An 8-year-old is about to be crowned the Queen of Sweden — at least, according to medieval literature.
Swedish-American Saga Vanecek, 8, discovered a pre-Viking-era sword earlier this summer while swimming in Vidöstern Lake near her family’s home in southern Sweden.
“I felt around with my hands and knees when I noticed something that felt like a stick,” Saga told local press, in Swedish. “So I was on the verge of throwing it away, but I didn’t. Then I picked it up and said to my dad, ‘Dad, I found a sword!’”
Experts later determined the sword was about 1,500 years old, and originated from the Iron Age.
Many are now calling her the Queen of Sweden, referencing the legend of King Arthur, who was given the right to rule after pulling the Excalibur Sword from a stone.
"It felt very cool and also a bit scary," Saga said.
Her dad Andy Vanecek, who explained their family’s home is in Minneapolis but they moved to Sweden last year, said he is especially proud of his daughter’s feat since he’s a huge Minnesota Vikings fan, “and this looks just like a Viking sword.”
On Facebook, Vanecek recalled the moment his daughter found the artifact: “She picked up the object, lifted it high above her head and shouted, as if she was Pippi Longstocking.”
Saga explained the sword was rusty and bent when she found it, but museum experts are now hoping to restore it to help them identify it better.
Mikael Nordström of the Jonkopings Lans Museum told the BBC that he hopes conservation staff will be able to uncover more details. So far, they know it’s about 85 centimeters long and made with wood and metal.
Archaeologists have gone back to search the lake since the July discovery, and discovered a prehistoric brooch from around the same period. While they originally first believed the lake was a grave site, they now think it was a former place of sacrifice.
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