National Anthem of Norway

The national anthem of Norway “Ja, vi elsker dette landet” or “Yes, We Love This Country” in English was adopted in 1864 on the fiftieth anniversary of the creation of the Constitution. The words for the national anthem of Norway were written by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson between 1859 and 1868 , one of Norway's great dramatists and poet who also won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1903 . The melody of the anthem was written by his cousin Rikard Nordraak in 1864 , who was also a friend of the famous Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg .

History

The original poem had six verses, of which only the first and the last two verses are in use today. The national anthem of Norway was used during the World War II by the Norwegian resistance, and by the Nazi collaborators. Later, the German occupants officially forbade any use of the anthem.

Norway's national anthem conveys how much Norwegians love their rugged, coastal nation and all its folk tales. The Norwegian Anthem evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people. They honor their country by respecting the national anthem. The anthem was first performed publicly as the Norwegian national anthem on the Syttende Mai , May 17, 1864 , in connection to the 50 th anniversary celebration of the constitution. The national anthem of Norway became part of the school text all over the country and was sung by them in children's parades organized by Bjørnson on every 17th of May.

While writing the anthem, Bjørnson wrote in a modified version of the Dano-Norwegian language that was frequently used in Norway at the time. Today a much more modernized version is used from what Bjørnson wrote.