The culture of
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
is closely linked to the country's
history
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
and
geography
Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, an ...
. The unique
Norwegian farm culture
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
*Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
*Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including the ...
, sustained to this day, has resulted not only from scarce resources and a harsh climate but also from
ancient property laws. In the 19th century, it brought about a strong
romantic nationalistic movement, which is still visible in the
Norwegian language
Norwegian ( no, norsk, links=no ) is a North Germanic language spoken mainly in Norway, where it is an official language. Along with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a dialect continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regio ...
and
media
Media may refer to:
Communication
* Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data
** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising
** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass e ...
. In the 19th century, Norwegian culture blossomed as efforts continued to achieve an independent identity in the areas of
literature
Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
,
art
Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas.
There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...
and
music
Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...
. This continues today in the performing arts and as a result of government support for exhibitions, cultural projects and artwork.
Cuisine
![Norwegian](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Norwegian.food-Sm%C3%B8rbr%C3%B8d-01.jpg)
Norway's food traditions show the influence of sea farming and farming the land, traditions with
salmon
Salmon () is the common name for several commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family Salmonidae, which are native to tributaries of the North Atlantic (genus ''Salmo'') and North Pacific (genus '' Oncorhy ...
,
herring,
trout
Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', '' Salmo'' and '' Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salm ...
,
cod
Cod is the common name for the demersal fish genus '' Gadus'', belonging to the family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gadus'' is commonly not call ...
, and other sea food, balanced by cheese, dairy products and breads.
Lefse
Lefse () is a traditional soft Norwegian flatbread. It is made with flour, can include riced potatoes, and includes butter, and milk, cream, or lard. It is cooked on a large, flat griddle. Special tools are used to prepare lefse, including a p ...
is a common Norwegian wheat or potato flatbread, eaten around Christmas. Typical Norwegian dishes include:
Rakfisk,
smalahove,
pinnekjøtt
() is a traditional Norwegian main course dinner dish based on lamb ribs. is a festive dish typical to Western and Northern Norway, and is rapidly gaining popularity in other regions as well. This dish is largely associated with the celebration ...
,
Krotekake,
Kompe (also called raspeball) and
fårikål
Fårikål () is a traditional Norwegian dish, and the country's national dish. It consists of pieces of mutton with bone, cabbage, whole black pepper and occasionally a little wheat flour, cooked for several hours in a casserole, traditionally se ...
.
Fine arts
Literature
![Ibsen-by-Borgen](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/Ibsen-by-Borgen.jpg)
Several Norwegian authors have been awarded the
Nobel Prize in Literature, namely
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson ( , ; 8 December 1832 – 26 April 1910) was a Norwegian writer who received the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature "as a tribute to his noble, magnificent and versatile poetry, which has always been distinguishe ...
in 1903,
Knut Hamsun
Knut Hamsun (4 August 1859 – 19 February 1952) was a Norwegian writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920. Hamsun's work spans more than 70 years and shows variation with regard to consciousness, subject, Point of view ...
in 1920 and
Sigrid Undset
Sigrid Undset () (20 May 1882 – 10 June 1949) was a Norwegian- Danish novelist who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1928.
Undset was born in Kalundborg, Denmark, but her family moved to Norway when she was two years old. In 1924 ...
in 1928 for ''Kristin Lavransdatter''. Though he was not awarded a Nobel Prize for his plays, as the first of these were awarded after he published his last play in 1899, playwright
Henrik Ibsen is probably the best known figure in Norwegian literature. Ibsen wrote plays such as ''
Peer Gynt'', ''
A Doll's House
''A Doll's House'' ( Danish and nb, Et dukkehjem; also translated as ''A Doll House'') is a three-act play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 December 1879, having be ...
'', ''
Hedda Gabler
''Hedda Gabler'' () is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The world premiere was staged on 31 January 1891 at the Residenztheater in Munich. Ibsen himself was in attendance, although he remained back-stage. The play has been ca ...
'', and ''
The Lady from the Sea
''The Lady from the Sea'' ( no, Fruen fra havet, link=no) is a play written in 1888 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen inspired by the ballad '' Agnete og Havmanden''. The drama introduces the character of Hilde Wangel who is again portrayed ...
