svala is the swedish word for a swallow, sval means airy or cool.

swal·low \ˈswä-(ˌ)lō\ any of a family (Hirundinidae) of small graceful swift-flying, insect-eating passerine birds with long, pointed wings and a forked tail, including the barn swallow and purple martin: most species migrate, often between widely separated summer and winter homes.

To guarantee that a sailor would returned home safely, he would have one swallow tattooed before setting out on a journey, and the second swallow tattooed upon return to his home port. It is also said that if the sailor drowns, the swallows will carry his soul to heaven.

In classical Chinese paintings, the swallow represented happiness and the arrival of spring, and was often depicted as part of the flowering peach branch. Additional portrayals show the bird as: daring, risk-seeking, and a symbol of change for good coming in the future.