Elements of spiritual culture features of life in Norway. Traditions and culture of Norway. · It is not customary for typical Norwegians to express violent emotions in public, excessive emotionality is also a bad form. In public places one must be discreet, respectful, and

The traditional material and spiritual culture of the Norwegians, like other peoples, is distinguished by its originality. The type of settlement of the Norwegians, their dwellings, food, clothing and other elements of material culture are specific. tradition craft folklore custom

Their social and family life, their folklore, in general, their entire spiritual culture are unique. Since the Middle Ages, artistic crafts have been common in Norway. Numerous items of blacksmithing and jewelry art have survived to this day. An integral part of the interior of the Norwegian dwelling was intricately decorated, skillfully made cauldrons, tongs, forks, beautifully decorated handles of knives and forks, scabbards, metal candlesticks. Of the elements of clothing, buttons and brooches, forged silver crowns for brides, passed down from mother to daughter, are very elegant. From the 18th century painting on wood became widespread. On the doors of houses and alcoves, on the walls of chests and chests, they painted flowers and fruits, scenes on biblical and everyday topics. Furniture and a significant part of utensils were made of wood - plates, spoons, ladles, beer mugs. Ethnographers have long registered and are buying up entire rural settlements (proud in Norwegian) as exhibits for open-air museums. Gord is a complex of residential and utility buildings, up to twenty in total. Since ancient times, the buildings of the Norwegians are timber-framed .. A residential building (stuve, styue) - with a fireplace for wealthy peasants - two- or three-story, with several rooms. On the ground floor there will be an entrance hall, a winter kitchen, a living room, and on the upper floor there will be bedrooms. A separate house with a hearth usually open type (illhus) is intended for baking bread, brewing, washing clothes and cooking food in the summer. Storerooms for various purposes (lofts) are built on a cage or on massive pillars. Grain, clothes are stored in lofts, there is also a summer bedroom for the bride or newlyweds. Sheds (stabbur) are placed near reservoirs on low vertical logs for drying and storing fish, for storing fishing equipment and boats, as well as a bathhouse with an open hearth (badstuye) and a barn for drying grain. Traditional buildings have a gable roof. Often, on top of the boardwalk, it was covered with birch bark and turf. Log cabins were sheathed outside and inside with vertically placed boards. The platbands, cornices, and sometimes the ridges of the stuve roofs were covered with skillful carvings. These dwellings, painted in traditional red, green or blue, with white architraves and ends of log cabins, look picturesque. The summer type of dwelling for shepherds and their families living in the warm period on mountain pastures (setters) is a thinly log cabin. It also has a storage room. Next to the log house is a corral for cattle, fenced with boulders or a fence made of twigs. The traditional dress of the Norwegians, traditionally referred to as "bunad", to this day has several forms of cut and an amazing variety of colors; this is especially true for women's clothing. Nowadays, the bunad is worn only on major holidays and at weddings. Folk customs require Norwegians to marry according to mutual disposition. The average marriageable age for men is 25 years, for women it is 22-23 years, in rural areas it is 19-20 years. After the betrothal, the young are officially considered the bride and groom. The wedding is handled when the groom considers himself economically prepared to support his family. The birth of a child is not accompanied by such big ceremonies as a wedding. A few days after the birth of the child, they are baptized in a pickaxe. It is customary to give children the names of their beloved relatives.

It is worth mentioning the traditions of national Norwegian cuisine. The food of Norwegians is dominated by fish, meat, dairy products, cereals. Very popular are meat and fish soups, fried, salted and dried fish, various hard cheeses (sweet goat cheese of dark cream color is especially specific), cottage cheese, cheese, boiled or smoked ham, stewed or boiled meat, unleavened cakes (flatbred), wheat porridge with cream (flete-grög), honey, jam. Norwegian cuisine is typically northern. As a rule, there is little fresh food in it, and in general the food is quite heavy (in cold weather, without calories, it would be difficult). Until recent years, vegetable oil was practically unknown here: the entire cuisine was based on butter. When Norwegians are asked about the most popular dishes among the people, most people name meatballs, lamb stew with cabbage and cod. Potatoes with herring were the main food of the poor. In the XIX and XX centuries. Traditional European cuisine is also coming to Norwegian cities, everyone is starting to use spices and wine.

A distinctive feature of Norwegian society has long been caring for the family. The vast majority of Norwegian surnames have ancestral roots. They often denote natural qualities or are associated with the economic mastery of the land, dating back to the Viking period. Even the possession of hereditary land is officially protected by inheritance law. Under this law, the family has the privilege of reclaiming the ancestral farm, even if it is sold. In rural areas, the family is retained as the main element of society. All family members travel from afar to participate in weddings, christenings, ceremonies and funerals. This unity is often not lost when living in the city. With summer approaching, staying in a small country house located in the mountains or on the coast becomes a popular model for joint holidays for the whole family. Most of the inhabitants are Lutherans - Evangelicals. The Norwegian Lutheran Church occupies a state position and is divided into eleven dioceses. Its work is controlled by the Ministry of Education, Science and Religion. Spiritual instructions and recommendations are of great importance in the life of parishioners, this role is especially strong in the western and southern regions of the country.

