Nordic FAQ - 6 of 7 - NORWAY
SCN Faq-maintainer
-
A Frequently Answered Questions (FAQ) file for the newsgroup
S O C . C U L T U R E . N O R D I C
*** PART 6: NORWAY ***
Index
6.1 Fact Sheet
6.2 General information
6.2.1 Geography, climate, vegetation
6.2.2 Economy
6.2.3 Population, language, culture
6.2.4 Government
6.3 History
6.4 Main tourist attractions
6.4.1 Bergen
6.4.2 Oslo
6.4.3 Trondheim
6.4.4 Hurtigruta
6.5 Norwegian literature
6.6 Sons of Norway
6.7 Dictionaries and other study material
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 6.1 Fact Sheet
Name: Kongeriket Norge (Bokmål)
Kongeriket Noreg (Nynorsk)
Telephone country code: 47
Area: 323,878 km2 / 125,065 sq mi.
Overseas territories:
Svalbard 62 700,0 km²
Jan Mayen 380,0 km²
Bouvet Island 58,5 km²
Peter I Island 249,2 km²
Land boundaries: Sweden, Finland, Russia
Terrain: mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains broken by fertile
valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply indented
by fjords; arctic tundra in north
Highest point: Glittertinden, 2,472 m (8,110 ft)
Natural resources: crude oil, copper, natural gas, pyrites,
nickel, iron ore, zinc, lead, fish, timber,
hydropower
Population: 4,294,876 (1992)
Population density 13.3 persons per km² (34.3 per sq mi).
Distribution: 71% urban, 29% rural. (1990)
Average annual growth: 0.5%. (1992)
Life expectancy: women 81; men 74. (1992)
Infant mortality: 7 per 1,000 live births. (1992)
Capital: Oslo (480,000) (1995)
Other major towns: Bergen (220,000), Trondheim (143,000),
Stavanger (103,000) (1995)
Flag: a blue Nordic cross outlined in white on a red background.
Type: Constitutional monarchy
Head of state: King Harald V
Languages: Norwegian (two written forms: Bokmål and Nynorsk). Small
Finnish- and Saami-speaking minorities. The North Saami
language has official status in the northern parts of the
country.
Currency: krone (Norwegian crown, NOK). For the current exchange
rate, see the URL <http://www.dna.lth.se/cgi-bin/kurt/rates>
Climate: temperate along coast, warmed by the Gulf stream; colder
interior. Rainy year-round on west coast. Average temp. in
Oslo -7°C - 2°C in Jan., 13°C - 22°C in July.
Religion: Evangelic-Lutheran (88%) (official state-religion)
Exports: petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, fish,
aluminium, ships, pulp and paper.
------------------------------
Subject: 6.2 General information
6.2.1 Geography, climate, vegetation
Norway is located on the Scandinavian peninsula; its long, craggy coast
forms the western margin of the peninsula and fronts the Atlantic Ocean
(sometimes known as the Norwegian Sea) for most of the country's length. To
the southwest the North Sea separates Norway from the British Isles, and
directly to the south the Skagerrak separates it from Denmark. In the east
Norway shares an extensive border with Sweden and for a shorter one with
Finland and Russia in the north.
From north to south, Norway is about 1,770 km long, but for much of the
distance it is very narrow, exceeding 160km of breadth only in the south.
About one third of the country lies within the Arctic Circle, where the sun
shines 24 hours at the height of the summer. Characteristic of the terrain
are rugged mountains interrupted by valleys that cut into the land. Along
much of the coast cliffs drop impressively to the sea, forming the fjords
which are among the most distinctive features of Norwegian geography. The
longest and deepest of them is the Sogne Fjord. About 150,000 offshore
islands serve as a barrier that helps to protect Norway's coast from
Atlantic storms. Among these, the Lofoten Islands are the largest and also a
very popular tourist attraction.
