Non-Fiction

Norsk Folkehjelp Norwegian People's Aid from Norway [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]

The Humanitarian Superpower Myth: Norwegian shortcomings in response to the refugee crisis

By Siri Block St. Olaf College I. Introduction Norway has long been established as a nation of peace; they award the Nobel Peace prize, settle conflicts between feuding nations, and act as a social progressive model for Western Europe. Despite its status as a philanthropic global leader, Norway has recently received criticism for strict immigration laws and failure to offer sufficient support in response to the refugee crisis. Why is Norway, a so-called “humanitarian superpower,” falling short in their duties…

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"Bananna Park 2012, Nørrebro, Copenhagen" by Tiws from https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiws/7661081972 (CC BY 2.0)

In Copenhagen: An Honor Code for Life

By Alex Moreno Bowdoin College There were twenty-four of us in the class, and as we pulled up to the first attraction on our bike tour, Norrebro’s BaNanna Park, two girls towards the end of the line decided that the best way to stop was to drag their toes along the concrete. They bumped and tottered to a halt in their pink helmets, and I watched their mouths form tiny O’s as the bicycles struck back and plummeted to the…

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Underwater Photography of Ocean by Jeremy Bishop

Hans Christian Andersen and Disney: The Tale of Two Different Mermaids

by Mirha Girt University of Wisconsin–Madison Disney’s recreation of Hans Christian Andersen’s stories, like “The Little Mermaid,” altered their meanings and changed Andersen’s portrayal of women, in particular. Disney’s versions—lighter and often with a happy ending—erase the original passion and anguish that are the backbone of Andersen’s stories. These films lead many people to believe they are watching the recreation of the real story when they actually present quite a different story from Andersen’s. Disney’s “The Little Mermaid”—produced by Walt…

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People waiting in line for food during WWII in Oslo, Norway.

Norse Mythology and Nazi Propaganda

By Aidan Neher Carleton College Introduction November 1918, World War I ended. With the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, the German Empire was replaced with the Weimar Republic. Portions of Germany were gifted to its neighbors, heavy reparations were imposed and democracy was forced.[1] Burdened with war reparations, Germany’s economy worsened, unemployment grew and starvation became common.[2] The country’s people, searching for direction, turned to various forms of extreme nationalism, and war veteran Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party…

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Into the Silence: The Nordic World as Encapsulated in Skaldic Poetry

By Johanna Weissing University of Wisconsin–Madison Words, after speech, reach Into the silence. Only by the form, the pattern, Can words or music reach The stillness, as a Chinese jar still  Moves perpetually in its stillness.1 In any attempt to study and understand a culture, one must take into account the material and artistic products of that culture, including its architecture, tools and traditions of music, and visual art. Perhaps the aspect of a culture that conveys the greatest insights…

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Old Norse Women of Inspiration

By Linnea Rock University of Wisconsin–Madison From before the days of written history, women have endured societal hardships, as in most situations they were deemed subordinate. Thankfully there have been many examples of great women who have found ways to assert themselves in a male-dominated world, a contingency of which had taken root in medieval Scandinavia. In mythology and medieval stories, there are accounts of women possessing strength and a willingness to weaken boundaries between normal gender roles. Many of these…

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