The Norwegian Church assists in conducting and organizing missionary actions in Africa and India. Therefore, the country is in first place in terms of the number of missionaries in the world. Despite the state position of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Norwegians enjoy unlimited freedom in matters of choosing a faith.

Send your good work in the knowledge base is simple. Use the form below

Students, graduate students, young scientists who use the knowledge base in their studies and work will be very grateful to you.

Posted on http://www.allbest.ru/

folk culture. Norway

Performed by: Koroleva T., Sushkevich P.

Plan

1. Activities (types of activities)
2. Clothes (gender and age specific)
3. Food
4. Holidays
5. Culture of communication (gender and age characteristics of communication in the family and society)
6. Artistic, oral folk art (specific examples)

1. Activities (types of activities)

Norwegians live in forested and arable valleys and in coastal areas. The traditional occupations of the Norwegians are agriculture, animal husbandry, fishing, and now they work in a wide variety of industries.

Almost a third of Norway's economically active population is employed in industry. A little more than 1/10 of the economically active population works in fishing, agriculture and forestry. A relatively large share is employed in transport, especially in the navy. Norwegians are considered the most "seafaring" nation in the world. Employment in the service sector is growing every year, where almost half of the economically active population works.

2. Clothes (gender and age specific)

Until the late Middle Ages, an amazing variety of forms and colors of folk clothing was preserved in Norway. Almost every mountainous province, separated from others by ridges, had its own folk costume, different from others. In the late Middle Ages, a pan-European type of costume penetrated Norway, first to suburban and coastal areas, and then to mountain valleys.

As a whole complex, folk costume almost fell into disuse a century ago. But by the end of the last century, when a movement for the revival of Norwegian antiquities arose in the country, in particular, old local types of rural clothing appeared again - the so-called bunad (bunad). These clothes, for women richly colored with embroideries, reflecting, however, the styles and tastes of the new time, have become modern festive rural clothing. Several types of men's folk clothing and up to 150 variants of women's clothing are common, and the distribution area of \u200b\u200bthese species covers the south and south-west of Norway and they are almost never found in areas north of Trondheim.

In southern Norway and the valley regions of Gydbrandsdal, short (knee-length) trousers, red sweaters, woolen stockings and thick leather shoes with buckles are worn as festive men's clothing in the summer.

In the mountainous regions of southwestern Norway, on holidays, men wear a suit that resembles a jumpsuit in appearance. These are long cloth trousers, reaching at the top to the chest and held on top by the shoulders. Underwear is worn under the overalls, over it is a shirt, most often white, with wide sleeves and narrow cuffs. A colored vest is worn over the shirt and overalls, usually red with black edging along the edges, with a turn-down collar, and a light, most often white, cloth jacket with a standing collar embroidered with red and green floral ornaments is put on it. The shoulder is also embroidered along the armhole. The entire jacket is hemmed with a red cloth strip along the edges. Probably, by virtue of tradition, even in the cities, preschool children are dressed in colored overalls, and among teenagers, overalls are common as everyday attire.

Among the numerous forms of women's festive clothing now existing, two main types can be distinguished: a suit with a sundress and a suit with a skirt. However, the abundance of regional decorative features in each of these types diversifies the options for women's costumes so much that it can be considered that every county, sometimes even every valley in southern Norway has its own completely unique women's festive clothes.

The modern everyday clothes of the Norwegians differ little from the costumes of the townspeople of other countries of Western Europe. Norwegians, like all Scandinavians, much more than in other European countries, woolen products are common: knitted sweaters, jumpers, sweaters, socks, stockings, hats.

Workers, peasants and fishermen wear boots sewn with daggers made of cowhide or pigskin, which are usually not smeared with shoe polish, but soaked in fat. The same shoes are worn for skiing and hiking.

The fishing costume of fishermen and whalers is peculiar - a jacket and trousers made of goat or ram skin. Often, a linen impregnated with drying oil is used as a material for a fishing suit, and a tarpaulin is used for a hat. High boots are pulled on their feet, a round leather hat with wide brim is put on the head - the southwest. Under outerwear - woolen underwear and a sweater. In summer, women employed on the shore for cutting fish are widely used in fairly light clothing: shorts, an apron made of waterproof material, shoes or boots on their feet, often only a bra and a scarf on their heads on their upper body. In cool weather, the suit is complemented by trousers, a long-sleeved blouse and a waterproof jacket.

When working in the fields, the peasants cover their heads with a hat and do not wear a jacket or blouse, but put on a shirt tucked into trousers, with suspenders over it. Women usually work in the field with uncovered heads, the dress is covered with aprons. On weekdays, outside working hours, the clothes of peasants differ little from the clothes of townspeople, especially workers, but more than in the city, they are complemented by knitted woolen products: vests, scarves, knitted or woven belts; women often wear bonnets, smart aprons with embroidery, ribbons or colored beads.

3. Food

On weekdays, Norwegians usually eat hot food twice a day: before and after work. Therefore, lunch is far from everywhere and is not always the main meal time. Peasants leaving for field work have their main meal in the morning. For fishermen who go to sea for the night and day, the main meal is before sailing.

In cities and fishing villages, lunch usually begins with meat broth, and in rural areas - with cereal, flour, potato, vegetable or fish soup.

Sweet fruit soups - plums, apples and pears - are often the third course of dinner. Milky rice soup is eaten as a celebratory dish.

