Scandinavia: Facts & Stats

CULTURE

Folklore:

In Scandinavia the term 'folklore' is not often used in academic circles, instead terms such as Folketro (folk belief (older Almuetro)) or Folkesagn (folk tales) have been coined. In common speech, it is simply referred to as den Gamle Tro (the old belief), or perhaps sæd skik og brug (customs, the way). It evolved from Norse paganism, and it is in technical terms labelled low-mythology, while the norse mythology is called high-mythology.

High-mythology builds on low-mythology in its parts. The Christianization of Scandinavia around the 10th century meant that the high-mythology more or less phased out of use. This process may have been quite rapid because these never were the beliefs of the lower classes. Iceland and the Faroe Islands are not a part of Scandinavia (although they are Nordic countries), but should nevertheless be regarded as Scandinavian in folkloric terms. The folklore/religion of Finland and of the Sami people are clearly related to Scandinavian folklore/religion, but have retained an independent character. Because of their common Germanic origin, Scandinavian folklore shows a large correspondence with folklores elsewhere, such as in England and Germany among others. Most of what has survived there might be found, of a similar nature, in the Baltic countries.

In Scandinavian folklore, belief in the old gods still exists, but not in the form they show in high mythology. Some of the ones known in both forms of mythology are Odin (Oden), who is said to lead the Wild Hunt; Thor (Tor) who still chases trolls with his thunder, both in this context regarded as "jægere" (hunters), and we see also Ull (as Ul) and Hœnir in this role. Loki, as a housegod of the housefire, and sometimes Freyja, show up. A large number of different mythological creatures (or rather races, since few of them can be considered animals) from Norse mythology continue to live on, surprisingly little affected by Christian beliefs, even though the wicked ones at times find an ally in the Devil or had problems with Christian symbols.

Nothing was surer, though, to scare these beings than a piece of steel, such as a strategically placed pair of scissors or a knife, or with salt and fire. The stories about the livings and doings of these beings, and their interaction with humans, constitute the major part of Scandinavian folklore. Even the helpful tomte, nisse, gårdbo or gårdbuk could turn into a fearsome adversary if not treated with caution and respect. Many of them blend into each other when their morals and/or place of residence are similar, and equally when one moves from one region in Scandinavia to another (the same is true for Norse mythology).

Celebrations:

Scandinavia, and in particular Denmark, is known for its many music festivals during the summer months. The largest in each country are:

• Roskilde Festival (Denmark, July) - One of the worlds most famous rock festivals, with 70,000 tickets for sale and 30,000 volunteers.


• Ruisrock (Finland, July) - Finlands largest music festival, held on an island near Turku, with around 70,000 spectators.
• 
  
• Hultsfred (Sweden, July) - Swedens main rock festival, takes place in southern Sweden and has an attendance of ~30,000.


• Quart (Norway, June/July) - Norways main rock festival, and in Kristiansand in southern Norway.


• G Festival (Faroe Islands, July) - The Faroes' main event, with around 10,000 participants and 6,000 tickets sold every year.


• Iceland Airwaves (Iceland, October) - A progressive music festival that attracts around 2000 visitors.

Alcohol:

Vikings were famously heavy drinkers, and despite continuing government efforts to stamp out the demon drink through heavy taxation, todays Scandinavians continue the tradition. Bring in your full tax-free allowance if you plan to indulge, since in Norway you can expect to pay up to 60 kr (€7) for a pint of beer in a pub, and Sweden and Finland are not far behind. To reduce the pain, it is common to start drinking at home before heading out to party. The drinking age is 18 in all Nordic countries, but many bars and clubs have their own age limits.

The main tipples are beer and vodka-like distilled spirits called brännvin, including herb-flavored akvavit. Spirits are typically drunk as snaps (pron. "shnapps"), or ice-cold from shot glasses.

Sports and Hobbies:

Most activities that can be enjoyed on water or on snow can be experienced in Scandinavia. There are many activities to please Australian adventurers.

Visit Scandinavia and you will enjoy extremes such as golfing on glaciers, heli skiing, snowboarding while enjoying the northern lights, hiking and horse back riding under the midnight sun, canoeing in the archipelago, sailing on the ocean and water skiing on the many lakes.

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