What is Jante? All Scandinavians know. The “Law of Jante” first appeared 1933 in the novel En flyktning krysser sitt spor (A Refugee Crosses His Tracks, 1936) by the Danish-Norwegian author Aksel Sandemose. In the novel, “Jante” is a small town where the Law of Jante is an expression of people’s ability to hold each other – and thereby themselves – down. The physical model for Sandemose’s Jante is the town of Nykøbing Mors in Denmark. The images in the book were photographed there in the summer of 2017. Does the Law of Jante say something about who we Scandinavians are? Can the Law of Jante be captured on film? That is what Knut Egil Wang wanted to find out.
54 color images • Editing and design: Gösta Flemming, Knut Egil Wang • Text: Knut Egil Wang • Translation to English: Linda Sivesind • Quote and “Law of Jante” by Aksel Sandemose • Hard cover • 145 x 211 mm • 96 pages • English/Norwegian • Final art: Johan Lindberg • Prepress and printing: Narayana Press • ISBN 978-91-87939-75-4 • 2023
