From a toy to a symbol

Horses are holy animals. Even Vikings knew that! Their strength and loyalty made them perfect battle companions and farm workers.

Swedish seem to appreciate horses so much that they made them a national symbol of Swedish handcraft. It also became an unofficial symbol of Sweden itself.

But they didn’t use any horse. They decided that the wooden toy horse from Dalarna will be most adequate. The toys were given some addition throughout the years, like bright colours and saddle. The design of the last one was inspired by one of the Biblical story about Jonah who was given the Kurbit to grow behind his back to protect him from desert sun.

There were more inspirations

The stories about its origins vary – some people say that the soldiers started carving them first (quite romantic, don’t you think?), others say about woodsman. But whoever it was, made quite a big impact on Swedish culture. The most popular colours of the Dala horses are red, white, blue, black and natural wood.

If you are looking for a gift from Sweden, look no further. Those pretty wooden horses are perfect as a small present for any birthday, baby shower or wedding. You can also find an image of the horse on any textiles, fabrics and furniture. The artists from the city of Lindsborg started making small plaques with the family names or address to be used at the entry of the house in a shape of Dala horse.
Folky decided to make a modern variation of it, which you can buy now in the shop.