The Settler Colonial Linguistic Landscaping of Northern Sweden

Zoom-länk: https://lnu-se.zoom.us/j/63394513615?pwd=ybEi4p9bF1J7oIAKhr6qoMuvaXct5S.1

The landscapes in linguistic landscape research are usually not the natural inland sceneries that inspires painters and poets but metaphorical landscapes – created by visual language. Although most of the “natural” landscapes in fact also are shaped by human agency, the backdrop for the linguistic landscapes, are usually physical surroundings not only shaped by humans, but built by humans. Common to all of these, though, are a focus on what is visible to the eye.

When I write about linguistic landscapes in this paper, I diverge from this established way of using the term in two ways: first i am actually taking the natural landscapes as starting point, and secondly, I am not primarily writing about the visibility of language in the landscapes.

The settler colonization of Northern Sweden in the 18th and 19th century can be described as a linguistic landscaping: the (perceived) natural landscapes where formed into new units and grids with the use of specific socio-ideological languages. At the same time other linguistic structures and resources where overwritten and language present in the lands where hidden or forgotten.

In order to exemplify these processes, I take as point of departure a very specific place, namely the small village of Grytsjö in northern Sweden with approximately 30 registered inhabitants today. I chose this village because it, as many other, was a result of the colonization of northern Sweden in the 19th century, and because a diligent collector of folklore, O. P. Pettersson, has compiled various source materials that provides a rich enough context for the discussion at hand.

In this paper I begin with the very first settlement of what was to become the village of Grytsjö, established in July 17 1826, and I illustrate the ways in which the landscapes are being transformed – landscaped – through the use of language.

It begins with the general terminology used to describe the lands that are at the focus of the settlement, where an older system of Sami tax lands is set aside. After that, a network of named localities are tied together in a net of economic discourse – where the logic of farming transforms the natural localities and even specific distances into expenses and assets.

I then return to contemporary Grytsjö and explore the physical results of the linguistic landscaping, namely the rectangular agricultural landscapes visible from above – and easily assessable today through Google Maps and other online resources. When viewing these landscapes, the straight lines and cleared areas constitute a language on its own, that tells a story about the society in question and – most certainly – affects the same society.

Furthermore, I explore other linguistic resources of the landscapes, namely folklore and oral history tied to specific places, and ask if such language could be considered part of the linguistic landscapes and if such language could play a part in reclaiming indigenous landscapes today.