Norway

With Spanish, French, and German taking a strong lead in foreign language popularity, I find myself increasingly in a position of advocacy when it comes to the Norwegian language. As a less commonly taught language (LCTL), Norwegian is usually not the first thing that comes to mind when people are looking to enrich their linguistic repertoire. Students typically look for languages which they feel will be useful to them in the professional world and which they can share with a large number of potential speakers.

Oct 29, 2005 - Valerie Borey

Although I have a tendency to talk about Norwegian culture as it if were some distinctly bounded thing, this is more an accident of rhetoric than actual division. In fact, while recently reading Louise Erdrich’s novel The Bingo Palace,I was reminded of this fact when I ran headfirst into a passage about the Sons of Norway. In the context of Erdrich’s complex treatment of authenticity, purity, and American Indian identity, her reference to the Sons of Norway both startled and allured me. What place did a Norwegian-American fraternal society have in a novel about Native-American life?

Sep 30, 2005 - Valerie Borey

The Chateu Neuf Spelemannslag (CNS), which emerged in 1994 at the University of Oslo, is a group that goes beyond this simple classificatory system. Featuring some nineteen odd instrumental players and vocalists, the group manages to infuse traditional Norwegian folk tunes with modern sentiments from genres such as jazz, swing, classical, and rock. In so doing, they pay tribute to the roots of nordic experience and acknowledge the continuity of that experience.

Aug 31, 2005 - Valerie Borey

For five years, King Håkon, or H7 as loyal Norwegians would come to call him in their hastily scrawled grafitti, led the resistance from Britain. In radio messages and through the press, he urged Norwegians to remain above all, Norwegian in mind and spirit, and too keep fighting for their country. He returned home on June 7, the exact anniversary of his departure, a hero of the Norwegian resistance and of the restoration.

Jul 18, 2005 - Valerie Borey

This year, Norway celebrates a remarkable 100 years of independence. In honor of this grand occasion, readers have been sending in their own original poetry for Norwegian Culture’s Centennial Anniversary Poetry Competition. After a difficult deliberation, three winners (Susi Lyback-Dahl, Karen Pollard, and David Moe) were selected for their expressive nature and obvious engagement in the topic of national sentiment.

Jun 9, 2005 - Valerie Borey

It was 2:30 in the morning on April 9, 1940 that Norway’s King Håkon VII received a message regarding the deployment of Norwegian naval defenses in the Oslofjord. The message confirmed that German forces were attacking Norway, drawing the reluctant country into what would become WWII.

May 17, 2005 - Valerie Borey

Born in Charlottenlund, Denmark on August 3, 1872, King Haakon VII of Norway became a potent symbol for Norwegian nationalism through to present day. He led the re-constituted Norwegian monarchy from the nation’s dissolution with Sweden in 1905, through the troubling times of WWII, until his death in Oslo, Sept 21 1957.

Apr 18, 2005 - Valerie Borey

Oceans have a way of closing in behind you. For a moment, you are there, bobbing in the briny water with the sun glancing off your skin. Then you are under, gone without a trace as those you’ve left behind search for answers to your disappearance. In much the same way, suicide is a death that defies description; it is a disappearance that seeks explanation, not in the act itself, but in the waves that have engulfed it. It is this sort of shadow-play that has propelled Norwegian author Merete Morken Andersen’s Oceans of Time to international recognition.

Mar 15, 2005 - Valerie Borey

There are lots of great Norwegian websites out there for young children who have a taste for popular culture and an interest in learning something new. One of my daughter’s favorite activities is sitting in my lap as we explore the games, stories, and animated creatures that populate these sites. It’s a great way to expose her to other speakers of the Norwegian language and give her access to an entirely different cultural world than the one in which she is currently immersed.

Feb 24, 2005 - Valerie Borey

At noon on January 5th, Norwegians joined other European countries in observing three minutes of silence in honor of those whose lives were cut short by the tsunami that devastated Asia last month. While silence marked the expansive void following the deaths of so many members of the international community, at least 13 Norwegians included, words of sympathy and grief attempted to reach across that void to touch the living.

Jan 18, 2005 - Valerie Borey

Just as personality quizzes can provide a sense of what is within normal range for a cultural inhabitant, information-oriented tests can define what it actually is that a savvy, if otherwise unremarkable, individual should be attuned to. The Norwegian quizzes below highlight various domains of knowledge, ranging from consumer know-how to medical mysteries.

Dec 28, 2004 - Valerie Borey

Many cultures show a preoccupation with personality and self-evaluation. Individuals in Norway are no exception to this, searching for information that would somehow clarify their position in the social world. Personality quizzes, if answered honestly, can serve as an immediate feedback mechanism, allowing the individual to privately reflect on his or her own characteristics and potential. In the same sense, these quizzes can also serve as a norming mechanism, placing human behavior within a defined category or spectrum that is culturally appropriate.

Nov 26, 2004 - Valerie Borey

Norway’s TV2 published a popular quiz to guide Norwegian citizens in making a philosophical choice between George W. Bush and John Kerry. The quiz helps Norwegians determine which US presidential candidate best represents their beliefs, based on their opinions about abortion, the war in Iraq, and homosexual partnerships. Interesting in that like many popular quizzes, it highlights a real area of concern for the general population; it also seeks to inform the public about the very issues that are at stake.

Oct 27, 2004 - Valerie Borey

This exercise was designed as an interactive creative writing project intended to stretch the imagination and narrative skills of its contributors. This particular living story had its birthplace in an intermediate level Norwegian language class based in the United States. If you’re a writer (or an ambitious student of English or Norwegian) and interested in contributing your own ending to this story, read on. My thanks and acknowledgments to the jenter from which this story sprang.

Sep 30, 2004 - Valerie Borey

Visitors to Skogfjorden late this summer would perhaps have been a little puzzled to see human footprints in reds and blues scattered across the rustic, northern Minnesota site. Returning staff and villagers, however, have seen the precursors to these footprints for years as the impressions left by friends and colleagues who have committed to making a difference at Skogfjorden and keeping Norwegian at the heart of everything they do there.

