Welcome to Arendal - Norway and to the 164th edition of the Forum Song Contest (FSC).
Theme: ‘Norway: A History of Norse Mythology’
Winner FSC September 2022
Congratulations! ^^
The Host city for this FSC #164-edition is Arendal - Norway. It is situated along the southern Nor
wegian coast in the county of Agder in the region which is called Sørlandet . Arendal has a popul
ation of about 45.000 including surrounding villages (Kolbjørnsvik , Rykene, Eydehavn, Færvik, Kil
sund, Saltrød, Longum & Stregereid to name the most prominent ones) in the whole municipality.
Arendal is situated 260 kms south of the capital Oslo , and 65 kms north of Kristiansand , and the
municipality is around 270 square kilometres large. Historically, the village of Arendal was establi
shed in the middle of the 16th century , & was then called Arendall . Initially, it had no formal town
/ city status. Arendal received royal permission in 1622 to continue as a loading-place for timber.
The town of Arendal was given market city privileges in 1723 and was granted a full town charter
in 1735. This charter , combined with Danish imposition of a monopoly on grain imports , caused
great poverty and starvation , among the peasants in the surrounding districts , leading to several
rebellions. Shipping , shipbuilding, timber trade, mining and ironworks were important in industry.
Frequent contacts with the world abroad put their mark on the local culture & traditions . In 1880,
it was the country's biggest port in terms of tonnage handled . At the end of the 19th century, Are
ndal was recognized as a major shipping centre with many wealthy shipowners . Many locals em
igrated to USA at turn of the 20th century & took their skills in shipbuilding & carpentry with them.
Today the city has small boat manufacturing, mechanical industry, electronics industry, as well as
one of the world's largest silicon carbide refining plants. There are also elements of its former est
ablished shipping industry . It faces the sea and its small islands of Hisøy and Tromøy make for a
beautiful 'vista' . Small ferries travel from the city to the islands regularly for locals & visitors alike
The municipality is furthermore bordered to the southwest by the town of Grimstad, to the north-
west by the village of Froland , to the northeast by the village of Tvedestrand , & to the southeast
by the Skaggerak sea . Geologically, Arendal is also the geologic type locality of the mineral Babi
ngtonite (is of calcium iron) , which was first described from specimens discovered here in 1824
As for the origin of the name Arendal, the Old Norse form of the name was probably probably Arn
ardalr. The first element is the genitive case of ǫrn which means "eagle" & the last element is dalr
which means "valley"/ "dale", thus meaning the "valley of the eagle" . A link for the name, also has
been theorized to the Vasconic hypothesis, for similarity to placenames like Val d'Aran & Arundel.
The coat of arms of Arendal was granted on 7th November 1924 (based upon an older seal). The
blue & silver arms show a sailing ship , as a symbol for the importance of fisheries, and sailing to
the local economy. A ship appeared on the oldest known seal of the city , dating back to, the 17th
century. In late 19th and early 20th century , the arms were slightly modified but with same basis.
‘Norway: A History of Norse Mythology’
‘The Norse Gods in Asgard’
Norse Mythology (‘Norrøn Mytologi’) is the body of myths belonging to the North Germanic peop
les , stemming from Old Norse religion , and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia,
and into the Nordic folklore of the modern period . Norse mythology , consists of tales of various
deities, beings, and heroes derived from numerous sources from both before and after the pagan
period, including medieval manuscripts, archaeological representations, and as well folk tradition
The source texts mention numerous gods including the hammer-wielding, humanity-protecting th
under-god Thor, who relentlessly fights his foes; the one-eyed, raven-flanked god Odin who craftily
pursues knowledge throughout the worlds and bestowed among humanity the runic alphabet; the
beautiful, seiðr-working, feathered cloakclad goddess Freyja who rides to battle to choose amidst
the slain ; the mysterious god Heimdallr , who possesses a resounding horn; and the the vengeful
god Loki, who brings tragedy to the gods by getting the goddess Frigg's beautiful son Baldr killed.
Most of the surviving mythology centers on the plights of the gods in Asgard, their home, and th
eir interaction with other beings such as humanity and the jötnar , beings who may be friends, lo
vers, foes or family members of the gods. The cosmos in Norse mythology consists of 9 Worlds
that flank a central sacred tree, Yggdrasil. Various forms of a creation myth are recounted where
the world is created from the flesh of the primordial being Ymir (a.k.a. Aurgelmir), and the first 2
humans are Ask and Embla. Half of those who die in combat enter Valhalla, a majestic hall locat
ed in Asgard, and presided over by the god Odin , while the other half are chosen by the goddess
Freyja to reside in Fólkvangr, a meadow or field ( "army/people-field" ) ruled over by the goddess.