''. Other
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
* Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
* Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including ...
writers from the realistic era include
Jonas Lie and
Alexander Kielland
Alexander Lange Kielland (; 18 February 1849 – 6 April 1906) was a Norwegian realistic writer of the 19th century. He is one of the so-called " The Four Greats" of Norwegian literature, along with Henrik Ibsen, Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson a ...
, who are along with
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson ( , ; 8 December 1832 – 26 April 1910) was a Norwegian writer who received the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature "as a tribute to his noble, magnificent and versatile poetry, which has always been distinguishe ...
and
Henrik Ibsen regarded as the "four greats" of Norwegian literature.
Also of importance to the Norwegian literary culture is the Norse literature, and in particular the works of
Snorri Sturluson, as well as the more recent folk tales, collected by
Peter Asbjørnsen and
Jørgen Moe
Jørgen Engebretsen Moe (22 April 1813–27 March 1882) was a Norwegian folklorist, bishop, poet, and author. He is best known for the '' Norske Folkeeventyr'', a collection of Norwegian folk tales which he edited in collaboration with Pe ...
in the 19th century.
Norwegian literature attained international acclaim in the 1990s with
Jostein Gaarder
Jostein Gaarder (; born 8 August 1952) is a Norwegian intellectual and author of several novels, short stories, and children's books. Gaarder often writes from the perspective of children, exploring their sense of wonder about the world. He often ...
's novel ''
Sophie's World'' (''Sofies verden''), which was translated into 40 languages. Other noteworthy writers with an international profile include
Erik Fosnes Hansen (''Psalm at Journey's End''),
Karl Ove Knausgård
Karl Ove Knausgård (; born 6 December 1968) is a Norwegian author. He became known worldwide for six autobiographical novels, titled ''My Struggle'' (''Min Kamp'').
Since the completion of the ''My Struggle'' series in 2011, he has also publis ...
(''
My Struggle
(; ''My Struggle'' or ''My Battle'') is a 1925 autobiographical manifesto by Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler. The work describes the process by which Hitler became antisemitic and outlines his political ideology and future plans for Ge ...
''), and
Åsne Seierstad
Åsne Seierstad (born 10 February 1970) is a Norwegian freelance journalist and writer, best known for her accounts of everyday life in war zones – most notably Kabul after 2001, Baghdad in 2002 and the ruined Grozny in 2006. (in Norwegian)
Pe ...
whose controversial work, ''
The Bookseller of Kabul
'' Bookseller of Kabul'' is a non-fiction book written by Norwegian journalist Åsne Seierstad, about a bookseller, Shah Muhammad Rais (whose name was changed to Sultan Khan), and his family in Kabul, Afghanistan, published in Norwegian in 2002 ...
'', was particularly successful in 2003.
Architecture
Norway has always had a tradition of building in wood. Indeed, many of today's most interesting new buildings are made of wood, reflecting the strong appeal that this material continues to hold for Norwegian designers and builders.
In the early Middle Ages,
stave churches were constructed throughout Norway. Many of them remain to this day and represent Norway's most important contribution to architectural history. A fine example is The Stave Church at
Urnes which is now on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Another notable example of wooden architecture is
Bryggen
Bryggen (''the dock''), also known as Tyskebryggen (, ''the German dock''), is a series of Hanseatic heritage commercial buildings lining up the eastern side of the Vågen harbour in the city of Bergen, Norway. Bryggen has been on the UNESCO lis ...
(the wharf) in Bergen, consisting of a row of narrow wooden structures along the quayside.
![Bryggen (6-2007)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Bryggen_%286-2007%29.jpg)
In the 17th century, under the
Danish monarchy
The monarchy of Denmark is a constitutional institution and a historic office of the Kingdom of Denmark. The Kingdom includes Denmark proper and the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland. The Kingdom of Denmark was alre ...
, cities such as
Kongsberg
Kongsberg () is a historical mining town and municipality in Buskerud, Viken county, Norway. The city is located on the river Numedalslågen at the entrance to the valley of Numedal. Kongsberg has been a centre of silver mining, arms production ...
with its Baroque church and
Røros
Røros ( sma, Plaassja, ) is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Røros. Some of the villages in Røros include Brekken, Glåmos, Feragen, Galåa, and Hitterdalen.
The min ...
with its wooden buildings were established.