Aug 30, 2004 - Valerie Borey

At first glance, it seems like an advanced game of word association. But the intricate side-stepping and syllabic gliding that led artistic director Kathy Welch of Minneapolis-based Green T Productions from Aegir to Mua Roi Nuoc could only have come from the most intensely choreographed interpretation of cultural history that a thoughtful person can muster. Please, let me explain…

Jul 30, 2004 - Valerie Borey

Those of you who are familiar with Norwegian Culture on Suite101 know that I occasionally like to throw some language resources into the mix. This month I’m showcasing a few remarkable websites that were selected for their capacity to stretch the Norwegian language learner’s abilities in interesting and culturally authentic ways. One of the best ways to learn a language is to simply dig in. I encourage you to do just that with the resources below.

Jun 30, 2004 - Valerie Borey

Both of these controversial Norwegian ad campaigns struggle with the symbols of nationhood. The misappropriation of the Japanese flag in the image of a sanitary napkin and the misuse of Norwegian lefse by a Japanese traveler are images in dialogue with one another over the cross-cultural negotiation of meaning. Both convey the impression of trying to understand and honor the other culture – in the first case by paying tribute to the host of the 1998 Winter Olympics, and in the second by demonstrating a desire to learn about the culinary habits of the Norwegian. Both are examples of the struggle with ambiguous meanings and the foreign familiarity of the other; sharing so much in common but existing worlds apart.

May 30, 2004 - Valerie Borey

Nations, like people, negotiate their relationships through a series of minor trials; boundaries are set and adapted, intentions are analyzed, and standards of expectation put to the test. Friendships between nations and people are tested, not on the battlefield or industrial drives, but on the social give-and-take between two invested parties. This story is concerned with the friendship between Norway and Japan and how that friendship was navigated through two social blunders in national symbolism: the first, a few misguided ad campaigns in Norway and the second, a missed appointment in Japan.

Apr 30, 2004 - Valerie Borey

Written and directed by Bent Hamer, Kitchen Stories is a uniquely subtle comedy that substitutes awkward silences for extravagant punch lines and lends itself for analysis on a number of different levels. It is a peek across the snow-blurred boundaries of Norway and Sweden, of male and female, and of observer and the observed.

Mar 31, 2004 - Valerie Borey

In Norway there is a creature known as the Huldra, a feminine creature, who much like a troll, sports a cow’s tail. The legend goes that, if she is able to get a man to marry her, she will immediately transform into a beautiful woman and shed her wretched tail. This month I’m writing about transformations and what better way to do it than by showing you how to make a Topsy-Turvy Huldra doll?

Feb 29, 2004 - Valerie Borey

In Norway on February 6th the Sami flag will hang proudly outside all official government buildings in recognition of Sami national day. The Sami, commonly referred to as Lapplanders in the past, first celebrated this day in 1993 as a union of the indigenous voices across Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. The date is significant because it marks the first Sami national council meeting held in Trondheim, in 1917.

Jan 31, 2004 - Valerie Borey

2004 is just around the bend and I’ve gathered together some ideas for bringing Norwegian culture with you into the new year. If you like to read about Norway or are interested in exploring new ways to get into your Nordic heritage, try some of these recommended books and courses on for size.

Dec 30, 2003 - Valerie Borey

Just down the street from where I live is a children’s bookstore called the Wild Rumpus. Built into the purple exterior of the front door is a smaller door for children to use and a posted sign warning visitors not to let the cats out. This is the door I used on Sat, Oct. the 4th when I walked in and saw, directly to my right, polar adventurer Ann Bancroft kneeling on the floor, talking to the chicken kept in their front window.

Nov 4, 2003 - Valerie Borey

Norway’s first female Prime Minister, Gro Harlem Brundtland, completed her term as Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) earlier this year. She served three terms as one of Norway’s most environmentally conscious leaders and led the WHO in global campaigns against tobacco and malaria. Among her most impressive contributions have been her outstanding efforts at improving the quality of life for women throughout the world and her recognition that poverty is the leading cause of illness and disease.

Oct 4, 2003 - Valerie Borey

Norwegian Culture: Activities for Children and Families features a selection of articles designed to guide you and your family through itchy-finger afternoons. These articles honor the historical and cultural traditions of Norway by giving them new flavor and form, with activities ranging from language games to sewing projects and shorthand sculpture. The anthology also includes reviews of children’s books engaging Norwegian themes and offers special sections on grandparents and un-born children.

Sep 23, 2003 - Valerie Borey

White-capped mountainsides or slime-coated rubble heaps? What have you got in your teeth? Is your mouth landscaped with popcorn seeds and candied nuts, slivers of caramelized wafers and a fine grating of sugared jelly? Between your cheek and gum, is there a dried-up riverbed of coca-cola thirsting for the spring renewal? Are there potato -chip ridges and cherry pie lattices bridging the gaps between your teeth? And does the lining of your tongue harbor not-so-distant ghosts of milk chocolate nougat? If so, you may be eligible as a host for Thorbjørn Egner’s famous duo of decay, Karius and Baktus.

Aug 30, 2003 - Valerie Borey

Now that my daughter’s language skills are starting in earnest to develop and unfold, I find myself thinking about Frederick the II, that once Emperor who wanted to test whether Latin was the one natural language of all mankind. Frederick felt that a child, left untouched by human language or nurturance, would blossom to maturity with the sounds of Latin on his lips. Of course, Frederick’s experiment failed. The child died before words could ever be formed from his breath. But that leads me to thinking about the possibility of Norwegian being the MOAL (Mother of All Languages).

Jul 4, 2003 - Valerie Borey

Part of valuing a culture is finding creative ways to work through it. Culture is not a tradition so much as a philosophy that continually wraps its head around new situations, new practices, and new people. This is why it can be so interesting to rediscover a culture through the arts and crafts. Here’s a fun project you can do to get acquainted (or reacquainted) with the Viking period.