These worlds are foretold to be reborn after the events of Ragnarok, when an immense battle oc
curs between the gods & the enemies & the world is enveloped in flames, only to be reborn anew
There the surviving gods will meet , and the land will be fertile and green, & two humans will repo
pulate the world . Famous Old Norse texts , are the Prose Edda, composed in the 13th century by
Icelandic scholar, lawspeaker , and historian Snorri Sturluson and the Poetic Edda, a collection of
poems , from earlier traditional material , anonymously compiled in the 13th century . Norwegian
Vikings believed in Old Norse Mythology , until the country was Christianized during the 900s AD.
Transport wise , the European route E18 highway is a major transportation route through Arendal
heading to Oslo in the northeast, & Kristiansand to the southwest . Modernisation of the highway
has been ongoing for decades and the speed limit has been increased to 110 km in certain secti
ons. Arendal also has a small airport called Gullknapp, but Kristiansand's airport is for travellers.
Trefoldighetskirken , or Trinity Church, is one of the most prominent monuments in the city of Are
ndal . It is a parish church of the Church of Norway (Evangelical Lutheran Protestant) and is locat
ed in the central part of the city. The red, brick neo-Gothic church was built in a cruciform basilica
design in 1888 . The church seats about 850 people , & has 3 church bells in addition to a carillon
In the middle of the city centre of Arendal is an area with wooden houses dating back to the 17th
century . This area is called Tyholmen , & is what is left of buildings from before the 19th century.
The inner harbour of Arendal is called "Pollen" , where the fish market , pubs , and restaurants are
located. Trefoldighetskirken (Trinity Church) dominates the skyline of this central area of the city.
Arendal has grown from a traditional “sleepy” summer-city/town (with culture activities just in the
summer , when lots of tourists visit from other places in Norway, but also from abroad) to a more
"all year" city . The building of the new library and the combined City Hall/Concert Hall has greatly
improved culture life and there have also been new restaurants , bars , & cafes along the sea side.
There are several Lighthouses near Arendal . Store Torungen Lighthouse , is located on the island
of Store Torungen outside the city. It was constructed in 1844 and electrified in 1914. The lightho
use is still in use . Lille Torungen Lighthouse , is 28.9 metres (95 ft) high. Lille Torungen and Store
Torungen were constructed as twin lighthouses and both are located in the Arendal shipping lane
Arendal doesn't have a University, but co-works with the Agder University in Kristiansand. The city
has a yearly jazz & blues festival called "Canal Street" during summer . It has been arranged since
1996. From 2007 until 2014 the popular music festival Hove Festival was located on Tromøy. The
city also has many nice (fish)restautants , outdoor cafes, & several hotels with modern amenities.
City sights: Trefoldighetskirken (Trinity Church), Tyholmen (old town), Strømsbo gård (a manor ho
use on a historic farm located west of the center of Arendal), the new ‘Glass lift’ in the hills surrou
nding the city, Vitensenteret (science), Hove beaches, Arendal’s old City Hall. Sports wise Arendal
has one of Norway’s best men’s handball teams, as well as long traditions with powerboat racing.
The Host venue for FSC #164 October 2022, is Arendal Concert Hall or Arendal Kulturhus
in Norwegian. It is situated in the center of Arendal city close to the quay side, the church, hotels
and other amenities. Built in 2005 it has provided the local citizens & visitors with more than 200
cultural events incl. concerts , plays and conferences each year. The biggest hall, which is called
Store Torungen, has 700 seats and can be fitted for even more guests for music concerts where
seats are less needed. The smaller hall, Lille Torungen has a capacity of 120 seats. The Concert
Hall has state of art audiovisual equipment to provide great cultural experiences & have welcom
ed many music artists . They are proud to host this evening’s edition of the Forum Song Contest.
Our wonderful Hosts this evening are:
Tom Hugo Hermansen , Alexandra Rotan and Fred Buljo
Tom Hugo Hermansen (born 1979), is a Norwegian singer, songwriter and musician and member
of the famous Norwegian-Sami ESC-group KEiiNO . Besides writing songs for KEiiNO , he has co-
written songs for others. He is proud to co-host this evening’s edition of the Forum Song Contest.
Alexandra Rotan (born 1996) is a Norwegian singer and member of the famous Norwegian-Sami
ESC-group KEiiNO. Earlier in her career she participated in MGP jr as well as Norwegian IDOL and
has been featured artist She is proud to co-host this evening’s edition of the Forum Song Contest
Fred Buljo (born 1988) is a Norwegian Sami rapper and joiker+member of the famous Norwegian
-Sami ESC-group KEiiNO . He is also a member of the Sami rap duo Duolva Duottar, consisting of
Buljo & Ole Mahtte Gaup. He is proud to co-host this evening’s edition of the Forum Song Contest
And we are now pleased to announce
The Opening Acts
Exclusive International Guest Appearances
Selena Gomez ft. The Scene (USA)
Pet Shop Boys (UK)
-
’Love You Like A Lovesong’
’It’s A Sin’
- and Good luck to all entries this month!
