Land of the Midnight SunAlthough Norway is a country sometimes mistaken for a frozen wasteland, this "Land of the Midnight Sun" is much more than that. The combination of culture, cuisine and animals gives this land a unique personality. Norway is located in northern Europe, bordering Finland, Switzerland and Russia (Evensberget). The entire population of Norway is 5,136,700 as of 2013. The capital is Oslo, with a population of approximately 630,000. According to mythology, in the beginning the world was nothing but chaos, consisting of freezing cold, strong winds, and blazing fire. The only thing that existed was the “yawning chasm” called Musoellheim. The only beings were the gods and the giants; one of the giants was Ymir. Ymir was born and created the world, and each part of his body created a different aspect of the world (Daly and Marian). The sacred text Grimnismol tells of how “From Ymir's flesh the earth was fashioned, and the ocean from her blood... from her bones the hills, from her hair the trees, from her skull the high heavens, Mithgarth... from his eyebrows he made, and set for the sons of men; And from his brain they caused the evil clouds to move upwards” (GRIMNISMOL). This was the beginning of the world. Several famous Norse gods are seen in mythology. Odin, god of war, death, the sky and poetry, was called by over 150 names, such as "Alfodr" or "Father of the Gods". He was usually personified as One-eyed, who wore an eagle helmet into battle, along with his spear Gungnir. The birds sacred to him were ravens. He had several children, one of which is Thor. Thor was the son of Odin, god of thunder, lightning and storms. His weapon was the hammer. Loki was thought to be Odin's blood brother. Known as... middle of paper... certain dishes are needed on occasions. Similar to the Fourth of July in the United States, Norwegian Constitution Day features hot dogs and ice cream. As in many other countries around the world, gingerbread men are a favorite at Christmas time. Many other popular foods in Norway include French fries with cheese and fruit, Norwegian waffles, and fruit soup. Fruit soup is a sweet soup made with dried fruit and cinnamon. (Munsen)One of the most famous desserts in Norway is Blotkake. Blotkake is the most popular cake in all of Norway, made with sugar, eggs, flour, potato starch or corn starch, yeast, salt, water, flavoring (vanilla and lemon are common), icing and possibly a filling. Blotkake is commonly topped with fruits, such as strawberries, cherries, and kiwis. (Anne) (Munsen). Overall, Norway is an exclusive country like no other.