Norway

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Norwegian is a Nordic country in Northern Europe with a rich history that dates back to the Viking Age in the late 8th century. The famous explorer and king Harald Fairhair played a pivotal role in uniting smaller kingdoms under a single crown in the 9th century, laying the foundation for the modern Norwegian state. Throughout the Middle Ages, Norwegian was a dominant force in the region, marked by the rule of powerful figures such as King Olav II Haraldsson, who was later canonized as St. Olav, and King Haakon IV, who fostered prosperity and political stability. The country experienced a union with Denmark from 1380 to 1814, followed by a brief period of Swedish rule until it regained its independence in 1905.

The regions of Norway

Norwegian is divided into fifteen primary administrative regions, known as counties (Fylker):

History of Norway

Norway has been settled since the ice sheets retreated from the region at the end of the last Ice Age, though this was restricted until the second millennium BCE to the very south of the country around the Oslofjord. A Norse culture began to emerge here in the latter half of the second millennium BCE, though written records pertaining to a region that was well beyond the Roman sphere of influence are very rare. The country burst into the historical record in the eighth century CE as the Viking migrations began. The Norwegian Vikings are particularly notable for their westward drive to the Faroe Islands, the Orkneys in Scotland, parts of Ireland, Iceland, and then Greenland and Newfoundland, the latter during the famous voyages and explorations of Erik the Red and his son Leif Eriksson. The colonies in Iceland, in particular, were of great significance for it was here in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries that many of the great poetic works and chronologies of Norse culture such as the Poetic Edda, compiled by Norse scholars such as Snorri Sturluson, were produced.^[1]

Gradually Norway became less warlike and assimilated into broader European culture. For instance, during the reign of Haakon the Good in the mid-tenth century the Christianization of Norway began, though the process was gradual and was still only partial a century later during the reign of Olaf Haraldsson.^[2] By the thirteenth century the Kingdom of Norway had entered the European diplomatic system as seen through the marriage of Christina of Norway to Philip of Castile in Spain. The involvement of Norwegian port cities such as Bergen and Oslo in the Hanseatic League of trading cities further drew Norway into the mainstream of European states.

Beginning in 1397 with its entry into the Union of Kalmar with Denmark and Sweden, Norway was dominated by its neighbors for several centuries. It remained tied to Denmark and largely ruled from Copenhagen until 1814 when it simply switched Danish overlordship for Swedish domination.^[3] The union with Sweden was only finally dissolved in 1905, resulting in an independent Norwegian nation for the first time in half a millennium. The country attempted to remain neutral in the world wars which followed, but its position in the North Atlantic resulted in it being occupied by Nazi Germany in the spring of 1940.^[4] In the aftermath of the war the discovery of North Atlantic oil and gas ensured sufficient prosperity for Norway that it has avoided joining the European Union and hewn its own path as one of Europe’s most prosperous countries.^[5]

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Norwegian history

Norwegian geography

Norway has one of the most unusual geographies of any country in the world. A long thin country, it covers the western extremities of Scandinavia, stretching from deep inside the Arctic Circle southwards to the Baltic Sea. Indeed, so thin is the country in the more northerly regions that at one point the distance from the North Sea coastline to the Swedish border is less than ten kilometers. This coastline is lined with fjords and narrow sea inlets that act as very good natural harbors. There are so many of these that if Norway’s coastline was stretched out in a straight line it would extend approximately halfway around the world.^[6] The country is also characterized by low-lying coastal regions which quickly give way to elevation and mountains and hills in the interior. Unsurprisingly, given the nature of the terrain and the cold, inhospitable conditions in the north, most of the centers of settlement are found in the south of the country and along the coastline. This includes the main port cities of Oslo, Bergen, and Trondheim, while in the northern half of the country Bodo and Tromso, with just over 50,000 people each, are the only major settlements.^[7] See:

Norwegian geography

Researching family history in Norway

The best place for any individual to begin the study of their family history and genealogy within Norway is the National Archives of Norway or Arkivveret.^[8] Censuses were taken in Norway from the sixteenth century onwards and these are supplemented by church records. However, many of these have either not survived or else were spotty in the level of detail they provided. The ‘crown jewel’ of Norwegian censuses for genealogical research is the 1801 census which was carried out much like a modern census on one day, the 1st of February 1801. It provided extensive details on each citizen of Norway, their household, location, and even their occupation. Many of these censuses have been digitized by the Norwegian archives services and are available to consult online.^[9]

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Norwegian ethnicity

Norwegian is a relatively homogeneous country, with a vast majority of its population being ethnic Norwegians. However, there are also significant minority groups, including individuals of Finnish descent, as well as recent immigrants from other parts of the world. These groups have contributed to the rich cultural tapestry of Norwegian, and efforts have been made to recognize and celebrate their unique histories and traditions.

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Norwegian surnames

Norwegian surnames are an essential aspect of researching family history in Norwegian. Until the 19th century, Norwegians primarily used patronymic surnames, which were based on the father's given name. For example, the surname "Olsen" means "son of Ole," and "Johannesen" means "son of Johannes". However, in the late 1800s, the government mandated that all Norwegians adopt a fixed surname. This transition can make tracing family histories challenging, as individuals may have changed their surnames multiple times or adopted entirely new names. Despite this, surnames can also provide valuable clues about one's ancestry, as they can indicate regional origins, occupations, or family relationships. Some of the most common Norwegian surnames include "Hansen," "Johansen," and "Olsen"

Examples of different Norwegian surnames:

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Explore more about Norway

Norwegian Historical Record Collections on MyHeritage
Norway Research with Online Records at MyHeritage and Beyond at Legacy Family Tree Webinars
Have Nordic Ancestors? Count Yourself Lucky – Nordic Records are Amazing on the MyHeritage Knowledge Base
MyHeritage Adds One Million Emigration Records from Norway on the MyHeritage Blog

References

[1] ttps://www.worldhistory.org/Vikings/

[2] ttps://www.medievalists.net/2009/11/christianization-of-norway/

[3] ttps://www.britannica.com/place/Kalmar-Union

[4] ttps://www.iwm.org.uk/history/how-neutral-norway-fell-to-the-german-blitzkrieg-in-1940

[5] ttps://www.lifeinnorway.net/norway-oil-history/

[6] ttps://www.nationalgeographic.com/expeditions/destinations/europe/ocean/norway-arctic-cruise/

[7] ttps://www.countryreports.org/country/Norway/geography.htm

[8] ttps://www.arkivverket.no/en

[9] ttps://www.arkivverket.no/en/find-your-ancestors/public-censuses

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