We, the modern humans, often judge our forebears and their way of life based on the reality of our own time. We see our ancestors as simple and one-dimensional. They were no such thing.
Do we show our ancestors the respect they deserve?
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Evergreens
Norwegian railway history | The pioneer era 1851-1868
With the birth of Norway as a modern-day national state in 1814 came big ideas. One of them was to establish better inland transportation systems.
Paestum – Italy | A place of majesty and beauty
If you are ever in the Italian Campania-region, we recommend a visit to the ancient Greek temple-ruins at Paestum. It is a mesmerising place.
Are Santa Claus’s reindeer all female?
Santa’s reindeer have a full set of antlers at Christmas and may all be female. The bull normally loses his after the mating season in late autumn.
The old Norwegian farm | Farmhands could only leave twice a year
Summer and winter Today, the Norwegians think of the year in terms of 4 main seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. But the old Norwegian...
Norwegian Buhund | Herding dog and keeper of ancient traditions
A Buhund is not necessarily equal to a buhund When we talk about a Norwegian buhund, we must distinguish between: The spitz dog type and its place...
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Norwegian railway history | The pioneer era 1851-1868
Preparing for progress For thousands of years, the Norwegians relied on boats, horses, reindeer, and their own two feet to transport both goods and...
Norwegian baking through the seasons
"Nevada Berg takes readers back into her Norwegian kitchen, offering a year’s worth of new baking recipes in this seasonally focused, gorgeously...
Norway’s 5 largest lakes
A land full of water Norway is a land full of water; and whether you are walking through an open, mountainous landscape - or find yourself deep...
Kløvhest | Means packhorse in Norwegian
Pronunciation Kløvhest The grammar A compound word made up of: kløv + hest | noun | masculine | the indefinite form: en kløvhest (a kløvhest) | the...
Norway and its age-old farming culture
Introduction In today's world, we have almost forgotten that our entire Norwegian culture is based on life in the age-old farming, fishing and...
Fridtjof Nansen and his Arctic mission impossible
No land mass under the ice Fridtjof Nansen (1861-1930) was a Norwegian zoologist, Arctic explorer, great humanitarian, diplomat, and Nobel Peace...
The old Norwegian cemetery | Once and always a pauper
Christianity and the Viking kings In Scandinavia, Christianity came with the Viking kings, around AD 1000. The new religion brought with it churches...
Skibladner | Norway’s oldest paddle steamer still in service
The great Lake Mjøsa It was on the great Lake Mjøsa that Skibladner went on her maiden voyage in 1856, as both a passenger and a freight vessel. And...
The old Norwegian farm | The Stornæve farm saga
In the beginning, there was ice and barren land Picture the beginning: during the last ice-age, Norway was a vast and empty land. As the ice...
Norwegian railway history | The pioneer era 1851-1868
Preparing for progress For thousands of years, the Norwegians relied on boats, horses, reindeer, and their own two feet to transport both goods and...
The old Norwegian farm | Bringing home the winter hay
In some parts of Norway, you find relatively flat landscapes. Here, the historical farmland was easier to clear and cultivate. The climate was...
Norwegian words | Skårfast | Stuck on a mountain ledge
Getting to know the word Skårfast is composed of two words: skår + fast = skårfast In this context, skår – a noun - means a steep mountain or...
Practical farming in Norway in 1815 | The month of February
Lorentz Diderich Klüwer: In 1815, Norwegian farmer and army officer Lorentz Diderich Klüwer published a pamphlet on practical farming. In this post,...
Norwegian food history | The difference between mead and beer
Pronunciation Mjød - øl Divine qualities The making of beer and mead stretches several thousand years back. The preparation process is similar, so...
Queen Maud of Norway | The secret of the queen’s coffin
An early-morning attack On Tuesday 9 April 1940, in the early hours of the morning, Hitler-Germany’s troops attacked Oslo and the Kingdom of Norway,...
The old Norwegian farm | Finding Ole Johan Nyaas and his barn
The photo DigitaltMuseum is Norway’s digital photo museum and the home of more than 2 million photographs. This is where I found the historical...
The Norwegians | Masters at sea
For millennia, the Norwegians have been maritime masters, conquering the vast ocean and the country's many inland waterways. Norway has the second...
The old Norwegian farm | How machinery changed the landscape
A patchwork of fields When we travel through today's Norwegian agricultural landscape, we often see large and undulating fields with well-sifted...
Uff da! | What does the Norwegian expression mean?
Pronunciation Uff da! Variations Uff da! is usually said in a deep voice, and in a drawn-out and comforting way. But the response can also be quick...
Childhood Christmas memories from northern Norway
This post is based on the childhood memories of Othilie Johnsen, born 1894 in Kiby, Finnmark, Thomas Johansen, born 1883 in Kvalnes, Nordland, and...
When a bear attacked Norwegian milkmaid Kari Moen in 1836
On her way to the mountain pasture farm One early summer's day in 1836, milkmaid - budeie - Kari Moen was on her way to the Sauherad mountains, to...
Norwegian clothing | The sweater from Setesdal
Wool is the thing The Norwegians still turn to wool when preparing for the might of the cold winter. The woollen material breathes, and you usually...
The Norwegian cheese slicer | Ostehøvel
Norwegian cheese Cheese has been part of the Norwegian diet since time immemorial. Every summer, the historical Norwegian farmers sent their cows...
Kantslått | Means cut grass in Norwegian
Pronunciation Kantslått The grammar A compound word made up of: kant + slått | noun | masculine | the indefinite form: en kantslått (a kantslått) |...
Queen Maud of Norway | Edward was her father
Edward was born on 9 November 1841, at Buckingham Palace in London. He was Victoria and Albert’s second of nine children. Edward - or Bertie as he...
The old Norwegian farm | Memories from Langfjordbotn in Finnmark
We find the small community of Langfjordbotn in the municipality of Alta, in the region of Finnmark. Tourists sometimes make a stop here on their...
Norwegian rose painting history | Rosemaling
Nils Ellingsgard, born in 1928 in Ål in Hallingdal, was a Norwegian authority on the art of decorative painting – rosemaling. Through his writings,...
Norwegian wood | The art of chopping, stacking, and drying firewood
In addition to writing bestseller historical novels and more, Norwegian writer Lars Mytting has...