Tag: history

This mass grave in Norway contained 19 men, each shot in the head and heart

“We shall die standing, boys!” Those were Arne Laudal’s last words just before the shots rang out.

This table is the cradle of Norwegian democracy

This table played a crucial role during a tumultuous year when Norway faced war, two unions, and three different kings.

Archaeologists' most exciting finds: Found traces of Sámi settlement in the Viking Age

It has been difficult to prove that there were Sámi in central Norway at the start of the Viking Age. But then Harald Bugge Midthjell and his colleagues made a discovery.

This ship part found in Norway is much older than archaeologists first thought

The wood dates back to the late 11th century, close to the Viking Age.

Archaeologists' most exciting finds: A truly unique artefact from the Bronze Age was discovered at a depth of 12 metres

“I could hardly believe it,” the marine archaeologist says.

Middle East expert believes she knows why Israel is so open about its secrets

Hilde Henriksen Waage is not aware of any other country in the world that reveals so much negative and horrific information about itself. She thinks she has figured out why Israel does it.

Were women who lived together in the past lesbians or just close friends?

Gender and sexuality were perceived differently in the early 19th century.

Denmark-Norway engaged in the slave trade to provide workers for their colony's plantations. Some ended up in Norway

Vilhelmine and Adam Jacobsen were slaves in Norway.

New Viking ship discovered in Norway

A large boat or perhaps a ship, archaeologists initially said. Now they are certain. There was once a Viking ship buried at Jarlsberg.

The unknown story of the liberation of Norway: The Germans first surrendered to a group of journalists

A motley assembly of war correspondents and photographers tricked the German commander and were welcomed as heroes in Norway's capital Oslo.

Why do we actually wear ties?

People have always struggled with their tie knots – hence the creation of the clip-on tie.

"Imagine being the first person to hold something like this in over 1,000 years"

The small gold flake belonged to a person of power in the Merovingian period. Thanks to a faint beep in a metal detector, this 1,500-year-old gold foil figure was found.

Jesus killed 2,000 pigs. God sent a woman back into slavery

Tens of thousands of confirmands in Norway will receive a completely new edition of the Bible this year. Many of the old stories do not align well with the values we hold dear today.

Norway's most famous rock carving may have been preserved by a Nazi researcher looking for the origins of the Germanic people

The skier Rødøy-man was the logo for the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer. But in 2016, the petroglyph was destroyed. A researcher sent by Adolf Hitler and Heinrich Himmler may now prove to be the saviour of this 5,000-year-old rock art.

The silent revolution: Is the HIV epidemic over in Norway?

Recent HIV figures reveal a success story.

Gynaecological instruments have not changed much since ancient times

Why not? A gynaecologist still has to look inside the vagina, one researcher observes.

Leif and Anette Marie were the first to lose their lives in the World War II in Norway

His story is well documented. Her story is forgotten.

While her husband was doing forced labour for embezzlement, Maren Bang wrote the first Norwegian cookbook

The recipes used local foods and were aimed at the general public. The cookbook ran through many editions – until it was forgotten.

God originally had a wife

Bible scholars have debated the existence of God’s wife for 30 years. But you will hardly ever hear about this in church.

The judge who saved witches from the stake

A boat sank in nice weather. A cow died suddenly. Two neighbours quarrelled. A woman made a strength drink to earn a little extra. These were incidents that could become dangerous for women in the 17th century.

Knitting came back, but not hairpin lace. Why?

Some types of needlework disappear, while others become popular again. Have you heard about hairpin lace and the Viking technique of nålebinding?

Maritime pilots were forced to work for the Nazi occupiers and bombed by British planes

Some pilots did the job unwillingly, others tried to escape, and some worked for the resistance movement. But there were also pilots who volunteered.

How did crime fiction become a Norwegian Easter tradition?

Norwegian Easter blends cheerful traditions with chilling crime stories.

Was the Oseberg Viking wagon drivable? New methods are constantly uncovering new details about Norway's oldest vehicle

The wagon is the only one of its kind from Norway’s Viking Age, but the wood is dry and brittle. Since 1904, it has been documented with the best technology available.

Is there any point in adding bay leaves to your food?

ASK A RESEARCHER: Yes, some believe. Others are unconvinced.

