Sunday, August 31, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Viking festival in Gudahagen

Reporter Mikael Rasmussen alias Artist Razz visited the Viking Market at Gudahagen sacred site in Näsum, Skåne, which celebrated its 15th anniversary last weekend. In true Viking spirit, the market offered quality handicrafts, food, culture and, of course, the occasional Viking roar.

Published 5 October 2024
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4 minute read

During the weekend of September 14th and 15th, the Viking Days became more of a Viking festival with jesters, musicians, merchants, lecturers and ordinary people, a crowd-pleasing, family-friendly market offering quality crafts, food and culture.

Here you could find honey, herbal ointments, pungent spices, and solid wood and blacksmithing crafts. The range of handmade clothing, leather bags and headdresses added to the atmosphere. All the senses were stimulated by the occasional clash of swords, the beautiful sounds of instruments such as drums, fiddles, cranks, and strong, clear male and female voices.

In an enclosure, the audience could participate in Strong Man and Strong Woman. For example, it was a show of strength to lift a cannonball, place it on a meter-high standing log, and immediately drop it back to the ground. The competition was to see how many times they could lift the ball. Another element was to lift a heavy log, hold it with outstretched arms, wait for a signal from the judge, and then repeat the lift with the addition of taking one step backward.

In another enclosure, the audience could see and hear Vikings fighting energetically, wielding swords with fervor and charming presence in period armor. The Viking warriors offered Viking roars, mighty blows and fragrant energy, so that it felt as if we were back in the hard, cruel and final 1000s of the Viking Age.

Other elements offered during these days were lectures on the chosen theme: funerals and the funeral procession. How did it happen? Was it like in the Hollywood movies? What does a Viking grave look like? Yes, there were many questions, but the answers were also explained by archaeologist and lecturer Andreas Forsgren, who vividly described the various scenarios that it is unlikely that the body was placed on something like a ship, then set on fire and finally sent out to sea. No, I don’t think any of the neighbors wanted to see burnt bones floating to a neighboring beach.

Instead, the Viking bodies were buried in the ground and then they made some kind of stone structure. In modern times, we can see this in certain places, like this sacred site, where the Viking festival took place, the archaeologist said.

After the lecture, more powerful experiences were offered, such as beautiful, majestic horses like the Shire horse. This allowed Viking visitors to meet the largest horse breed in the world, weighing around 900 kilograms. They demonstrated incredible riding and carriage pulling skills.

The carefully chosen location for this Viking market was the setting for respect, friendliness and the thinking process. The stalls were also uniformly presented and the next act on the program was a juggler juggling knives, axes and apples.

The show continued and the performance ended with a fire show where the juggler extinguished the torches in his pants. The torches are extinguished and the juggler bows to an enthusiastic audience.

As the day progresses, it’s time for some good food. Visitors can choose from modern grilled and boiled sausages, kebabs, game and even chili con carne, which is also available in vegetarian versions.

Yes, the day contains many stimulating delights. Handicrafts include fine drinking glasses, beautiful glass jewelry, woodwork, fine lambskins, and in total there were about 120 vendors with high quality cultural handicrafts. There was also plenty of music, with many strong voices in solo singing, choirs, and choral singing with Viking harmonies by, among others, a Viking and medieval interpreter with the artist name Medvind. With a slight headwind, the audience was treated to good theatrical and dramatic performances, with the band members dressed in historical costumes, mastering the medieval instruments, the voices complementing each other, and surprised with dramatic acting that really transported the audience from the present to the Viking Age.

What makes it even more interesting to really listen and watch Medvind is that they write most of the lyrics and music that they perform. They touch on many topics that the Vikings of the Viking Age and the Middle Ages were concerned with, such as beer, brandy, the church, gods, warriors, millers and bakers. The really beautiful compositions, both delicate and beautiful in their melody, are Bittra Droppar and Vädjan. The repertoire also includes Brandagall, Pastor Rynkles Skål, Beer and Drinkjom. The music is poetic, entertaining and authentic.

The day draws to a close and the Viking celebrants, dressed in medieval costumes, have given their grateful visitors and audience an unforgettable, powerful experience. The jesters, musicians and craftsmen of the night will probably want to move on to their own more private Viking celebrations in the evening, with mead, Amanita muscaria and all sorts of erotic experiences, which the rest of us will then hear about in the songs that will be performed, and perhaps tempt us to become Viking celebrants ourselves.

See you next year in Gudahagen and thank you for a well organized Viking Festival 2024!

 

Mikael Rasmussen alias Artist Razz

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Out into space with D-A-D’s new album

The Danish rock band D-A-D's newly released cosmic album Speed of Darkness stimulates both the rock nerve and the ears, making you want to travel out into space.

