A glimpse of the Oslo spring

 



Today is May 17, Norway's national day which celebrates the first Norwegian constitution of 1814. As I have spent most of the past decade abroad, I have rarely had any opportunity or cause to celebrate, as it has often been a work day, and I have come a bit out of sync with the Norwegian calendar. Five years ago, for instance, I was surprised when my Danish boss at the time congratulated me, and I thought he was over a month late for my birthday. As he remarked, I was, and continue to be, a very bad Norwegian. 

This year, I have my first May 17 in Oslo, but I have not been participating since I am worried about COVID-19 and tend to avoid large crowds. The celebration has, therefore, been very minimalist, and predominantly consisted of some ice cream. But as I took an afternoon walk, I did come across something that in a way represents Oslo in the spring, and Oslo on May 17, perfectly, namely a manhole cover depicting the city's coat-of-arms. The image shows Oslo's patron saint, Hallvard, who was killed in 1043 when he tried to save a young woman from being assaulted by three men. A millstone was bound to his neck and he was thrown into a lake, but when he resurfaced he was recognised as a saint.

To see this familiar image against the unfamiliar green background of un-petalled birdcherry flowers served as a lovely reminder of the time of the year and the place where I am, as it encapsulated an Oslo spring very elegantly and in a quietly eloquent fashion.