After Norway's union with Denmark was dissolved in 1814,
Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population ...
became the capital. Architect
Christian H. Grosch
Christian Heinrich Grosch (21 January 1801 – 4 May 1865) was a Norwegian architect. He was a dominant figure in Norwegian architecture in the first half of the 1800s.
Biography
Christian Heinrich Grosch was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. H ...
designed the oldest parts of the
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top universit ...
, the
Oslo Stock Exchange, and many other buildings and churches.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the city of
Ålesund
Ålesund () sometimes spelled Aalesund in English, is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal County, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sunnmøre and the centre of the Ålesund Region. The town of Ålesund is the administrativ ...
was rebuilt in the
Art Nouveau style. The 1930s, when functionalism dominated, became a strong period for Norwegian architecture, but it is only in recent decades that Norwegian architects have truly achieved international renown. One of the most striking modern buildings in Norway is the
Sami Parliament
Acronyms
* SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft
* Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company
* South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise n ...
in
Kárášjohka designed by
Stein Halvorson and
Christian Sundby. Its debating chamber is an abstract timber version of a Lavvo, the traditional tent used by the nomadic
Sami people.
Art
![The Scream](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/The_Scream.jpg)
For an extended period, the Norwegian art scene was dominated by artwork from Germany and Holland as well as by the influence of
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
. It was in the 19th century that a truly Norwegian era began, first with portraits, later with even more impressive landscapes.
Johan Christian Dahl
Johan Christian Claussen Dahl (24 February 178814 October 1857), often known as or , was a Danish-Norwegian artist who is considered the first great romantic painter in Norway, the founder of the "golden age" of Norwegian painting, and, by some ...
(1788–1857), originally from the Dresden school, eventually returned to paint the landscapes of west Norway, defining Norwegian painting for the first time."
Norway's new-found independence from Denmark encouraged painters to develop their Norwegian identity, especially with landscape painting by artists such as
Kitty Kielland
Kitty Lange Kielland (8 October 1843 – 1 October 1914) was a Norwegian landscape painter.
Early life and training
Kielland was born to an affluent family in Stavanger, the older sister of Alexander Kielland. Kielland's interactions with her b ...
(1843–1914), an early female painter who studied under Gude:
Harriet Backer
Harriet Backer (21 January 1845 – 25 March 1932) was a Norwegian painter who achieved recognition in her own time and was a pioneer among female artists both in the Nordic countries and in Europe generally. She is best known for her detailed ...
(1845–1932), another pioneer among female artists, influenced by impressionism.
Frits Thaulow
Frits Thaulow (20 October 1847 – 5 November 1906) was a Norwegian Impressionist painter, best known for his naturalistic depictions of landscape.
Biography
Johan Frederik Thaulow was born in Christiania, the son of a wealthy chemist, Haral ...
(1847–1906), an impressionist, was influenced by the art scene in Paris as was
Christian Krohg (1852–1925), a realist painter, known for his paintings of prostitutes.
Of particular note is
Edvard Munch (1863–1944), a symbolist/expressionist painter whose ''
The Scream
''The Scream'' is a composition created by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch in 1893. The agonized face in the painting has become one of the most iconic images of art, seen as symbolizing the anxiety of the human condition. Munch's work, including ...
'' is said to represent the anxiety of modern man.
Other artists of note include
Harald Sohlberg
Harald Oskar Sohlberg (29 November 1869 – 19 June 1935) was a Norwegian Neo-romantic painter.
Biography
Sohlberg attended the Royal School of Art and Design of Christiania. He later trained under the graphic artist and painter Johan Nordhagen ...
(1869–1935), a neo-romantic painter remembered for his paintings of
Røros
Røros ( sma, Plaassja, ) is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Røros. Some of the villages in Røros include Brekken, Glåmos, Feragen, Galåa, and Hitterdalen.
The min ...
and
Odd Nerdrum
Odd Nerdrum (born 8 April 1944) is a Norwegian figurative painter, born in Sweden, and considered to be one of the greatest living classical figurative painters.
His work is held by museums worldwide. Themes and style in Nerdrum's work referenc ...
, (born 1944), a figurative painter who maintains his work is not art but kitsch.
Photography
The oldest Norwegian photograph is from
Hans Thøger Winther dating back to 1840.
