Papers by ingvar svanberg
Úrtak Í fólksligari vitan og siðbundnum búskapi hevur havgás (Gavia immer) verið ein týdningarmik... more Úrtak Í fólksligari vitan og siðbundnum búskapi hevur havgás (Gavia immer) verið ein týdningarmikil fuglur. Hon eigur í Íslandi og í Bjarnoynni, men vitjar ofta strendur og oyggjar í Útnyrðingsevropa um veturin. Fuglurin er vaelkendur, við nógvum staðbundnum nøvnum baeði á norðurlendskum og keltiskum, og hann hevur verið nógv brúktur sum veðurmerki. Fólk hava eisini etið havgás og gagnnýtt hamin. Abstract The great northern diver (Gavia immer) has played an important role in the folk ornithology and traditional economy of the various ethnic groups which lived within its domain. In Europe it breeds regularly in Iceland and a few pairs on Bear Island, but it is a frequent winter visitor to the coastal and island areas in northwestern Europe. It has been a well-known bird, with many local names, both in Norse and Celtic traditions, and it was believed to be a weather prophet. Its meat and skin has also been utilized.
Varghybriderna i museimagasinet: om korsningar i museer och djurparker (Wolf Hybrids in the Store... more Varghybriderna i museimagasinet: om korsningar i museer och djurparker (Wolf Hybrids in the Storeroom: Crossings in Museums and Zoological Gardens). RIG nr 4 2016.
This chapter describes and analyses the history of pond-breeding of fish in Sweden and Finland (w... more This chapter describes and analyses the history of pond-breeding of fish in Sweden and Finland (which was an integral part of Sweden until 1809) from late medieval times until around 1900. 1 Very little is known about the history of aquaculture in Sweden and Finland. Most published overviews are superficial. There are very few studies based on sources and hardly anything has been written by historians using modern methods and source criticism. We are therefore uncovering a long, although now broken, tradetion of fish cultivation in ponds which has left scant traces in the written record or the physical environment. We need to make some clear distinctions about types of aquaculture since much confusion arises from writers not differentiating among natural fish populations in natural or artificial ponds, unselective capture for stocking or storage of wild fish, selective stock and grow operations, and human management of breeding and species-specific stocking and artificial feeding or nutrient management. We deal mainly with the last case. We do not include marine aquaculture, which is a very recent phenomenon in Scandinavia. The overall purpose of our chapter is to discuss how fish kept in fishponds have been introduced, farmed and spread in Sweden and Finland in early 1 This chapter was written as part of " The story of Crucian carp (Carassius carassius) in the Baltic Sea region: history and a possible future " led by Professor Håkan Olsén at Södertörn University (Sweden) and funded by the Baltic Sea Foundation. We hereby acknowledge him and the other members of the project for their support. We are also
Giant knotweed and rowanberry bitters: post-modern ethnobiology on art, food inspiration and prep... more Giant knotweed and rowanberry bitters: post-modern ethnobiology on art, food inspiration and preppers
Just a Sack of Potatoes? Crisis Experiences in European Societies: Past and Present, 1992
In times of food shortage man has always been able to create and develop new food items or emerge... more In times of food shortage man has always been able to create and develop new food items or emergency food. Former low-status food used by certain marginal Groups may suddenly be accepted by the whole population. Food items of mediocre or poor nutritional value may be adopted and utilized in periods of dearth. There is a wide range of food items accepted by human beings as food under such circumstances. The purpose of this essay is to discuss the attempts to introduce new food items such as substitutes for flour during the subsisence cricis in northern Sweden in the 1860s and the reactions of various Groups within society
This study describes media and judicial reaction to the first publicly acknowledged case of anima... more This study describes media and judicial reaction to the first publicly acknowledged case of animal hoarding in Sweden—a 60-year-old Swedish woman who purportedly " rescued " 150 swans over several years by bringing many back to her one-room apartment. Reports in the press and social media reflected curiosity if not admiration for this woman, who was dubbed the " Swan Lady. " Although some condemned her deeds and saw her as guilty of animal cruelty, most commentators were more fascinated by her ability to capture the aggressive and large birds, and bring them to her home. While judicial reaction framed this case as one of animal cruelty, the response was sympathetic and people failed to consider the Swan Lady's mental health when examining her behavior. Keywords animal rescue – swans – hoarding – cruelty to animals
Man has always tried to predict changes in the weather by observing the behaviour of various anim... more Man has always tried to predict changes in the weather by observing the behaviour of various animals. This is described already in the classical Latin literature. It is also known and recorded from recent ethnobiological folk knowledge. According to a wide-spread traditional belief in Europe, the call of frogs is a sign of a forthcoming bad weather or rain. In Central Europe (and Southern Sweden) the male tree frog (Hyla arborea) has actually been kept in captivity in order to predict approaching rain. It is said to sing before a rain-fall.
