A Lovely Land Is Ours
From left to right, going clockwise: Copenhagen pedestrian street (Fiolstræde) with secondhand booksellers, quirky fashion and a Japanese supermarket; typical Danish pedestrian street in Holbæk with parked bikes (and bike helmets); Copenhagen City Hall tower; Mjølnir (Thor's Hammer) seen at an exhibition on amulets at the National Museum; cloudy skies over a field in north-west Zealand (note the characteristic gentle slopes); early Viking Age/Late Iron Age drinking vessel seen at the National Museum; some of the yarn I bought; and some sheep at the sheep farm just south of where I grew up.
Not pictured: the nineteen people I saw during my visit, the copious amount of delicious (and mostly organic) food I had, and the six yarn shops I visited.
As I wrote in my previous entry, visiting Denmark feels bitter-sweet. I feel so connected to Danish history - how could I not when I grew up in an area which has been populated since Pre-Historic times and where you interact with History everytime you go for a walk - and I love speaking Danish with its quirky pronounciation and lightly-nuanced intonation. I love Denmark and the Danish landscape. You are never far from the sea, the rolling hills have such gentle slopes and the woods are friendly and inviting. Denmark in spring is a beauty to behold.
It's just a shame that Denmark is populated by the Danes. This is when my problems with my nationality set in. Denmark is a tiny, tiny country with a huge ego. The average Dane truly believes he lives in the best country in the entire world and that right way to do things is the Danish way. He travels abroad and marvels at the idiotic way that other nationalities do things. He returns to Denmark, smug in the knowledge that all other nationalities envy him his Danishness. Paranoia sets in: because Denmark is the envy of all other nations on earth, Denmark must be protected from intruders. This has led to xenophobia, protectionism and a deep distrust of anything which is not readily identifiable as being Proper Danish Behaviour (such as preferring non-Danish cultural products, dressing unlike the masses, questioning rampant xenophobia or even criticising Denmark just like I'm doing here). I've always struggled to be a proper Dane and that was part of why I moved to Britain, I suppose.
So this visit was bitter-sweet. I looked with horror at how a key Danish MEP called for the exclusion of Romania and Bulgaria from the EU on the basis of them being unhealthy and "less than clever". On the other hand, I really enjoyed the new Pre-Historic exhibition at the National Museum and I have found the bestest and nicest LYS in all of Denmark. And it was so damn good to see my family and all of my fantastic friends.
May 19th, 2009 - 12:35
That’s fascinating, I always think of the Scandinavian countries as being very open and tolerant (and I’m totally aware that lumping several countries together to describe them is a massive generalisation!). I can see why you struggle.
May 19th, 2009 - 12:39
Danes are very open and tolerant (cf. their attitudes towards homosexuality) but only if you conform. And as long as you are white and can speak Danish without an accent. You’ve seen photos of me on Rav – I have been shouted at in Copenhagen and told “to eff off back home” presumably because I’m dark-haired with dark eyes and I tan easily?
May 19th, 2009 - 12:45
Well, Anders is coming over for a few months in early June to look for a job so I can hook you up with the opportunity to speak Danish ;) If you are coming to Sharon’s bbq on the 13th you can be introduced.
May 19th, 2009 - 12:59
I reckognise a bit of my own feelings towards Germany in that. Much as I love the place and miss parts of it when I’m gone, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to live there again. The people just drive me mad! Especially being expected to conform and do things “right”. Drives me demented!
May 19th, 2009 - 16:00
Funny. That was the most unfair portrait of a group consisting of 5.5 million people I have read in a long time.
May 19th, 2009 - 16:28
Thankfully it is only a minority who express themselves so unpleasantly as the examples you quoted, but I agree that the concept of Danishness can be taken to extremes just as Britishness can by some people here (eg the National Front)
Hopefully education and experience of other cultures and the example of more liberal citizens will teach tolerance but some people need an awful lot of help to get the message. We had a young, 17year old, Danish student living with us in UK a couple of years ago who was completely indoctrinated, most unpleasant comments were from sheer ignorance eg There are no poor people in Denmark, all the houses are better/bigger than British houses etc.Thankfully most Danes I have met are not like that and are as lovely as Denmark itself.
May 20th, 2009 - 03:12
so I wonder if that’s why Princess Mary has had to work SO hard to be Danish? We’ve got the impression here that she’s been asked in some ways to shun her Australianness. I mean, they can’t stop her visiting family, but there’s a sense that she’s had to really turn her back on who she was. i suppose all newcomers to royal families have to do it to a degree, but it seems, from here anyway, that it’s been quite overt for her. Would be keen to know your thoughts on that!
May 20th, 2009 - 07:35
@Jen: Best of luck to the Viking. I hadn’t heard about the bbq, but I haven’t been to the BM meet-ups of late ..
@unblinkered: we need to have a chat, don’t we? :)
@Stefan: I’ll view that as a compliment!
@xtiand: Unfortunately the Danish equivalent of the BNP isn’t laughed out of the room like they’d be (most places) in the UK. It is difficult to convey that tightly-knitted sense of “Danishness” which feels very much like an either/or option.
@bells: you’ve asked the wrong Dane as I’m one of the 0.0001 per cent of the population who’d like to abolish monarchy ;) Uhm, I guess that she’s had to give up some spontaneity in order to fit in? Any Danes of a more royalist bend out there who’d be able to answer this?
May 20th, 2009 - 08:15
I feel that your description of Danes pretty much match my most negative feelings about Norwegians. Luckily there are also a lot of cool and tolerant people here, otherwise I guess I had moved abroad too.
(BTW: I know a lot of nice and easygoing Danes and have had great trips to Denmark. I feel that Danes are a lot more relaxed than Norwegians, so I guess you shouldn`t visit Norway…)