and Nordic history.

Karl XII is often regarded as one of Sweden’s most important monarchs. Photo: Alexey M/CC BY-SA 4.0

The life and death of Karl XII have inspired numerous cultural and literary works. He has been portrayed as both a hero king and a tyrant, and his decisions and personality have been analyzed and debated for centuries. His sudden death is a legend in itself and continues to attract new generations of history enthusiasts.

In summary, it can be said that Karl XII’s reign was a time of dramatic changes in Sweden and Europe. His military achievements and personal sacrifice, along with the mystery surrounding his death, make him one of the most memorable and discussed figures in all of Swedish history. His life and death are not only a part of the national memory but also an important chapter in European military history.

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The Faroe Islands’ grand celebration

The popular national day celebration Ólavsøka brings the Faroese together for a colorful celebration in the capital Tórshavn, a tradition that goes back a thousand years.

Published today 7:45
– By Editorial Staff

The Faroe Islands consist of 18 small islands, mostly bordered by high mountains and narrow fjords in the North Atlantic Ocean between Scotland, Norway and Iceland, with a population of around 55 000. Faroese is a unique little Nordic language, descended directly from the Old Norse spoken by the Norse who settled the islands 1200 years ago. Formally part of the Kingdom of Denmark, the islands have been granted considerable autonomy. Fishing is a key part of the trade, with seafood exported to all six continents.

Góða Ólavsøku!

Centuries of relative isolation have resulted in the preservation of long-standing traditions that still characterize life in the Faroe Islands. One strong tradition is the national day celebrated on July 28 and 29, known as Ólavsøka.

The holiday is held in memory of the Norwegian king Olaf Haraldsson II, who died in the Battle of Stiklestad in Norway in 1030 and was later canonized as the patron saint of Norway. In Norway, a similar celebration called Olsok Day is also observed on July 29.

The death of the Norwegian king is believed to have contributed to the Christianization of Norway and thereby also the Faroe Islands, which during the Middle Ages were part of the Kingdom of Norway. The tradition of celebrating Olsok, still observed in Norway, has also lived on in the Faroe Islands and is today the nation’s national day.

The celebration of Ólavsøka thus stretches back about a thousand years, but in its current form, it has been observed since 1920.

A popular festival

Ólavsøka is celebrated with a large public festival lasting two days, during which residents often gather in the capital, Tórshavn. Men, women, and children frequently wear Faroese national costumes, known as føroyski tjóðbúnin, for the celebration. It is the largest summer festival of the year.

The opening ceremony is often described as both colorful and highly traditional. In a procession, athletes from local clubs, politicians, musicians, and riders march through the streets of the city accompanied by a brass band. Outside the parliament building, Ólavsøka is then officially opened with speeches and musical performances.

During these days, the streets of Tórshavn are filled with people of all ages. The joyful atmosphere is palpable as old friends reunite, families spend time together, and strangers meet.

900-year-old tradition

The Faroese Parliament dates back to the 9th century, making it one of the oldest parliaments in the world. In Viking times, for example, it was the highest authority on the islands.

The opening of the Parliament, which takes place on July 29, is a very long tradition that goes back over 900 years. Among other things, it is documented in the Sheep Letter, which is the oldest legal document in the Faroe Islands, dating back to 1298.

The Føroya løgting opens at 11 a.m. when members of parliament, government ministers, priests of the National Church of the Faroe Islands and other public officials walk in procession to Tórshavn Cathedral where a service is held. After the service, the procession goes to the parliament building where there are choral and musical performances.

At the formal opening of Parliament, the Prime Minister (Løgmaður) delivers his annual address to Parliament and the Faroese nation. The opening of Parliament is considered an important part of Ólavsøka and reflects the ancient connection between Parliament and the Church.

Kvaddans and Midnight Singing

During the celebration, there are art exhibitions, concerts, and other cultural highlights in the Faroese spirit. One tradition is the so-called kvaddans, where participants hold hands and dance in a long chain or circle. It is a traditional Faroese dance dating back to the Middle Ages, where participants sing old narrative ballads – kvæði, an old word for song. In Sweden, the dance is known as ballad dance.

The Faroe Islands’ national sport is sea rowing, and the final of the national rowing competition is also held during Ólavsøka, one of the highlights of Faroese sports.

Local specialties such as skerpikjøt (dried mutton) and aquavit as a welcome drink are often served, and restaurants stay open late.

An important part of the celebration is also Midnáttarsangurin, which translates to “the midnight song”. It takes place at midnight between July 28 and 29 in Tórshavn, where Faroese people gather at the town square near the parliament to sing together. Both old and new Faroese songs and ballads are sung, and kvaddans is danced here as well.

WakeUpTV aims to challenge the Nordic establishment media

Published 29 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
According to Oddane, the focus of the TV house will be on news and social programs as well as investigative documentaries and interviews.

The creators behind the WakeUpGlobe channel, the Nordic network WakeUpFriends, and the WakeUpConference announce that they are planning to build a new Nordic television network focused on “truth and awareness”.

The stated goal is extremely ambitious – they say they want to seriously challenge and offer an alternative to the major Nordic TV companies with their millions of viewers.