Marcus Selmer is considered to be the first dedicated landscape photographer but
Knud Knudsen and the
Swede Axel Lindahl
Axel Theodor Lindahl (27 July 1841 – 11 December 1906) was a Swedish photographer notable for his early photography of Norwegian landscapes.
Lindahl was born in Mariestad in southwestern Sweden. With his brother Udo he opened his own pho ...
are remembered for their extensive travels aimed at capturing landscapes.
From the late 19th century until
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, photographers set up shop throughout Norway. A remarkably large number of women were among them. In 1901,
Anders Beer Wilse returned from
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
and established a photography career in Norway. Although dominated primarily by
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
influences in the late 19th century,
pictorialism
Pictorialism is an international style and aesthetic movement that dominated photography during the later 19th and early 20th centuries. There is no standard definition of the term, but in general it refers to a style in which the photographer ha ...
caught on in Norway as it did elsewhere in the world and was promoted by the Oslo camera club, founded in 1921. The pictorialists include
Robert Collett
Robert Collett (2 December 1842 – 27 January 1913) was a Norwegian zoologist. Collett was director and curator of the Zoological Museum at University of Oslo.
Robert Collett was born at Christiania (now Oslo), Norway. He was the eldest child ...
,
Aage Remfeldt,
Thomas Blehr, and
Waldemar Eide.
Around
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, portrait photography in Norway became more of an expressive art as a result of the work of Waldemar Eide,
Dimitri Koloboff,
Gunnar Theodor Sjøwall, Aage Remfeldt, Hans Johnsrud and Anders Beer Wilse.
In 1971, the first photographic work (by
Kåre Kivijärvi
Kåre Kivijärvi (born 23 April 1938 in Hammerfest - 20 November 1991) was a Norwegian photographer known for his photojournalistic work in Northern Norway.
Kivijärvi was born into a Kven family and always professed a connection to his ethnic he ...
) was accepted at the prestigious Autumn Exhibition in Oslo, marking the widespread acceptance of photography as an art form.
Film
Not until fairly recently has the Norwegian cinema received international recognition but as early as 1959,
Arne Skouen
Arne Skouen (18 October 1913 – 24 May 2003) was a Norwegian journalist, author, film director and film producer.
Biography
Arne Skouen was born in Kristiania (now Oslo), Norway. His parents were Peder Nikolai Skouen (1883-1978) and Jenny ...
's ''
Nine Lives'' was in fact nominated for an Oscar. ''
Pinchcliffe Grand Prix
''The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix'' ( no, Flåklypa Grand Prix) is a 1975 Norwegian stop-motion-animated feature film directed by Ivo Caprino. It is based on characters from a series of books by Norwegian cartoonist and author Kjell Aukrust.
It is ...
'', an animated feature film directed by
Ivo Caprino
Ivo Caprino (17 February 1920 – 8 February 2001) was a Norwegian film director and writer, best known for his puppet films. His most noted film, '' Flåklypa Grand Prix'' ("Pinchcliffe Grand Prix"), was made in 1975.
Early life
Caprino ...
and released in 1975, is based on characters from Norwegian cartoonist
Kjell Aukrust
Kjell Aukrust (19 March 1920 – 24 December 2002) was a Norwegian author, poet, artist and humorist. Aukrust is principally known for his Flåklypa stories and Flåklypa drawings.
Personal life
Aukrust was born in Alvdal in Hedmark, Norway as ...
. It is the most widely seen Norwegian film of all time.
There was, however, a real breakthrough in 1987 with
Nils Gaup
Nils Gaup (born 12 April 1955) is a Sámi film director from Norway.
Career
Gaup was born in Kautokeino, Finnmark County in Northern Norway. He first intended to become an athlete but from 1974 to 1978 he went to drama school and studied at the ...
's ''
Pathfinder
Pathfinder may refer to:
Businesses
* Pathfinder Energy Services, a division of Smith International
* Pathfinder Press, a publisher of socialist literature
Computing and information science
* Path Finder, a Macintosh file browser
* Pathfinder ( ...
'', which told the story of the
Sami
Acronyms
* SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft
* Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company
* South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise ...
. It was nominated for an Oscar and was a huge international success.
Berit Nesheim's ''
The Other Side of Sunday'' was also nominated for an Oscar in 1997.
