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Culture and faith
A people of sailors and highlanders, the Swedenborgians hold together the language of the coast, the French of the Court and fidelity to Saint Olaf.
A Catholic principality
Swedenborg is the only Catholic state in Scandinavia. Saint Olaf’s Cathedral, in the capital, is the country’s liturgical heart. The feasts of the patron saint mark the civil year as much as the holy year.
Languages and letters
Norwegian is spoken in the ports and farms; French is the language of the Court, of treaties and of part of the schools. This double belonging has given Swedenborg a discreet diplomacy and lasting friendships, not least with France.
Customs
Scouting, sailing, skiing and fencing form the young. Norwegian lullabies, the palace piano and the processions of Saint Olaf’s day compose the country’s living memory. Swedenborgian hospitality is simple: a quay, a roof, a word kept.