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by sorenjan 1340 days ago
Vasa wasn't named after the royal house, it was named after the vase[0] on the heraldic symbol for the house of Vasa[1]. A vase is probably best described as a fasces. Äpplet was probably named after a globus cruciger[2], or "national apple" (riksäpple), part of the regalia of Sweden.

[0] https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vase_(heraldisk_symbol)

[1] https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasa%C3%A4tten#/media/Fil:COA-...

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globus_cruciger

2 comments

It seems that Gustav I also took the name Vasa from the heraldic symbol, though the Wikipedia article doesn't say so directly.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Vasa

Gustav was known as "Gustav Eriksson" in his day, "Eriksson" being a patronym. Family names wasn't really a thing at the time, as coat of arms were. The form "Gustav Eriksson Vasa" first appears in the 17th century and simply "Gustav Vasa" isn't used before the 18th.
The classic "holy hand grenade".