The climate is temperate, and the severity of winter along the coast is
moderated by southerly air currents brought in above the waters of the North
Atlantic Drift, which is warmed by the Gulf Stream. Summers are relatively
cool throughout the country; rainfall is high everywhere, most of all on the
coasts, of course. The rivers contain abundant salmon and trout, which are
among the country's most famous exports. Spruce and pine are the most common
trees in Norway's forests, and deciduous trees, such as birch and ash, are
common in the lowlands. In the mountain regions, heather is abundant, as
well as low bushes that provide numerous delicious berries. Timber is one of
the foremost natural resources. In addition, Norway has tremendous resources
in its offshore oil and gas fields in the North Sea as well as in the
hydroelectric potential of the numerous rapids and waterfalls. Iron and
copper are also mined.
6.2.2 Economy
Only about 3% of Norway is arable land; for this reason Norway's main source
of livelihood has traditionally been fishery. Norway emerged as an
industrial nation from the beginning of this century, partly due to local
elites investing money in shipbuilding, woolspinning, timber and pulp
production, and partly because of foreign companies building up on
electrochemical industry based upon cheap hydro-electric power. Norway has
also had one of the biggest merchant fleets of the world. The financial
surplus made by this type of service made it possible to outweigh the
deficit of trade with other countries, and hence is an important economic
and political factor in Norwegian history. Production of petroleum and gas
has, however, become the foremost industry with the discovery of offshore
fields. Food, beverage, and tobacco processing rank second. The manufacture
of transportation equipment, primarily ships and boats (the major export),
ranks third, followed by production of metal and metal products.
6.2.3 Population, language, culture
Norway's population is primarily Germanic. The largest ethnic minority are
Saami (Lapps) living Northern Norway (Finnmark) who number about 20,000; a
few thousand Norwegian Finns (Kvens) live in northern Norway. Norwegian is a
Germanic language developed from the Old Norse spoken in the viking age; it
is closely related to both Danish and Swedish. Norway has hundreds of
dialects of spoken Norwegian (corresponding to different geographical
regions or locales) and two official written norms, Bokmål and Nynorsk.
Bokmål, which has its basis in large part in the Danish spoken during the
period of Danish rule, serves as the written norm for most of the dialects
of the larger urban centers. Nynorsk, created by the philologist Ivar
Andreas Aasen (1813-96) who drew it from the old rural dialects that
preserve Norwegian as it descended from Old Norse, serves as the written
norm for most of the dialects of rural areas and some smaller urban centers.
Norway, while becoming increasingly urbanized, is still one of the least
urbanized countries in Europe. Population is extremely sparse in northern
Norway and inland; except for Iceland, it is the lowest in Europe.
It's worth to note that both Nynorsk and Bokmål are pure written languages.
No one actually speaks these languages - in Norway all spoken languages are
regarded as dialects. But one has to remember that over 80% of the pupils in
Norwegian schools chose to learn Bokmål, and that the vocabulary of Bokmål
is influenced by Danish whereas the vocabulary of Nynorsk lies closer to
Swedish. The minority language Nynorsk is thus protected by laws, ensuring
for instance that at least 25% of the radio and tv transmissions are in
Nynorsk, and a national theater Det Norske Teatret playing in Nynorsk,
Frequently questions about common Scandinavian names come up in the
newsgroup. The national statistical office of Norway has made tables over
the most common names to make your choice easier. :-)
Norway has a strongly developed tradition of folk music; its most
distinguished classical composers were Edvard Grieg (1843-1907), Christian
Sinding (1856-1941), and Johan Svendsen (1840-1911), all of whom made much
use of traditional music. The painting of Edvard Munch (1863-1944) has
achieved worldwide recognition. Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943) produced a vast
body of sculpture, which has been collected in Frogner Park in Oslo. For
Norwegian literature, see section 6.5.
6.2.4 Government
Norway is a hereditary constitutional monarchy, with a constitution that was
drafted in 1814. It gives broad powers to the king, but the council of
ministers, headed by the prime minister, generally exercises this power as
king in council. The 165 members of the Storting, or parliament, are elected
for a fixed term of 4 years by all Norwegians 18 years of age or older.
The major political parties are the Labor party (Arbeiderpartiet), the
largest single party, the Conservative party (Høyre), and the Center Party
(Senterpartiet). The Labor party, which was responsible for creating the
social-democratic welfare state, headed the government for 37 years during
the period 1935-81. A debate about high taxes and rising inflation caused
the Labor party to lose ground to center-right groups. The Conservatives
under Kare Willoch were in office from 1981 to 1986, when they were ousted
by Labor, led by Gro Harlem Brundtland, Norway's first woman premier.
