The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-07-04
prepared by the National Geographic
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"RONDHJEM, old Viking capital,
and the surrounding country of
central Norway, recently cele-
hrated the nine hundredth ami
versary of the death of NOrway's
patron, Saint Olaf. the king who es-
tablished Christianity in Europe's
northwestern corner. The city'S name
was officially changed few months
ago 10 Nidaros, its ancient designa-
ton; BIZ: the inhabitants are not
unanimously pleased with the change,
and 'Trondhjem" continues in partial
use.
Modern Trondhjem is built on a
peninsula formed by the River Md
and the Trondhjem ford which in
dents Nerway's west coast. Its
houses are cheerful frame structures
painted in white or light colors, with
potted plants making colorful spots
at their windows. The royal palace.
a huge, white building, is one of the
largest wooden buildings in the world.
The shops have many unusual wares
for visitors. Furs are sold and there
is a demand for blue and silver fox,
polar bear and ermine. Eiderdown
quilts. bear skin rugs, embroideries,
carved wood souvenirs, and silver
carved in old Morse designs are pop
ular with tourists. Many of the larg-
er shops are on Olaf Tryggvesson
street, which was named after the
towns founder
Although it lies In the same lati-
tude as southern Iceland, Trondhjem
has summers like those of England,
and its winters are no more severe
than those of Germany. The river
and the ford are seldom frozen. In
summer numerous trees and shrub
berry give the town semitropical APP
pearance which the visitor had not
expected.
The long Arctic summer daylight
has its effect on the farmlands sur
rounding Trondhjem. Often there are
two crops a year of produce which
yields but one crop in temperate eli
mates.
Morse Coronation Place.
Trondhjem was the. coronation
place of ancient Morse kings: and the
present king, Haakon VII, was
crowned there in 1906 when the union
of Sweden and Norway was dissolved
Tie city has population of some
$1,000. Much of its life centers
about the water front. The ship
building industry is brisk and there
is a boat service between Trondhiem
and Bergen and the North Cape. Nu-
merouS fishing boats come in with
their cargoes of sailed herring to be
deposited in the tall, quaint gabled
warehouses which line the quays.
The lofty Gothic spires of Trond-
hjem cathedral rise above the sur
rounding low buildings of purely
Morse architecture in striking con-
trast to them. The cathedral looks
like transplanted English church in
a Morse setting. Its Gothic style may
be attributed to Norsemen, living in
England when the Gothic architecture
was attaining its vogue, who preferred
1t TO the simpler Morse style and in
cOrporated it into the cathedral. The
structure was begun during the reign
of Olaf the Quiet, between 1066 and
1893. 1t has been restored many
times but each reStOrer has kept to
the Gothic style and the present res
toration has endeavored to follow the
original building.
All the eXcitment which marks our
most generally observed holiday,
Christmas, attends the Day of st.
John on June "a While it bears a
Christian name, the holiday and its
customs go hack to pagan origin. In
effect the day still is festival of the
sun. Green birch trees adorn every
house and children carry evergreen
branches through the streets. The
analogy to Christmas breaks down,
however, when younger folk crowd
into boats on the fiords or hike to
the mountain woods which, at twi-
light. are flecked with bonfres. All
night long these beacons burn, as
ghostly figures of the merry makers
dance and sing around them.
Life in Central Norway.
Yearly more visitors are strapping
on their knapsacks for walking trips
through the rugged countryside of CEN
trail Norway, where every rock -hewn
road seems to lead to ford, and
where the native customs defy the III
roads of such driblets of travel as now
sift through.
The visitor goes to church. and the
Simple services seem stereOtyped
enough until a bit of statuary de-
scends from the ceiling. The figure
of an angel, supported by a rod, holds
a bowl filed with water. The sur.
prised visitor realizes this theatrical
appurtenance is a baptismal font.
The simplicity and innocence of the
country folk in the remote and iso
lated sections is betokened by their
proiniscuous bathing. And by bath
ing" is meant just that not the diver
sion of water spiashing and sand sun