Exploring The NORDIC REGION...
Student Text Page No. 1: "Cultural Roots"

Magical ships sailing across the sky ... gods at war with other gods … frightful trolls who kidnapped humans: These were just a few of the legendary figures in tales told by early Scandinavians: Tales whispered during long, northern winter nights. Tales recalled by fishermen on cold, stormy seas. Tales they believed!

The descendants of those Scandinavians — the Danes, Finns, Icelanders, Norwegians, and Swedes of modern-day Europe — view their world quite differently, of course. But they respect the old myths, preserved in such classic works as the Icelandic Eddas. Those myths are clues to the past — to the cultural roots of today's Nordic people.

Moving in. When did humans first arrive on the Scandinavian Peninsula? There's no written record. But archaeologists tell us that people certainly arrived before 10,000 BCE, as the last Ice Age was ending. The receding ice left Scandinavia blanketed with lakes, forests, rivers, and meadows — a rich environment that soon attracted reindeer from central Asia and eastern Europe. In pursuit of them, came migrant hunters.
     Once in Scandinavia, most hunters became herders and farmers. With plentiful fish in the Baltic Sea, they became seafarers too. Many lived in coastal villages, preferring water travel to overland routes. (After all, there were trolls in those forests!) And by 500 BCE, all were sharing a distinct regional culture. Indeed, most used a local version of the same language: "Old German."

Making headlines. In the 9th century CE, those seafarers made history. Scandinavians from places we now call Norway, Sweden, and Denmark launched a series of daring voyages. Known as "Vikings," some raided nearby countries. Others sought new territory — or new markets for their furs, woodcrafts, and tools. Swedes expanded into Finland and opened trade with Russia. Danes conquered parts of France and England. Norwegians settled in Iceland. Icelanders colonized Greenland — and even reached North America! Events back home were equally dramatic. For one thing, Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish rulers pressed hard to unite their kingdoms and end wars among local lords. For another, the Scandinavians (who by now included people in Iceland and Finland) converted to Catholicism. This, too, had a unifying effect.

Asserting priorities. In a way, it would have been surprising if someone hadn't tried to unite this region politically, too. Someone did! In 1397, Denmark's Queen Margrethe I joined her kingdom to the kingdoms of Norway (including Iceland) and Sweden (including Finland). This "Union of Kalmar" lasted until a series of wars ended the alliance: Sweden and Finland broke from Denmark in 1521; Norway separated in 1814; Iceland, in 1918.
     By the 1800s, Scandinavians (most were now Lutherans) felt strong loyalties to their individual "nations." But there were new political goals spreading across the region, too — goals common to the citizens of all five countries. People in each country began calling for a new constitution with a representative legislature. They wanted peace (not war) and protection for the kinds of personal liberty, family security, and local self-rule their early ancestors had enjoyed. They demanded education in the skills needed for modern life. And they wanted "safety-net" laws, to protect all citizens from dire poverty.

Regional Matters. By the year 2008, all five nations in what is now called the Nordic Region had achieved those goals. Today, their 24.7 million people enjoy one of the best living standards in the world. And their long, eventful history helps us to ponder these questions: How does a country's geographic setting influence its people's cultural identity? What kinds of influences tend to bind the peoples of neighboring countries within a region? (And what kinds of influences could drive them apart?)