Between Ragnarok and welfare utopia:
A cultural-historical deconstruction
— Analysis of how we view Europe's North
and how this image emerged
— An outsider's perspective on Nordic
societies and their self image
— Serves as an introduction into Northern
European culture and society Our image of Northern Europe has been shaped by projections and desires in the long history
of encounters: berserkers and war atrocities, bad weather, beautiful nature, stable political
systems, social welfare, equality and prosperity, peacefulness, low corruption, hygge and
Bullerby – all this is part of the Nordic narrative.
But what about the religious, linguistic and ethnic homogeneity, what about the muchvaunted
Nordic cooperation? How do politics "work" in the North? Why are Northern
Europeans the happiest people?