Scandinavia History

Each country that we have lived in or have traveled has their own culture. Various tales and legends are part of each culture. Some tales are spooky, others are magical, and the rest are all just plain weird or incredible.

Well, if you are into this kind of quirkiness or you are secretly dreaming of becoming a treasure hunter, then you might just find "Weird Tales from the Northern Seas: Norwegian Legends" quite a read. This legend book is authored by the writer, Jonas Lie. I know, the name of the writer itself sounds incredulous already.

Since this is all about the traditional folktales of Norway, don't expect reading about a haunted house on a hill or the sudden disappearance of a certain teen actress from the public view. Norway is teeming with sea life, folks, so you know how the fairytale or mystery goes, more or less -- strange worlds below the waters, a fish transforming into a sea-wrecked human, or a beautiful girl playing ala Little Mermaid, only this time, she isn't a mermaid, but the island cormorant. One tale that sticks out like a sore thumb is something on a housekeeper becoming a horse. I don't know the exact details, but now, where did that come from?!

The most notable personage in Sweden is Alfred Nobel. He is the same man with whom the prestigious medal/award was named after. He is the same person who invented the dreaded dynamite. He is the specimen who inspired people all over the world to strive for excellence and higher level of learning/success in the fields of Physics Medicine, Chemistry, Literature, and Peace. But, amidst his successes, Alfred was a lonely man.

I have heard several stories of successful people whose lives are bitter and desolate. The life of Nobel is no exception. According to his biography, Nobel was born and brought up in a wealthy ancestry that enabled him to explore the worlds of physics and chemistry and study the aforementioned sciences in depth. Alfred is exceptionally intelligent and his life story reveals that he knows five different European languages. Although his father underwent bankruptcy, Alfred developed his own means of surviving the dilemma. He worked as chemist in France, and in 1866, he invented the primary ingredient in making dynamite - nitroglycerine - in its liquid form. This discovery eventually made him rich. But, after some time, he found out that, just like the Nazi German scientist Albert Einstein, Alfred discovered a very destructive object.

The birth of the coveted Nobel awards came about after Alfred conceived that he cannot contain his wealth. So, in order to share his riches, he founded the award giving body. Currently, there are more or less 800 prize awardees, all of which are outstanding achievements.

I always enjoy being inside a sauna because it is really good in losing some fat deposits all over my body. I was delighted when I found out that in Finland, there is a number of saunas. It's like sauna really is a part of Finnish way of life and I really dig it because here, saunas come in different shapes and sizes.

I understand that long ago and maybe til now, the Finnish considered sauna as a holy place. This is because they associate sauna to all phases of a person's life. Finnish mothers used to deliver birth in this rooms during World War II. Finnish folks are also accustomed to clean the body of their departed loved ones. Imagine that! They also believe that the warm temperature inside the room, could soothe the tired body as well as refresh the mind.

I also learned that they have "sauna etiquette" imposed and observed in every sauna, be it in private or inside their own dwellings. Bathers are strictly prohibited to shout, curse, tell-tales, and do wayward behaviors inside the sauna. Proper conduct inside the place is even reinforced by the parents to their kids. Hence, you would surely find the best sauna experience only here in the country I dub as the "sauna capital of the world" -- Finland.

For the first time in my entire fishing life, it is only in Norway that I have heard of an annual whale hunting activity. This notion has always been met with protests from all over Europe. In actuality, the hunting is encouraged by the Norwegian government in order to control the ecological balance in the Norwegian seas. Although there is a good reason behind the hunting, fishermen, as well as concerned environmentalists, are still not convinced that whale hunting is a justifiable activity.

The hunting begins in May and the hunters are expected to catch a maximum of 1,000 whales by the end of the month of August. If the goal would be to diminish the number of predators in the Norwegian seas, then hunting for whales is just the appropriate solution to the problem. Besides, other than whales, there are no other big fish in the ocean that could consume a relatively large amount of fish. The fish that these big creatures will devour are supposedly to be the fish for the people. Norwegian fishermen are deeply dependent on the sea for the maintenance of the industry and they earn money from it. In other words, whales pose threat to the balance of the fish supply in the Norwegian sea.