Since the 1990s, the film industry has thrived with up to 20 feature films each year. Particular successes were ''
Kristin Lavransdatter
''Kristin Lavransdatter'' is a trilogy of historical novels written by Nobel Prize, Nobel laureate Sigrid Undset. The individual novels are ''Kransen'' (''The Wreath''), first published in 1920, ''Husfrue'' (''The Wife''), published in 1921, and ...
'', ''
The Telegraphist
''The Telegraphist'' ( no, Telegrafisten) is a 1993 Norwegian film directed by Erik Gustavson. It is based on the novel '' Dreamers'' by Knut Hamsun. It stars Bjørn Floberg and Marie Richardson, as well as Kjersti Holmen, who won an Amanda fo ...
'', and ''
Gurin with the Foxtail''.
Knut Erik Jensen was among the more successful new directors, together with
Erik Skjoldbjaerg (remembered for ''
Insomnia
Insomnia, also known as sleeplessness, is a sleep disorder in which people have trouble sleeping. They may have difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep as long as desired. Insomnia is typically followed by daytime sleepiness, low energy, ...
''). Norwegian artist and filmmaker
Ole Mads Sirks Vevle received the critics award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2003 for his short film ''Love is the Law''.
Since the turn of the 21st century, there have been a number of successful Norwegian films. These include:
*
Erik Poppe's ''
Hawaii, Oslo
''Hawaii, Oslo'' is a 2004 Norwegian drama film, directed by Erik Poppe with a screenplay by Harald Rosenløw Eeg. It stars Trond Espen Seim, Aksel Hennie, Jan Gunnar Røise and Petronella Barker.
The film's music was composed by John Er ...
'' (2004), depicting an imaginative multiracial Oslo without stereotypes
*
Sara Johnsen's ''
Kissed by Winter'' (2005), in which a female doctor in a small village finds the body of a young Iranian in the snow
*
Erik Skjoldbjærg
Erik Skjoldbjærg (born December 14, 1964) is a Norwegian director and writer best known for co-writing and directing the film ''Insomnia'' and the long awaited '' Narvik''. His film ''Pioneer'' was selected to be screened in the Special Present ...
's ''
An Enemy of the People'' (2005), about a TV celebrity who tries to produce the world's purest bottled water
*
Roar Uthaug
Roar may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Roar'' (film), an American adventure-comedy film starring Tippi Hedren and Melanie Griffith
* '' Roar: Tigers of the Sundarbans'', a 2014 Hindi-language Indian animal horror feature film
* ''Roar'' (199 ...
's ''
Cold Prey'' (2006), hailed as one of the best modern Norwegian horror movies
*
Joachim Trier
Joachim Trier () (born 1 March 1974) is a Danish-born Norwegian film director, best known for '' Oslo, August 31st'' (2011), ''Louder Than Bombs'' (2015), ''Thelma'' (2017), and '' The Worst Person in the World'' (2021). For the latter film, he ...
's full-length feature film ''
Reprise
In music, a reprise ( , ; from the verb 'to resume') is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the 18th century—was simply any repe ...
'' (2006), the Norwegian candidate for the best foreign language film
Oscar
Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to:
People
* Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms.
* Oscar (Irish mythology) ...
in 2006
Music
![FeleHel (2)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/FeleHel_%282%29.jpg)
Along with the classical
music
Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...
of
romantic composer
Edvard Grieg
Edvard Hagerup Grieg ( , ; 15 June 18434 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the foremost Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide. His use of ...
and the modern music of
Arne Nordheim
Arne Nordheim (20 June 1931 – 5 June 2010) was a Norwegian composer. Nordheim received numerous awards for his compositions, and from 1982 lived in the Norwegian government's honorary residence, Grotten, next to the Royal Palace in Oslo. He ...
,
Norwegian black metal has become something of an export article in recent years.
Norway's classical performers include
Leif Ove Andsnes
Leif Ove Andsnes (; born 7 April 1970) is a Norwegian pianist and chamber musician. Andsnes has made several recordings for Virgin and EMI. In 2012, Leif Ove Andsnes has signed to Sony Classical, and recorded for the label the "Beethoven Journe ...
, a pianists, and
Truls Mørk
Truls Olaf Otterbech Mørk (born 25 April 1961) is a Norwegian cellist.