Jun 6, 2003 - Valerie Borey

With Norwegian Independence Day, Syttende Mai, just around the bend, I’ve come up with a fun and inexpensive project to help you commemorate the day. This is great to do with kids, with student groups, or even as an activity for your Norwegian club. When you’re done, you’ll have an interactive portrait of patriotism – a moving Syttende Mai parade - to hang in your house.

May 9, 2003 - Valerie Borey

In a country with as much coastline as Norway, it should come as no surprise that Norwegians eat a lot of fish. One of their specialties is the fishball – basically processed fish that has been shaped into small oval patties, much like the meatball. Fishballs are purchased by the can (if you live outside Norway, check the ethnic foods aisle at your local grocery store) and can be stored in your pantry for ages without problem.

May 2, 2003 - Valerie Borey

This is particularly recommended for those of you who don’t like bone-dry liver. It’s also great for apartment dwellers who want their cooking to be the most distinctive smell in the hallway.

Apr 18, 2003 - Valerie Borey

There was an unrest in the air. The atmosphere in the dining hall the evening before had been thick with excitement and unbridled energy. “Are there any announcements?” a counselor called in Norwegian. Another counselor stood up in her chair and bellowed, “Tomorrow is Internasjonal Dag!” The villagers who clustered around row after row of heavy oak tables began whooping wildly and drumming their feet thunderously on the floor of Gimle. I felt uneasy.

Mar 31, 2003 - Valerie Borey

Picture yourself amidst a throng of chanting protestors. Men, women, even children bear boldly lettered placards, thrusting them into the winter air as they march. Here and there in the crowd, a demonstrator circulates with a ballpoint pen, collecting signatures against military interference in Iraq. On February 15th more than 100,000 Norwegians across the country took to the streets to demonstrate their commitment to working toward international peace.

Feb 27, 2003 - Valerie Borey

In 1264, when Sturla Tordsson first wrote the story of small Prince Håkon’s flight to safety, he couldn’t have known where the story would end. Certainly he couldn’t have predicted that his dramatic account would be re-enacted each year in Norway as skiers, burdened the royal child’s equivalent in weight, re-trace part of the hazardous route taken by the infant Håkon and his guardians. Nor could he have predicted that, nearly 800 years later, both children and adults would still be spellbound by the story.

Jan 24, 2003 - Valerie Borey

Norwegian sweaters are known everywhere for their distinctive designs and fine craftsmanship. Classy, warm, and well suited for an active lifestyle, Norwegian knitting today is based on techniques that have been traced in the archaeological record as far back as the 9th century, when Vikings roamed the world over. For those of us in the 21st century, now that winter has begun to rear its frosty head, the nesting itch comes into play. We find our fingers reaching for the needles and our minds reaching for the stars…and reindeer, snowflakes, and all those other stylistic elements adorning what we know as the Norwegian sweater.

Dec 18, 2002 - Valerie Borey

It was her second full day out of the hospital, and at five days old, my daughter was ready to enter the amazing world of music education. With Solveig Olava asleep in her sling, her father, grandmother, and I carried her gingerly into the classroom and took a seat on the floor. The room filled with other mothers and their children, and soon enough, the space began to swell with music. She slept through most of the class that day, but I was awakened to the possibilities.

Nov 1, 2002 - Valerie Borey

Americans are notorious for being terrible at geography. They tend to confuse continents with countries, regions with states and seem generally unconcerned with world topography. It worries me to think that those who speak approvingly of declaring war on Iraq have trouble differentiating the country from its Arab neighbors. It worries me even more that, for them, Iraq is simply a carefully colored entry in a political map, shown without context, without history, without people.

Oct 25, 2002 - Valerie Borey

For those of you who enjoy sewing, here’s another simple project to help you celebrate the Viking heritage. This cloth Viking Ship is a wonderful soft-sided toy that will give your child a great introduction to Scandinavian history. If you don’t have a child to give this to, then turn it into a quaint ornament to adorn your Christmas tree.

Oct 18, 2002 - Valerie Borey

In my last article, Tradition: The Most Dangerous Game, we took a brief look at how social pressures influence how the Norwegian culture is celebrated and understood among ethnic Norwegians outside of Norway. Take this quiz to find out how you rate in the social hierarchy of Norwegian-ness. Are you a culture broker or do you just taste the merchandise?

Oct 11, 2002 - Valerie Borey

Now, according to Webster’s Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language (1989), “tradition” is “the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, etc. from generation to generation, esp. by word of mouth or by practice.” It is the unbalanced interpretation of this definition that leads us continually to confusion, for while we tend to emphasize the concreteness of “statements, beliefs, legends, customs, etc.” as if these things were proper objects in themselves, we also tend to ignore the importance of transmission “by word of mouth or by practice.” It is the mode of transmission, I would argue, that ultimately defines the object of tradition.

Oct 4, 2002 - Valerie Borey

When I started dabbling in rosemaling years ago, my grandmother suggested to me that I use my newfound skills to decorate the frame of my mother’s brand-new big screen TV. As a young girl in Larvik, she had herself painted the linoleum on her mother’s kitchen floor and thought a few extra touches to the décor here and there would be a great asset. While I decided against applying my brush to that great glassy monolith, her suggestion made me rethink the whole idea of Norwegian tradition and authenticity. Where does one draw the line?

Sep 27, 2002 - Valerie Borey

Got an old Norwegian t-shirt that you can’t use anymore but don’t want to throw away? Here’s an easy idea for recycling old Norwegian t-shirt patterns and slogans into throw pillows for your home. These pillows also make for great (and educational) plush toys if you have young children in the house.

Sep 20, 2002 - Valerie Borey

If you’ve got a “bun in the oven,” one neat way to represent this is to create a picture frame that adequately captures the maternal experience. Working on a project like the maternity frame with an older child can help build anticipation and acceptance for a younger sibling on the way, as well as create a sense of continued heritage.

