Abstract

The article is based on literature and records from the Swedish Tradition Archives. Following an overview of traditional Swedish sports, a more-detailed description of sports traditional to Gotland is provided. All of the traditional Gotland sports have equivalents in other regions, both within the Nordic countries and outside. But Gotland is a region of survival, where some sports which have long disappeared from the Swedish mainland can still be found. It is peculiar to the island that the sports were well integrated into the community and that proper competitions, involving parishes as a whole, have been organized since the 17th century. Traditional sports have experienced a renaissance on Gotland during recent decades and are today vital as an expression of the Islanders cultural identity. Verf.-Referat