Norway

**Norway** (Bokmal Norwegian: Norge), officially the **Kingdom of Norway**, is a country in northern Europe on the planet Earth.

## Factfile

* Official name: Kingdom of Norway
* Anthem: Yes, we love this country
* Official motto: None
	+ One popular motto is "United and loyal until Dovre falls"
* Capital city: Oslo
* Official languages: Norwegian, Sami
	+ Regional and minority languages include Kven, Romani, and Tavringer Romani
* Official religion: Lutheran Christianity
	+ Other religions include other forms of Christianity (Catholic, Orthodox, Pentecostal), Islam, Asatru (native Norse religion), and native Sami religion.
* Government: Constitutional monarchy
	+ Monarch: Harald V
	+ Prime Minister: Erna Solberg
* Climate: Mostly boreal and mountainous; the northern edge is tundra; and the southern parts are humid oceanic.
* Currency: Krone (100 øre)
* National Day: 17 May (Constitution Day)

## In the *Collectionverse*

One of the main characters -- Ludvig Gerald -- is of Norwegian descent.

Norway was the home country of Palsen Studios (the company that produced a remake of the popular mecha series Reltak) before it moved to the United States in search for more land and commercial opportunities.

## In the *Rinnarverse*

In ancient times, the peoples of Norway worshipped their own gods, such as Odin and Thor. Although most Norwegians in modern times have converted to Christianity, these gods are still worshipped by a portion of pagans, both of which have thrived on Earth and in the colonies located at the far side of the Milky Way.

In the 2070s, Norway was hit by a worldwide economic crisis. Its government was overthrown by a fascist faction that annexed neighbouring Sweden to establish the Nordic State. Under its rule, its citizens were mobilised to forcibly annex Denmark and Finland, and all other beliefs other than an extreme version of Norse paganism were banned. However, the northern coast held off the Nordic armies, supported by soldiers sent from the United States.

The founders of the Rinnarit Republic -- the York dynasty -- were from Trondheim, Norway, so they used the Norwegian language between themselves: after all, the Yorks (both Christians, Asatruar, and atheists) were among those that fled from the iron fist of the Nordic State to Greenland. Ivan York used his form of Lutheran Christianity as the standard for the Christian faith in the Rinnarit Republic, but also added Greek Orthodox influences to remove anything he suspected to be "Roman". In addition, certain aspects of Norwegian history were commemorated in Rinnarit culture: Ivar the Boneless is celebrated as a hero for his cruelty as a symbol of revenge against the Earth Union, and the Christian king Olaf Tryggvason is depicted as being whipped by a demon for threatening his people to convert or be killed.

As part of Scandinavia, Norway was listed as one of five sacred sites to the Defender squads that broke away from Ivan York's expeditions sent to aid the Farsider siege of Earth; the other four were Cambodia, India (Akhand Bharat), Greece, and Iraq (Rafidain). It was chosen to honour the Norse pagans who joined the Rinnarit armed forces, and for that purpose only the platoons made of ethnic Norse troopers were allowed into Scandinavia. At first, they set up hospitals and schools for the locals, but as soon as the free Scandinavians and the Nordic State's army fought each other, the Rinnarit Norse also took sides and attacked each other. Eventually, the free Scandinavians prevailed, and the remaining Rinnarit Norse who sided with the Nordic State were either killed in battle or imprisoned. Some people claimed that the later instability of the Rinnarit Republic was a punishment from the gods for the unnecessary deaths of these hundreds of Norse lives.

Centuries later, Ivan's surviving descendant -- Halsteinn York -- bid the Rinnarits farewell and went to Norway to drive out a Galaxial invasion. He was then naturalised as citizens of the renewed Kingdom of Norway, and he and his family attended a special blot to pacify the souls of the Rinnarit Norse soldiers.

## In the *Rabydosverse*

While Norway does not exist in the Rabydosverse, several equivalent countries on Jerde include the kingdom of Baesorja.