Amidst the protests and objections on whale hunting, big fishing boats continue to circle the sea and resume to hunting. We just do not know what happens to the whale, but probably, they are killed and eaten. This might seem displeasing, but since Norway can answer the remonstrations, I guess we will just have to leave the matter to them.

Unknown to many, Norwegians are very fond of drinking and, obviously, getting drunk. The history of Norway reveals that the Vikings used to drink to their heart's content to win a battle. But, the battle in Norway nowadays is against the laws in drinking, but the drinking itself.

I was surprised to have been shared of these facts by a long time friend. He had come to Norway from France to attend a wine exhibit. He is a professional wine connoisseur and had come to Norway just to learn the laws. Actually, the laws sound a bit odd, but they are still promulgated in France. One of them states that alcoholic beverages should be bought by the crate and not by the bottle. Another one says that a foreigner may get drunk while the local cannot. Crazy, right?

The laws were inspired by the excessive drunkenness by the Vikings. The pioneer of the laws wanted Norwegians to control their consumption of alcoholic drinks. Long before the laws, distillation was prohibited in Norway. But, there came a time when beer and wine were allowed to be served on Sundays or holidays until a monopoly on distillation was made. I guess this finally discouraged Norwegians to drink a lot especially during weekdays. I hope such laws exist in my place. That would be very nice because we can prevent alcoholism.

Lately, I have been talking about hydroelectrical power source. But, now, I will be talking of the largest hydro power plant in the entire world. Wow! This was a serious project undertaken by the Norwegian government. It is obvious that the authorities are preparing for the possibility that Norway might run out of electricity supply.

It is not unknown to us that Norway is among the industrialized countries. I mean, it does not play a major role in world history unlike the United States, but whenever it makes news, it was almost all positive. This time, it added more points to its popularity. Just imagine the country to be the leading supplier of hydro power. The huge project concerning the turbine took almost two years to complete. But, the idea of building the plant and locating the appropriate area for the whole thing sprang back in 1910. Now, I could clearly see why Norwegians stable with their economy and society. This is because of the consistency. Add to that the persistence and perseverance they possess that they apply in their daily lives. This latest project is truly one-of-a-kind. I wonder if there will be other countries who will attempt to do the same thing. All in all, whether a record holder or not, Norway will benefit from the hydro power plant.

Well, Walpurgis is not really Halloween complete with ugly witches, but that is how I view it. I learned about this festivity from a weekly magazine. The article said that come April 30, ugly witches will once again fill the streets.

Walpurgis is a scary event to witness. There is just a slight confusion between the celebration and the symbol used for the celebration. Walpurgis is actually the day dedicated to a fertility goddess. But, on the night before the actual day, women of all ages dress like witches and crowd the streets. Of course, what would one expect from witches, but broom sticks, long white hair, ugly faces, and bonfire. If one would dare join the crowd, he will be experiencing a deafening laughter and chants by the participating witches. Walpurgis is somewhat similar with the English folk festival minus the witches. On the other hand, the fire symbolizes the era when witches existed in Scandinavia.

Witches were drove away by fires, but the Walpurgis included fires in the celebration. This is also a signal that the hot weather is soon to come. I still can not see the connection between witches and weather. Anyway, Walpurgis is a night of terror as well as party. The food served during the night was salmon cuisine.

Before, I had plans migrating to Denmark. But, when I found out that it has the highest income tax in the entire world, I thought of changing my plans. It is not that I do not want to pay tax; it is for the reason that I find it a very heavy burden.

I was alarmed by this fact when I happen to read the Guinness Book of World Records. The workforce in this country is required to pay a staggering 68% total income tax. I wonder why the government has this system. I can not think of ways on how to bear such responsibility. Aside from that, mind you that tax payers will not stop there. Just like other highly industrialized nation, it obliges its citizens to pay for taxes on sales, work, business, and not to mention that various luxuries. I am sure there are few strong and brave business men venturing in the Danish market.