Brundtland has since resigned as the party leader (the office is currently
held by Torbjørn Jagland), but still represents the party as the prime
minister. In the current election period (1993-1997), Senterpartiet (Center
Party) is bigger than Høyre.
------------------------------
Subject: 6.3 History
A chronology of important dates:
800's
The bloody conflicts between tribal kingdoms, as well as a craving for
adventure, prompted Norwegians to leave their lands in what are known
as Viking voyages. Warriors from the Viks, or fjords, raided throughout
western Europe and into the Mediterranean.
890's
Harald Hårfagre ("fair-hair") unites Norway to a single kingdom.
Ireland falls under Norwegian rule. Iceland colonized.
995 King Olav Tryggvason converts to Christianity.
1030 The battle of Stiklestad, in which Olav Haraldsson (canonized as St.
Olav) is killed. The pilgrimages to his grave in Nidaros (Trondheim)
begin.
1066 Harald Hårdråde killed in the battle of Stamford Bridge while
attempting to conquer England. Viking raids come to an end.
1184 After a civil war, the illegitimate son of King Sigurd, Sverre, is
acknowledged as sole king. He consolidated the power of monarchy,
created a new nobility and replaced an aristocratic administration with
royal officials. His firm hand in ruling the church led Pope Innocent
III to excommunicate him and lay Norway under interdict.
1261-62
Greenland and Iceland are subjected to Norwegian rule.
1266 King Magnus VI Lagabøter (Law-Mender) ended a lingering war with
Scotland by selling the Isle of Man and the Hebrides to Scotland.
1274 Magnus VI introduces a general code of laws which remains in use for
more than four centuries, replacing local legal systems with a unified
code for the entire kingdom. It strengthened the position of the
monarch by treating crime not as a private matter but as an offense
against king and country. Magnus also promulgated municipal laws and
accepted a basically independent status for the church.
1349-50
Black plague, "Svartedauen", kills one third of Norways inhabitants.
1379 Marriage ties linked Norway with both Sweden and Denmark, and
Margarethe I of Denmark, the wife of Haakon VI,succeeded in gaining
control of the country. At the end of the 14th century the Norwegian
royal house died out, and the nobles elected Erik of Pomerania,
Margarethe's grandnephew, as their king. Erik ruled nominally for
Margarethe, who united Norway, Sweden, and Denmark in the Union of
Kalmar.
1536 Norway becomes a subject of the Danish crown, little more than a Danish
province. Danish becomes the written language of Norway. Reformation
makes Norway Lutheran.
1645 The provinces of Jämtland and Härjedalen are ceded to Sweden after
Denmark-Norway's participation in the Thirty Years' War. In 1658,
Bohuslän is lost to Sweden, too.
1716-18
Sweden attacks Norway, but has to retreat when king Karl XII is killed
at Fredrikshald.
1814 The peace treaty of Kiel gives Norway to Sweden. Norway declares
independence at Eidsvoll, but after a short war against Sweden Norway
agrees to a personal union with Sweden. The Norwegian constitution was
written.
1905 The union with Sweden falls apart and Norway becomes an independent
kingdom. The Danish prince Karl becomes king Haakon VII of Norway.
1940 Germany attacks Norway on 9th of April, and after two months of
resistance completes the occupation. The Norwegian king and government
flee to England. The leader of Norways National Socialist party, Vidkun
Quisling, is nominated by Hitler to form a puppet regime.
1941-45
The Norwegian resistance, "Hjemmefronten", is organized. With it's
50,000 members it made life more difficult for the Nazi occupiers in
Norway, while many Norwegians joined British or American forces to
fight the Germans. The Norwegian merchant fleet played a vital role in
aiding the Allies. Although it lost half of its fleet, the country
recovered quickly after the war.
1945 Germany surrenders to the Allies and the Nazi-occupation ends in
Norway.
1949 Norway joins NATO.
1957 Olav V becomes king after the death of Haakon VII.
1970's
Large oil finds in the North Sea make Norway prosperous.
