Danish Letter

Dear Mari,

I believe that you too will think that Denmark and Norway are two great Scandinavian friends. Two countries. Two independent people. But it wasn't always like this.

I think many Danish people feel a stronger connection to Norway than to other countries. This is because Norway, before 1814, was part of a Danish-Norwegian union and, before that, part of an even greater Scandinavian Union. In 1523, Sweden broke away but the union between Denmark and Norway continued to exist, with both countries ruled primarily by the Danish king. This union was a great power on the European continent. It was based mainly on Denmark's military influence, which allowed us to keep Norway under control. When the Napoleonic wars started, however, Denmark picked the wrong side and eventually lost control over Norway in 1814. This frustrated both the Danish and the Norwegians because the latter wanted to be independent. This series of events is maybe the reason why Norwegian people blame Sweden for their many years of not being an independent state - Sweden was the last country to rule over Norway. They had not been independent since their last king died in 1387, forcing them to found a union with Denmark.

We have a common history. This is the main reason why I feel a bond with the Norwegian people. One thousand years ago, the Vikings - the pride of Scandinavia - had their era. We triumphed over all the nations that were later to become the strongest countries in the world. We successfully invaded British cities each summer for more than a century. And I, for one, am proud of this. It was the period in history when Denmark, Norway and Sweden were the greatest military powers. Our common ancestors looted and raped their way through British towns, giving people all across Europe the impression that the Scandinavians were nothing but violent savages.

Our common background has made our languages alike. We can both speak and read in each others languages, and that is why we are always able to recognize - and like - one another when we meet random people from each other's country. At least this is how I feel about meeting Norwegians outside Scandinavia. There is something familiar about meeting you: a familiar language, a familiar style and appearance, familiar behaviour. I cannot put my finger on what exactly makes you so appealing to my Danish heart. But there is something inexpressible about you and your people. Like a sense of feeling at home, in a safe haven, protected from a chaotic world.

Mads TOLDERLUND Mads is currently preparing for his law studies at the University of Copenhagen, commencing in summer 2009. He won third prize in the Danish history competition and participated in a EUSTORY academy in Belgrade. Mads wants to promote mutual respect between different cultures, religions and socities.

Do you feel so strongly about meeting the Danish, when you are outside Scandinavia? I know a lot of Norwegians favour the Danish over many other cultures. Take, for example, the 1998 Football World Cup in France, when many Norwegians cheered for the Danish national football team, even though Norway was knocked out of the tournament as Denmark advanced. We feel like that too, about Norway, whether it's a case of handball, ice hockey or football. It's okay to lose, as long as Norway does well.

Norway is not always the most beautiful and sought-after friend in the whole world, however. Sometimes it's like a sibling that you love and hate at the same time. You wouldn't trade it for the world, but it can make you extremely angry. A lot of Danes felt like this when Norway gained control of the oilfield in the North Sea called Ekofisk. There is a saying in Denmark that this oilfield was handed over to Norway during negotiations in which our prime minister, Per Haekkerup, was drunk. Is there a saying in Norway too, about how stupid Denmark was for handing over the oilfield? This is an oilfield which earns Norway billions of dollars, even now, more than 40 years later. The matter is still subject to much discussion. For instance, people who were not even alive when the oilfield was given away have made Facebook Groups about the issue, and these groups have attracted a few hundred members.

Money is often the cause of jealousy towards Norway and the Norwegians. Why do you have so much money, when Denmark owes other countries billions of dollars? This is a question often asked by Danish people when the financial situation in Denmark isn't all that good. And I bet it won't be long before we hear about how wonderful things are in Norway as a result of the "Danish" oil.

This leads on to another accusation often levelled at the Norwegian people: because you have so much oil, you don't feel committed to being a part of Europe. Why are you not a member of the European Union like the rest of us? Are you less internationally-minded than other countries? Are you simply, as many Danes believe, too self-centred to look beyond your own borders? Do you idolise your own country so much that you lack the ability to look abroad and learn something new? This is probably the greatest fault of both your country and mine. We tend to idolise ourselves too much. Hopefully this problem will be solved by the future generation and by globalisation. I hope that, in the future, we will see the person, rather than the nationality, religion or skin-colour.