This book made medieval Norway a kinder country

In a time that many believe was dark and merciless, Norway produced an unusually fair-minded piece of legislation.

The history of anaesthesiology is full of bitter conflicts and deadly experiments

In their eagerness for fame, doctors exposed their patients to mortal danger. Often, things ended tragically.

This bucket remained buried in a Viking grave for 1,000 years, but is in excellent condition

The figure on the bucket looks like a Buddha, but is from an ancient Celtic death ritual. It then ended up in a Norwegian Viking grave.

Top 10 of 2023: Scrotums, Vikings, and man flu

We now know who the Vikings had children with, and we have gained insight into a very delicate problem in the Middle Ages. Here is the list of our most read articles in 2023.

When Norwegians came to America, they didn’t have time to let the timber dry

Many Norwegians succeeded in America. The houses they built are evidence of this.

How Norwegians expressed resistance against Nazi occupation using Christmas cards

After red Santa hats were banned in Norway during World War II, many creative Christmas cards appeared.

At one point, a quarter of all Norwegians lived in the USA. These sailors marked the beginning of mass emigration

Many of the emigrants were young and adventurous.

Adam Smith's ‘invisible hand’ is 300 years old

The father of economics, Adam Smith, changed the view of how values are created. But it is not self-interest and free markets that constitute the main message in Smith's work, professor believes.

Pigs provided food in the Middle Ages, but men had to watch out for their scrotums

It was quite common to have a pig in your backyard in Europe's medieval towns. But there were fines if it was allowed to roam freely, or if it bit off someone's scrotum while that person was using the outhouse.

Precise dating from Medieval Oslo: This is undoubtedly the King's Wharf

The King’s Wharf, which was excavated in Bjørvika earlier this year, was built with trees felled in 1288.

Horse meat was banned over 1,000 years ago, but that did not keep people from eating it

And yet, the prejudices still remain.

European tourists experienced culture shock when they came to Norway in the 1800s

Tourists often slept in straw-filled beds or on a hard bench in a smoky living room.

In the olden days, many believed that fossils came from dragons and giants

ASK A RESEARCHER: Who actually discovered the first fossil?

Yugoslav prisoners were sent to Norway to die

Researcher says that the mortality rate in some Norwegian concentration camps was on par with the worst in Europe.

Medieval Norwegian food was more flavourful than you might think

Exotic spices were first exclusive, then became common — until Norwegians stopped seasoning their food.

Before glass windows, people had windows made from cow stomachs

What did people do to bring daylight into their homes before glass windows became common in the 18th century?

Were Norwegian whalers worried about what they were doing?

Norwegian whaling in the Antarctic consisted of blood, toil and adventure. In his new book, Espen Ytreberg writes about daily life in the industry that ended up almost wiping out the big whales.

This Norwegian-Swedish cannon could be one of the oldest in Europe

The cannon was loaded and ready for battle when it ended up at the bottom of the sea 600 years ago off what was an important medieval Norwegian city.

Melting ice near Norway's highest mountain reveals horse bridle that could stem from the Viking Age

Archaeologists have discovered an ancient bridle and other artifacts from a mountain pass almost 2,000 meters above sea level.

The unknown wartime merchant seamen: Michael, a Briton, was 14 when he was killed on a Norwegian ship

30,000 foreign merchant seamen worked for Norway during the Second World War.

1500-year-old gold treasure discovered by metal detectorist: “This is the gold find of the century in Norway”

Nine gold pendants with rare horse symbols, ten gold beads, and three gold rings from the 6th century were recently discovered by a metal detectorist in Southwestern Norway.

Can we trust movies about World War II?

A small sentence in Bjørn Tore Rosendahl's doctoral thesis became a big scene in the movie Krigsseileren (War Sailor), which recently won four awards. But the scene is not true.

Norwegian Musketeers had to learn 43 moves to fire one shot

Young boys with imprecise weapons received training based on science and a French manual.

Researchers excavated and recreated the 170-year-old garden of this royal summer castle

“We were lucky that they started photographing at this time,” Professor Annegreth Dietze-Schirdewahn says about the 1850s garden. This summer, you can visit the recreated palace park.

Three women became Norwegian queens in this robe. Maud was the last one

Right after the coronation of King Haakon and Queen Maud, the Norwegian Parliament decided to stop the practice of coronations. Maud’s coronation robe is now displayed in Queen Sonja’s Art Stable.