One of the main places in the Norwegian menu is occupied by fish. Fish such as cod and herring are cheap and widely available. The most common fish dishes are boiled cod or salted herring with potato garnish, fried cod, flounder or halibut, boiled shrimps. Favorite national dish - clip-fix. This is cod, dried on the rocks, flattened and decapitated. It is taken on the road by fishermen, shepherds and peasants. They also eat smoked and dried fish. Expensive varieties of fish, in particular salmon, sturgeon, etc., are very rare on the table of the average Norwegian.

As a second course, in addition to fish, they eat meat dishes (roast, schnitzels) or cereals - barley, semolina, oatmeal. These are old traditional dishes. Wheat porridge with cream, the so-called fletegröt (fL0tegr&t), known as one of the oldest Norwegian national dishes. It is common even today. Fletegret is a mandatory treat for peasants at a wedding, a ceremonial gift to a woman in labor, the main dish when treating neighbors for help in the household.

Potato dishes are widely represented in food. It is eaten boiled and fried, as an independent dish or as a side dish. The most common Norwegian potato dish is mashed potatoes with milk. They also eat vegetables and beans.

Of the fats, creamy margarine is the most widely used. Butter workers and fishermen consume less. Pork fat is eaten salted with bread, potatoes and onions are fried on it, and soup is boiled.

Dairy products are widely represented in the diet. For a long time, the Norwegian table has been distinguished by a variety of hard boiled cheeses, cottage cheese, and feta cheese. Especially popular is the dark cream-colored sweet goat cheese. Most often, cheese is eaten with bread or a bun cooked in the form of a sandwich. The table of Norwegians, like other Scandinavians, is famous for an abundance of various sandwiches: with cheeses, boiled and smoked hams, butter, stewed or boiled meat, fish caviar, honey, molasses, jam, etc.

Favorite drink is coffee. It is drunk at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Tea is less common. Of the intoxicating drinks, beer is common, which is brewed at home in rural areas. In the Middle Ages, an intoxicating drink made from honey, meth, was popular. Now it is sometimes drunk at weddings in rural areas.

Bread in urban areas and for fishing villages is baked in bakeries. This is sour rye or wheat-rye black bread, as well as white wheat bread. The peasants bake their own bread. Even at the end of the last century, they baked exclusively unleavened flat bread in the form of flat cakes, often with a hole in the middle - flatbred (flat bed). Flatbread dough was kneaded from rye or mixed rye-barley flour, sometimes with the addition of oatmeal or pea flour. Flatbred was baked for several months. They kept cakes in pantries strung on a pole or on a rope. Shepherds took such bread with them for seters, and peasants for field work. Nowadays, peasants, along with flatbread, bake both sour black and white hearth bread for several days. It is typical for both types of Norwegian bread - flatbread and hearth bread - to mix anise or cumin into the dough. Among Norwegians and even Norwegians, especially in cities, tobacco smoking is very common. Cigarettes are smoked, but pipes are popular among fishermen and peasants.

4. Holidays

Constitution Day is one of the most important holidays in Norway., it is celebrated on May 17. Annual parades and processions are an indispensable attribute of this day. At 10 a.m. in the capital, a procession of schoolchildren to the Royal Palace begins along Karl Johansgate Street. In each column, schoolchildren are dressed in their own distinctive costume. After the students come the adults. The first of May is celebrated both as International Workers' Day and as a holiday of spring and flowers. On May 1, as well as on Constitution Day on May 17, as well as on Norway's Independence Day on June 7, national flags are flown throughout the country.

The main religious holiday in Norway- Christmas (Jul), whose traditional character is Julebukk, and Easter. Also in Norway, the Nativity of John the Baptist (Jonsok) is celebrated, it coincides with the summer solstice (June 24). On this day, the summer holidays begin and it is greeted with lighting on the night before the bonfires. In the north of the country, white nights can be observed, while in the southern part the day is 17.5 hours.

The most honored folk holidays in Norway- Christmas, Maslenitsa, Easter. Christmas, as in Sweden, is preceded by the feast of St. Lucia, which marks her bringing light into the darkest time of the year, for Christmas. The most beautiful and worthy girl is chosen for the role of Lucia. Yule is what they call Christmas in Norway. They buy gifts for children, decorate the Christmas tree, bake holiday bread in the villages, slaughter pigs, stuff sausages.

On the eve of the holiday, children set up high poles in the yard with sheaves of unthreshed bread for the birds. For a festive family dinner, roast pork, goose, the national dish fl "ogegret, intoxicating drinks are served, for dessert - coffee with Christmas cake yulekake. To this day, it is customary to arrange processions of mummers on New Year's Eve, among which there is also kyesven - a guy depicting a scarecrow from straw.

The mummers carry on sticks the head of a goat with a long tow beard stuffed with hay. Maslenitsa is celebrated at the end of winter: they bake round buns ("larks") with a couple of raisins in each. Easter is celebrated for two days: usually guests are invited to this holiday. On the night of June 23-24, St. Hans' day is celebrated. Girls decorate their heads with wreaths of flowers, cut down birch trees are placed in the houses, fragrant sedge is sprinkled on the floor. Young people jump over lit bonfires and lead round dances.