1972 Norway holds a referendum about joining the EEC; the people vote "NO".
1991 On Olav's death in January, his son Harald V succeeded him as the king
of Norway.
1994 A referendum about joining the EU will was held November 27-28th.
Again, the Norwegians voted "NO" by a clear majority and thus remained
outside the union while Sweden and Finland joined.
------------------------------
Subject: 6.4 Main tourist attractions
6.4.1 Bergen
Bergen located about 300 km west of Oslo, on a sheltered inlet of the North
Sea, it is an important port and the country's second-largest city. Warm
Historical landmarks include the King Haakon's Hall (1261), St. Mary's
Church (12th century), the Rosencrantz Tower (1562) and the old wooden
merchant's quarters (Bryggen) at the harbour. One of the Bryggen buildings
(Finnegården) houses a Hansaetic Museum, another (modern one) houses a
medieval museum (Bryggens museum). The city also has a university (1948) and
National Theater (1850), and it was the birthplace of the composer Edvard
Grieg and the violinist Ole Bull. Fantoft stave church (built 1150) and
Grieg's home Troldhaugen are located a short distance to the south of the
city.
The city was founded in 1070 by King Olaf III; it became a leading trade
center and Norway's capital during the 12th and 13th centuries. It joined
the Hansaetic League in the 14th century, and German merchants from the
league developed trade monopolies here that lasted into the 18th century.
Occupied during World War II by the Germans, the city suffered heavy damage
during Allied bombings.
Bergen is surrounded by mountains low enough to be climbed on foot but
sufficiently high to offer a great view. There are many good paths for
hikers, but there are also a cable cars going to the highest peak, mount
Ulriken (606m above sea), and to Fløyen (314m) which is a bit closer to the
centre.
<The following from an article by Daniel R. Juliano>
I am not sure how you are getting from Bergen to Oslo, but I would suggest
the beautiful scenic train that takes you between the two if you are not
flying. It stops quite often and lets you get out in the mountains and look
around. It is warm up there, yet there is tons of snow. At least there was
when I was there two years ago this month.
If you could get to Oystese and see the Hardanger fjord that is the most
beautiful one I ever saw. But, you have to take a bus or drive there. When
we were there the buses were on strike (of course) and we rented a car.
Scary. You have to drive on these huge mountains with no guard rail where
you are literally one foot from the edge and you have to go through huge
tunnels. A police man actually pulled us over for going to slow. :)
We did take a boat tour in Bergen of the fjords which we enjoyed. My family
went to see Grieg's house. They enjoyed that. They also saw the stave
church. I didn't go along to those so I don't know if I should recommend
them.
On most days in Bergen there is a fish market in the main part of town which
is quite interesting. They sell fish that they have just caught, as well as
fresh fruit, flowers, bread and handicrafts. It is closed on Sundays.
Oh, we also went on a tour of some church and of the Hansa houses. That was
neat. Ok, I'll stop. Again. If you have any more specific questions, just
ask.
<From: Jan Setnan>
I always recommend taking the boat from Bergen to Balestrand in the evening.
Then the express ferry from Balestrand to Flåm. The trip from Bergen to Flåm
will give you an impressive view of the fjords. Then you take the nighttrain
flom Flåm to Oslo, arriving the next morning.
The boat from Bergen to Balestrand may be filled with tourists so you
probably should reserve tickets. But the ferry from Balestrand to Flåm
should give you no problems. The train tickets you should reserve
beforehand. The luggage is another problem travelling from boat to boat to
train. If you have several items, you could send most of it with the train
from Bergen to Oslo, and only take the necessary minimum with you on the
boats. The boat ticket from Bergen to Flåm is about $65.
<From: Melvin Klasse>
When I went to Bergen, in early-July 1988, the "Tourist Information Centre"
(*very* close to the SAS Hotel in Bergen) had all sorts of accomodation
available, from a "pension" (bed & shared bathroom & NO-breakfast) to
"tourist-class" hotels.
* Get an umbrella -- if it isn't raining, you're not in Bergen!!!
* Walk around the Fish Market, of course.