Were people shorter before?

If you travel a few hundred years back in time, you will see that the beds look shorter, and the doors are very low. Why is that?

Curtains made of nettles was so exclusive it was forbidden for ordinary people

Nettle curtains, also known as Nordic silk, was so expensive and exclusive that it was forbidden by law for ordinary people in 1720.

When pasta came to Norway: “We thought it was a vegetable”

Today, most Norwegians eat pasta dishes for dinner. But they do it the Norwegian way, which is quite far from the Italian way.

Archaeologists may have found a Viking house the length of almost two tennis courts

This summer's excavation at an ancient royal estate in Norway has uncovered traces of a massive house, an exquisite sword, and many remnants of lavish parties.

19th century Norwegian wedding celebrations are hard to match

A bride and groom who were to marry 200 years ago observed many rules and traditions.

The Nordland boat is the legacy of the Viking ships: "We were probably close to death many, many times"

The Nordland boat was built using the same clinker method as the Vikings. It wasn't necessarily very safe.

Cabins were first and foremost for the elite. Until public holidays and the private car came and changed everything

Vacuum-packed faeces and troublesome chemicals. For many decades, people have tried to improve cabin life.

Why do Scandinavians celebrate Midsummer?

“People were not supposed to work, and farmers were required to drink beer,” cultural historian Herleik Baklid says. This was also a day when evil forces were out and about. And you should pick flowers, preferably while naked.

Medieval gaming piece with runic inscription discovered in Norway

An old sewer pipe needed repair in Trondheim in mid-Norway last year. A last-minute dig to save possible archaeological objects yielded a surprising and rare result: a gaming piece with runes.

This is how people would go to the toilet in the past

The flush toilet didn't come until the 20th century, so what did people do before that?

The Norwegian flag was designed by a 10-year-old

It could have looked completely different.

This cotton spool changed Norway

Hundreds of young women have the same goal at 6 o’clock one early morning in 1846.

Archaeologists had to destroy nearly all of the medieval ‘King’s Wharf’ soon after they excavated it.

Remains of a massive foundation for a wharf were recently uncovered during excavations in Bjørvika, east of Oslo’s centre. It might have been the King's Wharf during medieval times. But no sooner had the wharf been found than it was gone again.

Here's what archaeologists found under the floor of the 12th century Stavanger Cathedral

Crawling around here in pitch darkness in 1967, an architect bumped into bones and skeletons.

Norwegian Armed Forces: A lot more ammunition than previously thought has been dumped in Norway's largest lake – missiles are tightly packed

The Norwegian Defense Research Institute has discovered significantly larger amounts of dumped ammunition in lake Mjøsa than previously thought. An area at the bottom of the lake is covered with around a thousand missiles.

New video footage shows what could be the oldest known shipwreck at the bottom of Norway's largest lake

The researchers managed to catch a glimpse of the wreck before the underwater robot ran out of power.

King Charles will be protected by two small wood shards from the cross of Jesus on coronation day

We cannot know that they are real, but that’s not the most important thing, says one historian. Here is the story behind the True Cross.

The Vikings in Greenland imported timber from North America, according to a researcher

What kind of timber did the settlers in Greenland use, and where did the different types of wood come from?

People in the 17th century feared war, death and the end of the world as we know it, a songbook reveals

Peder Rafn's songbook gives us insights into what people were concerned with in the past.

Vikings tagged the great lion in Venice with runes

Hundreds or thousands of Norwegian and Swedish Vikings went to the Mediterranean for ‘summer jobs’ as mercenaries. They left behind graffiti.

A mystery solved: Who killed the Swedish king Charles XII?

For centuries experts have debated who killed the Swedish King Charles XII. A new Finnish study in which the researchers shot at artificial skulls completely refutes the idea that he was killed by his own war-weary soldiers.

The culture of sleeping: Some slept in rose-painted beds, others barely had time to sleep

In his new book, cultural historian Bjørn Sverre Hol Haugen takes us back to a time when decorative beds were a status symbol, and having to share a bed with random relatives was quite normal.

For a long time people thought fossils were animals and dragons drowned in Noah’s flood. Then scientists discovered the Ice Age

In a new book, Reidar Müller describes the history of the climate and the people who pieced it together.