Two Swedish cathedrals

Uppsala's cathedral — domkyrka, approximately pronounced Dohm-ch-yeerka—dominated the city, being the tallest cathedral in Scandinavia. I was impressed by it, especially by its interior which had an atmosphere of serenity, even though an ancient king (Erik IX) had once been assassinated on its premises; that was a long time ago.The cathedral's ceiling, especially at the east end where there was a blue extension of it into the Lady Chapel, was very high (27m) and very fine. At this end of the building, beyond the choir, a wax figure stood, created by Anders Widoff in 2005, a dignified middle-eastern, middle-aged lady, wearing a hijab-like headscarf. For a moment I thought she was a real person. It was called "Maria (The Return)."

In the cathedral is also a stone memorial to Dag Hammarskjöld, 1905 – 1961, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, who was posthumously awarded the Nobel Peace Prize; it is inscribed: Icke jag utan Gud i mig meaning "Not I, but God in me."

Chapel of Prayer, Uppsala cathedral

Though originally catholic, in the middle ages, this cathedral like many others in northern Europe is Lutheran. A couple of tapestries that hang in a side chapel near the entrance depict its history. At the other end of the nave, in the "Sture Chapel", a small service was being held during my visit, with the worshippers quietly singing an earnest hymn in unison, a harmonium accompanying; it sounded like a scene from Babette's Feast. On the other side of the cathedral was another small side chapel featuring an icon, with seats on either side assigned for meditation, with a live green vine growing beautifully over its wrought-iron framed entrance.

As in earlier centuries, I'm sure, food and souvenirs were on sale in and around the cathedral premises. There's a "language café" downstairs at the back that offers a series of Swedish lessons and other help for new immigrants. Outside, just below the church, a row of snack wagons stood, offering falafals, kebabs, curries ... I bought a biryani at one of them for my lunch, that I ate on a bench in the rose garden beside an artificially constructed salmon leap, jackdaws begging for scraps at my feet.

In Uppsala

A few days later I was in Linköping, the location of another huge and majestic Swedish cathedral. Linköping's domkyrka stood more or less opposite the hotel (Best Western) where we were spending the night, beyond the yellow walled former grammar school, now the town hall. The gardens round about include a hooped alley way hung with laburnum and wisteria, irresistible, with the afternoon sun shining through flowers and leaves.

Linköping Domkyrka

Again, the church was full of history (dating back to the 13th century) and art, modern art too: a "Tree of Life", Livets träd, made of glass, silver and gold, installed in 1997, is by three artists, Carl-Gustav Jansson, Jan Ostwald and Torbjorn Vog. The spiritual fruits hanging from its branches are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self-control.

In the nave, a 14th century wooden crucifix hangs from a stone arch. The stairs up to the 18th century pulpit in the centre of an unusually wide nave are decorated with a representation of the angels that climbed Jacob's ladder.

Pilgrim, by Charlotte Gullenhammar

At the far end of the church is the huge, engraved glass "Mary Window", by Lisa Bauer and Lars Börnesson, showing the face and hand of a woman, the rest of her cloaked by all the flowers and trees that allude to Christ's mother in legends, wild roses and rosehips in a crown above her face, and so on. Nearby I found a life-sized sculpture by another female artist, Charlotte Gullenhammar, of a down-and-out man, a soldier perhaps, lying either dead or exhausted on the floor beside the tombs of great and famous ancient Swedes; this figure was startlingly entitled: "Pilgrim."

The altarpiece is an image of a Swedish-looking Christ rising from the tomb with outstretched arms, painted in situ in 1935; then on the south side of the church there's another, Dutch altarpiece in oils: a massive 16th century triptych from Alkmaar by Maarten van Heemskerck, showing the stages of the crucifixion, with expressive faces everywhere, a masterpiece.

I walked around this cathedral in a state of awe.

Tree of Life

The wide nave at Linköping

Angels on the pulpit stairway

Side panel at the altar by Henrik Sörensen, painted in place in 1935

A Swedish Christ with blonde hair and blue eyes
by Henrik Sörensen

Detail from the Dutch triptych, 1530s