The Viking Code

Preface: You're Allowed to Defy the Law of Jante

The Law of Jante

You're not to think you are anything special.

You're not to think you are as good as we are.

You're not to think you are smarter than we are.

You're not to imagine yourself better than we are.

You're not to think you know more than we do.

You're not to think you are more important than we are.

You're not to think you are good at anything.

You're not to laugh at us.

You're not to think anyone cares about you.

You're not to think you can teach us anything.

In the heart of Norway, protected, near the Swedish border, lies the small but culturally rich town of Røros. With its charming wooden houses and old copper mines, Røros has proudly raised the “UNESCO World Heritage” shield and made a name for itself far beyond its national borders. The mountain town has retained its authentic charm and historical significance, and I am a proud “Rørosing.”

Through solidarity and cohesion in their closely knit community, built on an open and trustful culture, one might almost call the village of Røros “Typisk Norsk”—typically Norwegian.

It was in Røros where I grew up.

Here in the highlands, I was glued to the TV on January 1, 1992, when then-Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, with a strong voice, told the whole country in the New Year's address: “The [soccer] girls, the handball girls, the skiing boys, and the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra: they are at the top of the world. We also want to prove that the Norwegian economy ...