Sep 13, 2002 - Valerie Borey

This may be stating the obvious here, but one of the disadvantages of not having money is not being able to buy all the things that you want. For a bibliophile like me, it can be absolute torture to browse through titles I can hardly justify within the constraints of my budget. Books – especially rare children’s and foreign language books – can be truly expensive items and are usually discovered on such a sporadic basis that they masquerade more as impulse buys than practical investments. For children, though, the cost of not having access to foreign literature can be much greater in the long term.

Sep 6, 2002 - Valerie Borey

Got a few hours to spare? Try your hand at this unique and easy to make Norwegian-style picture frame. This is a great sort of frame for torso-shots, as it creates a humorous, three-dimensional perspective on your picture. You can cut down existing pictures to fit or use wallet-size portraits.

Aug 30, 2002 - Valerie Borey

While few of the stories I encounter in daily life refer to the dangers of man-bears and spirit loss, an overwhelming number continue to warn against over-reliance on material goods and amoral behaviors. In this postmodern world, there are indeed some universal aspects to pregnancy beliefs and legends, though it is technology now that has become incorporated into our most basic belief systems about life and the maternal body.

Aug 23, 2002 - Valerie Borey

Mothers from all over the world tell stories to one another warning about the menacing dangers of pregnancy and childhood. I hadn’t fully realized, until I myself became pregnant, how much cultural anxiety is directed toward the pregnant woman and her child. Regardless of culture, the pregnant woman is subjected to sometimes highly specific prescriptions of what to eat, behaviors to avoid, and omens to look out for, whether these be advocated by the authority of the medical community or function simply as “old wives tales.”

Aug 16, 2002 - Valerie Borey

From the settlement of Greenland to the discovery of North America, Elizabeth Janeway surveys the marvelous adventures of the westward pushing Vikings through the young eyes of Leif the Lucky. We follow Leif and his friend, an Irish slave named Brendan, from a mischievous boyhood in Iceland to a maturity in which they encounter the mysteries of political intrigue and the hardship of new lands. This is an excellent semi-fictional account that fully engages the young reader in the environment, geography, history, law, and social life of the Vikings.

Aug 9, 2002 - Valerie Borey

If you’re pregnant and overalls just aren’t your thing, consider going Norwegian with a few simple twists to your wardrobe. Expressing ethnicity throughout your pregnancy doesn’t have to be a complicated matter. So long as you can coordinate the bold colors of Norwegian nationality – red, white, and blue – you’re pretty much set.

Aug 2, 2002 - Valerie Borey

So, in some ways, I figure, I live in a fairy tale. In fairy tales, people rarely have money. Or if they do, it’s in the form of gold coins, which are more decorative than anything. And in some ways, I live in the past. In history, people rarely have unsolvable dilemmas – time doesn’t just stop when something goes wrong. Something always turns up, is what I’m thinking. The most alarming thing about the present is that it never has any resolution, but at least the present soon turns back on itself. That’s what I’ll keep telling myself, anyways.

Jul 26, 2002 - Valerie Borey

With $3.43 in my bank account and the rent soon coming due, I have to stop and wonder what on earth I was thinking when I got myself into this situation. If I really wanted to think long and hard about it, I’d probably get a little depressed. But, truth be known, there’s a poetic nature to this weird poverty that I find appealing. And, as I scan the room for things to pawn, I can’t help but let my gaze slip into the past for elaboration.

Jul 19, 2002 - Valerie Borey

Jul 12, 2002 - Valerie Borey

Imagine a pack of defiant Norwegian children, cheeks flush with excitement and cold, assisting in the resistance effort under the watchful eyes of occupying Nazi soldiers. They zip through the snow-burdened hills on sleds, concealing their smuggled goods under the guise of child’s play, signaling secret messages with their eyes and forming action groups with classmates. This is the premise of Marie McSwigan’s Snow Treasure, a fantastic but charming book about Norwegian resistance during WWII.

Jul 5, 2002 - Valerie Borey

The phrase, “History repeats itself” has been echoed many a time in social studies classrooms, but few children grasp the significance of this concept until much later. Indeed, it can take a critical and experienced eye to extract a recognizable pattern from the muddle of facts and figures we daily encounter. Yet, in Siri: A Long Norwegian Winter, it’s possible for a young girl of Norwegian extraction to identify the repeating patterns of girlhood across time in the Norwegian household.

Jun 28, 2002 - Valerie Borey

As an expectant mother, pay attention to how your “insides” are interacting with your “outsides” and actively look for unique learning opportunities. Learn to recognize the types of things that your baby responds to in the womb, whether it be music or motion or even the faint presence of light, and identify strategies for integrating aspects of Norwegian culture into these events. If you are creative and persistent, you may actually end up with a child that has an acute and thoughtful appreciation of Norwegian culture. Just don’t forget to keep it up after it’s born!

Jun 21, 2002 - Valerie Borey

We’ve all heard horror stories about women who’ve experienced some trauma during pregnancy, only to have their baby born with an impression of that trauma stamped into their physical or psychological being. Take, for instance, the woman who, frightened by a stampeding elephant, dies while giving birth to a child with an enormous head. Or the woman who, after an encounter with a nervous horse, delivers a hoofed babe. An old wive’s tale? Maybe so, but ought we really throw the baby out with the bathwater?

Jun 14, 2002 - Valerie Borey

Female circumcision is an exceedingly charged topic that in the last 10-15 years has been repositioned from the realm of the personal to the political and economic domain of international relations. Nations in which female circumcision has been traditionally practiced are experiencing extreme pressure to ban the practice and penalize its practitioners. Immigrants are particularly susceptible to the social and economic pressures being applied to them from those in both the new country and their native land. Like Safia, they are torn between the values of their past and the expectations of the present in Norway.

Jun 7, 2002 - Valerie Borey

With the rise of immigration to Norway from African countries in recent years, Norway has found itself confronted with the debate over female circumcision (kvinnelig omskjæring). Female circumcision, often referred to as female genital mutilation, has been prohibited by Norwegian law since 1995 and is treated as a violation of basic human rights to health, privacy, and non-discrimination. Critics of this blanket policy against female circumcision, however, argue that the risks associated with this practice have been exaggerated and misunderstood at the expense of traditional practices and cultural notions of beauty and selfhood.