5. Culture of communication (gender and age characteristics of communication in the family and society)

norway traditional culture society

· Not accepted in Norway excessively praise a person in person, this applies to everyone except very close people. Your compliments will be considered flattery, and this will not make you better in the eyes of the locals.

· It is not customary to be late here! The point is that Norwegians always arrive on time and they respect people who value their time.

· When you enter public transport and see an elderly person standing, do not try to give up your seat! So you emphasize your superiority over him. Oh, those weird Norwegians!

· When teaching children at school, grades are not announced publicly, and praising a child in front of the whole class is considered to single out one among all the others, which is against the rules. The upbringing in families is strict, and pampering children is not accepted.

· Norwegian mentality does not accept talk about their family troubles at work. Imagine how quiet it would be in Russian offices, because we, as a "country of councils", are used to solving other people's problems in frank conversations during working hours.

Emigrants who go to drink coffee during work and are distracted from their work duties are condemned Norwegians. After all, usually here the day begins at 10.00 and ends at 15.00 or 16.00, there is a lunch break and two tea breaks.

· Not accepted in Norway after the sick leave, ask what the person was sick with and how he feels. These are too personal details, to talk about which is a bad form.

· Norwegians are very loyal friends, however, it is more difficult to make strong acquaintances than at home.

· Really not accepted in Norway present odd number of flowers. But in the cemetery it is the place for them, because here they believe that an unpaired flower is lonely alone, which is why they take it with them to the funeral.

The most surprising thing for us is that mushrooms are not picked here and berries in the forest, cannot distinguish between edible and non-edible mushrooms. Moreover, they are amazed at how Russians can wander through the forest in search of chanterelles. All forest gifts are left here for animals and birds. Although greenhouse mushrooms are being sorted out in stores with a bang. Well, isn't it strange these Norwegians?

· For typical Norwegians it is not customary to express violent emotions in public, excessive emotionality is also a bad form. In public places, you need to be restrained, respectful, and not forget about respect for people.

One of the main rules you can't boast of your position, even rich people dress modestly, without frills, and are also simple and open in communication. It commands respect. Show off is more the lot of visiting emigrants.

Norwegians are very patriotic and love their country. The comparison with America offends them. It is also not acceptable to ask about salary or age. But they will be happy to talk with you about the politics, history and nature of Norway.

If we have a real man who has to plant a tree, raise a son and build a house, then typical Norwegian considers it his duty only to make a knife and sheath with his own hands, this is a tradition. Everything you need can be bought in the store.

· Throwing noisy parties after 21.00 is not only not welcome here, but can lead to a call to the police and a fine for violating the order.

· Here they love cleanliness, appreciate the environment, so each house has containers for selective waste collection. Empty bottles are handed over in the store, and here you can buy products for this amount. If you are relaxing in nature - after your stay, there should not be any garbage left, this will also cause condemnation of the townspeople.

Norwegians are not very fond of registering relationships. Although even very young people are happy to start a life together, as soon as they feel that they feel good with each other.

Perhaps they feel lonely, because parents allow their children to lead an independent life already from the age of 14-15, believing that a person should be independent from a young age.

Freedom of the individual - that's the "horse" of the Norwegians. It doesn't matter how old this person is - two or seventy-two, the main thing is that she be free. If a three-year-old man wants to climb a chair with his feet - please, and in no case should you scold him. You just need to explain to the child that in an educated society it is not customary to behave this way. I want the kid to stomp his legs in a puddle - let him frolic to his health, only at the same time he should look around so as not to splash passers-by with mud.

For all that, parents also should not infringe on themselves in anything. After the birth of a child, they continue to enjoy life. Children are placed in kindergartens and nurseries from the age of six months. Almost every family has an "hourly" nanny who (or who - in accordance with the policy of gender equality) comes for a few hours in the evening to let the parents go to visit, theater or restaurant.

Children receive the main "portion" of parental love on weekends and during holidays. Having been "thrown out" into adulthood, they miss human warmth, and therefore try to immediately find a mate and live together.

A wedding for Norwegians is not a binge after the official registration of marriage, but an occasion to arrange a holiday for yourself and your loved ones. Couples often legally marry after many years of marriage (and sometimes just a few months before a divorce). Therefore, no one in Norway will be surprised by the scene in the church, when a completely adult son leads his mother to the altar.

But the absence of a stamp in the passport does not at all mean the lawlessness of people living together. There is a special term for common-law spouses samboere- "living together". And sambuers enjoy the same rights as people who are legally married. Very often, "living together" enter into a marriage contract, in which, with truly Scandinavian tediousness and prudence, they indicate which of the spouses and what exactly of the material values "brought" with them into marriage. This rather boring procedure for compiling a property register helps save a lot of nerves and effort during a divorce, when sambuers tired of each other are eager to quickly divide the property, and along with the offspring.

It is not at all a fact that children, even from very prosperous families, where both parents are morally stable and financially secure, will remain with their mother after a divorce. In Norway, there is no setting "Mother is more important for a child!". With whom the child wants to stay, with that he will remain.

Of course, the second parent has every right and is even obliged to give his child the attention he needs, from the point of view of the state.

If one of the former spouses, God forbid, does not allow the second to communicate with the child, then the infringed parent will immediately go to court, which will establish not only the days of visits, but also the minimum number of hours that the “coming” dad or “Saturday "Mom will be able to spend with the child.

