This article was written by Stephanie Nikolopoulos
Any girl that has ever worn her hair in braids has undoubtedly been called Pippi Longstocking. The image of the impish redhead is one of the most enduring in children's literature. After all, the way her braids stuck out from the side of her head--not to mention her zany socks--symbolized her untamable spirit. Is it any wonder I braided my hair when I set off to Junibacken, the children's museum dedicated to (Pippi author) Astrid Lindgren's characters, during my visit to Stockholm, Sweden?
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Pippi and I share more in common than braids, though. Pippi, like me, has a long, tongue-twisting name--Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Efraim's Daughter Longstocking--and a seafaring father. (Remember Pippi in the South Seas?) Most important, though, we both have Swedish origins. Pippi is the creation of Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. Born as Astrid Anna Emilia Ericsson on November 14, 1907, Lindgren was the second of four children. Her parents, Samuel August and Hanna Johnsson Ericsson, raised the family on a farm in Vimmerby, Smaland. Located in southern Sweden, Smaland is also the home Ingvar Kamprad, founder of the popular furniture store IKEA. In Vimmerby, there is a large camping village and theme park devoted to the author and her works called Astrid Lindgren's World (http://www.astridlindgrensworld.com). Although larger than Junibacken, Astrid Lindgren's World is only open during the summer season and is not centrally located in a top tourist destination.
Lindgren was encouraged to be independent and creative while growing up in Vimmerby. She read books like Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables (1908) and Eleanor H. Porter's Pollyanna (1912)--stories of passionate, strong-willed, young girls who undoubtedly influenced the character of Pippi Longstocking.
As the daughter of a tenant farmer, young Astrid loved animals and was concerned with their well-being. When she reached adulthood, she fought against factory farming, a practice that put small farms out of business and treated animals inhumanely. In a letter to Prime Minister Ingvar Carlsson, she wrote, "Every pig is entitled to a happy pig life." This influenced the passing of the Lex Astrid, a law that in 1888 freed animals in Sweden from small confined conditions. Thus, animals and farm life were also central to her children's stories.
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