Begrepp och mentaliteter: äventyr

This paper scrutinizes the Swedish concept of "äventyr" (adventure), originally the key concept of mediaeval chivalric romance, that has become one of the most popular concepts used in contemporary mass media. Influenced by the European development, "äventyr" has been applied in various contexts. A diachronic survey of Swedish sources from 1300 to 2004 enables us to reconstruct changing conceptual fields that can be interpreted as indicators of social and mental change. An analysis of the concept in its social contexts reveals a remarkable shift in our expectations and sense of reality. It also underscores the historicity of the conceptual construction of everyday experience