How the Dala horse became a symbol of Sweden
While wandering around a Scandinavian Christmas market, you’re likely to come across stalls selling carved wooden horses, usually painted in a selection of bright colors and floral designs. These traditional Swedish toys are much more than a classic holiday gift or travel souvenir: the Dala horse has become intertwined with the very image of Sweden.
The term Valley is short for The valleys; the name alludes to where the horses were first made. The figures comes from Dalarna (also known as Dalarna) in Sweden, a province in the central area of the country. People started making ordinary wooden horses that children’s toys in the villages of Bergkarlås, Risa, Vattnäs and Nusnä in the 17th century. Carvers chose to make horses over other creatures because of the animals’ status as a prized family possession in these rural communities.
Their little handmade horses were a hit. The popularity of the Dala horses spread as those who traveled around Sweden began to trade handicrafts including the toys among their items for sale. As time went on, their appearance began to evolve; the modern, more colorful creations became common only in the 19th century.
The toys—originally intended to entertain children—came into the national spotlight toward the end of the 1800s. As a response to concerns about Swedes leaving the country for opportunities elsewhere, the Dalahästen was considered an icon to which Swedish identity could be tied.
Two World exhibitions cemented the wooden ornaments as an emblem of the Nordic country. The Dala horse was used as the visual symbol for Sweden at the 1937 exhibition in Paris; later it became a star at the 1939–40 New York World’s Fair, where a huge painted horse was placed in front of the Swedish pavilion. Similar statues coming soon began to appear in Swedish societies across the US soon after.
The figurines have come a long way since they were first hand-carved by woodworkers in rural Sweden. Now you can find Dala horse themed items in various brick and mortar and online stores – even IKEA.