VATICAN - Catholic Prayers in the Languages of the World: Norwegian (1) THE CHRISTIAN ROOTS OF THE PEOPLES OF EUROPE

Tuesday, 24 April 2007

Vatican City (Fides Service) - Geography and History - The Kingdom of Norway, de Nordhrvegr, or The Northern Path, is situated in northern Europe in the western side of the Scandinavia peninsula. To the east it borders with Sweden, Finland and Russia. The country has an area of 385,199sq km (307,860sq km land and 16,360sq km water), a population of about 4.5 million and the capital is Oslo. Norway also has sovereignty over the arctic circle islands Svalbard, the Jan Mayen, and Antarctic islands Peter I and Bouvet Norwegian name Bouvetøya.

Language - The languages now spoken in Scandinavia developed from the Old Norse language, which did not differ greatly between what are now Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish areas. In fact, Viking traders spread the language across Europe and into Russia, making Old Norse one of the most widespread languages for a time. According to tradition, King Harald Fairhair united Norway in 872. Around this time, a runic alphabet was used. According to writings found on stone tablets from this period of history, the language showed remarkably little deviation between different regions. Runes had been in limited use since at least the 3rd century. Around 1030, Christianity came to Norway, bringing with it the Latin alphabet. Norwegian manuscripts in the new alphabet began to appear about a century later. The Norwegian language began to deviate from its neighbours around this time as well.

History - When Scandinavia was at last free of the influence of great glacial icecap, the first human beings appeared on Norwegian soil from the shadows of prehistory. The Norwegian nation first showed a desire for unity and expansion at the time of the great Viking invasions 9th to 11th century. Fearsome navigators, the Vikings of Norwegian origin rapidly extended their influence as far as the Shetland, Orkney and Hebrides Islands and the Isle of Man, first and later reached and devastated Ireland. After the Shetland Islands they planed lasting colonies in the Fær Øer, Iceland and Greenland. However there was still no central authority in Norway, where communications were much more frequent by sea than by land. In the 8th century Norway was still divided in 29 small independent kingdoms. The first known king to have reigned over the whole territory was Harald I “Fairhair” (872-933) who according to legend in 872 defeated two dukes in battle. (to be continued) (J.M.) (Agenzia Fides 24/4/2007 - righe 26, parole 380)


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