Speaking of business, I, as one, is still in the process of coping with the tax system in my country. I see no reason not to charge taxes with my purchases, but, man, the Danish system is very high. I could just imagine what compensation its people get from paying taxes. I do not mean to exaggerate. There are, actually, benefits laid for the Danish people. According to the record, there are numerous well-compensated welfare benefits for Danes. This include free education for the tertiary level, social services that reaches all the corners of Denmark, health benefits that are absolutely free, and various other insurance from the government.

After nearly six hundred years, for the very first time, a king came from Norway. The Norwegians, right after his birth, celebrated for this meant that the next king will come from their country. He came from a family of monarchs that ruled from the nineteenth century.

Harald, a prince then, grew up a noble man while learning his duties and responsibilities as future king. He belongs to a family with strong ties and a deep compassion for the people. The modern traditions of the monarchs did not mingle with his learning; instead, he developed his own way of executing the policies. However, after his coronation as Prince, controversies arouse with regards to his announcement that he wanted a civilian or a commoner as spouse.

But love really is a splendor thing, and amid the criticisms, his marriage with Sonja, a friend whom he knew for almost nine years, took place. King Harald and Queen Sonja gained the respect of the people. Queen Sonja has an inclination with culture and the arts. She devoted herself to her children and promoting humanities. At the same time, the king has established a unified and stable Norway.

If there is Greek mythology, there is also Norse mythology. The Norse gods ruled over the ancient Scandinavia. But, unlike the Greek gods, Norse divinities lived, suffered, and loved like human beings.

They are portrayed as powerful beings that possess incredible magic, but feel and think like mortals. Their exploits circled around wars and love triangles. The most famous Norse god is Odin. According to the myth, is the son of Bestla and Bor.

Odin is the father of the divinities. His children are the next most powerful gods. Death, as well as war, is associated with his name. His strength in battle is equally matched by the wisdom he possesses and his poetic inclination. His haven, the Valaskialf, is comparable to Olympus. There, he monitors the events that occur an all the nine different worlds that make-up his kingdom. He owns a spear that never misses any target. Also, the wolf and raven are attributed to Odin since they used them as companions and messengers. The Norse mythology has greatly influenced the lives and culture of Scandinavians. Also, it has inspired a number of Hollywood myth movies that feature the stories of rings and swords.

Denmark is one of the loveliest places in Europe. Speaking about the country, one of the things I remember is the bronze statue of the little mermaid in Copenhagen. The statue, which represents the character created by Hans Christian Andersen and popularized by a Disney's Little Mermaid, has become one of Denmark's most famous attractions. Yet, Denmark offers something more than that to every visitor since the said country has a very rich culture and history.

Denmark had once been the center of the Viking community. Through the centuries, it has gradually transformed into a progressive and modern nation, which is actively involved in economic and political integration of many European countries. The country was first established as a unified state in the tenth century until it was transformed into a constitutional monarchy in 1849. Then in 1949, it became a member of NATO. In 1973, it joined EEC (presently EU). Despite its being a member of the EU, Denmark chose to exclude itself from certain rules in the said organization like the EU Maastricht Treaty and then the EMU (European Economic and Monetary Union).

Vikings are popular historical figures connected to Scandinavia. Vikings were Norse warriors who are infamous for raiding and the coasts of Europe. A lot of popular beliefs about the Vikings have harldy any real basis. Contrary to the mainstream visualization for Vikings as wild-haird and unclean savages, the Vikings used a number of tools for personal groomings.

As a matter of fact, the Vikings used soap long before it was introduced in Europe. They inhibited most areas in Denmark for several hundred years and uring this period, Denmark was a great power. Feudalism put an end to the Vikings as the norse realized that they are part of a larger civilization.

The name Scandinavia varies in meaning and definition. The name was originally derived from the peninsula, which is named from a province, Skane or Scania, located in Sweden today. The Scandinavia is composed of Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland. These are called Scandinavian countries because of many uniting factors like similar language, similar culture, their geography, their social status and their history. The language also has similarities with the German linguistics. These countries were Christianized during the 10th to 13th century, although these countries have had rifts, they are still the Scandinavians today.