The Viking Age is a tough act to follow for excitement in Norway. Watching a 12-hour marathon of wood burning is what goes for entertainment these days.

Norway’s NRK broadcasts 12-hour wood burning programme

Norwegian public TV is broadcasting a hot program, if you like to watch wood burn for 12 hours that is.

The NRK woodathon features firewood specialists providing commentary and advice on subjects such as chopping, stacking and burning the wood.

The transmission, entitled Hel Ved, also features music and poetry.

The head of programming at NRK, Rune Moeklebust, described it as “slow but noble television”.

“We’ll talk about the very nerdy subjects like burning, slicing and stacking the wood, but we’ll also have cultural segments with music and poems,” he said.

You can also see it here. Hurry or you’ll miss it.

Actually, it is a little hypnotic to watch. It could be soothing except for the underlying weirdness and occasional creepiness of it. For all the poetry and music, there is a disquieting anticipation that some Viking ghost will show up with an axe at any moment.

I suppose you have to be Norwegian to really enjoy it.

“Fire is the reason we’re here, if there was no firewood, we couldn’t live in Norway, we’d freeze.”

All fires go out eventually. Good luck Norway.

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12 Comments | Leave a comment
  1. Shifra says:

    Is this like watching paint dry?

    Or, like watching test patterns on TV? Yes, young ‘uns, we kids really did that, back in the day.

    Good times… 🙂

    • Pat_S says:

      Right after standing for the national anthem at end of programming.

    • Maynard says:

      I have very fond memories of the end of the broadcast day. I’ve always been a night owl; the activity of the day overwhelms me, but at night the world withdraws and I can focus. One of our channels would end with a calming little scene. It showed a man walking down a rural trail, taking a seat under a tree. The narration says words to the effect that every man needs a time and place where he can step aside and think. The man lights a cigarette and takes a few relaxed puffs, gazing out at nature. A passage of Scripture appears on the screen. It ends as the man, rejuvenated, gets up and heads home. Then the national anthem, and the test pattern. The world was secure for another night. I could go to sleep now.

  2. TheGreenHornet says:

    I must admit that I have a fireplace blu-ray disc. I play it at Christmas time. I works for me.

  3. Shifra says:

    Musical Selection to Enjoy While Reading’s Pat_S’s Post:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY5i4-rWh44

  4. Sally says:

    Fast forward to the 55 minute mark, and there is a rendition of Norwegian Wood! I had a good laugh as only a Swede could do!!!! 🙂

  5. strider says:

    Might be a future for the LSM.

  6. 1ntbtn says:

    Thank you Shifra and Pat, you ended my day with a good laugh.

  7. LucyLadley says:

    Quite the interesting video! Thanks Pat!

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