Published yesterday 8:29
Swedish rock band D-A-D performed at Sweden Rock Festival this year.
3 minute read

There is something magnificent in D-A-D’s (formerly Disneyland After Dark) way of, on the one hand, creating the compositions, lyrics, and sound, and then performing and recording the material with their choice of rhythm, tempo, keys, vocals, backing vocals, solos, as well as bass and drum lines for the songs included on the CD. It is incredibly musical, moving from infectious to stimulating, and it likely resonates in most Danish kinship veins.

Beyond the fact that the whole album is worth listening to, there are two compositions that stand out in particular and became especially moving since we traveled down to Sweden Rock and experienced music from this newly released masterpiece, performed masterfully by the rock gods themselves. The first melody, track number 3 The Ghost, deserves mention – it carries a beautiful sentimental feeling while still igniting the rock nerve.

The second track is, of course, number 7 Crazy Wings. To round it off into a beautiful trinity within this spiritual rock shimmer, track 9 Strange Terrain must also be mentioned, with its liberatingly gritty guitar riffs and wonderful lift in the choir vocals. It is an extraordinary achievement to be able to write an album this good after already having created gems like the cool, stylish, and fantastic Bad Craziness, Sleeping My Day Away, and Are We Alive Here.

For many of us, myself included, this became the highlight of the festival. With nostalgic thoughts of having seen them 30 years ago at the Palladium in Stockholm, the longing to hear them again soon is strong. This cosmic album – and seeing them live – delivers in the only way Jesper Binzer (vocals, guitar), Jakob Binzer (guitar, vocals, keyboards), Stig Pedersen (bass, vocals), and Laust Sonne (drums) can.

They say people put their whole soul into their performance, but Jesper Binzer goes even deeper – drawing power from the very soil beneath Denmark itself. His artistry is such that from the very first note, you know it’s D-A-D playing.

Supernova

From the album cover, the listener and viewer can feel the power and dynamism expressed through its graphic and photographic design. The artwork radiates the recurring skeletal head imagery, reinforcing D-A-D’s language of wanting to travel into space with its majestic cosmic and divine supernova. In memory, I also recall one of the many different guitar-basses that bassist Stig plays – one of them designed exactly like that: a rocket.

It should also be mentioned that the band generously releases additional versions of Speed of Darkness, including a Japanese edition featuring a bonus track for Japan, Let Myself Out of Love, making it fifteen compositions in total to listen to and enjoy on the CD.

A special edition

Generously, they have also creatively produced something they call an “ear-book”. This combined CD edition includes fourteen tracks, accompanied by a kind of comic book-meets-book filled with illustrations, texts, and an exclusive D-A-D photograph, rounding out this hardback edition. It’s a mix of inner, outer, and surrounding punk-rock art. Its value is sure to grow over time – so thanks to all the artists, graphic creatives, composers, musicians, performers, and more who think freely in an otherwise tightened, gray everyday life.

The drawings that enhance the songs’ bodies, souls, and lyrics in the book are created and designed by Stig Pedersen – so we can guess that D-A-D’s bassist also possesses this golden touch. Many music lovers can thus feel gratitude for all the fun this world contains – offering substance, added value, and an oasis to escape into. Finally, it should be noted that in size, the book resembles an LP record sleeve, making it fit perfectly in a collection or as decoration when placed on a shelf.

So next time we want to listen to this work of art, the CD Speed of Darkness, we can let Jesper’s words from Sweden Rock Festival 2025 echo in our minds:

Now we’re going to have a cozy moment, a really cozy moment, Jesper said, in that uniquely wonderful raspy, rocking, Danish voice of his.

 

Mikael Rasmussen alias Artist Razz

Speed of Darkness is the thirteenth album by Danish band D-A-D and was released in October 2024 by German label AFM Records.

Woody Allen added to Ukrainian “kill list”

The war in Ukraine

Published 29 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Woody Allen, 89.
2 minute read

American director and actor Woody Allen has been added to Ukraine’s controversial Mirotvorets list. The reason is said to be his video appearance at a film festival in Moscow.

Woody Allen, 89, has been placed on Ukraine’s disputed Mirotvorets database – also known as the “kill list”. The list describes Allen as an “enemy of Ukraine” and accuses him of participating in “a Russian propaganda event”.

The background is that Allen recently participated via video link in Moscow International Film Week. There he spoke primarily about his long career and his personal experiences as a filmmaker.

Ukraine’s foreign ministry condemned his participation and described it as “a disgrace and an insult to the victims among Ukrainian actors and filmmakers”.

Allen: “Putin is wrong”

As a consequence, the Lviv National Academic Theatre in western Ukraine has canceled planned productions of Allen’s musical Bullets Over Broadway.

The Oscar-winning director has defended his participation and emphasizes that his appearance was not political.

I believe strongly that Putin is totally in the wrong, Allen said, but stressed that artistic conversations should be able to continue.