Biography
Mørk was born in Bergen, Norway to a cellist father, John Fritjof Mørk, and a pianist mother, Turid Otterbech. His mother began teaching him the piano when he w ...
, a cellist.
Regarding
pop music
Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former descri ...
, Norway has in the recent years had many international popular artists such as
a-ha,
Sigrid
Sigrid is a Scandinavian given name for women from Old Norse ''Sigríðr'',
composed of the elements ''sigr'' "victory" and ''fríðr'' "beautiful".
Common short forms include Siri, Sigga, Sig, and Sigi. An Estonian and Finnish variant is Siiri ...
,
Kygo
Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll (born 11 September 1991), known professionally as Kygo (), is a Norwegian DJ and music producer. He garnered international attention with his December 2013 remix of the track " I See Fire" by Ed Sheeran and his December 20 ...
,
Matoma
Tom Stræte Lagergren (born 29 May 1991), professionally known as Matoma, is a Norwegian DJ and record producer.
Early life
Lagergren was born in Åsnes, Norway. He started playing the piano as a child. During that period, he won a contest t ...
and
Aurora
An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...
.
The jazz scene in Norway is also thriving;
Jan Garbarek
Jan Garbarek () (born 4 March 1947) is a Norwegian jazz saxophonist, who is also active in classical music and world music.
Garbarek was born in Mysen, Østfold, southeastern Norway, the only child of a former Polish prisoner of war, Czesław ...
,
Mari Boine
Mari Boine (born Mari Brit Randi Boine, 8 November 1956) is a Norwegian Sámi singer. She combined traditional Sámi joik singing with rock. In 2008, she became a professor of musicology at Nesna University College.
Biography
Mari Boine was b ...
,
Arild Andersen
Arild Andersen (born 27 October 1945) is a Norwegian jazz musician bassist, known as the most famous Norwegian bass player in the international jazz scene.
Career
Andersen was born at Strømmen, Norway. He started his musical career as jazz g ...
, and
Bugge Wesseltoft
Jens Christian Bugge Wesseltoft (born 1 February 1964) is a Norwegian jazz pianist, composer, and producer, son of jazz guitarist Erik Wesseltoft.
Career
In 1989, Wesseltoft collaborated with the Knut Riisnæs Quartet and was soon after ...
are internationally recognised while
Paal Nilssen-Love
Paal Nilssen-Love (born 24 December 1974) is a Norwegian drummer and composer in the jazz, free jazz and free improvisation genres. (in Norwegian)
Early life
Nilssen-Love was born in Molde, Norway. His parents ran a jazz club in Stavanger, and h ...
,
Supersilent
Supersilent is a Norwegian avant-garde-improvisational music group formed at Nattjazz in Bergen in 1997. The trio Veslefrekk was asked to play with electronic musician Helge "Deathprod" Stein. The fusion of the experimental jazz group with Sten' ...
,
Jaga Jazzist,
Sturle Dagsland and
Wibutee are becoming world-class artists of the younger generation.
Norway has a strong
folk music
Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
tradition that remains popular to this day. Among the most prominent folk musicians are
Hardanger fiddlers Andrea Een,
Olav Jørgen Hegge,
Vidar Lande and
Annbjørg Lien
Annbjørg Lien (born 15 October 1971) is a Norwegian musician, playing the hardingfele (Hardanger fiddle), violin, and nyckelharpa.
Career
She first came to national prominence in 1986. Shortly afterwards got a recording deal with the Heilo ...
, violinist
Susanne Lundeng, and vocalists
Agnes Buen Garnås
Agnes Buen Garnås (born 23 October 1946) is a Norwegian folk singer from the county of Telemark. She comes from a famous musical family from the town of Jondal, and is known particularly for her singing of ancient unaccompanied Norwegian ballads, ...
,
Kirsten Bråten Berg, and
Odd Nordstoga
Odd Nordstoga (born 10 December 1972) is a folk singer, musician, actor and editor from Vinje in Telemark, Norway. In 2004, he went from relative obscurity to becoming the country's biggest selling recording artist, with the phenomenal success o ...
.
