Sweden
Sand Origin
Frostkilen, Voxnan, Ovanåker
Choosing one sand to represent Sweden was both easy and difficult.
The sand shown here comes from a sandbank along the meandering river Voxnan, a place I return to year after year.
But in AKIN, where sand from every nation is gathered in one piece, Sweden is represented by more than one place: sand from every Swedish province. And from Dalarna, OUAW’s home, sand from every municipality.
Including pieces from across Sweden felt like a must.
Random Sand Fact
In Swedish churches, sermons once lasted for as long as the sand kept running.
After the Reformation, sermons took on a larger role in the service, and a Swedish ordinance stated that they should last about an hour. To help priests keep time, a set of four hourglasses was placed beside the pulpit. All four were turned at once as the priest began to speak.
The sand in the first ran out after fifteen minutes, the second after half an hour and the third after forty-five minutes. When the last had run out, an hour had passed.
In many old churches, the hourglasses remain beside the pulpit.
