Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 when Secret Garden beat the competition with "Nocturne". At the 1996 contest, held again in Norway, this time in the capital of Oslo, Norway came close to winning again, coming second with "I evighet", performed again by Elisabeth Andreassen. Since the country's debut Norsk rikskringkasting (NRK) had been in charge of the Norwegian entry, and is also responsible in broadcasting Eurovision in Norway. Melodi Grand Prix 2008 was the selection process for the 47th song to represent Norway at the Eurovision Song Contest. NRK began their campaign for the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest on 9 July 2007. An open call
Aristocracy of Norway the 1970s and 2000. During parts of the Romantic Nationalist epoch and the subsequent worshipping of Vikings, when it was popular and/or gave a particular high status to demonstrate descent from the 'real' (i.e. Medieval, non-foreign) noble families and kings of Norway, fraudulent pedigrees flourished. This was the case also during the illegitimate National Unification rule during Germany's occupation of Norway (1940–1945). The medieval aristocracy called themselves hird and later ‘free men’ likewise as commoners were called ‘unfree’. Knights were gathered in a particular class known as the Knighthood (), which stood above what was called ‘ordinary nobility’ (). The