Textile fragment from the Oseberg Viking ship grave, c, 834 AD: Horned figure with crossed spears facing a person wearing bear skin. (Drawing / Photo: Museum of Cultural History, Oslo) The berserker warriors (Old Norse: ber-serkir, meaning “bear-shirt”) were said to… Read More ›
The Halling is a folk dance traditionally performed in rural Norway, although some versions of the dance may also be found in parts of Sweden. It has been documented as the oldest folk dance in Northern Europe. The dance is… Read More ›
Confirmation (from Latin confirmare, to ‘confirm’) is often considered a Christian transition ceremony, but many cultures have their own rituals when it comes to entering adulthood. In 1736, the confirmation was required by law in Norway. It was a legal… Read More ›
Oslo is one of very few cities in Norway, besides Bergen and Tønsberg, that does not have a formal coat-of-arms, but which uses a city seal instead.The seal of Oslo shows the city’s patron saint, St. Hallvard, with his attributes,… Read More ›
(Photo: Hildringstimen.no) The Nordland boat, closely related to the Viking longships, has dominated the fishing industry in the Lofoten and Vesterålen islands for centuries. The Nordland boat (Norwegian: Nordlandsbåt), is a type of fishing vessel used for centuries in the northern… Read More ›
For years, historian Gunnar Rosenlund has been searching for Magnus Lagabøtes grave. Now, he has probably succeeded. Using ground penetrating radar (GPR), Mr. Rosenlund and scientists from SINTEF has located a large object hidden inside the walls of Bergen Cathedral…. Read More ›
The mining town of Røros is sometimes called “Bergstaden” which means “the mining town” due to its historical notoriety for copper mining. It is one of two towns in Norway that were historically designated “mining towns”, along with the “silver-town”… Read More ›
Kristine Bonnevie, born in Trondheim in 1872, became the first female member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters in 1911 – 100 years after the establishment of the University of Oslo. Her fields of research were cytology, genetics… Read More ›
’Have I got my cross-country skis? Check! Warm clothes, thermos, ski wax and firewood? Check! Well, then I’m ready to… Wait a minute – I’ve totally forgot the most important thing! I could never survive without it. Ah, here it… Read More ›
It’s been over 700 years since Queen Eufemia of Norway ‘took a stroll’ around the streets of Oslo for the last time. Next week, her skull will be transported from her sarcophagus at Akershus Castle along with her husband King… Read More ›
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