Ambassador Whitney's "Syttende mai" greeting
Dear Norwegian friends!
I think every American in Norway enjoys May 17 just as much as I do, because the celebration is such a powerful reminder of the values that Americans and Norwegians hold in common.
This year Norway commemorates not only the 194th birthday of its Constitution, but also the 200th birthday of the great writer and national poet Henrik Wergeland.
Wergeland personified a spirit of freedom, tolerance, and equality that I have come to associate with Norway, and which is given such colorful and festive expression in the pageantry of “Syttende mai” each year.
In 1843, on the occasion of the great violinist Ole Bull’s departure to the United States, Wergeland published his poem “Norway to America, on Ole Bull’s voyage thither.” Although Wergeland was opposed to emigration, and urged his fellow citizens to stay in Norway to help build the young nation, in the poem he reluctantly lets Bull go; Wergeland wrties that he hopes Bull’s magical playing may help break the chains of slavery, and surrenders him to America in gratitude for his own freedom, the roots of which he traces to the U.S. Constitution and the American struggle for independence.
May 17 is a good day to reflect for a moment on the common spirit of our respective Constitutions. It is also a good day to reflect on Wergeland’s concern for the rights of individuals of all creeds and colors. That was most famously evident in his tireless commitment to the cause of the Jews 150 years ago, but even today I hear his name and spirit invoked to promote goodwill towards people of all faiths and colors. That suggests that Wergeland was far ahead of his time, but also that we must remain forever vigilant about keeping his spirit alive.
This year, on behalf of my embassy and the people and the government of the United States, I extend heartfelt congratulations to my Norwegian friends not only on the occasion of 17 mai, but also on the Henrik Wergeland bicentennial.
Gratulerer med dagen!