Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
History
Norway may have become the epitome of a modern, peaceful country, but its
history is soaked in blood. It is a story peopled with picaresque characters
that revolves around recurring grand themes, from the Vikings to the battle
for supremacy in Scandinavia, from the struggles of the Sami to the dark
days of World War II, from extreme poverty to previously unimaginable
riches. How it all happened is one of world history's great epics.
Little is known about the nomadic, hunter-gatherer Nøstvet-Økser people, who were most
likely tall, blond-haired, blue-eyed and spoke a Germanic language, the predecessor of
modern Scandinavian languages.
Darkness & Ice
Some of the most lasting impressions travellers carry with them after visiting Norway - a
land of snow and ice, a bountiful coast, extreme climatic conditions and a thinly populated
land - have been present here since the dawn of Scandinavian civilisation. Indeed, the hu-
man presence in Norway was for thousands of years overshadowed by Norway's geography
and climate, which have strong claims to being the most enduring personalities of Norwegi-
an history.
During the last ice age, Norway was barely habitable. But if Norway was less than hos-
pitable, it was a paradise compared to northern Russia at the time and, as the ice began to
melt, it was from the east that the first major, lasting migration to Norway took place when,
around 11,000 years ago, the Komsa, who would later become the Sami, arrived in Nor-
way's Arctic North.
As the climate warmed and Norway became increasingly habitable, migrations of the
Nøstvet-Økser people of central Europe began arriving along the southern Norwegian coast,
drawn by relatively plentiful fishing, sealing and hunting. Wild reindeer also followed the
retreating ice, moving north into the still ice-bound interior, and the hunters that followed
them were the first humans to traverse the Norwegian high country. Their presence was,