May 31, 2002 - Valerie Borey

Princess Martha Louise, the eldest child of Norway’s King Harald and Queen Sonja will marry Norwegian author Ari Behn late this afternoon. Though the level of controversy surrounding this wedding does not equal that of her brother’s marriage to Mette Marit last August, there is still some talk that this event represents yet another blow to the Norwegian Monarchy.

May 24, 2002 - Valerie Borey

By guest writer Vivian Borey
My Dad’s birthday was May 17. May 17 is also Norway’s Constitution Day, commemorating independence and the establishment of a national constitution in 1814. Norwegians everywhere celebrate this day, and in Norway, it is an all day event including children’s processions, games, music, food, and fun. For years I thought everybody celebrated my Dad’s birthday and I just couldn’t understand why people didn’t do the same for my birthday. I was jealous and tremendously hurt when Jan 28 came around with just a quiet family gathering and a few friends from school. I finally figured my Dad must be a very important man. Why else would his birthday be a national holiday with no work or school?

May 17, 2002 - Valerie Borey

One of the strongest regrets I’ve heard voiced by the grandchildren and great grandchildren of immigrants is that they never took the time to learn language from their grandparents. As a grandparent, even if you know only a few words in Norwegian, you have the opportunity to open the doors for your grandchildren into their heritage and the international community. It is hoped that the strategies listed here will guide you in stimulating your grandchild’s interest in, and understanding of, the language.

May 10, 2002 - Valerie Borey

Grandparents can be some of the most influential people in helping children to learn a language. Children often have a very special relationship to their grandparents and will go along with them on things they would never think of doing with their parents. Since Norwegian is, above all, a heritage language, grandparents deserve special consideration in the Norwegian-learning process. With more Norwegians living outside of Norway than in their homeland, the role of Norwegian grandparents in language acquisition cannot be ignored. For those of you who are interested in passing the language down to your grandchildren, I’ve assembled a few ideas to help you in your endeavor.

May 3, 2002 - Valerie Borey

Norwegian-style knitting is fast becoming an elite and specialized craft in the changing face of industry and leisure. As more and more sweaters are produced by machines, fewer people bother to learn the art of knitting, much less find the time to create the durable masterpieces made in their grandparents’ generation. In honor of this remarkable tradition, I spent an afternoon interviewing Vivian (64), a talented and prolific Norwegian knitter, about her experiences in the craft. In fact, she knit as we chatted.

Apr 26, 2002 - Valerie Borey

The jokes above represent a series of contrasts to define what Norwegians are and what Swedes are not: Norwegians are rational, Swedes are not; Norwegians are intelligent, Swedes are not; Norwegians have well-developed characters, Swedes do not; and so on. Embedded in these jokes we find not only the good natured rivalry between Norway and Sweden, but information about the values in which Norwegians pride themselves – intelligence, analytical skill, character, and common sense.

Apr 19, 2002 - Valerie Borey

Regardless of how good relations are between neighboring countries, it’s always possible to find jokes in these nations expressing animosity toward one another. Jokes about one’s neighbor serve as a kind of conceptual border between ethnicities – they differentiate two nations by drawing real or imagined contrasts between the inhabitants of both, implying the superiority of one by highlighting the inferiority of the other. Such is the case with Norwegian jokes about Swedes.

Apr 12, 2002 - Valerie Borey

Now that you’ve had a chance to go through these jokes for grammatical and semantic content, think about what kind of cultural information is conveyed by them. What do they say, for instance, about Norwegian relationships with Swedes, Arabs, and Same people? Who are the famous Norwegian and not-so-Norwegian people referred to in these jokes? What brand names or geographical locations do they mention?

Apr 5, 2002 - Valerie Borey

I’ve heard it said that you don’t really know a language until you get the jokes. This is particularly true with Norwegian, where so many of the jokes rely on clever word play and puns. I see no reason, however, why you can’t learn language through the study of word play. Not only are jokes a fun way to approach language learning, they’re also chock-full of cultural information and can make great conversation starters (so long as you watch who you’re talking to).

Mar 29, 2002 - Valerie Borey

With Osama bin Laden as the missing value, since his disappearance, these jokes fill in the gaps of uncertainty regarding what will happen in the future, how our identity is defined, and how humanity is a shared condition. They are a response to questions about what we would do, what we have done, and what we know has been done. Furthermore, these jokes differentiate Norway from the US by appealing to previous traditions of war-time experience – those of occupied Norway. With these jokes, a sympathetic hand is warily extended, cognizant of the fact that all hands are soiled. As the saying goes, “In the dark, all cats are gray.”

Mar 22, 2002 - Valerie Borey

Being an enormous admirer of Kathleen Stokker’s work, Folklore Fights the Nazis: Humor in Occupied Norway 1940-1945 (1995), I couldn’t help but take notice when anti-bin Laden jokes started filtering into my inbox. Most Americans, at least, have received more than their share of anti-Taliban, anti-bin Laden witticisms and manipulated images. As Stokker suggested of humor in occupied Norway, these kinds of jokes serve to bind citizens together in a common sense of patriotism and resistance. They not only inspire a light-hearted optimism in the face of tragedy, but also foreground expectant hopes in the directed search for the one who got away. So, how do Norwegian anti-bin Laden jokes figure into this scheme?

Mar 15, 2002 - Valerie Borey

So, who are the Nordic Olympians of note this year? Where do they come from, what do they do, and who are the people that support them? Last week we presented the Norwegian women Olympians of the 2002 Winter Games. Norwegian men had an excellent performance to match. Here are some of the men’s champions below.

Mar 8, 2002 - Valerie Borey

As of February 22, Norwegian athletes in the Winter Olympics this year have won a total of 10 gold medals, 7 silver medals, and 4 bronze medals with their cold-weather prowess. Norwegians have participated in all of the Olympic Winter Games (19 total), but have only claimed a ten gold medal victory twice before – once in 1994 and again in 1998.

