entry smash 362: the tiger

Norwegians often refer to Oslo as Tigerstaden the tiger city. in fact there is a sculpture off an impressively large tiger in the center of the city on the plaza in front of the main railway station. it's teeth are sharp but it doesn't bite.

the reference stems from a poem
Godt Mot by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, perhaps Norway's most famous poet,
in the poem Bjørnson portrays Oslo as a tiger and himself as a horse from the countryside who has to battle with the tiger. the poem popularized the notion of Oslo being cold hearted and spiteful to outsiders. being an outsider himself his descriptions of Oslo in the late 1800s rang true to both insiders and outsiders. the term has stuck though the meaning of it has changed along with the changes in the city itself

so if you are ever in Oslo you might want to check out the sculpture and of course the great shadows it casts