Long before Dag Hammarskjöld became UN Secretary-General and a figure of unshakable diplomatic resolve, he was a boy with a love of nature and a curious mind, wandering the rocky shores of Sweden.
This excerpt from Decoding the Unicorn: A New Look at Dag Hammarskjöld captures a rare glimpse of Dag at twelve—playful, outdoors, and surrounded by some of the elements he treasured the most. In Marstrand, the sea air and wildflowers softened the seriousness that often marked his youth. Even at this age, his sharp intellect and love of nature were clear.
A refreshing breeze from the sea danced around Dag as he wandered along the rocky shore of Marstrand, Sweden. It was a nice summer break from school with his family, and best of all, it was outdoors. At twelve years old, Dag had already developed a seriousness beyond his years, but here, he was relaxed and playful. As he strolled, his cap perched slightly askew on his head and his short pants dusted with sand, he paused to kneel by a cluster of wildflowers growing near the edge of the path. “Wood anemone,” Dag said aloud. He turned to Sten, informing him, “These are part of the Ranunculaceae family. Like buttercups,” to which Sten rolled his eyes. Undeterred, Dag also identified the northern gannet—“in Latin it’s Morus bassanus”—and the great cormorant—“called Phalacrocorax carbo.”
“I’m going to see if I can charm some girls—and leave you to your birds and buttercups,” Sten replied as he jogged off. Dag shrugged and continued his exploration of the seaside. He picked a white flower, a wonderful souvenir of his wanderings, and held it gently. Standing among the craggy rocks, Dag paused and stared out at the horizon. For a moment, his serious nature fell away, replaced by an easy smile as he observed the waves crashing in the distance. With the sea air and the wild blooms, he was a lighthearted boy, free to delight in the simple joys of life.
In this passage and the above photo, we can see the early threads of the man he would become. Dag was a keen observer of the natural world. A seeker of knowledge. A person still captivated by simple beauty despite the maelstroms that often surrounded his career at the United Nations. 💙
Explore more:
- What No One Tells You About Writing a Book Like This
- The Outdoors as Sanctuary: Dag Hammarskjöld’s Love of Nature
- 5 Surprising Things You Didn’t Know About Dag Hammarskjöld
Stay tuned for more.
New to Dag’s life and legacy? Start here.
Passages from Decoding the Unicorn © Sara Causey. Above image of Dag Hammarskjöld © AP and has been used with permission and paid license.