Mar 1, 2002 - Valerie Borey

It's not that Norwegian language resources aren't out there - they just take a little time to find and sort through. For those of you who are learning or teaching Norwegian, it can be frustrating to spend hours sorting through sites for language exercises, tips, or materials. I've laid out a few below to help you out with your search.

Feb 22, 2002 - Valerie Borey

Performance skits are fairly common sights in a language classroom. Skits are popular because they give the student an opportunity not only to come up with a dialogue script, but also to play with pronunciation and language performance anxiety. One of the drawbacks in using these kinds of skits, however, is the fact that many students use one of two strategies that aren't particularly helpful. How do you, as a Norwegian teacher, avoid this?

Feb 15, 2002 - Valerie Borey

The way you study a language can have a profound effect on how much you learn and how easily you are able to employ what you’ve learned. In the past few weeks I have presented several articles on language learning strategies to help you gain control of your Norwegian language abilities. Here are a few more strategies for learning Norwegian effectively.

Feb 8, 2002 - Valerie Borey

If you are in the process of learning Norwegian and keep coming up with "por supuesto" instead of "selvfølgelig," chances are that your languages are crossing wires. What's happening is that you've filed information under one heading (in this case, "of course") and are having trouble accessing the right information.

Feb 1, 2002 - Valerie Borey

It's one thing to talk about mnemonics as a strategy for memorizing vocabulary, but how is a strategy for experiencing a language? Why bother learning Norwegian if memorization comes before experience, if learning to speak Norwegian comes before experiencing Norway? I suggest that learning Norwegian is a part of experiencing Norway. Learning a language means not just becoming a speaker of that language, but learning to see the world through that language.

Jan 25, 2002 - Valerie Borey

Learners have often used mnemonic (memory aid) strategies when studying complex material, but this strategy has been less frequently and explicitly used in the study of language. For those of you who are learning Norwegian (or teaching Norwegian), I outline four basic approaches to mnemonic language learning below and briefly discuss the evidence for its application to cognitive processes.

Jan 18, 2002 - Valerie Borey

Writing in his distinctive dialect, Prøysen reveals a regional pride that warmly recalls the heart of the country. His songs are touchingly nationalistic in that they focus, not on the grandiose political themes of a European nation, but on the personal details of family, childhood, and home: picking apples and blueberries, walking to school, and the acquisition of something neat and mysterious.

Jan 11, 2002 - Valerie Borey

Though most boys in the area had little choice but to begin working after confirmation, Prøysen received a stipend that allowed him to continue his education at the Ringsaker Amtskole. Here he wrote essays for the other students, in exchange for fifty ører. Prøysen finished his studies in 1932 and found work as a cook on a nearby farm, drawing and writing in his spare time. When time allowed, he also got involved in amateur theater and local revues.

Jan 4, 2002 - Valerie Borey

A noted Norwegian singer and children's writer, Alf Prøysen's lyric stories appealed to a wide audience including both children and adults. His characters and observations carried strong nationalistic and anti-authoritarian overtones, transgressing the same class boundaries that he had been acutely aware of in his childhood. His ability to locate the humorous, the hopeful, and the romantic in the stark landscape of struggle and poverty made him one of the most pentetrating Norwegian folk artists of the 20th century.

Dec 28, 2001 - Valerie Borey

When I was a child, the preparations for Christmas were really fun and as Christmas neared, our anticipation and excitement mounted. Our apartment was cleaned from top to bottom. Several kinds of cookies were made. My friends and I started making Christmas presents early in the fall. I learned to knit when I was five, so I usually made knitted gifts for Mamma and Pappa. In home economics in school, they let us work on our Christmas if we had extra time.

Dec 21, 2001 - Valerie Borey

Ever since 1947, Norway has donated a Christmas tree to Britain as a symbol of gratitude for assistance to the Norwegian people, at home and abroad, during WWII. King Håkon VII (who spent five years in London) and the many Norwegians exiled abroad in this time sought refuge in Great Britain during Nazi occupation. Britain not only provided a home for the multitudes of displaced Norwegians, but also sent Norwegian broadcasts to those in Norway who had successfully managed to protect their radios against confiscation. These broadcasts were vital sources of information to the Norwegian underground.

Dec 14, 2001 - Valerie Borey

The qualities of humility and being "down-to-earth" have been much praised among the Norwegian people. Certainly, to put on airs or pretend to be better than the people from which you came is a thing much discouraged, socially sanctioned by avoidance and "the cold shoulder". Even the King of Norway doesn't put on a big show of bodyguards and barricades, but carries himself as an ordinary man despite his title. But do Norwegian secretly desire to show off their cleverness, skill, or goodness to others in ways that will not compromise their humility?

Dec 7, 2001 - Valerie Borey

Though useful to speak of sibling relationships in an abstracted way, a look into the intimate channels of sibling relationships over the life course may provide a more meaningful mapping of the concepts above. "Anna" is a female pensioner interviewed by Vigdis Hegna Myrvang (1992) in her article, "'Life goes on as usual': The 'leisure' of female old-age pensioners."

Nov 30, 2001 - Valerie Borey

Though more prevalent in the larger families of the early twentieth century, older children were often charged with the care of their younger siblings. Though children of both sexes were expected to fulfill this role, as they became older, girls assumed increasing responsibility. "The first job assigned to children was looking after younger brothers and sisters. As the job was passed on to the next in age, the older child began getting used to other tasks. Girls would help to do the women's work, boys would accompany their father or the other men of the household "(Korkiakangas, 1990, pp. 87-88).

Nov 23, 2001 - Valerie Borey

Though there has been extensive research on sibling relationships across both time and culture, the literature on the Norwegian søskenflokk (sibling-flock) is surprisingly absent, or at least underrepresented. Despite the fact that Norwegian genealogical research is "sibling heavy" in comparison with the pedigrees of other ethnicities, though biographies and memoirs are filled with explanations of birth order and references to sibling relationships, there has been, to my knowledge, no systematic attempt to account for meanings of sibling structures in the Norwegian context.