And if one of the parents does not want to deal with his offspring or just see him, then the court will oblige him to regularly come to the child - so as not to "injure the child's psyche."

Many parents immediately after a divorce go to a lawyer and enter into an amicable agreement on joint custody of the child - in order to avoid unnecessary conflicts and problems in the future. Such an attitude towards the child is called "successful cooperation."

However, even such state regulation of family relations cannot help the "children of divorces." There are constant discussions in the press and on television about how hard life is for children in an incomplete family and how they suffer from the neglect of their parents.

Society condemns not only the moral treatment of the child, but also physical punishment. If the neighbors feel that the parents are too often or too "painful" to punish their baby, then they can file a complaint with the police or child custody authorities. And the reaction will follow immediately: an inspector will come to the family and have a serious conversation with the parents. Therefore, before you spank your child, who is hooligan on the street or screaming with a good obscenity in the store: "Buy-and-and!" - the parent will carefully look around - if there is a vigilant passerby nearby, and then he will begin to educate his child.

Old people in Norway are completely independent and, perhaps, the most wealthy people. They live, as a rule, separately from children - in their own house or apartment. In those families where the elderly live with their children, there is a habit of sending parents to nursing homes. But lately, there has been talk that perhaps it’s not worth doing this - after all, there is plenty of space in most Norwegian dwellings - it’s better for grandparents to stay at home, help raise their grandchildren and create an “atmosphere of warmth and family comfort”.

6. Artistic, oral folk art (specific examples)

Movie

Unlike neighboring Sweden and Denmark, which had an early reputation with international audiences, Norwegian cinema began to develop only in the 1920s, starting with the film adaptations of literary works. The 1930s are considered the "golden age" of Norwegian cinema, when directors began to shoot Norwegian nature and scenes from the life of the rural population. After the Second World War, during which films were subjected to German censorship, a new generation of directors appeared, whose films are classics of Norwegian cinema. Documentary films were very popular in the 1950s, and the 1970s gave rise to the rebel, social-realist genre of Norwegian cinema. In the 1980s, films began to be made with more exciting, "Hollywood" plots. In recent years, an increasing number of films shot in Norway, including short films and documentaries, have become popular around the world and have won awards at film festivals.

music and dancing

Norwegians do not forget the musical traditions of the country, which have developed from the traditions of the North German peoples and the culture of the Sami. Folk music and dances are still popular. Among the traditional chants, yoik can be distinguished; a hardangerfele is considered a folk musical instrument. Traditional village dances are still performed during holidays (weddings, funerals, religious holidays).

The musical culture of Norway began to develop actively only in the 1840s. The most prominent representative of the Norwegian classics is Edvard Grieg, followed by Sinding. In the early 1990s, Norway rose to prominence as the birthplace of black metal. Currently, most of the musical groups known outside of Norway release metal and jazz music, as well as electronic music.

Literature

The history of Norwegian literature originates from the Elder Edda songbook and skaldic poetry. Among the Old Norse works, the works of Snorri Sturluson should be especially noted, as well as a collection of folk tales and legends collected by Asbjørnsen and Mo in the 19th century. With the advent of Christianity, European medieval writings had a great influence. From the 14th to the 19th century, Norwegian literature developed along with Danish.

In the 20th century, Norway gave the world three Nobel Prize winners in literature: Bjornstjerne Bjornson (1903), Knut Hamsun (1920), Sigrid Unset (1928). The most significant figure in Norwegian literature is Ibsen with such plays as Peer Gynt, A Doll's House and The Woman from the Sea. Another Norwegian writer Jostein Gorder's novel "Sophia's World" has been translated into 40 languages.

Proverbs and sayings

It's easier for a grandmother to cry than a dog to whine

Trouble makes a person smarter

Idleness is the root of all evil

In the girl's room, not only ghosts are found

In marriage, people become similar

A great feeling in the heart needs no more space than a small one.

Will come back, - said the owner, feeding the pig with fat

Where a woman is grumpy, there even a cat is cowardly

Where the neatest girls are, it is most difficult to tread a path there.

The girl will not get up until she spins a skein of wool

The girl, although small, warms better than two large stoves.

The girl should be seen at work in the kitchen, and not in a festive dress

Spouses are like cream: those in the middle want out, those on the outside want from the middle

What was once hot will once be too cold

What Moves Slowly Moves Surely

He who lives in a glass house should not throw stones

He who wants to please everyone will please no one

In a girl, "no" often means "yes"

Every nation has the government it deserves

A devoted heart has beautiful eyes

Beauty bruises are added to the boyfriend

It's good to get married when you know that they will say "yes" to you

What comes out of the heart, comes to the heart

What a mother once did, then a daughter will do

Fairy tales

1. Troll from Ashaug

2. Who is small today, tomorrow is great

3. Last year's porridge

4. Goodbrand from the slope

5. Chrysalis in the grass

6. How two boys met trolls in Hedal forest

7. How the chicken went to save the whole world

8. How the fox and the bear bought butter for Christmas

9. As a boy went to the north wind for his flour

10. Rooster and hen in a hazel

11. Princess on a glass mountain

12. Wonder Girl

13. Tale "Pie"

14. Son of a widow

15. The key to the stabbur in the tow

16. Throw a spruce root - grab a fox tail!

17. Pork and honeycombs

18. How Mikkel and Bamse cultivated the field together

19. How Mikkel wanted to eat horsemeat

20. Huldry on the farm

21. Soria Moria Castle

22. The devil and the landowner

23. Per, Paul and Espen Askeladd

24. Skipper and devil

25. Fairy tale "Big cat from Dovre"

26. Troll on holiday

27. Pastor and Worker

28. Why is the water in the sea salty

29. Husband-mistress

"Troll from Ashaug"

In the town of Vigne, in the province of Telemark, there is Lake Totak. In winter, it does not freeze until Christmas.