* The WW II "War Resistance" museum chronicles the time of the German
presence.
* Take the Fløybanen (train ride at 23 degrees "up" the hill).
* See Edward Greig's summer-house "Troldhaugen".
* Make reservations for dinner & entertainment with "Fana Folklore".
6.4.2 Oslo
Oslo lies at the head of Oslo Fjord, about 97 km from the open sea. The city
first occupied the small Åkershus Peninsula, where a fortress was built in
1300. Oslo was founded about 1050 to the east of the present city. Early in
the 17th century fire destroyed the town, mostly built of wood. King
Christian IV ordered the city to be rebuilt on the Åkershus Peninsula below
the fortress, which could protect it. The new city was laid out on a square
plan and was named Christiania after its founder (the name Oslo was
readopted in 1925).
The city remained small until the 19th century; in 1814, it's population was
only 11,200. That year, Norway was separated from Denmark and was joined
into Sweden by a personal union. Christiania became the national capital and
started to grow. The Royal Palace was built, and the Storting (Parliament)
and government offices were established. By 1910, the population had already
reached 225,000.
Today Oslo is a well-planned city with wide, straight streets. Government
offices and the central business district are focused on Karl Johansgate,
which is the main street in Oslo. By the harbour is the two-towered City
Hall (completed 1950), the city's most famous landmark, facing the fjord and
the downtown area.
Oslo is also the cultural heart of Norway. The university, which was founded
in 1811, is the largest in the country. The city also contains the National
Theater, the Bygdøy folk museum with a large collection of traditional
buildings, and a museum of excavated Viking ships. On Holmenkollen, a
mountain overlooking the city, is a famous ski jump, the site of many winter
sports competitions. Frogner Park contains the statuary of Gustav Vigeland.
<From: Ken Ewing>
I spent a week in Oslo in July, 1989. I don't know what you might be
interested in, but here's a rundown of stuff that I did (please forgive any
misspellings...I don't have my travel info in front of me. :-)
* City Hall. Called "Rådhuset" in Norwegian. This is a large,
twin-towered building right on the waterfront. The ground floor is the
national tourist office. Here you can arrange for tours, find out
interesting things to see, buy guidebooks, etc.
* Akershus Fortress. Easy to find. It's a genuine medieval fort right on
the waterfront. It's something of a symbol for Oslo in that having been
under siege nine times since its construction in the 1300's, it has
never fallen to an enemy. Guided tours are available. In or near the
Akershus Fortress are many museums, including:
o Resistance Museum. A "must-see" for WWII enthusiasts. It looks
very small from outside the door, but it's quite large inside. It
documents the German occupation and TONS of artifacts, photos,
etc.
o Christiania Exhibit (I think it's called that). This is a model
and show about the history of Oslo. Oslo was originally located a
but further south, and the current site of Oslo used to be called
Christiania, named after King Christian IV.
* Take a water taxi across the bay to Bygdøy. There are several museums
over there, including:
o Maritime Museum. Pretty big place. If you're into maritime topics
(which I am) you can spend a few hours here.
o Fram Museum. The Fram is a sailing ship built around 1897. It was
basically designed to be a wooden-hulled icebreaker. The designer
had a theory that the Arctic ice cap flowed with "currents"
matching those of the ocean underneath, and that if a ship could
lodge itself in the ice, it could ride these currents across the
North Pole. He built this ship, lodged it into the ice, and proved
his theory (coming with five degrees of the North Pole). The ship
is now housed within this museum.
o Kon-Tiki museum. Contains Thor Heyerdahl's ships Kon-Tiki and Ra
II. You might remember Ra II from the movie made in 1973 (I
think). There is also a life-size copy of a statue from Easter
Island, and also a genuine, taxidermed, 30-foot whale shark
suspended underneath the Kon Tiki.
All three of these museums are right next to one another. A little
farther down the road (easy walking distance) you'll find:
o Viking Ship Museum. This building looks like a church from the
outside, and is not marked very well with signs. It contains three
actual Viking ships dug up from the ground, plus a bunch of
artifacts from the Viking era.
o Folk Museum. This is a large park that contains exhibits of the
inland culture of Norway (as opposed to the maritime culture, as
the other museums in this area display). The creators of this park
went all over Norway and collect farm houses (whole houses!),
stave churches (pronounced "stahv" -- some of these structures
date back to the 1200s and are still in active use), etc. to show
how Norwegian people lived. There are tours available. Employees
wear authentic cultural dress.
