"Tredelt er Nordens stamme – men Roden er dog én"
Between the years 1812 and 1821, the Danish art world was entangled in a heated feud on the "usability of Norse mythology in the arts." Main players in the "Yes! Norse mythology should be used in the arts!" camp were the theologian Jens Møller and the antiquarian Finnur Magnússon; they considered the Norse gods to... Continue Reading →
In the Norwegian TV series Okkupert - the first episode aired in 2015 - Norway is in a near alternative future occupied by Russia, with the approval of the European Union (no irrelevant detail in the Norwegian context). Direct cause is the coming to power of the Green Party and its policy to stop the production... Continue Reading →
In the Summer of, say, 1864, a young Norwegian student hiked through the mountains of Hallingdal, all alone. The weather had been wonderful, unbearably warm even. But all of a sudden our student saw dark clouds appearing behind the snowy peaks of the mountains. A mighty storm was approaching, and with some pace. Just in... Continue Reading →
According to the Heimskringla and several other Norse sagas, the small West-Norwegian town of Hjørungavåg witnessed a fierce battle between the forces of jarl Hakon Sigurdsson and an invading Danish fleet captained by Svein Forkbeard. Scholars have estimated that this half-historical, half-legendary battle took place in the year 986. The confrontation ended in a victory for Hakon, who,... Continue Reading →
The title of this painting by Frederik Christian Lund says it all really. What we see here is The Dutch fleet under Admiral Opdam passing the Sound on October 29, 1658 during the Swedish war. During the Second Carl Gustaf War (1658-1660), the Swedish forces had occupied the whole of Denmark and laid siege to... Continue Reading →
In 1769, Johannes Ewald made the acquaintance of his literary hero, the great German poet Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock, who at that time resided in Copenhagen under the patronage of Count Bernstorff. Klopstock introduced his young Danish colleague to the world of British literature: to Shakespeare, Milton, and Ossian, who in his eyes offered a more authentic,... Continue Reading →
Blog van Jona Lendering
words by r. brantley
February 22- 23, 2019, Berkeley, California
and I had to go
Scandinavism 