In the old days there was a small farm on the shore of this lake, and a peasant named Dire Vo lived on it. There was a rumor about him that he was not afraid of anything in the world.

One Christmas Eve Dire Vo was sitting on his farm. The time was approaching midnight, when suddenly a terrible roar was heard from behind the lake. Everyone who was on the farm was frightened, but Dira Vo did not care. He calmly left the house, lowered the boat into the water and swam to the other side of the lake to see what was happening there.

There was darkness - even gouge out an eye, but Dire Vo only discerned some kind of shadow in the darkness. Dire Vo guessed that it was a troll. And he stands at the very water and does not know how to cross the lake. The troll Dire Vo saw and shouted:

Who will you be?

My name is Dire from the Waugh farm, and who are you and why did you come here?

And I am a troll from Ashaug, - the giant answers.

And where are you going? Dire asks him.

Why, I must go to Glomshaug, the bride is waiting for me there. Can you take me across the lake? the troll says.

Why not carry, sit down.

But as soon as the troll stepped into the boat with one foot, the ship immediately went under the water.

Eh, but-but, take it easy! Dire screams.

Okay, have it your way. If you want it, I will decrease and become lighter, - the giant answers.

Here Dire transported the troll across the lake and says goodbye to him:

And yet I want to see what you really are. Show yourself in your true form, I wonder how tall you really are.

I don’t have time now, and I don’t want to scare you. Come to this place in the morning and you will see what I am: I will leave something for you to remember.

Dire Vo comes ashore on Christmas morning and sees something like a sack lying at the bottom of the boat. I took a closer look: otherwise it was a thumb from a troll's mitten. “What good is lost,” thought Dire, “everything will come in handy in the household,” and since then he began to keep grain in that “mitten”. This was no small mitten, since two full bushels of 1 grain entered one of its fingers.

*A bushel is a measure of volume, equal to approximately 16 liters.

Hosted on Allbest.ru

Art

Norway is the leader in the number of book publications per capita. About 6,000 new works are published annually, three-fifths of which are by Norwegian authors. The development of literature is encouraged both by the exemption of authors from paying taxes, and by the centralized purchase of books by the state for libraries. There are about 5,000 school and public libraries in the country, and about 24 million books are loaned annually.

Theaters are constantly operating in several cities of the country. The state organization "Riksteatret" organizes tours of theater troupes throughout the country. About 1.2 thousand productions take place on the stages every year. Opened in 1959, the Norwegian Opera is state-supported. Movies in Norway are censored: the main emphasis is on the fight against scenes of violence and, to a lesser extent, scenes of erotic content. The state also subsidizes the shooting of feature films - about 10 films are shot annually.
In addition to the National Art Gallery, in 1963 the museum of Edward Münche, the most famous Norwegian artist, opened in Oslo. In 1968, the Sonja Heine-Niels Onstadt Art Center was opened in Oslo, presenting contemporary art from all over the world.
Norwegian artists of the 20th century so surpassed the representatives of the rest of the world in the art of creating murals that only Mexican artists can compete with them.

Architecture and crafts

The style of medieval churches stretching upwards and houses stretching along the horizon and decorated with crenellated figures inspire modern architects. Most private houses are built of wood in such a way as to best match the mountain, forest landscape and harsh climate.
Folk crafts often coexist peacefully with industrial production. The country has increased in recent years the export of furniture, enamel products, jewelry, textiles. Both the motifs of Old Norse mythology and modern avant-garde art were used in their design.

It has significant differences in culture from other European countries. It is ruled by folklore and ancient customs, while the main principle of traditions in raising children in Norway is tolerance, which is primarily manifested in relation to same-sex marriages. This country is an example of how centuries-old traditions and quite modern trends can be combined in culture.

Features of culture and traditions in Norway

Since the Middle Ages, the indigenous population has been engaged in reindeer herding and fishing, with special respect for the masters who owned artistic crafts. The house for the Norwegians plays an important role, and they have always invested a lot of effort and soul in its design. Today, there are very few artisans who create things for traditional home decor, but the tradition of decorating a house has been preserved. Therefore, when you find yourself in Norway, the first thing that catches your eye is the interior and exterior of residential buildings. The main attributes of the house are:

drawings on the walls and doors - usually these are flowers or images on biblical themes;
wooden furniture;
Forged Products;
decorated cutlery, crockery, tongs, etc.

Traditions have been preserved in clothing, but you should not think that Norwegians wear national costumes every day. This is rather reflected in its elements: buttons, brooches, pendants and other accessories are decorated with elements of national drawings or made of forged metal, deerskin, otherwise the inhabitants look quite “European”.

