Next, I would like to explain how the Christian culture settled down in Scandinavia.

Denmark, Norway, and Iceland joined the Catholic culture in the early 11th century, and it was 100 years later
that Sweden, the home of the Asa faith, a Nordic folk religion, and Uppsala, became Christianized. It is analyzed
that the resistance of the Swedes, who wanted to maintain their native beliefs, influenced the settlement of
Christianity.

Let's look at Sweden first. The first king of Sweden to be baptized is said to have been King Olaf Fetkonung. He
is also known as the king who minted Sweden's first coin, as can be inferred from his name skötkoung, which
means tax or treasure. King Petkonung was baptized in 1008 in a place called Västergötland, close to Denmark.
Following King Vätkonung's conversion, a bishopric was established in Västergötland, where King Västergötland
was baptized. However, Christianity did not become firmly established in Sweden immediately after King
Vetkonung's conversion. It wasn't until 1150, more than 100 years after 1008, that Christian power was
established in Sweden. By this time, the Christian forces were firmly established in Sweden, and it is said that a
crusade for the conversion of Finland was dispatched. However, it is not clear whether this crusade was purely
for Finnish conversion or if religion was used as a justification.

Next, let's look at the Christianization of Denmark.

The first missionary work in Denmark is said to have been done around the 8th century. The first missionary
work took place between 710 and 718, but it seems that Christianization did not take place at that time
because the king did not show interest in conversion.
Christianity was officially introduced in Denmark with the baptism of King Harald Blauzahn in 965. At that time,
the introduction of Christianity in Denmark played an important role in strengthening royal authority through
centralization, and it can be understood in the political context that it was to form a Christian-centered alliance
or prevent attacks by Christian countries.

It is Norway. Nothing exactly has been left of the early missions in Norway. However, it is said that the first
attempt at missionary work was in the eastern region, where the influence of Denmark was the greatest. It was
in 995 that Norway was Christianized in earnest by King Olaf Trigvason, who began his reign. After he was
baptized in England, he expanded his missionary work in Norway and founded the commercial city of Nidaros
(now Trondheim) and built Clemens Church there. His mission was completed by Olaf Haraldsson.

Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, which had been influenced by Roman Catholicism, changed to Lutheranism
through the Reformation. All three countries went through the Reformation under the influence of Martin
Luther.
First of all, to briefly explain the Reformation, it refers to a large-scale reform movement within Christianity
that began with the announcement of Martin Luther's 95 theses in 1517, and based on this, the Middle Ages
and the Modern Age are distinguished. As a result of this Reformation, the churches that separated from the
Roman Catholic Church are collectively called Protestantism, and one of the churches affected by this
Reformation is the Lutheran Church.

First of all, the Reformation in Sweden was gradual. After Gustav Vasa I came to power and Sweden gained
independence from Denmark in 1523, the Reformation took place slowly. Canon law was abolished in Uppsala
in 1536, and following Duke Charles' victory in the war of exile against the Roman Catholic King Sigismund in
1600, the Swedish Church was united into the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

At the time of the Reformation, Norway was a vassal state of Denmark, so the Reformation in both countries is
going on at the same time. The Reformation took place in the year Christian III, king of Denmark, was elected.
Christian II tried to reform the church from 1513 to 1523, but the reform failed, and then Christian III
succeeded in reforming the religion. Before he ascended the throne, he carried out the Reformation in his fief,
Schleswig, and after he ascended the throne, he expanded the scope of the Reformation to Denmark and
Norway. In 1536, Protestant parish administrative ministers (superintendenten) were appointed in Denmark.

As explained earlier, the Reformation in Norway, which was a vassal state of Denmark, was carried out
according to Danish laws, and there was no separate Reformer. Thus, no independent Norwegian Reformation
documents have survived. By including the aforementioned Danish-Norwegian King Christian III's refusal to
recognize Norway as a kingdom of its own in 1536, the Reformation in Norway automatically went hand in
hand with Denmark. Therefore, in 1539, Norway went through the Reformation as the canon law adopted in
Copenhagen, Denmark was accepted.