Tradition: The Most Dangerous Game (Part II of II)

Let’s return to my initial question: Is rosemaling the TV a traditionally Norwegian thing to do? If one subscribes to the object-based definition of tradition, then the answer would have to be an emphatic “NO.” To my knowledge, the extensive catalogue of traditional Norwegian items has never featured ornately hand-decorated electronic gadgets. If, on the other hand, one looks beyond the trappings to the spirit of the act, this judgment would be reversed. Regardless of whether the item is a wooden chest or a big screen TV or even a stretch of linoleum, the compulsion to paint it stems from the same desire to beautify and personalize what would otherwise be an ordinary household object.

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