Family Traditions in Norway

A people that treats its home with great respect cannot treat its family with less attention. Some mores and customs of life in Norway are significantly different from European ones. For example, a few centuries ago, young people could live together before marriage. Newlyweds do not expect help from their parents, and grandparents do not have the habit of financially helping their grandchildren, even if they find themselves in a difficult situation. It is also surprising that the engagement can happen in early childhood, but as the future husband and wife grow up, their parents often have time to terminate it. The reason may even be dissatisfaction with the nature of the second half of their offspring.

Tourists will be interested to look at the traditions of Norway associated with the wedding. Firstly, the celebration is celebrated from two to seven days. According to ancient traditions, the whole community takes part in it. All relatives and friends of the newlyweds are invited to the wedding. Since the population of the country is scattered over the islands, the guests got to the celebration by boat, and so that everyone knew where the ship was sailing, it was hung with bells and other bright attributes. Today, you can get to the place by a bridge or other civilized way, but many do not deny themselves the pleasure of riding a "wedding" boat. The celebration itself is noisy and fun, while the bride must keep a heavy silver crown on her head all the days of the wedding.

Christmas is the main religious and family holiday in the country. In Norway, the traditions of celebrating Christmas are strictly observed. Everyone loves the character Julebukka who personifies this holiday. In every house at this time, they always decorate the Christmas tree, prepare delicious dishes and, of course, go to church. Surprisingly, the wish "Merry Christmas" sounds like "God Jul!" in Norwegian. At the same time, what “Jul” means is unknown even to the indigenous people. Perhaps this is the most interesting cultural tradition in Norway.

Music culture in Norway

The music of Norway has much in common with similar art in Sweden. Modern works are based on folklore and classics. At the same time, Edvard Grieg is considered the founder of Norwegian music, who took an active part in the development of musical culture in the middle of the 19th century. In his music, he managed to show the life of the country, its beautiful nature and the main qualities of the Norwegian people - kindness and hospitality.

Communication culture in Norway

When visiting this country, you need to know the main rules of communication, since the Norwegians differ from the Slavs in many ways:

Less emotions. The local population is very restrained, even under the influence of alcohol they do not raise their tone and do not conduct emotional conversations - this is considered bad form.
Do not give up your seat to older people on public transport. This rule is incomprehensible to us, but a true Norwegian of advanced age will be offended if you want to give way to him - after all, he is still full of strength and is not going to give way to the young.
You can and should ask on the street. Norwegians are very sociable and friendly people. They will answer any of your questions and tell you as much as their stock of English words will last. If you speak Norwegian, then you will have many friends among the local population.

If we talk about the business culture of Norway, then the locals are very honest and reliable partners. Even if it concerns some domestic issues, you can safely rely on their word.

Norway, due to the fact that there is a polar day from May to July, is sometimes called the "Land of the Midnight Sun". This, of course, is a mysterious and even somewhat romantic name, but it does not cause a strong desire to come to this country. However, Norway is not only the Land of the Midnight Sun. First of all, Norway is the Vikings, amazingly beautiful fjords, some of which are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, and, of course, prestigious ski resorts.

Geography of Norway

Norway is located in the western part of the Scandinavian Peninsula. In the northeast, Norway borders on Finland and Russia, in the east - on Sweden. In the northeast, Norway is washed by the Barents Sea, in the southwest by the North Sea, and in the west by the Norwegian Sea. The Skagerrak Strait separates Norway from Denmark.

The total territory of Norway, including the islands of Svalbard, Jan Mayen and Bear in the Arctic Ocean, is 385,186 square kilometers.

A significant part of the territory of Norway is occupied by mountains. The highest of them are Mount Gallhöppigen (2469 m) and Mount Glittertinn (2452 m).

There are a lot of rivers in Norway, the longest of which are Glomma (604 km), Logen (359 km), and Otra (245 km).

Norway is sometimes referred to as the "Lakeland". This is not surprising, given that there are several hundred lakes in it. The largest of these are Mjøsa, Rösvatn, Femunn, and Hornindalsvatnet.

Capital

The capital of Norway is Oslo, which is now home to more than 620 thousand people. It is believed that Oslo was founded in 1048 by the Norwegian king Harald III.

Official language of Norway

The official language in Norway is Norwegian, which consists of two dialects (Bokmål and Nynorsk). Most often, Norwegians speak Bukol, but for some reason Nynorsk is popular with Norwegian Internet users.

Religion

More than 80% of Norwegians are Lutherans (Protestants) belonging to the Church of Norway. However, only about 5% of Norwegians go to church every week. In addition, 1.69% of Norwegians are Muslims and 1.1% are Catholics.

State structure of Norway

Norway is a constitutional monarchy in which the head of state, according to the Constitution of 1814, is the King.

The executive power in Norway belongs to the King, and the legislative power belongs to the local unicameral parliament - the Storting (169 deputies).

The main political parties in Norway are the liberal-conservative Progress Party, the social democratic Norwegian Labor Party, the Christian Democratic Party and the Social Left Party.

Climate and weather

Norway is at the same latitude as Alaska and Siberia, but this Scandinavian country has a much milder climate. In late June - early August in Norway, the weather is warm and the days are long. At this time, the average air temperature reaches + 25-30C, and the average sea temperature - + 18C.

