Janteloven - Law of Jante

Aksel Sandemose

Janteloven - Law of Jante


There are 11 principles or commandments that form the "Jante's Shield" of the Scandinavian people.

In a novel by Aksel Sandemose, he defined 10 different rules in the law, all expressive of variations on a single theme... You are not to think you're anyone special or that you're better than us.

-Sandemose's novel portrays the small Danish town 'Jante' - he settled in Norway in 1930.


The ten rules state:

1.  You are not to think you're anything special.
2.  You are not to think you're as good as us.
3.  You are not to think you're smarter than us.
4.  You are not to convince yourself that you're better than us.
5.  You are not to think you know more than us.
6.  You are not to think you are more important than us.
7.  You are not to think you are good at anything.
8.  You are not to laugh at us.
9.  You are not to think anyone cares about you.
10. You are not to think you can teach us anything.

An eleventh rule recognized in the novel is:

11. You are not to think that there aren't a few things we know about you.


Norsk:

Janteloven lyder slik:

Du skal ikke tro at du er noe.
Du skal ikke tro at du er like så meget som oss.
Du skal ikke tro du er klokere enn oss.
Du skal ikke innbille deg du er bedre enn oss.
Du skal ikke tro du vet mere enn oss.
Du skal ikke tro du er mere enn oss.
Du skal ikke tro at du duger til noe.
Du skal ikke le av oss.
Du skal ikke tro at noen bryr seg om deg.
Du skal ikke tro at du kan lære oss noe.

Senere i boken kommer Sandemose opp med et 11. bud: Du tror kanskje ikke at jeg vet noe om deg?

What do you think of these rules?

Are they conducive to an advancing, progressive society?

Do these rules portray or produce self dignity,

self respect and the desire to excel... or?