We may have different religions, different languages, different coloured skin, but we all belong to one human race

Kofi Annan

Sincerely,

Mads Tolderlund

NORWEGIAN Answer

Dear Mads,

I also think that Denmark and Norway are great friends. I can't imagine a war or conflict between our countries. In Norway, we have an expression that says: "It is delightful to be Norwegian in Denmark". I guess all young Norwegian people today have a personal relationship with Denmark, either a holiday memory or Danish family or friends.

You wrote about our common language and history. We used to be one country with one language. Indeed, Danish soil consists partly of sand from the Norwegian mountains which shifted during the Ice Age. We still feel close, not only geographically but also psychologically. During World War II, Denmark and Norway went through a similar experience, except that the Danish defended the Jews better. Unlike Norway, they did not surrender their Jews but instead protected them.

You mentioned that Norway and Denmark are like siblings. I feel that is a good metaphor to describe our relationship. We are officially two independent countries, but we still feel closer to one another than other countries. I also share your feeling about meeting Norwegians - or in my case, Danes - outside Scandinavia. Our languages are quite similar, but the Norwegians sometimes make fun of the Danish language. We say that it sounds like the Danes have a potato in their throat when they speak. And if we read Danish, it looks old-fashioned to us. The Danes use many words and phrases that young people today don't use anymore. All Norwegian schools and institutions were controlled by Denmark until 1814 and there were no universities in Norway until 1811. Before that we had to go to Copenhagen to study, where there had been a university since 1479. Because of this we wrote in Danish until we developed our own written language at the beginning of the 19^th century, after establishing our own constitution in 1814. This written language was called "New Norwegian" and was based on oral Norwegian dialects.

MARI KRISTINE SKOVSGAARD BERG Mari has finished her studies in art science at the University of Tromsø and is planning to go to art school. She won first prize in the Norwegian history competition with a project about the Russian Revolution. She has participated in several EUSTORY academies and conferences with the European Cultural Parliament and the Norwegian History Association.

You wrote that many Danes are jealous of our money and oil. I hadn't actually heard the story of Ekofisk from a Danish point of view until now. I don't believe many young Norwegians even know that the Danes also wanted the oil at Ekofisk. In fact, I sense that the younger generation don't care so much about the oil anymore. Some take it for granted, while others have realized the negative aspects and try to stop further oil drilling from taking place.

Because Norway used to be in a union with Denmark, I think we are also jealous of you. We still imagine you as more powerful than us, since you were able to control us. You are situated closer to central Europe and you are members of the EU. This means you share more of the European essence. Sometimes Norway feels lonely and excluded from the rest of Europe. But I suppose you are right about the EU - I guess we are a little too proud and afraid that the EU will take our resources. We feel that the EU-countries are less individual. It seems difficult to follow general rules and laws established in Brussels. The UN has several times voted Norway as the best country to live in based on the Human Development Report. We have free education and a free health service for everyone, and there are not really any poor people in Norway. Why would we let the EU take this away from us? Our former prime minister, Gro Harlem Brundtland, said "Det er typisk norsk å være god." The direct translation would be that it is typically Norwegian to be good. There are numerous ways to understand this statement. First of all, we have the high standard of living I mentioned above, which makes Norway a good country in many ways. But on the other hand, this could be Brundtland´s way of criticising the Norwegian people's tendency to idolise themselves. We frequently say Norway is the best country, but is it really? What would happen, for instance, if every person in the world had our wealthy lifestyle? Perhaps our money isn't so good for us after all, especially in view of the current financial crisis and environmental issues. As you say, both Denmark and Norway should work harder at looking beyond their borders. I hope we will become better at doing this in the future.

Mari Kristine Berg