Vaxjo
Vaxjo has medieval Christian roots. Vaxjo: Did you say Vacks-Joe? That would be wrong. Say (pretend you are a horse, chuffing) WUH-chxHch-yau. There you go. In old manuscripts, it is spelled as it sounds to us: Wexiow, see the account of Saint Sigfrid at http://www.bartleby.com/210/2/152.html
On the way, see some sights.
Kalmar to Vaxjo: Hospitality CommitteeVaxjo is mid-size, but the grid-streets mean cars once parked disappear. Note your location, use your camera for unpronounceable cross streets and landmarks, or have a GPS. Or plan to walk a lot.
Religious history.
Vaxjo or Vaexjo has a long religious Christian tradition, see Medieval Religious Life, Sigfrid. Saint Sigfrid of Wexloe, also known as the Apostle of Sweden, Holy Sigfrid, or Sigfrid of Vaexjo, is the first Swedish Saint, made such in the 13th Century. The Swedish King Olof asked the English King Mildred to send an emissary of Christ, and Mildred sent Sigfrid who came with his three sons. Sigfrid had a dream of a place to build a church, went there with a son, and did so. He then, alone, headed for Husaby, and converted King Olof there, but when he returned, his sons had been murdered. There are, allegedly at a place called Odenslanda, three large stones marking where the sons' bodies are buried, after some adventures. The heads are the subject of other stories, and are said to be on the seal of the church at Vaxjo. We didn't know at the time and missed it. The Medieval Religious Life site lists saints' days.
Immigration, Emigration.
The library here in Vaxjo houses the geneological databases for emigrants and that should be highlighted more, we think. Town websites ignore it - see ://www.vaxjo.se/VaxjoTemplates/Public/Pages/Page.aspx?id=1638 / If you already know it is there, however, you are fine. Archives, museum, research center, and library combined. See Swedish Emigration Institute at ://www.utvandrarnashus.se/eng/ We did not delve there, but understand there are the full panoply of CD's, cross references, anybody find anybody. We need to go back and find Osterlund, above. See why at Kajsa Johannsdotter.
A favorite place turned out to be a church - a modern one, looks very active, no stodge.
Domkyrka, Cathedral:
The steeple committee forgot to coordinate the plans. We have seen many multiple steeples on Scandinavian churches, but this is the least integrated, we think. We are trying to find the story behind.
Domkyrka, Cathedral, Vaxjo, Sweden. Facade, double steeple
Doorway, Domkyrka, Cathedral, Vaxjo, Sweden
World's best Lion Latch, Cathedral, Vaxjo, Sweden
Modern interior, Dom Church, Cathedral, Vaxjo, Sweden
Chancel view, Vaxjo. Sweden, Cathedral
Organ, Domkyrka, Vaxjo, Sweden (Cathedral Church)We are looking for St. Sigfrid's seal.
That is a woman priest. Very refreshing.
Tree of Life, Cathedral at Vaxjo, SwedemThe tree of life has special significance in Scandinavia, as it is a symbol common also to the early religions with a large panoply of deities. Yggdrasil in traditional belief is a huge ash tree, linking and shielding all the worlds. Beneath the roots, find Asgard, and find the full explanation (in brief!) at ://www.pantheon.org/articles/y/yggdrasil.html/
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