The article discusses the presence of orangutans in European and Scandinavian captivity. An attem... more The article discusses the presence of orangutans in European and Scandinavian captivity. An attempt to import an orangutan to Sweden by Claës Fredrik Hornstedt in 1785 failed - the ape died on the way from Java. Some zoos in Europé kept orangutans in the nineteenth Century, but most of them were short-lived in captivity and only during the early twentieth century they became more common. Rotterdam had for instance over a hundred specimens until 1960, but in Scandinavia orangutans have been very rare zoo animals. Copenhagen zoo received its first orangutans at the end of the nineteenth century, but onl in 1907 the zoo received a male which survived for a couple of years. He was succeeded by several others. Sweden received its first orangutans only in the 1980s, when Furuvik zoo got its first Sumatran specimen. The Bornean species is kept at Borås zoo since 1990.
Background
Fish has played an important role in the diet of the population of the mid-Atlantic Fa... more Background
Fish has played an important role in the diet of the population of the mid-Atlantic Faroe Islands. Dried and fermented fish in particular have been an essential storable protein source in an economy where weather conditions and seasonal fluctuations affect the availability of food. For generations the islanders have prepared ræstur fiskur, a home-made air-dried and fermented fish dish made of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.) or saithe (Pollachius virens (L.)). Fermenting the fish is an efficient and valuable cultural strategy for preserving fish.
Methods
This ethnobiological study investigates the historical and present use of fermented fish in Faroese cuisine and examines its preservation as an everyday food that Faroese men pride themselves on making in high quality. This study is based on field notes collected through interviews and observations on the Faroe Islands since the mid-1990s.
Results
Processed fish could be stored for a long period of time; this was important in an economy where weather conditions and seasonal fluctuations affect food availability dramatically. For this reason, home-made air-dried fish has been central to the food security of the Faroese people. Usually consumed with tallow from sheep, the dish was once appreciated customarily on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, but has been largely replaced by Danish dishes. However, it has survived as everyday food until today
This paper is a review of local plants used in water infusions as aromatic and refreshing hot bev... more This paper is a review of local plants used in water infusions as aromatic and refreshing hot beverages (recreational tea) consumed in food-related settings in Europe, and not for specific medicinal purposes. The reviewed 29 areas are located across Europe, covering the post-Soviet countries, eastern and Mediterranean Europe. Altogether, 142 taxa belonging to 99 genera and 40 families were reported. The most important families for making herbal tea in all research areas were Lamiaceae and Asteraceae, while Rosaceae was popular only in eastern and central Europe. With regards to botanical genera, the dominant taxa included Mentha, Tilia, Thymus, Origanum, Rubus and Matricaria. The clear favorite was Origanum vulgare L., mentioned in 61% of the regions. Regionally, other important taxa included Rubus idaeus L. in eastern Europe, Chamaemelum nobile (L.) All. in southern Europe and Rosa canina L. in central Europe. Future research on the pharmacological, nutritional and chemical properties of the plants most frequently used in the tea-making process is essential to ensure their safety and appropriateness for daily consumption. Moreover, regional studies dedicated to the study of local plants used for making recreational tea are important to improve our understanding of their selection criteria, cultural importance and perceived properties in Europe and abroad.
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Papers by ingvar svanberg
Fish has played an important role in the diet of the population of the mid-Atlantic Faroe Islands. Dried and fermented fish in particular have been an essential storable protein source in an economy where weather conditions and seasonal fluctuations affect the availability of food. For generations the islanders have prepared ræstur fiskur, a home-made air-dried and fermented fish dish made of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.) or saithe (Pollachius virens (L.)). Fermenting the fish is an efficient and valuable cultural strategy for preserving fish.
Methods
This ethnobiological study investigates the historical and present use of fermented fish in Faroese cuisine and examines its preservation as an everyday food that Faroese men pride themselves on making in high quality. This study is based on field notes collected through interviews and observations on the Faroe Islands since the mid-1990s.
Results
Processed fish could be stored for a long period of time; this was important in an economy where weather conditions and seasonal fluctuations affect food availability dramatically. For this reason, home-made air-dried fish has been central to the food security of the Faroese people. Usually consumed with tallow from sheep, the dish was once appreciated customarily on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, but has been largely replaced by Danish dishes. However, it has survived as everyday food until today
Fish has played an important role in the diet of the population of the mid-Atlantic Faroe Islands. Dried and fermented fish in particular have been an essential storable protein source in an economy where weather conditions and seasonal fluctuations affect the availability of food. For generations the islanders have prepared ræstur fiskur, a home-made air-dried and fermented fish dish made of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.) or saithe (Pollachius virens (L.)). Fermenting the fish is an efficient and valuable cultural strategy for preserving fish.
Methods
This ethnobiological study investigates the historical and present use of fermented fish in Faroese cuisine and examines its preservation as an everyday food that Faroese men pride themselves on making in high quality. This study is based on field notes collected through interviews and observations on the Faroe Islands since the mid-1990s.
Results
Processed fish could be stored for a long period of time; this was important in an economy where weather conditions and seasonal fluctuations affect food availability dramatically. For this reason, home-made air-dried fish has been central to the food security of the Faroese people. Usually consumed with tallow from sheep, the dish was once appreciated customarily on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, but has been largely replaced by Danish dishes. However, it has survived as everyday food until today