Norveç Ansiklopedisi - Norveç ‘de YaÅŸam

The history of the Catholic Church in Norway is as old as the kingdom itself, going back till about 900 A.D., with Christian monarchs from 930. The country was finally converted after the death of the king Saint Olav (+ 1030). The Christianisation was largely the work of Anglo-Saxon missionaries, and the Norwegian Church has been considered the only daughter of the English. Cardinal Nicolas Breakspear established Church province in 1153; the archbishop resided in Nidaros (Trondheim). The prosperous years of the High Middle Ages were followed by decline for Church and nation alike, although Norwegian Catolicism retained much of its vitality.

The people were unprepared for the Lutheran Reformation imposed by the Danish king in 1537. In spite of severe punishment for Catholic practices, the faith survived in parts of the country till about 1700. Christiania (Oslo) had an illegal but tolerated Catholic congregation for a couple of years in the 1790s. The first parish after the Reformation was established in the capital in 1843; a few years later Catholic places of worship were opened in Alta (Finnmark), Tromsø and Bergen.

Most Norwegian Catholics have a foreign background; this partly explains the once popular prejudice that Catholicism is something alien. Religious sisters working in hospitals and schools did much to overcome anticatholicism; Catholic authors, e.g. Sigrid Undset and Hallvard Rieber-Mohn O.P., also contributed to this. Protestants and Catholics were brought closer together in firm opposition to the Quisling regime during the German occupation (1940-45).

The Church has grown slowly and numbers 46.314 registered Catholics (31.12.2003), 70% of whom are born abroad. The country is divided into three Church districts (the diocese of Oslo, and the prelatures of Trondheim and Tromsø) and 32 parishes.

Take a look at our list of all and every Catholic Diocese in the world, country by country, with links to diocesan home pages. Among other things that a Non-Norwegian speaker can benefit from, is our list of Cardinals (constantly updated), officials of the Roman Curia (constantly updated) and some international Church statistics.

Foreningen Forn Sed aim is to restore the Ancient Way and our cultural heritage in its former glory. We wish to do this without infringing upon any other religious or philosophical alignments, old or new, or the cultural heritage of other nationalities. Fanaticism and intolerance will never be consistent with the purpose of this society.

The Ancient Way is founded upon tolerance, honesty, loyalty, reverence for nature and all life. The chief content of the Heathen way is that each man and woman is responsible for themselves and their activities. The Håvamål, sung by Odin, offers moral advice to Heathen man amongst other things. The Voluspå and other writings describe the worldview. In religious questions we rely primarily upon the ancient Eddas and folkloristic beliefs in the Nordic countries.

Using the name Asatro for the Way is actually misleading, as the faith is not restricted to the Aesir. You may recognize other gods in Norse mythology and folklore as well, e.g. spirits of the land, elves, disar, vanir, jotuns, dverger, nisser and other creatures. The members of the society may practise their faith according to their own preferences, within the bounds of Norwegian law. They may dedicate images and other symbols to the divine powers, but it is not demanded that others must worship these.

With Foreningen Forn Sed we aim to create a viable forum for everyone who wish to maintain old traditions, ways and customs and promote understanding and interest for our Norse heritage. This can be done through courses and work groups on different themes, e.g. Norse language, history, arts, crafts, music or traditional foods. We have great ambitions, and in this spirit, some of the members of the society have published the largest existing collection of Norse literature on the Internet - in Norse. A link to this collection may be found on this site. The society is building an archive of articles and other sources, as well as its own library. Our goal is to publish a substantial list of the existing sources and literature that will be easily accessible for our members. Members receive a periodical - Ni Heimer. Among other, equally important activities we can mention meetings that we arrange during the year to pay respect to our gods, the divine powers and other creatures of nature through blot.

Foreningen Forn Sed is officially recognized by the Norwegian government as a religious society in Norway.