The traditional Norwegians are drawn to their cabins, whether it is in the mountains, in a forest, or by the sea. Some might argue that they are a people obsessed.
Norwegian farm buildings
Stabbur | The food storehouse on the old Norwegian farm
Like all buildings on the traditional Norwegian farm, the stabbur had a clear purpose: to be a storage for food, fine clothing, and other fragile possessions.
The old Norwegian farm | Moving into the barn during summer
In some areas of the old Norway, it was common for farm families to move out of the main house during the summer months. One particular family moved into the cowshed.
Norwegian wooden buildings | One thousand years old
The oldest wooden buildings in Norway are almost 1000 years old – like Urnes stave church in Luster. How come these buildings do not rot away and disappear?
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...
Growth of the soil | Homesteading in the Norwegian mountains
As a young person growing up in Norway, my dream was to emigrate and become a homesteader somewhere in the North American wilderness. The problem...
Muskox | Norwegian man killed in 1964 muskox attack
Driven away from the herd After several attempts, the muskox species was successfully introduced into the Norwegian fauna around 1950. Its main...
The old Norwegian farm | The old calendar-stick
Mother Nature dictated If we go back far enough in time, most of the Norwegians were either fisher-hunter-gatherers - or farmers - or a varied...
Practical farming in Norway in 1815 | The month of March
Lorentz Diderich Klüwer: In 1815, Norwegian farmer and army officer Lorentz Diderich Klüwer published a pamphlet on practical farming. In this post,...
The muskox | A newcomer in the Norwegian landscape
Muskox fossils In 1913, Norwegian railway workers found muskox ice-age fossils in the mountainous region of Dovre. The fossils predated the time...
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 ice export | a booming business for more than a century
See more photos at the end of the post Why the need for ice? The industrial revolution drove big change, and the creation of big cities. Food and...
A man died after being bitten by a wolf | Norway AD 1720
Vellik was the son of Anders and Mildri, tenants on the farm Nordvoll, and was the oldest of 6 siblings. Vellik married Marit Skarålia in 1716, and...
Norwegian food history | The beginning
The early people were hunters and gatherers, and they moved with the seasons and the availability of what Mother Nature had on offer. Except for the...
The old Norwegian farm | Cutting marsh grass on the frozen lake
Haakon Garaasen (1887-1957) was a local historian from Trysil in the region of Hedmark, Norway. He took this photo in November 1920. The man working...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
Queen Maud of Norway | Her background and childhood years
Born in London Maud Charlotte Mary Victoria was born on 26 November 1869, at Marlborough House in London, just a stone's throw away from Buckingham...
Queen Maud of Norway | A young lady on the Isle of Wight
Once upon a time, when Queen Maud of Norway was still Princess Maud of Wales, she was visiting her grandmother at Osborne House on the Isle of...
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...
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 royal palace in Oslo | Built by a French general
The historical backdrop Between AD 1380 and AD 1814, Norway was de facto under Danish rule; with Denmark’s monarchs ruling Norway from Copenhagen....
Paestum – Italy | A place of majesty and beauty
Once a Greek colonial city We visited Paestum on a warm, sunny day in late May. The first thing that hit us was the scent of flowers, so sweet and...
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...
Norwegian ski history | Hunting in deep snow
Rock carvings found at Rødøy In 1933, ethnographer Gutorm Gjessing discovered the above rock carving on the island of Rødøy, in the Norwegian region...
Night fishing using a spear and a torch | Lystring
A leister is an ancient tool Lystring is the gerund form of the Norwegian verb å lystre - pronounced [ly`strə]. The word comes from the Old Norse...
Norway’s King Harald V and Queen Sonja | Forces of nature
King Harald V of Norway Among the Norwegians, King Harald is widely known for his great ability to show empathy and compassion – and not to forget:...
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...
Norwegian censuses | The 1769 census was the first
Norway in 1769 In 1769, Norway was de facto a province under the Danish crown. The young Christian VII, known from the film A royal affair, was king...
Growth of the soil | Homesteading in the Norwegian mountains
As a young person growing up in Norway, my dream was to emigrate and become a homesteader...