Mirotvorets has existed since 2014 and lists people considered to threaten Ukraine’s security or participate in Russian propaganda. The site has long been criticized internationally, as several people added to the list have been subjected to threats, violence and even killed.

Banned from Hollywood

Woody Allen has been the subject of allegations of sexual abuse against his adoptive daughter Dylan Farrow, which her mother Mia Farrow claims occurred in 1992.

The alleged abuse was investigated at the time by social services and police, but the case was dropped without charges due to lack of evidence.

In connection with the controversial #MeToo movement, the allegations gained new life and sparked extensive debate, although again without any actual legal proceedings taking place.

Allen has since been effectively banned from Hollywood, but has continued to release films internationally, including Rifkin’s Festival (2020) and Coup de chance (2023).

Fact: Mirotvorets "death list"

Mirotvorets, which roughly translates to "peacemaker" or "peacekeeper" in English, is a Ukrainian database that publishes names of individuals considered to threaten Ukraine's security or participate in Russian propaganda. The list was started in 2014 and is highly controversial, criticized for lack of transparency and linked to threats and violence against listed individuals.

Among examples of confirmed and notable names on the list are:

  • Alexander Ovechkin, Russian hockey player, listed for his support of Putin.
  • Roger Waters, musician and activist, after statements supporting Russia's position on Crimea.
  • Gerhard Schröder, former German chancellor, listed for "pro-Russian" statements.
  • Viktor Orbán, Hungary's prime minister, placed on the list in 2022.
  • Zoran Milanović, Croatia's president, added for "pro-Russian" comments.
  • Vasyl Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk, Ukrainian boxers, listed after participating in Russian projects.
  • Anatolij Shariy, Ukrainian opposition politician and journalist.

Sources: Wikipedia ("Myrotvorets"), UNIAN, OSCE, Human Rights Watch.

Number of prisoners in Sweden has doubled in ten years

Published 29 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
1 minute read

The number of inmates in Swedish correctional facilities has nearly doubled in the past ten years, according to statistics from the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brå). The number of new admissions has also been the highest in almost 30 years.

At the end of 2024, the total number of people in correctional facilities was 8,206 people, 593 women and 7,613 men. This is referred to as having an ongoing prison sentence execution. This represents an increase of 17 percent compared to the previous year. Compared to 2015, the figure has increased by 91 percent.

The number of new admissions, that is, those who have begun serving a prison sentence, has reached a record high of 11,812 people, which is the highest figure in 28 years.

The increase in the number of inmates in correctional facilities since 2017 is primarily explained by the harsher penalties for serious crimes that have been implemented in recent years, says Charlotta Lindström, statistician at the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention, in a press release.

Swedish consumer authority wants to ban all telemarketing

Published 28 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Eight out of ten Swedes actively try to avoid telemarketing calls in various ways, according to a report by the Swedish Consumer Agency.
2 minute read

The Swedish Consumer Agency (Konsumentverket) is proposing a general ban on all telemarketing in Sweden. Six out of ten Swedes no longer answer calls from unknown numbers due to fear of salespeople, causing people to miss important calls from healthcare services and police.

In the report “Telemarketing – an unwanted, inappropriate and deeply problematic business method” submitted to the Swedish government today, the Consumer Agency proposes that all telemarketing should be banned.

As a second alternative, the agency suggests replacing the current Nix registry (Sweden’s do-not-call list) with an opt-in system, where sales calls would only be allowed to consumers who have actively consented to being contacted.

— Telemarketing deprives the consumer of initiative and control over both what should be purchased and when it should happen. The consumer is taken by surprise and unprepared meets an eager salesperson who usually only has a single product to sell, says Cecilia Tisell, consumer ombudsman and director-general of the Swedish Consumer Agency.

The authority’s investigation shows that eight out of ten Swedes avoid calls from telemarketers in various ways. A clear majority do not answer calls from unknown numbers at all, which has serious consequences.

— What are the consequences when we no longer answer the phone out of concern that it’s telemarketers or scammers calling? We see in the survey that people miss important calls from, for example, healthcare services and the police. This is unfortunate for the individual and causes various societal actors much additional work, explains Tisell.

Contributes to debt problems

Complaints to the Swedish Consumer Agency about misleading and aggressive marketing are significantly higher for telemarketing than for other sales methods. Particularly vulnerable are consumers with disabilities and immigrants who do not speak Swedish properly.

A recurring problem is that consumers and companies often disagree about whether any purchase has actually taken place. While consumers claim they only said yes to information or free offers, companies quickly demand payment for subscriptions.

Lotteries/gambling, loans, electricity contracts, insurance, mobile and TV subscriptions, and health supplements are examples of products still often sold by phone.

— Being enticed and pressured to take loans you may not need and cannot afford is unacceptable. Aggressive marketing of credit contributes to the problematic debt situation we see in society today, states Cecilia Tisell.

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