Making the Aurora Norwegian: Science and Image in the Making of a Tradition

Abstract

Norway claims to be the home of the aurora borealis. But other far-northern countries and states declare similar roles for themselves, both with respect to tourism and research. Common to all of these northern cultures, the aurora is commonly used as an icon to express identity. To understand how and why nations incorporate natural phenomena into identity, appeals to geography are not sufficient. In contrast to some of its neighbours that had long traditions for studying the northern lights, Norway first engaged the aurora forcefully around 1900. Through research and visual images polar scientist Fridtjof Nansen and physicist Kristian Birkeland helped transform the northern lights from a regional to a national icon, which in turn promoted further scientific investigations. This process was part of a broader development of a virile national identity that embraced engagement with polar nature. This essay sketches the cultural politics involved in launching the Norwegian auroral tradition.