Back in Oslo:
* Vigeland Statue Park. This is a 20-acre or so park with 250 statues by
Mr. Vigeland, a famous Norwegian sculptor. It's best to get a guidebook
of some kind, as the park has a theme to its organization. As I
understand it, Vigeland statues are not found outside of Norway.
* Historical churches. Olso has been around for a long time, and there
are interesting old churches all over town.
* The Royal Palace. Norway has a royal family, although the parliament is
the governing body. The palace has a military guard that changes
regularly.
* Downtown shopping. The downtown area of Oslo is really quite small and
easily explored by walking. The main street, Karl Johansgate, starts
right in front of the Royal Palace and proceeds straight into the
downtown area. About halfway or so the street becomes closed to
traffic, and thus turns into a large walking mall. The street life is
fascinating, with the usual contingent of street musicians and other
entertainers. In the harbour is the new shopping complex, Akersbryggen;
gleaming modern architecture, restaurants, etc.
Other general tips:
* In Norway (as well as other Scandinavian countries) you can obtain a
"Tourist Card". You can get them for one, two, or three days, and you
buy them at the city hall (Rådhuset). This card gives you:
o Free transport on busses, trams, and subways.
o Discount admission to most museums.
o Discounts at some restaurants.
Among other advantages. I considered it worth the expense. With the
three-day card, you can get discounts on railroad fare to other places
in Norway, but you have to purchase tickets *before coming to Norway*
(which apparently means that you can obtain a tourist card through a
travel agency or perhaps through a Norwegian consulate).
* Restaurants seem to be rather rare around Oslo. I like eating out, and
I had a rather hard time finding restaurants around town.
* Alcohol is strictly controlled. Beer costs $6-$7 for a pint glass.
Drunk driving laws are strictly enforced with heavy penalties, and
foreigners cannot claim ignorance as an excuse.
* Oslo seems to be a safe place. I never felt in danger of physical harm
at any time. Virtually everyone there (natives, that is) speaks English
(it is a requirement in the school system).
6.4.3 Trondheim
Trondheim, a city on the west central coast of Norway, is situated about 400
km north of Oslo. The city is the site of the Technical University of Norway
(1900) and the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences (1760). Histoical
landmarks include the impressive Nidaros Cathedral (started in 1075,
finished c. 1320, burned badly six times, restauration started in 1869),
where several Norse kings and Kings of independent Norway have been crowned.
The cathedral, built from Norwegian blue soapstone and white marble,
contains the tomb of St. King Olaf II (Saint Olaf), which made it an
important centre of pilgrimage in the middle ages.
Founded as Kaupangr by King Olav Tryggvason in 997, Trondheim was an
archbishopric from 1152 until the Reformation (1537). The city was an
important administrative and commercial center during the 12th and 13th
centuries, but its importance later diminished.
Erkebispegården, the archbishop's house by the cathedral survives from the
middle ages. Stiftsgården is a long wooden building with a rococo interior.
Folkemuseum has a collection of traditional houses and a stave church. The
fortified island of Munkholmen just off the city can be reached by a boat.
6.4.4 Hurtigruta
Anne Lise Falck <fa...@cs.odu.edu> wrote:
I have one particular thing in mind: you should take the time to travel with
`Hurtigruta` or Coastal Line as they say in English. It is a beautiful
boatride from Bergen to Kirkenes by the Russian border in the north. You
have the possibility of stopping in different cities along the coast if you
want to, and I believe that the whole trip takes about a week or two.
