SILVERHILL, Alabama — Visitors to the Oscar Johnson Memorial Library learned about a Swedish tradition when the library held its annual Summer Reading Program on Friday, Aug. 5.

This year’s program, led by Kathy Cazort, featured the Swedish Dala Horse, a traditional hand-carved wooden figurine that dates back thousands of years.

According to The Wooden Horse Company (theswedishwoodenhorse.com), images of horses in Sweden date back as far as the arrival and domestication of horses themselves 4,000 years ago.

The tradition of the Dalecarlian, or Dala, horse originated in the 17th century when the small wooden horses were sold at markets in small towns and villages in Dalarna, or Dalecarlia, in central Sweden.

“A hundred years later, wooden horses were carved by men working in the forests during long winter evenings and brought back to the village for the children to play with,” according to the Website. “This is how the little wooden horse from Dalarna became a treasured object.”

The horses were later painted in bright colors inspired by the flower patterns painted on furniture and walls in the region. The Dala horse was introduced at the World Exhibition in New York in 1939 and became a worldwide symbol for Sweden.

Cazort told the story of “Per and the Dala Horse,” based on a children’s book by Rebecca Hickox about a boy and his magical wooden horse who saves a prized golden chalice from the evil trolls.

Cazort also told two other stories to participants, followed by games, prizes and activities. This was the fifth year for the library’s Summer Reading Program, open to boys and girls ages 2 to 12.

Like the Dala horse, the Oscar Johnson Memorial Library in Silverhill has deep Swedish roots. One of the oldest buildings in Silverhill, the library was the site of the original Svea Land Company, and is named for the town’s founder, who ran the company. It is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.