Norman Centuries is a new podcast by Lars Brownworth, best known for his podcast series
12 Byzantine Rulers (
previously). Norman Centuries, as the name suggests, recounts the history of the Normans, those literal vikings who gained Normandy and then England, Sicily, Malta, Antioch and, well, a whole heck of a lot of other places too. They were a conquering bunch. First two episodes are out with more to follow.
[iTunes link]
posted by Kattullus
on Oct 15, 2009 -
18 comments
The Law of Jante (
Janteloven) was codified by the Danish-born novelist
Aksel Sandemose while he was living in Norway. The
Law comprises ten 'commandments', and describes an unspoken
code of conformity that Sandemose felt as a stifling inhibitive influence in the town where he grew up. Later commentators have used the term more generally to refer to the anti-individualist tendencies that have traditionally pervaded Scandinavian culture, and to denote 'the dark side of egalitarianism'. Of course, the Law needn't be
interpreted in such a negative light, and egalitarianism has its good side too, the difficult question being: do the benefits of equality make it worthwhile
suffering the strictures of
Janteloven?
posted by misteraitch
on Oct 27, 2004 -
31 comments
The architect as total designer. In 1959, Danish architect
Arne Jacobsen shattered paradigms aplenty with his
SAS Hotel (represented now by its last remaining original room, the legendary
606). The hotel was intended as a single field of experience; from
seating and lighting (more
here and
here) to
table service, Jacobsen was intimately involved in almost every aspect of the hotel's physical interface with its guests. The result is a work of deeply pleasing harmony that
still looks fresh some four and a half decades later. MeFites in Copenhagen: how's it holding up?
posted by adamgreenfield
on Oct 6, 2004 -
11 comments
Scandinavia has had
gay marriage for years, and surprise surprise, the institution has not collapsed. It's amazing how rarely Americans take advantage of these sorts of international comparisons...
posted by MikeB
on May 20, 2004 -
33 comments
The Kensington Runestone. In 1898 a farmer in Minnesota named Olaf Ohmann, dug up from his property a stone covered in runes (viking enscriptions). When it was deciphered it read:
8 Goths (Swedes) and 22 Norwegians on a voyage of discovery from Vinland (of) the West...
Read more inside.
posted by lagado
on Dec 12, 2000 -
22 comments