NORWAY

The country is on the western part of Scandinavia.

In pre-historic times it was inhabited by primitive hunting gatherers.

9th century AD rivalry between chiefs for more land made the Vikings to sail to Greenland, Iceland and England.

10th century AD brought a political organisation under Harold Fairhair and Olaf I followed by Olaf II

In 1028 the Danish king Canute started to rule Norway and Olaf II fled to Russia. Assisted by Norwegian nobles Canute had control till his death. After that the Throne was returned to Norway again.

HAROLD HARDRADA

Harold Hardrada attempted to claim the English throne in 1066 but failed and a civil war followed.

Eventual the Norwegian throne was claimed by Sverrir. who claim to be the illegitimate son of the Norwegian king Sigurd.

During the ruler Haakon IV between 1204 and 1263 Greenland and Iceland was added to Norway and from 1254 trade flourished with the Hanseatic League creating prosperity.

MARGARET  I

HAAKUN  VI

In 1397 Norway, Sweden and Denmark  were united by the Danish monarch Margaret I, wife of Haakon VI.

It was dissolved in 1523 but Norway continued to be ruled by Danish governors until 1807 when it established its own Parliament, it was ceded to Sweden in 1814.

HAAKUN  VII

A rivalry of nationalism started a demand for complete Independence and it was granted in 1884. The union with Sweden was finally dissolved in 1905 and Prince Charles of Denmark was elected as Haakon VII.

Norway kept neutral in both World Wars  but in 1940 Germany invaded Norway. Germany established a puppet government under the Norwegian fascist Vidkun Quisling.  He gave himself up in 1945.

The monarchy and a Labour Government returned.

The exploitation of North Sea Oil  during 1970 boosted the country's economic. It was expanded during the  1990s.

During 1981 and 1993 Gro Harlem  Brundrland

KING OLAF  V

was Norway's first woman Prime Minister and won the vote again in 1993.




In 1991 King Olaf V was succeeded by his son Harold V.

KING HAROLD  V

Although a foundling of European Free Trading Association (EFTA) by 1990 the majority Norway's export was coming from the European Community and only 15 pc from EFTA.

In 1992 Norway led negotiation for an establishment of the European Economic Area - the EC including Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein. It came into force in 1993.

Norwegians voted against joining the European Union.

TOMB RAIDS ALREADY IN ANCIENT EGYPT

Tomb robberies was looked at as the worst sin an Egyptian could commit.

Since they destroyed the body and took their articles; they stole his chances of a  happy afterlife which was the most important thing.

Priest laid curses on tomb robbers at first and when that did not deter them they put the body deep inside the pyramid or rocks. The entrance was blocked and sealed.

Despite of all the effort the temptation was too much and tomb robbing was a common crime along the Nile. They left the seal untouched and borrowed into the tombs.

They threw the mummies out of the coffin and torn off the wrapping to steal the valuable jewellery which were concealed there.

Kings and Nobles of the New Kingdom (1570-332 BC) were buried in the remote rocky Valley of the Kings near Thebes. It was hoped their tombs would be safe there.

According to history, tomb robbery is not a new crime but they were plundered between 1200 and 1000 BC. Priests had to take action and hid 36 Royal mummies deep in a cliff and another 13 in the grave of Amenophis. They were discovered only in the 19th centuries.

The only tomb to remain untouched was that of Tutankhamun

Mummification

Ir is a long and complicated process.

1) Take the body to the embalming house.

2) Soften the brain in a secret chemical ad then draw it out through the nose.

3) Make a slit in the corpse's side and remove the internal organs. Dry, wrap in linen and store in jars - one each for the intestines. The lids of the jars were carvings of the four sons of Honus.

4) Leave the heart - the seat of the intellect and emotions - in place because it will be needed at the judgement.

5) Stuff the inside of the body with sawdust, leaves and linen.
6) Put natron - a salt found in deserts - around it and leave for 40 days.

7) Wash the natron off and remove the stuffing. Anoint the body with sweet smelling oils, Re-stuff it with linen soaked in resin.

8) Wrap the corpse tightly in linen bandages. Place small charms and amulets between bandage layers to guard against evil in the next world. Recite prayers and spells continuously for about 30 days.

9) Place bandaged  corpse in one of or several painted and decorated mummy cases.

Pyramid Workers

To start with  rough blocks of stone from the quarries had to be finely measured and cut by highly skilled masons.

Every stone was marked to make sure it went to the right spot on the pyramid.  The final shaping was done just before the stone was pushed into position.

Apart from masons there were others skilled workers on the site; surveyors; carpenters and metalworkers who made and sharpened tools needed for construction work.

Teams of labourers used sledges, rollers, levers and thick fibre ropes to get blocks of raw stone to the site of the pyramid construction.