När de flygande tefaten landade i folkhemmet
en studie av ufo-mytens förändring i en svensk kontext
Narratives about UFO:s and extraterrestrials can be regarded as part of an everyday religiosity, yet the issue has been poorly studied outside an American context, within the discipline of Religious Studies. In this paper, I therefore seek knowledge about the further development of these narratives within the Swedish UFO-movement from the 1960?s until today. Influenced by social anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss´ discussion about mythems as the smallest components of a myth, I argue that the stories which emerge within the Swedish context differ from the American ones. This difference consists of both loss of certain mythemes and the addition of others to this mythic complex. These changes are further to be found on three diverse levels. Sweden is on the first level given a role in the cosmic drama, and also a history of UFO-observations. On a thematic level, so called abduction stories lose their sexual overtones, while indigenous conspiracy theories are being created around the Swedish Defence Research Agency, FOA. On a third and ideological level, some narratives are strongly influenced by indigenous socialistic ideology. The changes which occur within the narrative complex are further analysed against the background of the Swedish political and ideological situation during the time of development of these narratives. Finally the differences between legend, myth and common tales are discussed. I conclude that the relevant way of referring to these stories is as to mythic narratives.