It’s time to build a new Nordic TV house under the WakeUpTV brand that can seriously challenge the big Nordic commercial and state-owned players, such as SVT, TV4, DR in Denmark, and NRK in Norway”, says founder Michael Oddane in a press release.

With WakeUpTV, we want to take everything to a whole new level, where we will operate in professional TV studios on a par with the major TV houses in an environment where the masses feel at home”, he continues.

According to Oddane, hundreds of millions of people around the world have lost confidence in the narratives broadcast by traditional channels and are instead looking for new alternatives.

We will create truth-focused and life-affirming TV that will both be a force for changing society for the better and help people develop both personally and spiritually”, he says.

“Traditional media obscures and distorts”

The plans began five years ago, and the property where the TV station will be built is located in a scenic area outside Lund. Two large TV studios, control rooms, and offices will be built on the property.

Initially, the TV station will have five permanent employees, and various external presenters will be brought in for different projects. It will launch its own streaming service but will also broadcast much of its content via social media to achieve the widest possible reach.

Our focus will, as always, be on uncovering the truth about what is happening in the world and sharing knowledge about personal and spiritual development. It is quite obvious that traditional media both obscures and distorts the truth, contrary to the mission they claim to have. They seem to operate largely according to the wishes of those in power and have lost their function as the third estate. Even spiritual and personal development seem to fall outside the scope of public service and commercial television, which is highly remarkable”, Oddane continues.

Holistic health and alternative medicine

WakeUpTV will also focus on areas such as holistic health, alternative medicine, and treatments – but not on sports or pure entertainment programs.

There will be news-related and socially oriented programs, investigative documentaries, and interviews. There are also plans for debate programs and talk shows with live audiences and, as I said, a separate section where we will share knowledge about spiritual and personal development together with a large number of Nordic actors. Everything will be packaged with high production values”.

Oddane is now trying to attract investors – both micro-investors and those who are willing to invest larger sums. However, it is currently unclear when the TV station is expected to be ready and start broadcasting programs.

Israel’s Eurovision public vote record sparks suspicion of coordinated campaign

Published 20 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Israeli representative Yuval Raphael performing at this year's Eurovision.

Israel’s contribution to the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 has become a hot topic – not only for its performance, but also for the record-high number of votes from the audience. Now, suspicions are growing that organized campaigns may have influenced the result.

According to the Schibsted newspaper SvD, both experts and Eurovision fans have reacted to Israel receiving so many votes from TV viewers. Israel’s representative Yuval Raphael won the public vote by a large margin, but Austria took home the final victory thanks to higher scores from the jury groups.

As in Malmö last year, Israel’s entry was controversial even before the final, mainly because of the ongoing war in Gaza.

It is worth noting that Yuval Raphael survived the Hamas attack at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, and she says that the experience has shaped her and her entry, “New Day Will Rise”, which she believes carries a strong message of hope and reconstruction.

EBU will investigate

According to SvD, there are suspicions of coordinated efforts on platforms such as Telegram, Facebook, and X, where users have shared instructions on how to vote from different countries and use VPN services to circumvent geographical restrictions.

Similar patterns have been seen in previous years, but this year’s mobilization is described as unusually extensive. There have also been reports of automated bots and paid advertisements targeting the Eurovision audience.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes the contest, has confirmed that it is following up on the information and analyzing voting patterns. In a statement, the EBU says it has advanced systems to detect and stop cheating, but that it always reviews its procedures after the contest.

Journalist asked critical questions about Israel – banned from Eurovision

The situation in Gaza

Published 15 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Journalist Szymon Stellmaszyk, banned from Eurovision 2025.

Polish journalist Szymon Stellmaszyk has been denied accreditation for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Basel. He believes this is due to a critical question he asked Israeli artist Eden Golan last year – something the EBU denies.

Szymon Stellmaszyk has covered the Eurovision Song Contest for 20 years and runs both the Facebook page “Let’s talk about ESC” and the industry website “Radio Newsletter”. This year, for the first time, he has been denied accreditation to cover the contest in Basel.

The background, according to Stellmaszyk himself, is a critical question he asked Israel’s contestant, Eden Golan, during Eurovision in Malmö last year. He asked whether Golan, given the political situation and the war in Gaza, thought her presence could pose a security risk to other participants and the audience.

The question attracted attention and was criticized by some, but Stellmaszyk emphasizes that it was not intended to be offensive or “anti-Semitic”. In an email to Stellmaszyk, which the Swedish state broadcaster SVT has seen, the EBU justifies its decision by saying that the platforms Stellmaszyk uses do not have sufficient reach.

“Restriction”

Szymon Stellmaszyk himself is convinced that the EBU is making excuses and that it is in fact about the question he asked last year.

– This is some kind of revenge and, in practice, a restriction of freedom of expression, he says.

It should also be noted that this year’s EBU media handbook contains a new rule stating that published content must be “respectful” towards Eurovision and the EBU. Eurovision boss Martin Green says the wording is unfortunate and promises that it will be reworded for next year.

At the same time, he does not want to comment on individual cases, but points out that there are a limited number of places for journalists.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2025 will be held in Basel, Switzerland.

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