The warmest and most stable weather is always observed on the southern coast of Norway. However, even in the north of Norway in summer the air temperature can exceed +25C. However, in the central regions and in the north of Norway, the weather often changes.

In winter, most of Norway tends to turn into a real snow paradise. In winter in Norway, the air temperature can even drop to -40C.

Sea in Norway

In the northeast, Norway is washed by the Barents Sea, in the southwest by the North Sea, and in the west by the Norwegian Sea. The Skagerrak Strait separates Norway from Denmark. The total coastline of Norway is 25,148 km.

Average sea temperature in Oslo:

January – +4C
February - +3C
March - +3C
April - +6С
May - +11C
June - +14С
July - +17С
August – +18C
september - +15C
October - +12С
November - +9С
December - +5C

The real beauty of Norway is the Norwegian fjords. The most beautiful of them are Naeroyfjord, Sognefjord, Geirangerfjord, Hardangerfjord, Lysefjord, and Aurlandsfjord.

Rivers and lakes

There are a lot of rivers in Norway, the longest of which are Glomma in the east (604 km), Logen in the southeast (359 km), and Otra in Serland (245 km). The largest Norwegian lakes are Mjøsa, Rösvatn, Femunn, and Hornindalsvatnet.

Many tourists come to Norway to fish. In Norwegian rivers and lakes, salmon, trout, whitefish, pike, perch and grayling are found in large numbers.

History of Norway

Archaeologists have proven that people on the territory of modern Norway lived as early as the 10th millennium BC. But the real history of Norway began in the Viking Age, whose cruelty is still legendary on the coast of Great Britain, for example.

From 800-1066, the Norse Vikings became known throughout Europe as brave warriors, ruthless invaders, cunning merchants and inquisitive seafarers. The history of the Vikings ended in 1066, when the Norwegian king Harald III died in England. Olaf III became King of Norway after him. It was under Olaf III that Christianity began to spread rapidly in Norway.

In the XII century, Norway captured part of the British Isles, Iceland and Greenland. It was the time of the greatest prosperity of the Norwegian kingdom. However, the country was greatly weakened by competition from the Hanseatic League and the plague epidemic.

In 1380, Norway and Denmark entered into an alliance and became one country. The union of these states lasted more than four centuries.

In 1814, Norway, according to the Treaty of Kiel, became part of Sweden. However, Norway did not submit to this and the Swedes invaded its territory. In the end, Norway agreed to be part of Sweden if they were left with the constitution.

Throughout the 19th century, nationalism grew in Norway, and this led to a referendum in 1905. According to the results of this referendum, Norway became an independent state.

During the First World War, Norway remained neutral. During the Second World War, Norway also declared its neutrality, but it was nevertheless occupied by German troops (for Germany, this was a strategic move).

After the end of the Second World War, Norway suddenly forgot about its neutrality, and became one of the founders of the NATO military bloc.

Culture of Norway

The culture of Norway differs markedly from the cultures of other peoples of Europe. The fact is that this Scandinavian country is located far from such European cultural centers as Florence, Rome and Paris. However, tourists will be pleasantly impressed by the Norwegian culture.

Many Norwegian cities have annual music, dance and folklore festivals. The most popular of them is the international cultural festival in Bergen (music, dance, theater).

It cannot be said that the Norwegians have made a huge contribution to world culture, but the fact that it was significant is undeniable. The most famous Norwegians are polar explorers Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen, composers Varg Vikernes and Edvard Grieg, artist Edvard Munch, writers and playwrights Henrik Ibsen and Knut Hamsun, and traveler Thor Heyerdahl.

Cuisine of Norway

The main products of Norwegian cuisine are fish, meat, potatoes and other vegetables, and cheese. Norwegians' favorite traditional snack is pölse (potato cake with sausage).

Fenalår - dried lamb.
Fårikål - lamb stew with cabbage.
Pinnekjøtt - salted ribs.
Roast of wild elk or deer.
Kjøttkaker - fried beef meatballs.
Laks og eggerøre - smoked salmon omelet.
Lutefisk - baked cod.
Rømmegrøt - sour cream porridge.
Multekrem - cloudberry cream for dessert.

The traditional alcoholic drink in Norway is Aquavit, which is usually 40% ABV. The production of aquavita in Scandinavia began in the 15th century.

Sights of Norway

Norwegians have always been distinguished by the fact that they are very careful about their history. Therefore, we advise tourists to visit Norway to see:

Cities and resorts

The largest Norwegian cities are Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, and Stavanger.

Norway is famous for its great ski resorts. Every winter in Norway there are different championships in skiing. The top ten Norwegian ski resorts include, in our opinion, the following:

Trysil (Trisil)
Hemsedal (Hemsedal)
Hafjell (Hafjell)
Geilo (Geilo)
Tryvann (Tryvann)
Norefjell
Oppdal (Oppdal)
Hovden (Hovden)
Kvitfjell (Kvitfjell)
Kongsberg (Consberg)

Souvenirs/Shopping

We advise tourists from Norway to bring a real Norwegian wool sweater, toy trolls, modern dishes, wooden kitchen utensils, silverware, ceramics, jerky, brown goat cheese, and Norwegian vodka - aquavit.