Miscellaneous Facts about Norway

Miscellaneous Facts about Norway

•       Population is approximately 5.1 million.
•      The official religion is Evangelical Lutheran, represetning 86% of church-going Norwegians. Norway is famous of its stave churches, of which there are 28 still standing.
•       Indigenous people are the Sami. They tend to be reindeer herders and live in the North. They have their own language, customs and government.
•       Latitude is similar to that of Canada’s Northwest Territories (60° North)
•       Area is approximately that of Montana.
•       Language(s) are boknål (“book Norwegian” or Dano-Norwegian) and nynorsk (“new” Norwegian). Everyone speaks a regional dialect in addition to the official state language. Everyone also learns English, starting in primary school.

Norwegian Government

Norway is the world’s oldest continuously functioning democracy, with a democratic heritage dating back more than 1000 years. In 3^rd century AD, Norwegian society transformed from a tribal society to a chieftain society whereby an elite warrior took political power based on loyalty from allied noblemen and farmers. The “Scandinavian Model” – based on laws, rules and customs – where peace was perceived as “sound economics” was able to develop because of the inaccessibility of Scandinavia and the fierce reputation of the Viking warriors.  

Currently, Norway is a Constitutional  and Hereditary Monarchy  with a Parliamentary System (much like England). King Harald V and Queen Sonja are very popular. She is a commoner, and is recognized as queen. Their oldest son, Crown Prince Haakon, is next in line, followed by their granddaughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra (as she is first born in her generation; before the second born son).

The Prime Minister is a woman, Erna Solberg. Elections are in the fall, and all candidates for Prime Minister are women!

Economics

The Norwegians shop in Sweden, because it is cheaper. (Note: “Bacon Busses” travel from Norway to Sweden for the sole purpose of shopping.) The Swedes shop in Denmark, because it is cheaper. The Danes shop in Germany, because it is cheaper. The Germans shop in Italy, because it is cheaper….

While Norwegian taxes are very high (e.g., sales taxes are @ 25%), they have excellent cradle to grave social services. Norway opts not to participate in the European Union for any number of understandable reasons: (1) with their wealth, they would have to underwrite poorer EU countries such as Turkey and Greece; (2) they would abdicate the agriculture subsidies paid to farmers; (3) fishing rights.

Borders

Geir was stationed in Kirkenes, the northernmost point on the border between Norway and USSR. It is literally “the end of the road”! There is concern that Putin may want to invade Norway (North Sea oil…), giving newly appreciated significance to the otherwise perceived off-hand comment, “We trust Putin more than we trust…”

Tractor Eggs

The hay is cut, dried and rolled. It is then shrink-wrapped in white plastic to be collected by the tractors. Therefore mown hayfields are strewn with these large “tractor eggs” – There are also pink tractor eggs, signifying women farmers and/or farmers in sympathy for Breast Cancer. We also saw a display of blue tractor eggs, with a sign (written in Norwegian language) that read “Balls (testicles) in support of finding a cure for breast cancer.”

Traditional Norwegian Homes

The really old homes are build of rough hewn timbers – a la a log cabin and feature sod roofs. First bark is laid down, atop of which a 4-6” layer of mud cut from the forest floor is laid, then sprinkled with grass and flower seeds. Nowadays, because of environmental concerns, sod is purchased and laid out like tiles ontop of plastic sheeting.

Typical Norwegian farm homes are called Trøndelens (sp?).  These “growing houses” begin as a simple one-room white wooden structure. As the family/farm prospers, additional rooms are built on. The barns are painted a particular “barn red” which is an inexpensive red paint, different from the red used for homes and trim.

Norwegian Dairy Farming

On our 6km Kletten Rundt hike we walked by three tjønne (small lakes) and through two setra. Setra historically were collective pastures in the mountains where farmers would send their cows, sheep and goats in the summertime to graze on the rich grasses. Dairymaids, teenage girls, would be sent to tend and milk the animals, and make the cheeses.  Each setra would have a cluster of small houses, one for each family of girls. Solfrid’s mormor spent many of her summers at the setra. It was not until she was advanced in age that she divulged the stories of the young boys who would find excuses to go up to the setra to spend time with the girls…

While these mountain dairy farms are no longer functioning as they did in the time of Solfrid’s mormor, the names reflect the past. The names typically end in –vangen, meaning “pasture of grass” (e.g., Setervangen).

Note: The word setra comes from Indo-Aryan Sanskrit word sada (sitting or living at a place).

Norwegian Language

English	Norwegian	Norwegian Pronunciation
Thank you	Takk	/tahk/
Thank you very much	Tusen takk	/Tew sehn tahk/
No thank you	Nei takk	/ni tahk/
Yes thank you	ja takk	/yah tahk/
Please	Væ så snill	/vayr soh sneel/
You’re welcome	Væ så god	/vayr soh goo/
Hello	God dag	/goo dahg/
Hi	Hei	/Hi/
Good bye	Ha det	/hah deh/
Yes	Ja	/yah/
No	Nei	/ni/

Pronunciation Guide

æ /apple/

å /oh/

o /food/

u /few/

ø /almost a schwa/

ei /in multi-syllable words, pronounced somewhere between bite and bet/

Foods

•       Norway is the largest producer of salmon in the world, followed by Scotland. Cod is the other fish that is common, as is herring.
•       Knekkebrød (seed crackers – see Solfrid’s recipe)
•       Pickled herring
•       Pickled beets
•       Brunost (sweet brown cheese)
•      Berries: especially cloud berries (see photo) harvested from above timberline. It is typical to harvest berries (strawberries, currants, blackberries, raspberries, etc.) in summer and make into jams for winter.
•      Norwegian waffles are soft waffles, typically shaped as three connected hearts. You spread jams and/or cheese atop, then roll and eat “taco style”
•       Deer, reindeer, and moose meat and sausages
•       Wild game

Knekkebrød

Brunost