Richard Dybeck (1811-1877)

Lawyer, archeology researcher and poet, Dybeck was an academic man of all trades. His deepest passion was of folktales and ancient runes. Researching runes took him all over Sweden, often culminating in published sketches, articles, and song lyrics. In Sweden Dybeck’s name is not well known, only his lyrics. Richard Dybeck is the author of Sweden’s national anthem, Du Gamla du fria (Thou ancient thou free), which was written in 1844. You can find this text written on Dybeck’s gravestone.