The Culture of Norway

Norway is located far away from the European centers of culture such as Florence, Rome and Paris, and has therefore always been a little removed and isolated from significant European cultural trends and developments. Yet, it has had its own brand of distinct culture since as early as the ninth century when the Viking shipbuilders bequeathed the place with their strong artistic traditions. These were expressed mainly in crafts, wood carving and jewelery but also in the magnificent churches of the region.

Celebrations are common in Norway and elaborate folk costumes are worn at weddings and other festive events. Traditional folk dancing, singing and storytelling (often featuring trolls) are also popular.

Expressionist painter Edvard Munch is the most famous Norwegian artist. Other famous writers include Gunnar S. Gundersen and romantic-period painters such as Adolph Tidemand, Hans Gude, and J.C. Dahl.

From Holberg to Ibsen to Åsne Seierstad's The Bookseller of Kabul, Norwegian literature has a long and thriving history, which started with the pagan Eddaic poems and skaldic verse of the 9th and 10th centuries by poets such as Bragi Boddason and Eyvindr Skáldaspillir. During the nationalist movement of the early 19th century, Henrik Wergeland and Henrik Ibsen were influential. In the 20th century, Norway produced two Nobel Prize winning authors--Knut Hamsun and Sigrid Undset. More than 2,000 new titles are published annually in Norway, some 10 per cent of which are by Norwegian authors.

Because of its natural environment, outdoor sports are very popular in Norway. Skiing is common and the Norwegian Mountain Touring Association is well-established.

Freedom of expression and freedom of religion are important in Norway. The press is not censored. Editors adhere to self-imposed commandments of caution, in order to protect people's privacy and other civic rights. In 1999, the Human Rights conventions of the United Nations and the Council of Europe were constituted as law in Norway and given superiority to all laws after the constitution.