Mike Jittlov adds:
IMHO, it's the finest boat cruise in the world. You might consider a variety
of travel (it seems to invite adventure and wonderful meetings): take the
train from Oslo toward Bergen, but just before that switch trains at Myrdal,
winding down the steep gorge to Flåm, and take the ferry through the
spectacular fjord (either to Bergen, or a bus to the city); treat yourself
to a day or two in Bergen (wonderful fish & rolls at the harborside market),
then board the Hurtigruten northbound; the route through the Lofoten Islands
is breathtaking, and incredibly healing for spirit and body (weather
permitting, the steamer takes a sidetrip into the Trollfjord, and plays
Grieg's "Hall of the Mountain King" over loudspeakers); continue to Tromsø,
then to Nordkapp (incredibly touristy at the northernmost point of Europe -
but the contrast can be wild), every village and stop along the way enticing
you to stop and explore and learn and enjoy; take the plane to Trondheim,
and then the train back to Oslo (with a sidetrip to Hell, a beautiful
fjord-town with a unique stamp for your passport ;) -- check out postcards
and the free tourist brochures for places that excite your interest. Ask for
directions and advice -- everyone is helpful, gracious, and honest; most
speak English, and will help you with your Norwegian.
The Hurtigruta has also a home page on WWW (both in English and Norwegian):
<http://elvis.fiskforsk.norut.no/hr/>.
------------------------------
Subject: 6.5 Norwegian literature
The earliest Norwegian literature, the Poetic Edda, was composed in Norway
but written down on Iceland in the early middle ages by the descendendants
of Norwegian settlers of Iceland. A more ornate and technically complicated
poetry was composed by court poets, or skalds, mainly in praise of the
battle exploits of various chieftains.
From the 16th through the 18th century, Norwegian literature was written in
Danish, mostly by priests and civil servants educated in Denmark. The two
principal literary figures were Petter Dass in the 17th century and Ludvig,
Baron Holberg in the 18th. Dass has given a marvelously vivid picture of
life in the north of Norway in his topographical poem, The Trumpet of
Nordland (1739; Eng. trans., 1954); Holberg was the first professional
author in Dano-Norwegian literature. A highly learned person, he wrote in a
variety of genres; his comedies in particular have remained popular.
Norways newly won independence from Denmark in 1814 inspired authors to
regard themselves as the creators of a national literature and national
identity. Henrik Arnold Wergeland, considered by some the Norwegian national
poet, enthralled his countrymen with e.g his monumental cosmological poem,
Skabelsen, mennesket, og messias (Creation, Man, and Messiah, 1830). The
conservative poet and critic Johan Sebastian Cammermeyer Welhaven, however,
reproached Wergeland for his refusal to recognize the existence of a shared
Dano-Norwegian cultural heritage. But he little effect on either Wergeland
or other contemporaries, such as Peter Christen Asbørnsen and Jørgen
Engebretsen Møe, who were enthusiastically rediscovering Norway's great
past. Asbjørnsen and Møe published their celebrated Norske folkeeventyr
(Norwegian Folk Tales) in 1842-44. Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, a great Norwegian
patriot, also used folklore in his novels describing peasant life.
The dramatist Henrik Ibsen is Norway's most famous literary figure; some of
his plays are considered to rank with the works of Shakespeare. In the 20th
century, three Norwegian novelists have won Nobel Prizes: Bjørnstjerne
Bjørnson in 1903, Knut Hamsun, most famous for Growth of the Soil (1917;
English translation 1920), and Sigrid Undset, author of the epic novel
Kristin Lavransdåtter (1920-22; English translation 1923-27). Other
important writers of this century include the novelist John Bøjer, the poet
Olaf Bull, novelist Olav Duun, playwright and novelist Nordahl Grieg, and
novelist Terje Vesaas. More recent authors of note are short-story writer
Terje Stigen, novelist Jens Bjørnboe, poet Stein Mehren, the feminist writer
Bjørg Vik, and Jostein Gaarder, a former school teacher whose novel on the
history of western philosophy (Sophie's World, 1991) has had tremendous
success all over the world.
For electronic versions of some of the works of Nordic literature, see the
collection of Project Runeberg:
* <http://www.lysator.liu.se/runeberg/>
* <ftp://ftp.lysator.liu.se/pub/runeberg>
* gopher.lysator.liu.se ; path: /project-runeberg
------------------------------
Subject: 6.6 Sons of Norway
<From: Ruth M. Sylte>
(Ruth, if you'd like to write a more comprehensive intro I won't say no. :)
In recent years, Sons of Norway has been actively reaching out to the
"younger" community of Norwegian-Americans. The Viking magazine has many
interesting articles that cover subjects on modern Norway. There are also
specific pages for children each month that look at various cultural and
historical subjects.
