State-Sponsored Church of Norway Abolished

"In an unprecedented move, the Norwegian Parliament has voted to abolish the state-sponsored Church of Norway with a constitutional amendment.
The bipartisan measure to create a separation of church and state will officially be presented on Tuesday, reports Norway's TV2. The nation will not have an official religion, and the government will not participate in the appointment of church deans and bishops."
For Heathens, this may at first appear as vindication for the days when Olaf forced the conversion of his people to Christianity. However, the increasing secularism of Norway may prove a double-edged sword, as it has been cited as a factor in the government's apparent indifference towards preserving the Ranheim Temple and other pre-Christian sites. The full story on the abolition of the Church of Norway may be read at Digital Journal.

Viking mice marauders swept across northern Europe

"They didn't rape and pillage or wear horned helmets*, but Norwegian mice accidentally stowing away on Viking ships swept through almost as many countries as the fearsome humans whose ships they boarded.

That's the conclusion from an analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from modern house mice (Mus musculus domesticus) living on Iceland and Greenland, which was compared with mtDNA extracted from mouse skeletons on the islands dating to the Viking heyday, 1000 to 1200 years ago. The sequences were also compared with mtDNA sequences from Viking mice in Norway and the UK."
Read the full article at the New Scientist.

*Blog owner: The Vikings didn't wear horned helmets, either, thank you!

Shamanism Approved as a Religion in Norway

"This is the first time that Shamanism has been officially recognized as a religion in Norway. According to TV2, director Lone Ebeltoft in the newly founded Shamanic Federation welcomed the governor's decision and expressed her ambition to preserve and continue the shamanistic traditions and practices in the country." The full story may be read at The Nordic Page.

Archaeologists uncover pre-Christian temple in Norway

"Located at the site of Ranheim, about 10 kilometers south of the Norwegian city of Trondheim, the astonishing discovery was unearthed while excavating foundations for new houses and includes a "gudehovet" or "god temple." Read the full story at the Examiner.

Rural Settlements in Medieval Norway, AD 400-1400

Courtesy Medievalists.net:

"In the 5th and 6th centuries the three aisled longhouse with a byre and a living section appears to dominate on rural settlements in all regions. From the 7th century onwards the diversity is greater. In northern Norway the longhouse is still built in the 10th century. In eastern Norway the function fragmentation of the longhouse advances step by step until the domination of the two roomed timbered livinghouse from the 12th century onwards. In western Norway this fragmentation also occurs, but the longhouse without a byre also continues to be built, probably until modern times. Alterations in building techniques probably played a limited role in these developments."  The full article may be read at Ruralia.

Remembering Eyvind Kinnrifi

On this day, 9 February, many followers of the Northern Traditions remember Eyvind Kinnrifi, a Norwegian noble landowner who was tortured to death on orders of Olaf I for refusing to abandon his ancestral faith and convert to Christianity. Some accounts say he was drowned, but most say he was instead tied to a table and had a brazier of hot coals placed upon his belly, which eventually burst open from the intense heat.

Solar Storm Puts Beautiful Northern Lights on Display [VIDEO]

Video of the recent Aurora Borealis display caused by last week's solar storm, filmed in Norway, courtesy of Mashable:

Christmas traditions and performance rituals: a look at Christmas celebrations in a Nordic context

Via Medievalists.net:


"The article explores some pre-Christian, Christian and post-Christian celebratory rituals that exist in a Nordic tradition of Christmas feasts, with a particular focus on the Norwegian Yule. A key theme is the presentation and discussion of rituals and performative events in the described celebrations, along with observations on the interesting etymology of words and names, as well as myths and legends, associated with Yule celebrations. The article looks at some roots of theatre in early religious ritual and dramatic elements in folk practice, and at beliefs and customs that have shaped present day Christmas – or Yule - traditions in the North." The full article by Stig A. Eriksson of Bergen University, Norway, is available in PDF format through Griffith University's website.