A Swedish drama from 1939 about the social and political developments in Sweden from 1885 until the dissolution of the union in 1905. The year is 1885, Christina Nilsson sings "Fourteen years I believe certain that I was" in the Grand Hotel's Great Hall . She also sings from the balcony of the hotel and the panic arising among listeners outside the hotel. In Norway, talks about the dissolution of the Union and the Swedish socialists with Hjalmar Branting (Victor Sjöström) is in the lead for independence.
Adolph Turesson is a mild-mannered, meek college professor whose faint-heart isn't impressing the fair-lady he secretly loves, the golden-haired Britta Larsson. Attending a lecture, he witnesses the attention paid to his lady-love by other faculty members, and falls to sleep. He dreams of the olden days and the knights, and the comely ladies of the court over whom they fought. His dream also gives all the cast the change to play a second role. Upon awakening, he proposes to Britta.
A travelling theater-company performs Offenbach's "The Beautiful Helene" when an officer in the audience notices the similarity in appearance between the leading actor Leonard Pettersson and the king Charles XV.With Pettersson dressed as the king and the other actors as the royal suite, they all go to Herrsunda castle where the officer is trying to make an impression on his fiance.
King Christian II rides busy street by Sweden which he now put under him, while he remembers what he did against the Swedes at the Stockholm Bloodbath. In dala heels walk a lonely man, dressed as a peasant. It's the one the Danes would prefer to get hold of - Gustaf Eriksson Vasa . He goes from Rankhyttan to Ornäs , where he is kindly received by the farmer Arendt Persson, but Arendt is a deceitful man who has thought enter Wasa to the Danish bailiff. But Arendt's wife helps Wasa to escape and he continues his long journey.
The story takes its beginning in 1518 , the Danish King Christian II has taken Sweden. Sten Sture the younger appeal to all loyal subjects to resist. The offer reaches the farmer Mats Waltersson in Dalarna , Sweden's heart and he gathers his men. Dalmas were going from house to house, they do not want a Dane on the throne. At Brännkyrka outside Stockholm is a battle between the Danes and Swedes. Swedes win and the Swedish riksbaneret out during the Battle of Gustav Eriksson Vasa.
The young adventurer Signature Hjelm meets one day a runaway carriage, and succeeds by a resourceful and daring intervention to avert an accident. The rig belongs to Gustav III's favorite, Baron Armfelt, and as a reward for his feat will Ture service of the king's guard. Conspirators trying maple certainly entice him over to the king's enemies, but Ture reports Gustaf receiving a grim and determined expression on his face: "Spies even here!" His confidence Signature increases.