Sons of Norway also has special membership categories for children and young
people. Children (up to age 15) who are the children *and/or* grandchildren
of Sons of Norway adult members can be FREE "Heritage" Members in Sons of
Norway. This entitles them to a number of benefits, including a quarterly
newsletter geared specifically for that age group. The newsletter often
carries penpal requests from American and Norwegian children. Young people -
(about ages 15-22) can join SoN at a reduced membership rate and receive a
newsletter geared toward their age group.
SoN also sponsors summer camps where children can go to get an introduction
to Norwegian language and culture. They also offer scholarships to study at
"Camp Norway" - a 6 week summer language camp in Sandane, Norway - and the
University of Oslo's International Summer School.
There are a number of active SoN lodges in the San Francisco area. Indeed,
anyone looking for Sons of Norway can usually find them organizing the local
Syttende Mai events. :-)
Sons of Norway has a Heritage Books department (run out of a store called
"Tomten") that offers books in Norwegian and English that deal with the
subjects listed above (and many others). They can be reached at:
Heritage Books
7616 Lyndale Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55423
tlf: 1-800-468-2424 or 1-612-866-3636
fax: 1-612-866-3580
Ruth - Vice-President of Midnattsolen Lodge #6-156 in Orange County ;-)
------------------------------
Subject: 6.7 Dictionaries and study-material
In the World Wide Web, the Norwegian dictionaries have been removed. :-(
Nynorskorboka (Det Norske Samlaget) and Bokmålsordboka
(Universitetsforlaget) form the official standard of the the two forms of
written Norwegian, "nynorsk" and "bokmål". In addition, the following
dictionaries can be mentioned:
* W. A. Kirkeby. Norsk-engelsk ordbok (Kunnskapsforlaget). Especially
good for Norwegian-speakers looking for the idiomatic way to say
something in English.
* Aschehoug og Gyldendals Store norske orbok ("moderat bokmål og
riksmål")
* W. A. Kirkeby. Engelsk-norsk ordbok
* Einar Haugen. Norsk-engelsk ordbok. Universitetsforlaget. OR the
American edition, Norwegian-English Dictionary (not sure of publisher).
Especially useful to English-speakers learning Norwegian; includes both
Bokm}l and Nynorsk words.
* The latest, most up-to-date version of Guttu's dictionary is Norsk
illustrert ordbok. Moderat bokmål og riksmål (Oslo 1993, 1009 pages).
The format is now almost exactly like that of Bokmålsordboka (17cm x
25.5cm). Both are excellent dictionaries, which can be recommended.
However, Norsk illustrert ordbok has a layout that makes it easier to
find what you are looking for in big articles.
Dave Golber writes:
(1) Get Einar Haugen's Norwegian-English dictionary. It's great. (Also, it's
got a introductory section that describes Nyn-Bokm.) It's written in English
in the sense that the explanations, extended descriptions, etc, are in
English, not Norwegian.
For English-Norwegian, I don't have any strong opinion. I have and use
Kirkeby's Dictionary, and it's good.
The Haugen you should be able to order from your local bookstore. The
Kirkeby might be harder. I can get you the particulars (publisher, ISBN
number, etc). You might have to order it from Norway, but that isn't as hard
as you think. Perhaps someone else in the group here will have suggestions.
(2) I started using the tapes "Norsk for Utlendingar" (Norwegian for
Foreigners). This is used in Norway for teaching Norwegian to immigrants. I
think it's great. I wish I'd started using it long ago. It's available in
the USA from Audio Forum, with the Norwegian texts that go with it, plus an
American supplement. For an outrageous price. But it's worth it.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- END OF PART 6 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
© Copyright 1994-96 by Antti Lahelma and Johan Olofsson.
You are free to quote this page as long as you mention the URL for the
original archive (as: <http://www.lysator.liu.se/nordic/index.html>), where
the most recent version of this document can be found.