Beautiful Name

As a city name "Trondhjem" (pronounced Tronyem) seems melodiously beautiful to the sturdy Norse citizens who live there, on cheese and fish pudding, almost within the Arctic Circle.

Came news last week that the Norwegian Storthing (Parliament) had changed the city's name to "Nidaros" (pronounced Nee-dar-oss)--effective Jan. 1, 1930. To many a Trondhjemmer's ear the sound of "Nidaros" is ugly, coarse, repugnant. Soon 25,000 irate citizens (nearly half Trondhjem's population) mass-met under a lowering sky, furiously handclapped speeches of indignation as rain began to patter, signed under umbrellas a potent petition of protest. On dispersing to their homes they expressed their feelings further by breaking several Trondhjem windows.

Observers knew to a virtual certainty that the Trondhjemmers' protest will be in vain. The reactionary country folk of Norway whose representatives dominate the Storthing are bent on restoring the almost prehistoric names by which Norwegian cities were called before the fatherland came under the rule of Danish and later Swedish kings, from which it emerged independent only in 1905. Stubborn zealots, the Norwegian rival Deputies changed the Danish name of Norway's capital, "Christiania," to "Oslo." Having changed Trondhjem to Nidaros, they now contemplate changing the names of two of Norway's major ports, Bergen and Christiansund. to "Bjoergvin" and "Fosna."