What is a Norwegian?

http://www.aftenposten.no/english ^

[marthemaria]

The Equality and Anti-discrimination Ombud (LDO) has asked The Norwegian Language Council to explain its definition of the terms nordmann (Norwegian) and etnisk norsk (ethnic Norwegian) which the Council recently said were equivalent. The matter came to the LDO's attention after an article in the news magazine Ny Tid (New Time) and the Council has been criticized for saying that a Pakistani can never be a 'Norwegian' even if awarded Norwegian citizenship.

LDO section leader Arnfinn Andersen said the matter went to the heart of 'who we are' and how Norwegians perceive inclusion and community.

In the letter to the Language Council the LDO asked on what basis one becomes Norwegian today, in view of the nation's history having been formed by persons not born in the country.

Various media have their own lists for which words are not suited for use in print and on the air. Sylfest Lomheim of the Language Council expressed skepticism about the NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting) practice and media lists of banned words.

District editor Per Arner Kalbakk of NRK's eastern Norway news service defended the policy, and said he did not care what the Language Council thought about it.

(Aftenposten English Web Desk/NTB)

[muawiyah]

I think there are 5, maybe as many as 7, different Sa'ami groups that can be REAL Norwegians, but the Gothic types usually don't have the special genes to qualify.

Those that do, though, might someday apply for REAL Norwegian status once the Sa'ami retake control of the place and ship out the foreign people.

Then everybody can get busy and make the place gluten free for once and all eh!

(/sarcasm)

[LongElegantLegs]

Well, they have six eyes, fins, and a large, parrotlike beak used for breaking open coconuts...

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Ah, but does it work the other way? What happens when a Norwegian claims to be a Pakistani? What does Pakistan say to that? That should be considered before answering that question.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

"once the Sa'ami retake control of the place and ship out the foreign people"

Nothing like reindeer jerky, eh? (Beats the heck out of Lutefisk.)

[MineralMan]

I'm a Norwegian by marriage. I even like lutefisk.

That's the key. Make any one claiming to be Norwegian eat an entire filet of lutefisk. If they can, they're Norwegian.

[grjr21]

has been criticized for saying that a Pakistani can never be a 'Norwegian' even if awarded Norwegian citizenship.


Is a  Pakistani capable of   pining for the fjords?

[muawiyah]

Reading about the Skolt still left in Russia (up near the Norwegian border), the writer noted that they all carried around a fish in their jacket for dinner.

The other night I tracked down several more of the Sa'ami colonies in early colonial America.

One of them was ELKTON MARYLAND. I think you already know about YORK PENNSYLVANIA. Pretty sure FINLAND PENNSYLVANIA and UPLAND PENNSYLVANIA (in the vicinity of Finland) were Sa'ami Colonies.

Elkins West Virginia looks to be a second level colony with those settlers having come from other Sa'ami settlements.

As the English flooded the place with English Quakers, the Sa'ami, Finns and Swedes moved West to other early settlements, e.g. Uniontown Pennsylvania. From there they settled numerous other towns they in turn named Uniontown.

Watching Church of the First Born is part of the trick in finding these guys, plus look for towns with a Christmasy name, and places with Elk or Deer in the name.

Elko Nevada has it all ~ COTFB and "Elk" and buncha' Scanderhoovian named early settlers, and a museum filled with goods I know were collected mostly by a guy who's grandmother was definitely a Sa'ami born in Norway about 1810 (just before the first great European famine which affected only the Northern Coast, Russia, Siberia and China 1811-13.)

[dogbyte12]

Even my dog doesn't like lutefisk. I do like me some pickled herring mayonaise, norwegian dried peas, pepperkake, oh and Ski Queen goat cheese. That is the bomb.
Open faced norwegian sandwiches are great too.

[I Hired Craig Livingstone]

Norwegian: . .. Stivianka sobjiord ki niyanska ik takka Norge weginda zokiy yniet...
SUBTITLE; YOU MAY THINK IT STRANGE THAT WE SHOULD BE ASKING YOU TO VOTE NORWEGIAN AT THE NEXT ELECTION'

Norwegian: ... Ik vietta nogiunda sti jibiora...
SUBTITLE: 'BUT CONSIDER THE ADVANTAGES'

Norwegian: In Norge we hatta svinska offikiose buinni a gogik in Europa.
' SUBTITLE: 'IN NORWAY, WE HAVE ONE OF THE HIGHEST PER CAPITA INCOME RATES IN EUROPE'

Norwegian: E in Norge we haua siddinkarvo dikinik chaila osto tykka hennakska.
SUBTITLE: 'AND GIRLS WITH MASSIVE...!'

[MineralMan]

I dunno. If you don't like lutefisk, I don't see how you can be Norwegian. There is one more test, however, that could redeem you. If you can eat gamelost, then you can be forgiven for not eating lutefisk.

Trouble is, you can't buy it here in the USA. Gotta go to Norway to try it. It means "old cheese" and it tastes a bit like old gym socks smell. Smells like 'em too. Uffda!

[Doc-Joe]

Lutefisk is the most vile "food" I have ever had the misfortune of eating. My first wife had dual citizenship: US and Norway. I can still smell the stench of my inlaw's house.

[muawiyah]

Still new to goat cheese but I find it definitely superior to cow's milk products, but mare's milk cheese (available at many Middle Eastern stores) is pretty good too.

Ewe's milk cheese depends on the ewe, the country, and what it ate. I don't think some of those sheep eat well.

[MineralMan]

"Lutefisk is the most vile "food" I have ever had the misfortune of eating."

Not so. It's an excellent thing. I'm thinking, since my heritage is Scottish and Irish, that there may have been a Viking somewhere in my history.

Lutefisk...lots of butter and salt. Yumm....

[unspun]

Whatever being a Norwegian is, they have the right to make their rules of Norwegian citizenship.

[cinives]

You forgot Lewes Delaware, occupied by the Swedes in 1658 or so.

[muawiyah]

It's not called "gammalost" in the US, but you can get it at Giant. Hard as a rock, but it will crumble, which you don't want it to do, if you aren't careful. I just finished up a pound of a "goat's milk" equivalent ~ from Norway. Cost something like $19 per pound. Safeway carries something close, but no "blue" ~ there's also 5 year old Australian cheddar.

Best bet is to get a cheese blade to cut this stuff. It's not meant for dining, just for the taste.

[Caipirabob]

Did someone say Lutefisk?

[cinives]

Ha ! I used to eat gamelost the year I lived in Norway ! I still eat gjetost here - the nearest thing I can get.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

"a fish in their jacket for dinner"
If this doesn't make you true Norske I don't know what does.

Life in Scandinavia could be hard. In occasional bad years there could be a 20% mortality rate. It made you tough though.

I take it you have a Sa'ami heritage!