National traditions
Celebrations and holidays
![Tønnebål](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/T%C3%B8nneb%C3%A5l.jpg)
Norwegians celebrate their National Day on May 17, dedicated to the
Constitution of Norway. Many people wear ''
bunad
''Bunad'' (, plural: ''bunader''/''bunadar'') is a Norwegian umbrella term encompassing, in its broadest sense, a range of both traditional rural clothes (mostly dating to the 18th and 19th centuries) as well as modern 20th-century folk costume ...
'' (traditional costumes) and most participate in or watch the
Norwegian Constitution Day
Constitution Day is the national day of Norway and is an official public holiday observed on 17 May each year. Among Norwegians, the day is referred to as ''Syttende Mai'' ("Seventeenth of May"), ''Nasjonaldagen'' ("National Day"), or ''Grunnlo ...
parade, consisting mostly of children, through the cities and towns. The
national romanticist author
Henrik Wergeland
Henrik Arnold Thaulow Wergeland (17 June 1808 – 12 July 1845) was a Norwegian writer, most celebrated for his poetry but also a prolific playwright, polemicist, historian, and linguist. He is often described as a leading pioneer in the develop ...
was the founder of the 17th May parade. ''
Jonsok
Midsummer is a celebration of the season of summer usually held at a date around the summer solstice. It has pagan pre-Christian roots in Europe.
The undivided Christian Church designated June 24 as the feast day of the early Christian mar ...
'' (
St. John's Passing), or ''
St. Hans'' (
St. John's Day), in June is also celebrated.
Common
Christian holidays are also celebrated, the most important being
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
(called ''
Jul
Jul most commonly refers to:
* July, as an abbreviation for the seventh month of the year in the Gregorian calendar
Jul or JUL may also refer to:
Celebrations
* ''Jul'', Scandinavian and Germanic word for Yule
* ''Jul (Denmark)'', the Danish Yu ...
'' or ''jol'' in Norway after the pagan and early
Viking
Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
winter solstice) and
Easter
Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...
(''Påske'').
Leisure
Physical culture is important in Norway. With abundant forests and
mountain plateaus, and extensive
coastal areas and rivers, Norway has a natural environment which encourages
outdoor sports
Outdoor recreation or outdoor activity refers to recreation done outside, most commonly in natural settings. The activities that encompass outdoor recreation vary depending on the physical environment they are being carried out in. These activiti ...
, inclusive of
hiking
Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...
. Many Norwegians own
ski
A ski is a narrow strip of semi-rigid material worn underfoot to glide over snow. Substantially longer than wide and characteristically employed in pairs, skis are attached to ski boots with ski bindings, with either a free, lockable, or partia ...
equipment, and are active in
mountain touring.
Cultural institutions
Norway has a variety of cultural institutions, including the
National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, c ...
, the
National Library
A national library is a library established by a government as a country's preeminent repository of information. Unlike public libraries, these rarely allow citizens to borrow books. Often, they include numerous rare, valuable, or significant wo ...
, and smaller galleries and libraries across the country. In recent years, the
Norwegian Archive, Library and Museum Authority has encouraged synergies between the cultural institutions and local municipalities, affecting schools, historical understandings, and community interests.
Culturenet.no
Retrieved 2 December 2008.
See also
* Arts Council Norway Honorary Award
The Arts Council Norway Honorary Award ( no, Norsk kulturråds ærespris) is awarded annually by the Arts Council Norway. The prize is awarded annually to a person who has made a significant contribution to Norwegian art and culture. The pri ...
* Philharmonic Orchestras in Norway
** Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
** Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra
The Oslo Philharmonic (Oslo-Filharmonien) is a Norwegian symphony orchestra based in Oslo, Norway. The orchestra traces its roots to the Philharmonic Society founded in 1847 and the Christiania Musical Association co-founded by Edvard Grieg in 187 ...
* Norwegian knitting
** Lusekofte
* Rosemaling
Rose-painting, , or is a Scandinavian decorative folk painting that flourished from the 1700s to the mid-19th century, particularly in Norway. In Sweden, rose-painting began to be called , c. 1901, for the region where it had been most popular ...
* Norwegian Year of Cultural Heritage 2009
* Sport in Norway
* Whaling in Norway Whaling in Norway involves hunting of minke whales for use as animal and human food in Norway and for export to Japan. Whale hunting has been a part of Norwegian coastal culture for centuries, and commercial operations targeting the minke whale have ...
* Jante Law
* List of museums in Norway
References
External links
{{Culture of Europe