Nov 16, 2001 - Valerie Borey

It has often been suggested that Norwegians value independence, individualism, and self-reliance more than North Americans. Proponents of this idea point to the fact that Norwegian children take more responsibility for their education, are more self-sufficient in daily life, and exercise more control over life decisions. Below is a brief consideration of some of the research done contrasting Americans and Canadians with their Norwegian counterparts. The third North American nation, Mexico, is unfortunately not represented in the comparative literature of Norwegian culture and, as a consequence, will not be examined here.

Nov 9, 2001 - Valerie Borey

Translated variously as childhood "faith," "belief," "superstition," "innocence," "foolishness," "gullibility," and "naiveté," the Norwegian term barnetro is a difficult one to pin down. Used most commonly in reference to religion, it's easy to mistake the word as simply mapping on to conceptions of Christian faith and childlike trust in God. Despite this, as a brief look at the term's usage in song and poetry, it's evident that barnetro has broader applications.

Nov 2, 2001 - Valerie Borey

Translated variously as childhood "faith," "belief," "superstition," "innocence," "foolishness," "gullibility," and "naiveté," the Norwegian term barnetro is a difficult one to pin down. Used most commonly in reference to religion, it's easy to mistake the word as simply mapping on to conceptions of Christian faith and childlike trust in God. Despite this, as a brief look at the term's usage in song and poetry, it's evident that barnetro has broader applications.

Oct 26, 2001 - Valerie Borey

Confirmation in Norway has held a variety of meanings since the introduction of Christianity to the country by Olav Tryggvason. From a point of formalized entry into the spiritual world, it has diverged to take on multiple forms for the Norwegian populace. An initiation into the world of adulthood, a point of resistance against an oppressive religious order, and an area of status negotiation, ritual confirmation has broadened its borders and surpassed even, in true Weberian form, the constraints of organized religion to become a civic, rather than religious, activity.

Oct 19, 2001 - Valerie Borey

My mother recently described to me a cautionary story her mother once told her while she was going to school in Norway. Far more than a story, it's a window into the temperance of southern Norway in the early fifties. It's a gentle warning to live a life of moderation, to exercise restraint in matters of exertion, and to soothe the rough tangle of thoughts that so often can complicate and inflame the individual's existence.

Oct 12, 2001 - Valerie Borey

Celebrations in Norway traditionally call for the use of clever and appropriate toasts to complete the festive atmosphere. This is particularly true of weddings, the symbolic joining together of families (and political units). If you've been invited to a Norwegian wedding and are groping for something to say, read on:

Oct 5, 2001 - Valerie Borey

The tense atmosphere in the US following the crash of several air carriers into New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon has found a niche in the Norwegian consciousness. The Norwegian public is responding to changing world conditions by formulating a position on US anti-terrorist actions, exploring its own role in the Bush-Bin Laden conflict, and seeking strategies to protect the security of travel and tourism in Norway's future.

Sep 28, 2001 - Valerie Borey

Norway, with its unique and insulated nationalism, rejected the notion of order without reason that other disillusioned countries had seized upon as their only solace. Beneath the grim reality of rationing, war, and occupation lay a deep seated optimism about the future of the Norwegian people. Spared the atrocities of the first world war and equipped with the newfound pride of fleeting independence, Norwegians found little of value in an art form that did not fit snugly into a framework of nationalistic triumph. Surrealism just didn't take.

Sep 21, 2001 - Valerie Borey

As with many other nations around the world, Norway expressed horror at the acts of terrorism in Washington D.C, New York, and Somerset County, PA yesterday. Norwegians visiting the US reported in safely with their families throughout the day yesterday and the Norwegian embassy flew their flag at half mast.

Part II of Surrealism didn't take will appear next week, in order to make space for this special report on Norway's response to the acts of terrorism in America.

Sep 12, 2001 - Valerie Borey

Despite it’s enormous popularity in Europe in the WWII epoch, surrealism never experienced widespread acceptance in Norway during this period. Surrealist artists found little success on the Norwegian market and encountered apathy among Norwegian audiences. Why did Norway resist an ideological movement that emphasized breaking from the arbitrary boundaries of perception and reality in preference of a more traditional perspective on the times? Why, in such turbulent times, did Norway turn its gaze inwards rather than embrace a philosophy that emphasized an externalization of the inward gaze?

Sep 7, 2001 - Valerie Borey

Curious about potential cross-cultural differences in the perception of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), I took a look through articles on the topic appearing in Norwegian newspapers over the last few years. While ADHD is not as high profile in Norway as it is in the United States, I came across some interesting similarities and differences that represent a range of viewpoints.

Aug 31, 2001 - Valerie Borey

A small child, naked to the waist, frolics in the pure afternoon sun. The tangled wisps of her pale blond hair catch prisms of light directed at her left shoulder. We see only the back of her head, framed by a simple wreath of daisies, and the fresh clean skin of her back and shoulders, yet the image of Scandinavia is clear. Here is the fresh, carefree nature of Norway, the simplicity of its people and national symbols, the guileless nakedness of innocence.

Aug 24, 2001 - Valerie Borey

On the surface, King Harald's Saga (Sturluson, 1966) might not appear to lend itself quite so easily to a feminist interpretation. Yet the themes of betrayal and kin confrontation around which this saga is centered seem to reveal, upon closer reading, that the "work of women" figures prominently in this story. Using Micaela di Leonardo's (1987) concept of "kin work" for the purpose of this analysis, I propose that the creation and dissipation of political/kin tensions became the mechanisms through which women exerted influence in Viking society. These tensions surface throughout the saga through metaphorical identification and situational parallelism.

Aug 17, 2001 - Valerie Borey

If you have been doing geneological research and have found a living relative in Norway that you were unaware of, why not write them an introductory letter? Below is a free template you can use for writing a letter to relatives in Norway.

Aug 10, 2001 - Valerie Borey

Decorative sewing is a Norwegian tradition that has been particularly important for women throughout at least the last thousand years of Norway's history. Aside from being an amusing hobby, it serves other functions as well, such as the expression of identity, sociability, and generosity.

