17th of May -Norway's Constitution Day

Congratulation Norway with your 200 years anniversary!  

The constitution of Norway was signed at Eidsvoll on May 17 th in the year 1814. The constitution declared Norway to be an independent kingdom in an attempt to avoid being ceded to Sweden after Denmark-Norway's devastating defeat in the Napoleonic wars. The celebration of this day began spontaneously among students and others from early on. However, Norway was at that time in a union with Sweden (following the Convention of Moss in August 1814) and for some years the King of Sweden and Norway was reluctant to allow the celebrations.  

I haven't had the time to write on my blog for some weeks now!  I have been working in Snorrastofa more or less every single day of this month. First of all we had all Scandinavian foreign ministers  meeting in Reykholt in the 29. and 30.th of April.  Same day visit of 35 translators of the icelandic sagas visiting ( the 29.th of April )  the sagas are being published in all Scandinavian countries in a new modern translation.  

Swedish travel agency " Christers Resor" is here 3  - 4 times every week for lectures about Snorri, their groups are from 40 up to 70 visitors each time.   Definitive my favorite group!   This is also the time of year when icelandic school classes visit Snorrastofa. There are up to 4 schools visiting some days, each group around 60  twelve years old, so our pastor Geir has his hands full!

snorrastofa.is

( photograph Guðlaugur Óskarsson)