Aug 3, 2001 - Valerie Borey

Fear that immigrant populations will be responsible for contaminating Norway has been widespread – not just in terms of HIV, but drawing also on beliefs about criminal behavior, employment, religious zealotry, public health, and the integrity of the educational system. In light of these concerns, a number of neo-nazi groups have been gaining in popularity, especially in areas which have seen a larger influx of immigrants.

Jul 27, 2001 - Valerie Borey

With the upcoming wedding of Prince Håkon Magnus on August 25th, Norway’s press has held fiancée Mette-Marit Tjessem H¢iby under careful scrutiny. Håkon’s relationship and imminent marriage to a single mother has sparked debates on the current state of Norway’s monarchy and produced mixed feelings on questions of morality and the role of the royal family. Who is Mette-Marit and how has she managed to plunge Norway’s monarchy into the simmering pot of contention?

Jul 20, 2001 - Valerie Borey

Among linguists, anthropologists, psychologists, and philosophers, there’s a growing interest in the relevance and accuracy of translating particular key cultural concepts into a foreign language or distant time. How accurately can we represent another culture’s sentiments through word-for-word translations? If certain concepts can be claimed to be universal, which ones are they? As the Vestfold dialect of Norway’s southern region is the one I have most familiarity with, I have chosen to focus on this dialect to go over the most commonly used terms and concepts of euphoric and dysphoric emotions in Norwegian.

Jul 13, 2001 - Valerie Borey

Among linguists, anthropologists, psychologists, and philosophers, there’s a growing interest in the relevance and accuracy of translating particular key cultural concepts into a foreign language or distant time. How accurately can we represent another culture’s sentiments through word-for-word translations? If certain concepts can be claimed to be universal, which ones are they? As the Vestfold dialect of Norway’s southern region is the one I have most familiarity with, I have chosen to focus on this dialect to go over the most commonly used terms and concepts of euphoric and dysphoric emotions in Norwegian.

Jul 6, 2001 - Valerie Borey

Because the Sami are relatively under-represented in US media, it’s easy to mis-represent them as primitive ooga-booga people with oversimplified beliefs and traditions. A lot of the introductory material out there in English on Norway’s indigenous people can be deceptively simple. Not all Sami are reindeer-herding, lavvu-living, joiking political activists. Not that these things aren’t significant parts of Sami culture – it’s just that they are parts of a diverse whole, covering a range of time and perspectives in history. It’s with this diverse whole in mind that I ask you to consider the recommendations I’ve made below when doing research on the Sami.

Jun 29, 2001 - Valerie Borey

During WWII, 706 Norwegian merchant vessels were lost and over 3,600 seamen killed. While there are many chapters written glorifying the bravery of Norwegian sailors during WWII, there are few that seek to understand their experience in personal, rather than militaristic or nationalistic terms, nor do they explore the high rate of divorce, out of wedlock births, and suicides during this period and after. German occupation and the war worsened conditions for Norwegians at home and abroad, not only by interfering with industry, education, and food supply, but also by disrupting a pattern of sea-faring traditions and exacerbating the already present tension within coastal culture. (Part 2 of 2, including references).

Jun 22, 2001 - Valerie Borey

During WWII, 706 Norwegian merchant vessels were lost and over 3,600 seamen killed. While there are many chapters written glorifying the bravery of Norwegian sailors during WWII, there are few that seek to understand their experience in personal, rather than militaristic or nationalistic terms, nor do they explore the high rate of divorce, out of wedlock births, and suicides during this period and after. German occupation and the war worsened conditions for Norwegians at home and abroad, not only by interfering with industry, education, and food supply, but also by disrupting a pattern of sea-faring traditions and exacerbating the already present tension within coastal culture. (Part 1 of 2)

Jun 15, 2001 - Valerie Borey

Norse contact with the Bjarmer people lasted from approximately 850 to 1238, although evidence seems to suggest that this contact was perhaps more significant and enduring than this brief time span would imply. I'm interested not so much in the nature of Viking-Bjarmer transactions, but in what these transactions may imply about Viking culture and people. What sorts of cultural meanings were enacted in these transactions and how did the Vikings acknowledge these meanings? What sorts of values were engaged in the cross-cultural negotiations of trade and territory? (part 2 of 2, including references)

Jun 8, 2001 - Valerie Borey

Norse contact with the Bjarmer people lasted from approximately 850 to 1238, although evidence seems to suggest that this contact was perhaps more significant and enduring than this brief time span would imply. I'm interested not so much in the nature of Viking-Bjarmer transactions, but in what these transactions may imply about Viking culture and people. What sorts of cultural meanings were enacted in these transactions and how did the Vikings acknowledge these meanings? What sorts of values were engaged in the cross-cultural negotiations of trade and territory? (part 1 of 2)

Jun 1, 2001 - Valerie Borey

Former Prime Minister of Norway and current Stortinget member Kjell Magne Bondevik was in attendance in Minneapolis’ Syttende Mai celebration at Loring Park last Saturday. Appearing in good spirits, Bondevik sat in the front row with his wife, her sister, and brother-in-law as costumed performers filed on and off stage. Bondevik currently represents the county of M¢re and Romsdal as a member of parliament,Former Prime Minister of Norway and current Stortinget member Kjell Magne Bondevik was in attendance in Minneapolis’ Syttende Mai celebration at Loring Park last Saturday. Appearing in good spirits, Bondevik sat in the front row with his wife, her sister, and brother-in-law as costumed performers filed on and off stage. Bondevik currently represents the county of M¢re and Romsdal as a member of parliament.

May 25, 2001 - Valerie Borey

Although traveling craftspeople and peddlers occupied only the margins of Norwegian society, they played an important part in the regulation and negotiation of Norwegian values concerning identity and proper behavior in folk society.

May 18, 2001 - Valerie Borey

Although termed the City of Peace, Oslo's history as the host city of the Nobel Peace Prize has been immersed in controversy since Alfred Nobel left his legacy.

May 11, 2001 - Valerie Borey